He breathed in and out again. Twice. Then turned to her. ‘Would you mind terribly if we remain in Italy for a few days while we work through this issue?’ He ground out the question with aggravatingly false politeness. ‘Or do you wish to return to London immediately and we’ll make our plans from there.’
Phoebe stared at him, suddenly aware of her own flip-flop thinking. Because she needed time to absorb the shock of all of this, and either wayhewasn’t leaving her alone. And at least the privacy here was a bonus and honestly the last thing she felt like was getting back on board another plane.
‘We can stay here for a little while,’ she muttered. ‘I do like your vineyard.’
He blinked. ‘I appreciate your accommodating my difficult demands.’
She’d accommodated his demands really well a few hours ago. And he hers. And that heat was building in her body all over again.
But she realised that half of his problem was that he was worried. He didn’t need to be.
‘Just so you know, I’m sure everything is fine, I’ve been ridiculously healthy,’ she muttered. ‘Maybe I had a little nausea a few weeks back, but I put it down to new-job nerves. I’ve not been out partying or anything.’
His mouth twitched. ‘Do you usually go out partying?’
‘A while back my friends and I went through a phase,’ she declared loftily.
Elodie had made a deliberate point of it, while Bethan had seriously needed some laughs when she’d first come back from her hellish honeymoon in Greece.
‘I’ve always had quite light periods,’ she added with excruciating awkwardness, but she had to explain it. ‘Honestly, I’ve just been really busy and distracted, and didn’t pay attention to it.’
‘The incomparable, efficient PA doesn’t keep a spreadsheet to track all that data?’
‘I have enough spreadsheets at work. Life outside of the office is messier.’
His eyebrows lifted. ‘Do you leave the towel on the floor? Dishes in the sink? I don’t mind if you do.’
‘Why would you when you have staff to clean up after you,’ she drawled. ‘You get to make messes and pay other people to fix them for you.’
‘Not this time,’ he countered. ‘I’m sorry that your liaison with me has put you in this position. It’s the last thing I wanted to happen.’ He fiddled with his seatbelt again. ‘Do you have family support? Will your parents be helpful?’
No way was she telling her parents. It would never be a good time, but it was competition season. They were miles away on a training camp—helping others in a way they would never help her. They certainly wouldn’t drop all that and come to her aid.
‘They’re very focused on their own lives,’ she fudged. ‘What about yours?’
His mouth compressed. ‘They’ve both passed on.’
A hit of pain whistled through her. ‘Oh, Edo—’
‘It was a long time ago.’ He dismissed her sympathy before she could even express it. ‘So you don’t have any support.’
Right.Nor did he. And he definitely didn’t want to talk abouthisfamily either.
‘I havefriends,’ she said stoutly. ‘I’m going to tell them once we’ve worked the basics out. They’re more my family than my mum and dad are.’
‘I would prefer this didn’t hit the press any sooner than can be helped.’
‘They won’t say anything, they’re myfriends,’ she repeated bullishly. And the press wouldn’t even be interested. His obvious scepticism needled her.
‘You don’t trust your friends?’ she asked.
‘I don’t have friends.’
‘None at all? No work buddies? No old schoolmates?’ She didn’t believe him. ‘What about those guys you were running with on the day—’
‘They’re my bodyguards.’
‘But you were laughing with them. You were talking like—’
