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Why did she feel now as if it might not happen? Why had he not called her?
She heard the sound of the front door opening and everything in her stilled. Larenzo wasn’t due back until tomorrow and yet he was the only one with a key card. Then she heard the slow, deliberate tread, and Larenzo appeared in the doorway. He looked...he looked as he had that night so long ago now when he’d come to the villa. Haggard. Resigned. As if he was missing an elemental part of himself.
Emma pressed one hand to her hard-beating heart. ‘Larenzo. I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.’
He tossed his key card on the table and walked past her, to the drinks cabinet, just as he had before.
‘I decided to come home early.’
‘Why didn’t you call?’ Not wanting to sound accusing, Emma strove to moderate her tone. ‘I was worried about you. What...what happened with Bertrano?’
Larenzo poured himself a whisky, his back to her. ‘He told me the truth.’
‘What do you mean—?’
‘It was very enlightening,’ he cut across her. He turned around, the tumbler of whisky held to his lips as he leaned against the cabinet. ‘Very enlightening,’ he repeated, and took a long swallow.
Emma shook her head slowly. ‘Why don’t you enlighten me, then?’ she asked, trying to smile. ‘I was worried.’
‘Were you?’ He sounded disbelieving and Emma’s insides lurched with fear.
‘Yes, I was. Please, Larenzo. Tell me what is going on.’
‘Perhaps you should tell me what’s going on,’ Larenzo returned coolly. ‘Because it occurred to me, Emma, how easily you agreed to come live with me here. For a woman who was hell-bent on keeping me from her child, you changed your tune rather quickly. Rather conveniently.’ He took another sip of whisky, watching her all the while through narrowed eyes.
‘I don’t understand what you’re implying, Larenzo,’ Emma answered. She tried to keep her voice calm, although she felt like screaming. Like flying at him and slapping some sense into him, because she could see he was in self-destruct mode and she didn’t know how to get him to stop. ‘Larenzo, please. Let’s talk about this...’
‘I am talking about this. I’m talking about the fact that you were desperate to have me out of your and Ava’s lives, and then all of a sudden you changed. You’d called a lawyer, after all. You were serious, Emma. And then you just caved. Why?’
‘Because I realised I wanted you involved in Ava’s life,’ she answered steadily. ‘I know what it’s like to have an absentee parent and I didn’t want that for Ava. I didn’t want that for you. You’re a good father, Larenzo.’ He didn’t answer and Emma took a step towards him. ‘Please tell me what happened in Italy.’
‘What happened is I woke up and realised how deluded I’ve been about people. Everyone wants something, Emma. Everyone’s looking out for the main chance. Even you. Especially you.’
She gasped, the sound one of pure pain. ‘Especially me?’
‘You’ve got a pretty sweet deal here, haven’t you? Luxury apartment in the city, every expense paid for.’
‘I offered to pay my way—’
‘Of course you would. You’d want to seem convincing.’
‘Convincing? Convincing of what?’
‘You wanted me to look out for you. To take care of you. Maybe you’re even hoping for marriage.’
She shook her head slowly. ‘What on earth has got into you, Larenzo? What did that evil man say to you?’
‘Evil man? But you said he was just weak and afraid. You had quite a lot of sympathy for him, as I recall.’
‘I had sympathy for you,’ she corrected. ‘Although it’s disappearing fast.’
‘Is it?’ Larenzo’s mouth curved in a cold smile. ‘Good.’
‘Good? Good?’ Her voice rose in a scream as her hands clenched into fists. ‘Are you going to throw away everything we’ve built together simply because of something Bertrano said to you?’
‘Everything we’ve built?’ Larenzo arched an eyebrow. ‘It doesn’t seem that much to me. A few weeks, Emma. That’s all.’
Emma gaped at him, unable to believe that everything could fall apart so quickly. So utterly. ‘What are you saying, Larenzo?’ she demanded. ‘How does Ava fit into any of this?’
‘Ava is my daughter and I will have a place in her life,’ Larenzo answered. ‘Always. That won’t change.’
