smile took on a devilish hint. ‘Are you in my corner? Nice and tight.’
It was the second time he’d given Jenna a frisson of excitement that came from low down between her thighs.
Dirty boy, you’re trying it on with me
.
‘I’m more than willing to represent you,’ she said, trying to sound prim, but her mouth wouldn’t harden enough and she knew she was breathing too fast. What the hell was wrong with her? This was worse than the time she’d met Madonna and her mind had gone a giddy blank.
‘You can’t exactly put my name in lights,’ he pointed out. ‘There’s a warrant out for me. Hey, perhaps I can be like Banksy. Faceless ninja artist, putting my stamp on the world. I reckon I’d be good at that.’
‘I reckon you would, too. Actually, that’s a really good idea. I mean, a bit derivative, but I don’t think Banksy has a copyright on anonymity. We’ll have to give it some thought.’
‘What I don’t get,’ he said, putting down his wine glass after a long swallow, ‘is why you’ve come back here at all. I mean, you got out. Last I heard, you were on TV, everySaturday night, making pots of dough. Who the fuck comes back to Bledburn? And why?’
‘You know I’m divorcing Deano?’
Leonardo shook his head.
‘Like I said, I’m not up with that kind of thing. And I’ve spent the last six weeks holed up here. So, what, broken heart? You’re going to let some bloke ruin everything you’ve worked for?’
Jenna laughed sharply to hear Deano Diamond, the triple Grammy winner, described as ‘some bloke’, then she sobered.
‘It isn’t like that. I don’t have a broken heart. Me and Deano – it hadn’t been working for a while.’
Leonardo gave her a long look.
‘Someone else?’ he asked gently.
‘For him. Someone – some
thing
too. Coke, mainly. Staying up all night, wanting to party, while I went to bed with a book and a couple of Advil. The writing was on the wall, really.’
Leonardo exhaled, never breaking eye contact with her.
‘What a wanker,’ he said, almost prayerfully. ‘Leaving you to go to bed alone. He wants to see a fucking shrink.’
‘Oh, he’s got several of those,’ said Jenna, but her cheerful tone was forced, and a huge, red danger alarm pulsed all over body.
‘I’ll bet. So you didn’t have anyone else, then?’
Jenna shook her head. ‘No time for any of that. Plenty of opportunity, but you know people are only trying to get you to bed so you’ll give them something. A contract, a newspaper exclusive, a spot on the show. Fuck it, Leo, I’m so tired of it all. So, so tired.’
She put her glass down at her feet and laid her head onher arms, which were crossed over her knees.
Saying the words had made her realise it, made her finally see that she couldn’t carry on with the LA life.
‘Hey.’ His voice was a little breath, but so heavy with concern that she made no objection when he put his hand on her shoulder.
When she stayed put, the hand crept around the base of her neck, so his arm was around her. He was close, clean and fresh-smelling, warm and strong. She felt protected. How mad. How could she feel protected by this feral fugitive, years younger than her? Yet she did.
His fingers were firm on her shoulder while his thumb lightly stroked the base of her neck. It was very soothing, and very tender, and it made her see how long it was since anyone had performed a really caring gesture towards her.
‘So you’re a runaway, too,’ he said.
She still sat slumped, head down.
‘I guess I am,’ she said, muffled but clear enough.
He bent and she felt his lips at her ear. He could do what he wanted. She had no strength to fight him off, even if she had wanted to.
‘I think,’ he said, ‘it’s time you were in bed.’
Oh God. Here it was. The seduction scene.
‘Leonardo, I don’t know …’
His hand tightened on her shoulder, fingertips digging in to her soft flesh.
‘Fuck off!’ he said. ‘Do you think I’m trying
It was the second time he’d given Jenna a frisson of excitement that came from low down between her thighs.
Dirty boy, you’re trying it on with me
.
‘I’m more than willing to represent you,’ she said, trying to sound prim, but her mouth wouldn’t harden enough and she knew she was breathing too fast. What the hell was wrong with her? This was worse than the time she’d met Madonna and her mind had gone a giddy blank.
‘You can’t exactly put my name in lights,’ he pointed out. ‘There’s a warrant out for me. Hey, perhaps I can be like Banksy. Faceless ninja artist, putting my stamp on the world. I reckon I’d be good at that.’
‘I reckon you would, too. Actually, that’s a really good idea. I mean, a bit derivative, but I don’t think Banksy has a copyright on anonymity. We’ll have to give it some thought.’
‘What I don’t get,’ he said, putting down his wine glass after a long swallow, ‘is why you’ve come back here at all. I mean, you got out. Last I heard, you were on TV, everySaturday night, making pots of dough. Who the fuck comes back to Bledburn? And why?’
‘You know I’m divorcing Deano?’
Leonardo shook his head.
‘Like I said, I’m not up with that kind of thing. And I’ve spent the last six weeks holed up here. So, what, broken heart? You’re going to let some bloke ruin everything you’ve worked for?’
Jenna laughed sharply to hear Deano Diamond, the triple Grammy winner, described as ‘some bloke’, then she sobered.
‘It isn’t like that. I don’t have a broken heart. Me and Deano – it hadn’t been working for a while.’
Leonardo gave her a long look.
‘Someone else?’ he asked gently.
‘For him. Someone – some
thing
too. Coke, mainly. Staying up all night, wanting to party, while I went to bed with a book and a couple of Advil. The writing was on the wall, really.’
Leonardo exhaled, never breaking eye contact with her.
‘What a wanker,’ he said, almost prayerfully. ‘Leaving you to go to bed alone. He wants to see a fucking shrink.’
‘Oh, he’s got several of those,’ said Jenna, but her cheerful tone was forced, and a huge, red danger alarm pulsed all over body.
‘I’ll bet. So you didn’t have anyone else, then?’
Jenna shook her head. ‘No time for any of that. Plenty of opportunity, but you know people are only trying to get you to bed so you’ll give them something. A contract, a newspaper exclusive, a spot on the show. Fuck it, Leo, I’m so tired of it all. So, so tired.’
She put her glass down at her feet and laid her head onher arms, which were crossed over her knees.
Saying the words had made her realise it, made her finally see that she couldn’t carry on with the LA life.
‘Hey.’ His voice was a little breath, but so heavy with concern that she made no objection when he put his hand on her shoulder.
When she stayed put, the hand crept around the base of her neck, so his arm was around her. He was close, clean and fresh-smelling, warm and strong. She felt protected. How mad. How could she feel protected by this feral fugitive, years younger than her? Yet she did.
His fingers were firm on her shoulder while his thumb lightly stroked the base of her neck. It was very soothing, and very tender, and it made her see how long it was since anyone had performed a really caring gesture towards her.
‘So you’re a runaway, too,’ he said.
She still sat slumped, head down.
‘I guess I am,’ she said, muffled but clear enough.
He bent and she felt his lips at her ear. He could do what he wanted. She had no strength to fight him off, even if she had wanted to.
‘I think,’ he said, ‘it’s time you were in bed.’
Oh God. Here it was. The seduction scene.
‘Leonardo, I don’t know …’
His hand tightened on her shoulder, fingertips digging in to her soft flesh.
‘Fuck off!’ he said. ‘Do you think I’m trying
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