‘It’s like he thinks he’s God’s gift. Like he expects everyone to be pleased to see him. Like he’s something special. I dunno.’ Steve lifted his shoulders in an aggrieved shrug.
‘He’s not one of the lads,’ she said, feeling the need to defend Leo out of a sense of fairness. Leo didn’t fit Steve’s conservative, traditional worldview of how a man should be. The worldview held by her adopted family. They’d always found Leo’s differences objectionable and she’d undeniably let that influence her. She’d grown up with the same narrow, risk-averse, conservative values and had remoulded herself to fit in with the family.
‘Actually Steve…’ Before she could finish, he spoke over her.
‘I fancy a cup of tea. Last chance to get a decent one before I get home. And I’ll stick this in the fridge, you can never be too careful with sandwiches.’ He was already heading for the stairs carrying the bag of supplies he’d bought on the way back because, as he’d said a dozen times, ‘They always charge a ridiculous amount for food at the airport and on the plane.’
Coward that she was, Anna nodded and followed him up the stairs. Another five minutes wasn’t going to make that much difference to what she had to say.
ChapterFifteen
‘Just look at me over your shoulder, Leo.’ Zdenka grinned at him from the other side of the roof terrace. ‘With the view behind you, it’s going to look great.’
‘What, like this?’ he asked with an exaggerated pout, putting his hands on his hips and thrusting out his hips, channelling Harry Styles.
She giggled. ‘That’s absolutely perfect. Leave it unbuttoned. It’s sexy. I’ll take a few pictures and then you can try the other shirt on.’
He posed as she took pictures and she laughed as he played up to the camera, not taking it the least bit seriously.
‘Now try this one,’ she said, putting her phone down and pulling a bright yellow shirt from its hanger. Draping it over one of the bistro chairs, she stepped in front of him, sliding her warm hands under the shoulders of the shirt he was wearing to ease it down his arms, her eyes dancing with flirty promise as they held his. Just as the shirt slid down his arms, he heard footsteps behind him and Zdenka’s expression brightened with sudden mischief. Leo turned to see Anna and Steve walk out onto the roof terrace carrying a couple of shopping bags. Anna’s eyes immediately shot to his and for a second there was a flash of acute awareness between them, which paradoxically made him ache and feel guilty at the same time. She gave so much away with her beautiful clear grey eyes; they spoke a whole language and Leo had always felt he was the only one that could interpret it.
Despite the feeling of disquiet, he beamed at her and Steve. ‘Hey, guys. This is Zdenka. Anna, you met her before at Jan and Michaela’s.’
‘Hi,’ said Zdenka, in a low sultry voice which appeared to have dropped an octave. She draped an arm round Leo’s shoulder, her bright pink lips curving into a pussycat grin. Anna adopted her classic poker face, giving nothing away, which used to drive him mad. That along with her habit of always saying she was fine when she clearly wasn’t. He’d always had to coax her feelings out of her, treating them with infinite patience, like shy hedgehog babies.
‘And this is Anna’s boyfriend, Steve.’
Zdenka turned her flirtatious smile up a dozen watts and shot Anna a knowing look and then glanced back at Leo. ‘Ah, yes, Michaela told me all about –’ she paused ‘– the two of you.’ There was no mistaking the throaty emphasis on the words.
Leo’s stomach clenched. Had Michaela mentioned that he and Anna used to be married? That would amuse someone as mischievous as Zdenka no end.
Anna gave him a fierce glare as the hands at her sides knotted into tight, white-knuckled fists.
‘It must be fun sharing a flat with Leo,’ said the other woman with a naughty smirk.
Anna gave her a polite smile. ‘He’s house-trained.’
‘I’m sure he’s a lot of other things too,’ she murmured. ‘What is it they say in England? Good husband material.’
Leo’s audible intake of breath caught Zdenka’s attention and she gave him a wide-eyed look of innocence. ‘Just an observation,zlatícko.’
Anna shot him a horrified glance followed by a more surreptitious one at Steve, who was clearly oblivious to the messy undercurrents of breath-caught-in-the-lungs tension swimming between them.
Thankfully Zdenka turned her attention elsewhere. She could have had quite a career pulling the wings off butterflies.
‘And have you done any modelling, Steve?’
Leo almost laughed out loud at Steve’s horrified expression when he dropped his bag of shopping on the floor.
‘No,’ said Steve turning red as he bent to pick up the cans of Coke and packs of sandwiches and crisps that had spilled out of the bag.
‘Shame. Leo’s a natural.’ Zdenka hand ran across his chest with predatory familiarity that he knew was generated by the appearance of an audience. It was obvious that she had bags of confidence and wasn’t above amusing herself at someone else’s expense. Since she’d arrived an hour before with a pile of shirts, a flirty smile and wandering hands, she’d made it quite clear she’d be happy to go to bed once they’d got the job done.
‘Would you like to try on a shirt for me?’ asked Zdenka, walking up to Steve with a wink. She knew she was making him uncomfortable but clearly didn’t care.
‘Er … um…’ Steve looked at Anna, pleading for help. Anna shot Leo a filthy look as if the situation was all his fault. Something soured in the pit of his stomach.
‘Leave him alone, Zdenka,’ said Leo. ‘Which shirt do you want me to try on next?’
