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Ten minutes later, he waited beside Annah’s hatchback while she strapped Ethan into his car seat. Luca had already said goodbye to his son and promised he’d see him again soon—a promise he intended to keep.
Annah straightened and shut the door.
‘Give me your phone,’ he said.
Her brow puckered.
He added, ‘So I can programme my number in.’
She hesitated a few seconds longer but then, with a sigh, pulled her mobile from her jacket, unlocked it, and handed it over.
He thumbed his number in, sent a text to himself, and passed the phone back. ‘Now you can reach me any time, day or night.’ Then he leaned in and brushed his lips against her temple, allowing his mouth to linger a few pleasurable beats longer than he should have before pulling back. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow night, yes?’
‘Um... Yes.’ And then she hurried round to the driver’s side, got in without another word or even a glance in his direction, and drove off.
Luca stood and watched until the hatchback was out of sight.
He climbed into the back of the SUV.
‘Everything okay, boss?’ Mario asked.
Luca relaxed against the seat. ‘It will be.’
CHAPTER FOUR
ANNAH CHANGED HER outfit three times before settling on a navy-blue shift dress, a string of pearls with matching earrings, and a pair of taupe pumps.
It was the kind of ensemble she’d wear to a meeting with a wedding client at a posh venue, which made it perfect for this evening because in these parts you didn’t get much posher than Fendalton Hall, and her dinner with Luca was a meeting, not—as she had reminded herself repeatedly over the last twenty-four hours—a date.
Still, her stomach fluttered with nerves as she spritzed on some perfume, grabbed her handbag and a smart, knee-length black coat to pull on over her dress, and headed to the living room.
Chloe, who had seen the first two outfits and agreed they weren’t quite right, jumped up from the sofa, gave the new outfit a once-over, and declared, ‘Perfect!’
‘Not too much make-up?’
Chloe shook her head. ‘Just right. How are you feeling?’
‘Fine.’
‘You’re a terrible liar.’
In spite of herself, Annah laughed. ‘And you’re an amazing friend. You didn’t need to come back early.’
Chloe had called last night to chat and also check some details for a wedding job they were doing on Saturday. Since Chloe knew the history of Ethan’s conception and the events that had unfolded afterwards, Annah told her all about Luca showing up and demanding to see their son, not expecting that Chloe would rush back to Hollyfield a day earlier than planned.
‘Don’t be silly,’ Chloe said firmly. ‘I want to be here for you.’ She dropped back onto the sofa, narrowly missing Mister Pickles, who leapt to the floor with an indignant flick of his ginger tail. ‘Anyway, I was dying for some fresh country air after five days in London. And of course Ben’s delighted to have me back early.’
Annah felt a jab of guilt. ‘Except you’re not even spending the evening at home with him. You’re here, babysitting for me.’
Chloe waved a hand. ‘It’s fine. He’s still at work. He’ll come over and keep me company after his shift ends.’ She sent Annah a mock-dramatic look. ‘Imagine if I hadn’t come back and you’d had to ask Dot to babysit. You know she would have made it her personal mission to find out who you were having dinner with, right?’
‘I know,’ Annah said, pulling her coat on and cinching the belt at her waist. ‘You’re a lifesaver.’ She opened her handbag and checked its contents for the nth time. Wallet. Keys. Lip balm. Tissues. Satisfied, she zipped it shut, slid the strap over her shoulder, and glanced down the hallway. ‘Is Ethan asleep? Maybe I should check on him before I go.’
‘He’s dead to the world. Don’t risk waking him. You’ve already checked on him six times. Have you got your phone?’
Her eyes widened. ‘Blast!’ She dashed back to her bedroom, retrieved her phone from where she’d left it charging, and returned to the living room.
Chloe was on her feet again, rifling through her own bag. ‘Hang on a sec,’ she said, and then extracted a small object and thrust it towards Annah. ‘Take this.’
