He raised a brow and smiled at her across the table, making her stomach flutter again. ‘One glass? Surely you’ll join me? It’s such a lovely day, after all.’
‘One glass then,’ she said, her resolve fading. ‘But?—’
‘Delphine, there is nothing wrong with two people having lunch,’ he said. ‘Perhaps we could make this a business lunch, so you don’t feel uncomfortable?’
‘Abusinesslunch?’ She laughed. ‘And how do you suppose we do that? I don’t think I look like a woman doing business.’
He grinned. ‘Well, that way, if anyone were to see you and ask, you can confidently tell them that you were meeting me to discuss your investments. Perhaps you have family money you’d like me to invest for you?’
Delphine laughed. ‘And how many female clients do you have, Florian? I suspect that you very rarely discussinvestmentswith women.’
He shrugged. ‘On the contrary. I have some widows who trust me implicitly with their fortune, although I deal mostly in company finance.’
If his goal was to set her at ease, he’d certainly achieved it. ‘Fine,’ Delphine said. ‘One glass of wine, and only because I very much feel like one after my little walk in the sun.’
His smile was contagious. ‘Of course.’
By the time their lunch arrived—fillets of perch served with a squeeze of lemon, and a side of French fries that Florian had insisted upon—she’d almost forgotten all about her nerves at being seen with him. He’d kept up an easy conversation, asking her about her children and mentioning his work, and when they paused to taste their food, she found herself glancing up at him to study his face between mouthfuls. He was handsome in a traditional way, with brown hair and eyes to match, his skin slightly tanned, evidenced by the way he had his shirtsleeves rolled up, his forearms golden. He’d clearly shaved that morning, but already she could see a light stubble forming, and her fingers ached to reach out and touch his cheek or stroke along his jaw.
‘So tell me, where in Switzerland did you grow up?’
‘We lived in Lyon when I was younger, but as my parents’ business became more successful, they bought a summer house here by the lake,’ she said, wondering if her accent still sounded as laced with French as his did. ‘My family had a house with views of the water, and my sister lives there still.’
‘She’s the oldest?’
‘No,’ Delphine said, ‘I am. But I was married off to a suitable prospect, and we moved to his native Italy, so she was left the house.’Not to mention being allowed to choose the man she was to marry.
‘Do you miss Italy?’ he asked.
‘I do. I miss my home, I miss the friends I’d made, the children’s friends…’ Her voice trailed off. ‘But enough about me, tell me about you.’
‘I grew up in Annemasse, but moved to Geneva to attend university and I never left. I found it was the perfect place for me to conduct my business, although it was the lake I truly fell in love with.’
‘Do you have children?’
‘A son. Daniel is studying law at university, although at present he’s in Paris with his mother.’
They were silent as the waiter came and cleared their plates. They both had a mouthful or so of wine left in their glasses, but it seemed that neither of them was in a hurry to empty them. Delphine found herself stroking the stem as she smiled at Florian across the table.
‘It’s been wonderful seeing you again, Delphine,’ Florian said when they were alone. ‘I would be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping you’d come. Imagine my good fortune when you suddenly appeared.’
She didn’t tell him that she felt the very same way, or that she’d been about to walk off when he’d seen her and called out. Perhaps he already knew and had decided not to mention it.
‘I come here most Fridays, if you ever need a companion for lunch again, and I’ve heard they haveexcellentice cream nearby.’
‘I happen to have heard of the same ice cream place. I may have even been there yesterday.’ She lifted her glass then and finished it, surprised by her sudden boldness, her fingers playing up and down the stem as Florian drained the last of the wine from his glass, too. ‘Well, it was a pleasure seeing you, Florian, but I must be going.’
The last thing she truly wanted was to leave, but she knew she’d already been out long enough. It was time for her to go home.
Florian stood and pulled out her chair, and she accidentally grazed her arm against his as she stood. He stared at her in a way that made her entire body flood with heat. She trusted that no one else had noticed, or at the very least that he hadn’t.
‘I would very much like to see you again, Delphine,’ Florian said quietly, as he lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her skin. ‘My house is very private. Perhaps you could join me for dinner one evening?’
Delphine wanted to say yes, to tell him that she very much wanted to see him again, too. That he was most likely all she was going to think about for the rest of the day. But her voice stuttered in her throat, her worry about someone seeing them together, about what would happen if Giovanni found out, rising inside her.
‘I could send a car for you tomorrow evening,’ he said, holding her gaze even as he let go of her hand.
Say no. You’re married, and just because you’re living separately, that doesn’t mean you can see another man. But then she remembered what Giovanni had said when he’d told her he was leaving, when he’d given her her freedom.Be discreet. That’s what he’d said, as if he presumed that she wouldtake a lover outside of their marriage, almost as if heexpectedit.Just as he’s been doing for God only knows how long without my knowledge.
