‘I’ve invited everyone from the department for some drinks today after work. Kind of a get-to-know-the-team thing. Will you join us?’
She blinked, her soft expression morphing once again, a little frown nestling between her caramel brows. ‘Sorry.’ She shook her head. ‘I can’t.’
Valentino quirked an eyebrow. ‘Can’t or won’t?’
She shook her head again. ‘Can’t.’
‘Who takes care of McKenzie when you work?’
‘My mother.’
‘I bet she wouldn’t mind you staying on for an extra hour.’
‘She wouldn’t,’ Peyton confirmed, her lips thinning. ‘ButIdo. My parents already do so much for me, it’s important that I don’t abuse that or encroach any more on their life than I already have.’ Shooting him an impatient look, she continued. ‘I know that someone like you can’t possibly understand?—’
Valentino laughed then, cutting her off. ‘Someone like me?’
He pushed out of the doorway and sauntered towards her, placing two hands on the desk where she was sitting. From his height advantage he could see the ridges of her prominent collarbones and no hint of lines beneath her work T-shirt that would indicate she was wearing a bra.
His unwavering gaze found hers and for a moment, she stared him down before easing back in her chair, creating morespace. Valentino smiled a little at her concession, but it didn’t last long as she folded her arms and affected a bored expression.
‘You have this carefree, model-dating, jet-setting lifestyle. A clinic in London, symposiums all over the world clamouring for your expertise.’
She said it slowly as if he was a little dim, which Valentino found amusing, pressing his lips together so he wouldn’t smile at her attempt to insult his intelligence.
‘I am amother.At the end of the work day I go home to my child. That’s what a parent does. Newsflash,DrLombardi, I even look forward to it because I miss her when I’m here. I don’twantto go for a drink.’
That’s what a parent does.
Valentino gripped the desk hard at her words, his amusement evaporating. She was wrong about him not understanding. There’d been a girl once, a long time ago. And, briefly, a baby. He frowned. He hadn’t thought about Daniella, about the baby that never was, in years.
Pushing off the desk lest the urge to speak about it overcame him, Valentino inclined his head slightly. ‘Suit yourself.’
She nodded then returned to her work, ignoring him, which stirred his amusement once more. Anyone would think she was protesting a little too much.
‘I was wondering,’ he said, his gaze on the top of her head, ‘if you’d had a chance to think over McKenzie’s operation?’
Thatmade her look up even if she couldn’t quite meet his eye for a beat or two. When she did it was with her chin raised and firmly jutted. ‘Yes, I have.’ Her grey gaze didn’t shy from his. ‘I apologise for my earlier carry-on. Obviously, my preference would be for Harry to do the operation but it would be stupid of me to delay further when I have the services of a world-class surgeon and a place on his Monday-morning list.’
Valentino regarded her for a long moment. He could tell none of that had been easy for her to say. He’d sensed from the day of their introduction that Peyton was a tightly coiled spring, just holding it all together, waiting for it all to fall apart again. And when it had earlier today, it had knocked her off balance.
Temporarily.
She could have kept spiralling but she’d recovered and regrouped because she was, as she had just taken pains to point out, a mother. And that trumped everything. Clearly, McKenzie would always come first even if it meant she had to eat humble pie.
And if he hadn’t already admired the hell out of her, this would have done it for sure.
Valentino nodded, determined to make it as easy as possible. ‘That’s great. I guess I’ll see you Monday morning.’
‘Yes. About that…’ She paused for a moment before pushing to her feet. ‘I need to ask you something. A… favour.’
Valentino’s brows drew together. Her hands were clenched at her sides, hinting at her level of discomfort. Clearly, she didn’twantto ask him for anything. ‘Okay.’
‘I-want-to-be-in-there-with-McKenzie,’ she said all at once on a rush of pent-up air.
Valentino blinked, tamping down hard on his instant denial. No wonder she’d looked so hesitant – what she was asking was not exactly unethical but very definitely ill-advised. ‘Peyton.’
‘Not scrubbing in or anything,’ she rushed to assure. ‘Just… nearby. I’ll stand in the corner. You won’t even know I’m there.’
