Her eyes widened when he released her but only to stroke her cheek with the back of his hand.
‘Alessandro…’
Just for a few electric seconds, she felt that he was going to kiss her and she wanted that so badly that it was terrifying.
He stepped back abruptly and dropped his hand.
‘Georgie…’ He raked his fingers through his hair and seemed as shocked as she was by what was happening,had just happened. ‘Think it might be time to reclaim the bed.’
‘Yes! Youshould get some rest! You’ve already been up for way too long! Wouldn’t want to set back the healing process! I’ll get rid of this stuff! Stick it outside the door so that it can be collected in the morning!’ She sounded hysterical.
‘Good idea.’
He remained where he was, looking down at her, and she could feel his eyes boring through her as she began stacking stuff.
Her cheeks were burning and she didn’t glance his way as she began ferrying the dishes from the table to the trolley, which the waiter had wheeled outside.
‘Right!’
Job done, she finally looked at him, making sure to keep some healthy distance between them.
Alessandro tilted his head to one side and debated saying something.
He’d touched her. He’d touched in a way that was clearly sexual and nothing to do with a gesture of thanks for the day she’d spent with his daughter.
He’d brushed her cheek with his hand, which was the least physical thing he could have done and yet it had felt impossibly erotic and very intimate and now she was flustered and could barely look him in the face.
‘Tomorrow,’ was all he could say.
‘Yes! Tomorrow!’
‘Hopefully I’ll be back on my feet.’
‘That would be good!’
‘But should I wake up feeling the way I did this morning…’
‘Understood!’
‘What are you understanding?’
‘That I’ll repeat the routine tomorrow. Flora and I will have our little adventures and then get back here in time for her to fall into bed. That’s fine. I’m enjoying it!’
Somewhere, in the dim recesses where a bit of common sense still held sway, something clicked and he said, perfunctorily, ‘Just so long as you’re not enjoying it too much.’
‘Don’t worry.’ Georgie got the message immediately. ‘I’m not.’
‘Good. And about what just happened between us.’
‘Nothing happened between us.’
‘Actually—’
‘I don’t want to talk about it. Nothing happened.’
‘I touched you in a way that was unacceptable and for that you have my apologies.’
‘Why do you think it was unacceptable?’
