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The thing was, to Hannah, once you identified a problem, the only logical solution was to remove said problem and make sure it never happened again. Falling in love was the biggest problem she had found in her life. It had left her open and vulnerable and, once it imploded, it had irrevocably broke parts of her.
Yet with Matt she struggled to remember those lessons she had learnt. He made her want to believe, which made him a danger to her. At the same time, he was the father of her child, so she could never be completely closed off to him. As much as she’d refused his suggestion to marry, Hannah really did want to make their arrangement work.
Clearly Matt was trying too. Trying to prove that he would be a good father, that he would be a dependable provider. So maybe for one night it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to pretend they were a loving couple ready to settle down.
For one night, she could believe.
Hannah twirled the ring round and round on her finger, trying not to tear up. She tried to ignore the feeling of Matt’s eyes on her, succumbing only to the wonderful sensations of sitting in this magical seat.
She was certain Matt could see her warring emotions. It always seemed as if he was able to look right through her, as if her shields were made only of glass, but he said nothing and for this she was grateful. She felt the car glide forward and only once she was certain she could speak without feeling emotional did she open her eyes.
The lights of London flashed around her, bringing a small smile to her lips. Hannah had never considered living anywhere but Melbourne. She loved everything about the place but now there was the possibility that she would leave it behind.
‘Hannah,’ Matt said, and she turned in her seat to face him. ‘I was serious earlier. I need you by my side all evening.’
‘Don’t worry, I intend to make life easy for you,’ she teased.
‘I’m not sure I believe I that.’
She could tell it was meant to be a joke, but the muscle flexing in his jaw had her wanting to ask what was on his mind, except it didn’t look as if he would tell her now. Hannah hoped that maybe he would learn to talk to her, but that wasn’t going to happen if she pushed all the time. Maybe he just needed to know she was in his corner because, even though she hadn’t spoken to him for months, there was still something special between them.
‘Don’t worry, Matt. Everything will be fine.’ Without thinking, she reached over and gave his hand a quick squeeze. The touch was like a lightning bolt through her and she snatched her hand back. Matt’s hands tightened on the steering wheel and she knew he’d felt it too.
Silence fell between them. Neither was willing to break it until they reached the paved roads in front of a glittering building. They followed the line of cars until they reached the front, where a valet opened Matt’s door. Hannah watched him hand a young man his keys before rounding the car to open her door.
She accepted his proffered hand and, once she joined him, he laced his fingers in hers. One small, innocent touch was enough to set her heart aflutter. The electricity between them made everyone and everything else seem duller, softer. And yet, his fingers in hers felt strong, safe, as though he had her.
Matt led them through the doors into a modern, minimalistic reception area but he didn’t stop until they reached open glass doors that welcomed them into a spectacular grand hall. There were round tables as far as the eye could see. The space was magically lit so that it was dim and moody, and the walls were cast in shades of purple and blue. Even the crystal chandeliers were bathed in hues of arctic blue. But each table was bright enough to clearly see everyone seated around it.
Matt pulled out a chair for her at a table all the way at the front. There were several women and men already seated, oozing power and wealth from their high-end clothes to the way they held themselves.
Hannah felt their assessing gazes rake over her from head to toe. Several disapproving expressions greeted her. Once Matt had pushed her chair in, he took his seat beside her and warmly greeted everyone at the table, before introducing everyone to her. Apart from a couple of executives, she realised most of these people were his investors.
‘This is Hannah Murphy,’ she heard Matt say from beside her, his arm draping over the back of her chair possessively. ‘My fiancée.’
‘Nice to meet you all.’ Hannah smiled in the most pleasant manner she could. She looked over to the side and found Matt staring at her, a gleam in his eye like a lit wick. Those eyes were a web and she was trapped in it, being pulled further and further into its depths, until he blinked. He looked at an older gentleman, who must have said something she hadn’t heard, because Matt started talking to him.
She took a breath, praying that she wouldn’t do or say the wrong thing and embarrass him in front of these people. Thanks to Emma, Hannah had been to her share of fancy events. But this was an entirely different animal.
That was when she felt Matt’s thumb caress her shoulder, a reminder he was next to her, even though his discussion didn’t pause for a second. She lifted her chin and plastered a confident smile on her face.
Hannah could feel the stares on her at the table. Inside, she was a wreck, feeling judged, wondering what these people actually thought of her. Outwardly she radiated nothing but calm serenity, a woman happy to be beside the man of her dreams, knowing that she would soon welcome her little miracle. If there was one thing Hannah was always able to do, it was to seem completely confident when she felt none of it. It was how she’d survived after she’d been so brutally destroyed by her ‘Prince Charming’. Compared to the heartbreak that had so changed her, this would be a cake walk.
‘Matthew, we had no idea you were engaged,’ an elegant blonde woman said. Hannah thought she must be in her forties. She had a low, husky voice and spoke in a tone that made her think she probably never had to raise her voice to be heard in any room.
Matt’s lips pressed against Hannah’s temple and she had to fight the shock passing through her body. She felt the heat of the blush creeping up her neck.
‘Recently engaged,’ she heard Matt say. ‘We’ve been something special for quite a while.’ The meaning of his words was lost on the table but not on her. They were special. That week in Melbourne had been the most incredible of her life. Maybe it had been for Matt too.
‘So I see,’ the woman said, looking at Hannah. ‘You never mentioned anything.’ Clearly, she was sceptical about their union. After all, Matt must have been on dates.
‘I didn’t want to expose Hannah to the public scrutiny of my world. I kept up my usual appearances so no one would look at her.’
He paused and Hannah turned to look at him. When he spoke next, she felt as if the words were being said to her. ‘But they were just that—appearances. This is our first child and I want to protect them both.’ His eyes ripped from hers and she had to fight the urge to pull him back to her. ‘I’m sure you can all appreciate that,’ he finished, his tone harder, colder.
‘We just wish you had said something earlier,’ said a well-dressed man with kind eyes, but Matt just shook his head.
‘So why now?’ the lady pushed.
