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‘What sort of things?’ he said, though he had a fair idea already.
She kept her voice low. ‘That he was corrupt. Involved with the wrong kind of people. That he was ruthless, and anyone who got on his bad side needed to watch their backs.’ She stared at him, her expression expectant, as though waiting for Luca to brush aside the claims as nothing more than idle gossip.
If only he could.
The café owner arrived with their hot drinks. Luca thanked her and waited until she’d gone before he spoke. ‘My father is dead,’ he reminded Annah bluntly. ‘He is no longer a threat to you or to Ethan. I control Cavallari Enterprises now—and I assure you, things are done very differently under my watch.’
She blinked, but before he could discern either trust or doubt in her eyes, her thick golden-brown lashes swept down and she picked up the teapot and filled her cup. ‘So, are you living back in London?’
‘No.’ He sipped his drink and suppressed a grimace; the English made coffee only marginally better than the Americans. ‘Palermo. I moved back in January after my father died.’
She put down the teapot but didn’t pick up her cup. ‘Are you planning to stay in Sicily, then?’
‘For the foreseeable future, yes.’
‘Mummy, look!’
At the sound of Ethan’s voice, they both turned their heads. He walked over to them, a small golden puppy snuggled in his arms.
Annah smiled and stroked the puppy’s head. ‘She’s adorable.’
‘He’s a boy,’ Ethan corrected. The puppy wriggled and licked Ethan’s chin. He giggled. ‘I wish we could take him home,’ he said, his voice full of longing. ‘I think Mister Pickles would like him.’
Annah’s smile faltered. Gently but firmly, she said, ‘We talked about why we can’t have a dog, remember? This little fella will grow big one day, and big dogs need to have a garden and lots of room for running around.’
Ethan sighed heavily. ‘I know.’ He kissed the puppy’s head. ‘I better take him back to Sandy.’
When Ethan had gone, Luca raised an eyebrow at Annah. ‘Mister Pickles?’
‘Cat,’ she said.
‘Ah.’
Animal, not man.
‘Who’d be even less impressed than our landlord if we took home a dog,’ she added.
But Luca only half heard that last bit. Why had he not already considered the possibility of a man being on the scene? Annah was a beautiful, desirable woman. Granted, some men balked at taking on another’s child. But even so, what was the likelihood of her not having attracted at least one suitor in the last four years?
Nil.
His gut clenched. He had no claim on Annah, yet the idea of her sharing her bed with another man was about as palatable as battery acid.
/> A brazen demand to know whether or not she had a lover sprang to the tip of his tongue, but then the café door opened and a middle-aged couple entered on a waft of chilly air. The man went to the counter; the woman glanced around and then sat at the window table behind Annah, close enough to overhear their conversation.
Luca bit back the question. ‘We need time alone to talk,’ he said instead. ‘In private, without interruptions. Can you dine with me tomorrow night?’
Annah hesitated. ‘I’d need to arrange a babysitter, but...yes.’
‘I’m staying at Fendalton Hall. Do you know it?’
Her eyes widened. ‘I do.’
‘I’ll have Mario collect—’
She cut him off. ‘No. I’ll drive. It’s only twenty minutes from Hollyfield, and I’m familiar with the route.’
‘All right.’ He nodded, satisfied.
