page45 (1/1)

Except here she was in Italy, in a li a life of luxury, if only for a short time, So it seemed she had that life, albeit temporarily, after all

‘So what exactly are we doing in Paris?’ she asked once they were settled in the first-class section on the plane, their seats for a private nook

‘As I told you, I have a business ht After that…’ His slow slint in his eyes a hiss ‘After that we can do e like,’ he fully over her

And even though part of her felt she should resist the innuendo, the expectation, Laurel couldn’t keep fro inside her into sharp, aching points

She sht attendant brought thene, and Laurel took a ht now she needed the distraction

‘Relax,’ Cristiano ed back in his seat and sipped his drink ‘Bavasso has been dealt with’

But it wasn’t Bavasso e It was thisthings up,a small, calm life, it felt like too much Maybe, Laurel reflected wistfully, she just wasn’t mistress material

Cristiano watched Laurel fidget out of the corner of his eye and wondered why she was so nervous It couldn’t be Bavasso, so it had to be hih he used that ith caution

Still, the last twelve hours had been some of the most enjoyable of his life Not just the sex, which had been as incredible as before, but—dared he even think of it?—the co to like Laurel—her feistiness, her sense of humour, her easy-to-read e he’d never felt for any of his other mistresses, whose personalities had been of zero interest to him

‘What is the gala tonight in aid of?’ Laurel asked ‘Which charity?’

‘A children’s hospice, I believe’

‘Really?’ Interest sparked in her eyes ‘I’m a hospice nurse Palliative care’ Which meant she helped people in the last days and weeks, even hours, of their lives

‘That must be difficult sometimes,’ he said quietly

‘Yes, it can be Sad, of course’ She gave a sorrowful smile ‘But it’s often an overlooked part of thebetter, they don’t want to think about what happens when you can’t’

‘Of course,’ Cristiano ht of her helping people at such a hard time in their lives The selflessness of it, when there was so little reward The patients she dealt ere never going to get better ‘So how did you choose that particular field of nursing?’ he asked, even though his gut was telling hi, for heaven’s sake

‘My grandfather’ Laurel was quiet for a moment, her expression pensive and a little shadowed ‘He was diagnosed with de with hirandad really wanted to be able to stay at ho as he could, and so I went even more part-time to make that happen After all he’d done for aze distant ‘It was the very least I could do’

The very least, and yet so much And, Cristiano reflected, the opposite of what he’d assuht then that she was a shallow, er like herhow innocent she was, how pure A wo to put her own ambitions aside to care for an elderlythe burdens and sorrows for others

It was an uncomfortable realisation

‘And you said your grandfather died three o?’ he asked after a moment