“It’s not you,” he said, his husky voice stirring nerves and increasing her uneasiness.
“Then what is it?I’m sorry I accepted London’s invitation.I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.Look, tell London something came up, and I had to leave.”
“Tell London what?”London asked.
Henry’s features tightened before blanking into an enigmatic mask.
“I’ve received a text message and can’t stay for long.It’s an internet call with an overseas company for a sponsorship deal.”It was all true.Maia had a scheduled online meeting at ten but had ample time.
“But you can stay for dinner?”London asked, her brow furrowed.
“Yes, thank you.I could assist with the dishes,” she said, smiling.“Although I bet you have a dishwasher somewhere in this mammoth kitchen.”
“The dishwasher is called Gerard tonight,” Gerard said, appearing in the doorway.“The cook doesn’t clean up after dinner.London will help, although Henry isn’t a messy cook—not like someone else I could mention.”He glanced knowingly at his wife.
She giggled.“Yep, guilty as charged.I start out with tidy intentions, but things never go to plan.”
“I’ll serve dinner.”Henry glanced at Maia.His brown eyes flickered, and she blinked, his gaze so fleeting she wasn’t sure if she’d imagined the golden light flaring in his irises.
“Your wine is excellent,” London said.“I haven’t tried this sav, but it’s lovely and crisp.Did you get it at the supermarket?”
“I did.”Maia accepted the glass and took a fortifying sip.“You’re right.We’ll have to buy out their stock.”
Gerard laughed while Henry didn’t react.His was a resting grumpy face, but on the plus side, he was a decent cook, judging by the delicious scent filling the kitchen.
Henry placed a plate of spaghetti carbonara in front of her and set another down for London.Maia leaned forward to savor the creamy bacon and cheesy scent and breathed an appreciative sigh as she straightened.
Henry returned with plates for himself and Gerard and sat beside Gerard.London gave him a funny look but didn’t comment.
“Henry, did you hear Maia plays rugby professionally?”London asked.
His head jerked up, and no, it wasn’t her imagination.His eyes had flashed golden before he glanced away.
“What got you started playing rugby?”Gerard asked.
“A friend dragged me along one night because I had nothing better to do.They didn’t have enough players, and she pleaded with me to participate to prevent their disqualification.She promised I was playing on the wing and wouldn’t need to tackle.All I had to do was run and pretend I was part of the team.”
London gave a delighted laugh.“Did it not go to plan?”
“It did not.I had a working knowledge of the game and must’ve absorbed some rules.One thing I have going for me is my speed, and,”—Maia gestured at herself—“I’m bigger than most girls.After ten minutes of acute boredom, I inserted myself into the game.The team won for the first time, and I couldn’t escape after that.My friend nagged me to join, and I’ve played ever since.”
“You must be skilled to play for a professional team,” Gerard said.
Maia shrugged.“I love the game.The camaraderie with teammates.The Women’s World Cup is next year, and I aim to make the team.”
“Wow,” London said.
Maia twirled spaghetti on her fork.She closed her lips around the creamy mouthful and hummed approval as tastes and textures hit her senses.Yum.She forked up more, only hesitating when she felt the weight of a stare.Her gaze lifted to collide with Henry’s.Once again, it was golden and gorgeous.Spellbinding until he blinked.A brown screen came over his eyes, and he focused on his meal.
Maia shook herself.Why did this man attract her?He was grumpy and forbidding.But it was also clear he and Gerard were tight.This strong friendship showed Henry wasn’t an arsehole.
“What training do you do?”Gerard asked.
“You mentioned running.Did you speak to Isabella?”London asked.
“Isabella is going for a run with me tomorrow.She’ll assess me, and we’ll go from there.”
“Isabella is a brilliant teacher,” Gerard said.“Henry and I attend her boot camp when we can.It helps us keep fit for our security jobs.”
