Page 81 of Tame Me

‘YOUWEREABLEto lean on me that night in the gondola,’ I point out to her, trying to soften my tone. How can I be fascinated and furious with her at the same time?

‘That was a life-threatening situation,’ she mutters.

The tips of her ears are scarlet again.

What’s it going to take to get her to trust me again in any small way? Because I’m trying here. She’s just demanded an outrageous sum of money and I’ve not batted an eyelid and supplied it immediately—although admittedly my motivation was mostly to confound her. But I desperately want her to open up more. I know she’s ballsy and bristly but when she laughs—which is too rarely for my liking—she’s a delight.

It’s shocking enough that she hadn’t properly tried to contact me about Lukas, but that she hasn’t told her own sister about him either is blowing my mind—even when she insists they’re close. And it touches a wound of my own. Not being told my grandfather was terminally ill—on the pretext of protecting me—is something I’ve never forgiven my family for.

‘My assistant found the messages you sent and forwarded them to me,’ I say.

She watches me warily.

‘Overzealous spam folders and weak double checks in play there. There weren’t as many as I’d thought. You didn’t discuss the pregnancy in the first couple.’

‘Of course I didn’t, that was personal.’

Part of me appreciates her discretion. But her first two loosely worded messages—I need to get hold of Dain. We met one night—didn’t pass the spam/stalker test. The last was too generic—I’ve had a baby—even with the photo attached.

‘You could have tried harder,’ I say. ‘You should have.’

She could have tried to contact Simone. There were several avenues she chose not to go down.

‘What were you so afraid of?’ I ask.

Her skin pales. ‘You have a lot more to offer him than I do.’

‘You’re his mother.’

‘That doesn’t always mean much.’

An element in her voice makes me wince. ‘Do you struggle to accept help from anyone?’

‘I took help from Romy.’

Minimal help that she paid back by working for her—making cakes and coffee. ‘But you won’t take it from me.’

‘There are other complications between us.’

My gut twists. I’m tempted to sort those other complications out. I can’t help wondering if there was any other man in her life after me. I shouldn’t be thinking on it. I’m hardly about to tell her I’ve been celibate since sleeping with her. Besides, I have the feeling she won’t believe me.

Too late I realise my glib display of outrageous wealth has backfired. If I make a move on her now she might not feel able to say no. She might think I’veboughther. That’s justick. I was so determined to be flippant. To prove nothing’s a problem. No demand too outrageous. I didn’t think through the implications.

I can’t allow her to kiss me as some kind of repayment. But all I want right now are her kisses. And isn’t this just the way it is with Talia? Contrary. Confounding. My muscles bunch and twitch. I just want to tear her clothes away. Mine too.

It’s a relief to hear Lukas’s cry coming from the nursery.

I go to him immediately. I croon ridiculously as I pick him up and try to soothe him. I turn about the room and see she’s followed and is watching me. The look in her eyes isn’t worry. It’s heat. She can’t stop looking. Despite my edginess I keep talking nonsense to Lukas to keep him settled because to my amazement it seems to be working. There’s a feeling I just don’t recognise in myself when I look at him and even more when I then look at her. It’s absolute awe. I glance to the ceiling and pull in a steadying breath.

‘Oh!’Talia all but squeals.

‘What?’ I whip to look at her but she’s staring in rapture at Lukas.

‘He’s smiling!’ she says.

She’s smiling too and she’s beautiful and now I don’t know where to look. I’m torn between the two of them.

‘And?’ I mutter weakly.

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