good, thought Luke grimly, as, with some reluctance, Greg Hughes let himself out of the café. And now they were alone, she was evidently eager for him to be gone, too.
As soon as the door had closed, she said, ‘I was of the opinion we had nothing more to say to one another, Mr Morelli. And as I was about to close the café, I’d be grateful if you could get to the point of this visit.’
In truth, Luke wasn’t absolutely sure what the point of his visit was. Okay, his father had phoned and said he’d got a touch of flu, but that wouldn’t normally have been reason enough for Luke to abandon any meetings he’d had arranged and drive down to Bath to see him.
In fact, before he’d heard from his father, he’d seriously been considering taking a break from business and asking the young woman he was presently seeing whether she fancied a trip to the Seychelles. Blue skies, blue water, tropical breezes, and five-star accommodation sounded pretty good to him, and he guessed it would sound pretty good to Jodi, too.
So why was he here in Ashford-St-James, lying to his father about checking out building regulations, to cross swords with a woman he’d sworn had nearly ruined his life? He was over her now, wasn’t he? Except for that niggling feeling of unfinished business where she was concerned.
‘Okay,’ he said, after a moment, ‘why don’t you tell me why you chose to leave a perfectly good job in London to move down here?’
Abby’s jaw dropped. ‘You’re not serious.’
‘Humour me.’
‘Why should I? What I do—or did—is nothing to do with you.’
Luke sighed. ‘I’d like to know. What happened to make you change your life so drastically?’
Abby shook her head. He thought she wasn’t going to answer him. Then she said flatly, ‘I got a divorce. That’s what happened. But you know that. So why are you asking these questions?’
Luke frowned. ‘I guess I’m wondering whether, after losing this business, you’ll be moving back to London.’
Abby stared at him for a moment without speaking. Then she turned and bent to deposit the cloth she’d been using below the counter.
‘I think you’d better go, Mr Morelli,’ she said. ‘I have no intention of answering any more of your questions.’
Luke watched her remove her apron and stow it in what appeared to be a laundry basket at the back of the serving area. Then she smoothed her hands down over what he could now see was a short pleated skirt above those long, spectacular legs.
If she was aware that he was watching her, she ignored it. She came to the end of the counter, and regarded him without a shred of liking in her cool gaze.
‘Please go,’ she said tersely. ‘I want to lock up.’
Luke’s hands dropped to his sides and he shoved his fingers into the back pockets of his jeans. Doing so tightened the fabric across his abdomen and he was instantly conscious of his semi-erection. His zip pressed uncomfortably against his groin and he was glad she was so intent on getting rid of him that she didn’t pay him any attention.
But he had one more parting shot. ‘I guess,’ he said provocatively as he strolled towards the outer door, ‘when Laurence threw you out, it would have been difficult to maintain your standard of living in the city. I hope he’s paying you some alimony. Losing this place will be quite a blow.’
He felt rather than saw her brush past him. Yanking open the door ahead of him, she said angrily, ‘Get out!’
Luke was in no hurry. ‘The truth hurts, doesn’t it?’ he remarked mockingly. ‘You should have considered the consequences before you thought of breaking your marriage vows.’
He was almost sure there were tears in her eyes now, but he refused to show her any remorse. It was time she started paying for what she’d done.
But as he stepped out into the street, he had to admit he didn’t feel the sense of closure he’d expected. It would come, though, he assured himself. Just as soon as he
As soon as the door had closed, she said, ‘I was of the opinion we had nothing more to say to one another, Mr Morelli. And as I was about to close the café, I’d be grateful if you could get to the point of this visit.’
In truth, Luke wasn’t absolutely sure what the point of his visit was. Okay, his father had phoned and said he’d got a touch of flu, but that wouldn’t normally have been reason enough for Luke to abandon any meetings he’d had arranged and drive down to Bath to see him.
In fact, before he’d heard from his father, he’d seriously been considering taking a break from business and asking the young woman he was presently seeing whether she fancied a trip to the Seychelles. Blue skies, blue water, tropical breezes, and five-star accommodation sounded pretty good to him, and he guessed it would sound pretty good to Jodi, too.
So why was he here in Ashford-St-James, lying to his father about checking out building regulations, to cross swords with a woman he’d sworn had nearly ruined his life? He was over her now, wasn’t he? Except for that niggling feeling of unfinished business where she was concerned.
‘Okay,’ he said, after a moment, ‘why don’t you tell me why you chose to leave a perfectly good job in London to move down here?’
Abby’s jaw dropped. ‘You’re not serious.’
‘Humour me.’
‘Why should I? What I do—or did—is nothing to do with you.’
Luke sighed. ‘I’d like to know. What happened to make you change your life so drastically?’
Abby shook her head. He thought she wasn’t going to answer him. Then she said flatly, ‘I got a divorce. That’s what happened. But you know that. So why are you asking these questions?’
Luke frowned. ‘I guess I’m wondering whether, after losing this business, you’ll be moving back to London.’
Abby stared at him for a moment without speaking. Then she turned and bent to deposit the cloth she’d been using below the counter.
‘I think you’d better go, Mr Morelli,’ she said. ‘I have no intention of answering any more of your questions.’
Luke watched her remove her apron and stow it in what appeared to be a laundry basket at the back of the serving area. Then she smoothed her hands down over what he could now see was a short pleated skirt above those long, spectacular legs.
If she was aware that he was watching her, she ignored it. She came to the end of the counter, and regarded him without a shred of liking in her cool gaze.
‘Please go,’ she said tersely. ‘I want to lock up.’
Luke’s hands dropped to his sides and he shoved his fingers into the back pockets of his jeans. Doing so tightened the fabric across his abdomen and he was instantly conscious of his semi-erection. His zip pressed uncomfortably against his groin and he was glad she was so intent on getting rid of him that she didn’t pay him any attention.
But he had one more parting shot. ‘I guess,’ he said provocatively as he strolled towards the outer door, ‘when Laurence threw you out, it would have been difficult to maintain your standard of living in the city. I hope he’s paying you some alimony. Losing this place will be quite a blow.’
He felt rather than saw her brush past him. Yanking open the door ahead of him, she said angrily, ‘Get out!’
Luke was in no hurry. ‘The truth hurts, doesn’t it?’ he remarked mockingly. ‘You should have considered the consequences before you thought of breaking your marriage vows.’
He was almost sure there were tears in her eyes now, but he refused to show her any remorse. It was time she started paying for what she’d done.
But as he stepped out into the street, he had to admit he didn’t feel the sense of closure he’d expected. It would come, though, he assured himself. Just as soon as he
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