interrupt Rafe’s honeymoon and tell him about the twins—is that it?’
‘Yes! No! I don’t know...’ she groaned unhappily.
‘I can do that, if you demand it.’ Michael nodded grimly; it was what most women would demand, so why should he expect this one to be any different? He didn’t... ‘No doubt it will irrevocably damage his marriage, but, yes, I can certainly contact Rafe right now if you insist upon it!’
‘Stop trying to make me out to be the bad guy here!’ Her eyes glittered with her own anger.
‘Yes or no, Eva?’ he pressed scathingly.
‘I— No, of course I don’t want to—to damage your brother’s marriage before it’s even begun, or hurt his wife, I just—’
‘You’ve waited three months to come here looking for Rafe. Why can’t it wait another couple of weeks?’
‘Because it can’t!’
‘Why can’t it?’
‘Because—because—if you must know, because I’m almost broke! Okay?’ she snapped defensively. ‘The babies are very draining financially, and I haven’t been able to work properly, and—and I’m broke!’ she repeated emotionally.
Some of the tension left Michael’s shoulders. ‘And I’m suggesting you let me worry about that for the moment. If you wouldn’t mind waiting here for a few minutes? I just have a few instructions I need to give to my secretary before we leave.’ He strode over to the door.
‘I— What do you mean, before “we” leave?’ It had taken Eva several seconds to regroup, but now that she had...! It was one thing to agree that she wouldn’t speak to Rafe D’Angelo until he came back from his honeymoon, quite another to accept any help from his arrogant brother. ‘The only place I’m going is back to the pension , so that I can feed the twins and then call the airline to see if I can get our tickets changed to an earlier flight!’
‘You’re correct in assuming we’re going back to your pension .’ Michael D’Angelo nodded abruptly, his expression still grim.
Eva stilled as she eyed him warily across the office. ‘ We aren’t going anywhere. At least, not together.’
‘Oh, but we are, Eva,’ he assured in a tone that brooked no argument.
Well...it might have brooked no argument from either Pierre or this man’s secretary, but, as Eva wasn’t one of Michael D’Angelo’s employees, she had absolutely no intention of being browbeaten by this overpoweringly dominant man.
‘No, we’re not,’ she answered him just as firmly before once again crossing the room to take charge of the handles of the double pushchair. ‘If you wouldn’t mind opening the door for me...?’ She looked at him pointedly.
Michael frowned back at her with pure frustration. Did Eva really think that having come here and dropped this bombshell on him—on Rafe, and possibly the whole of his family—she was going to be allowed to just walk out again?
Perhaps she hoped that he would allow her to do just that, after Michael’s threat earlier as to Rafe possibly wanting custody of the twins?
It certainly seemed that way...
And it was impossible for Michael not to admire her audacity as well as her stubbornness, as much as he had admired her beauty just minutes ago. Not too many people would dare to even attempt to thwart him, but Eva Foster obviously felt no hesitation in attempting to do just that!
As she had seemingly taken on the responsibility of her sister’s two children without a thought for the impact it would have on her own life...?
It would seem so, he acknowledged begrudgingly.
Not only had it affected her ability to work at the career the warmth in her voice implied she loved—and which Michael had every intention of learning more about at the earliest opportunity, just as he intended learning much more about Eva Foster altogether—but she also believed it played a part in her inability to have a man in her own life.
Michael still thought she was seriously underestimating herself in that assumption, but nevertheless
‘Yes! No! I don’t know...’ she groaned unhappily.
‘I can do that, if you demand it.’ Michael nodded grimly; it was what most women would demand, so why should he expect this one to be any different? He didn’t... ‘No doubt it will irrevocably damage his marriage, but, yes, I can certainly contact Rafe right now if you insist upon it!’
‘Stop trying to make me out to be the bad guy here!’ Her eyes glittered with her own anger.
‘Yes or no, Eva?’ he pressed scathingly.
‘I— No, of course I don’t want to—to damage your brother’s marriage before it’s even begun, or hurt his wife, I just—’
‘You’ve waited three months to come here looking for Rafe. Why can’t it wait another couple of weeks?’
‘Because it can’t!’
‘Why can’t it?’
‘Because—because—if you must know, because I’m almost broke! Okay?’ she snapped defensively. ‘The babies are very draining financially, and I haven’t been able to work properly, and—and I’m broke!’ she repeated emotionally.
Some of the tension left Michael’s shoulders. ‘And I’m suggesting you let me worry about that for the moment. If you wouldn’t mind waiting here for a few minutes? I just have a few instructions I need to give to my secretary before we leave.’ He strode over to the door.
‘I— What do you mean, before “we” leave?’ It had taken Eva several seconds to regroup, but now that she had...! It was one thing to agree that she wouldn’t speak to Rafe D’Angelo until he came back from his honeymoon, quite another to accept any help from his arrogant brother. ‘The only place I’m going is back to the pension , so that I can feed the twins and then call the airline to see if I can get our tickets changed to an earlier flight!’
‘You’re correct in assuming we’re going back to your pension .’ Michael D’Angelo nodded abruptly, his expression still grim.
Eva stilled as she eyed him warily across the office. ‘ We aren’t going anywhere. At least, not together.’
‘Oh, but we are, Eva,’ he assured in a tone that brooked no argument.
Well...it might have brooked no argument from either Pierre or this man’s secretary, but, as Eva wasn’t one of Michael D’Angelo’s employees, she had absolutely no intention of being browbeaten by this overpoweringly dominant man.
‘No, we’re not,’ she answered him just as firmly before once again crossing the room to take charge of the handles of the double pushchair. ‘If you wouldn’t mind opening the door for me...?’ She looked at him pointedly.
Michael frowned back at her with pure frustration. Did Eva really think that having come here and dropped this bombshell on him—on Rafe, and possibly the whole of his family—she was going to be allowed to just walk out again?
Perhaps she hoped that he would allow her to do just that, after Michael’s threat earlier as to Rafe possibly wanting custody of the twins?
It certainly seemed that way...
And it was impossible for Michael not to admire her audacity as well as her stubbornness, as much as he had admired her beauty just minutes ago. Not too many people would dare to even attempt to thwart him, but Eva Foster obviously felt no hesitation in attempting to do just that!
As she had seemingly taken on the responsibility of her sister’s two children without a thought for the impact it would have on her own life...?
It would seem so, he acknowledged begrudgingly.
Not only had it affected her ability to work at the career the warmth in her voice implied she loved—and which Michael had every intention of learning more about at the earliest opportunity, just as he intended learning much more about Eva Foster altogether—but she also believed it played a part in her inability to have a man in her own life.
Michael still thought she was seriously underestimating herself in that assumption, but nevertheless
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