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‘I have so to be easy…’

Angelo didn’t say anything There was a buzzing in his ears and he didn’t knohether it was froain or frustration that he had let hi hi in his hand towards the chair facing her and sat down, looping his foot around the other chair so that he could drag it towards him He was the picture of a man utterly at ease, sprawled on his chair, feet indolently stretched out on the chair he had pulled towards him

‘Then let , Francesca,’ he drawled ‘We had a deal and the deal hasn’t changed The deal is never going to change If you’ve suddenly decided that you need to tweak the rules, then you’re barking up the wrong tree I want you for one thing and one thing only’ The buzzing in his head was louder but his voice was perfectly calm, cold even

‘Yes, I know that…’

‘No,’ Angelo cut in coolly, ‘I don’t think you do Like every other woht intentions but soet a little unpalatable and you decide that it e them—’

‘That’s not true! You don’t even knohat I’ to do her any favours but the closer she ca him the truth the more she shied away from the hideous complications it would involve

‘I don’t have to,’ Angelo told her indifferently He sipped the coffee He had been in control of their little fling and he intended to be in control of its de inside hihtly sick ‘At any rate, it doesn’tour little ro what they had to strictly sex but reducing it in a way that left no roolamour It was a basic, dismissive description and he saw the way she flinched in response ‘But all good things come to an end and I just want to s you that I’s There Have I helped you out at all?’

‘It’s not as easy as that…’

‘Don’t , Francesca It’s actually very easy’ He looked at her i of her ainst the temptation to ask her questions, in fact to show any interest at all

Was that what she was doing? Making a dra? If only he knew! If only he knew that the low dosage contraceptive pill she had been assiduously taking had been too late to prevent the baby growing inside her, the product of that very first time they had o It was only today, when she’d realised that her breasts were feeling heavier than usual and more sensitive than they norap in the little white tablets had been noticeable only by its non-appearance, that she had been feeling queasy at the sight of coffee and the s she had ignored to start with—only now had she turned cold at the possible night

She knew that she should have called him as soon as she’d discovered the awful truth At least then he would have had time to prepare himself for when they met Instead, she had decided to put off the dreaded confrontation She would have her lastto treasure for the rest of her life, and then she would tell him Now, here she was and she still hadn’t told hi up the face of Mount Everest and trying to work out how best to reach the su in the process

‘You don’t understand If you’d just let me explain…’ She wondered, sickly, what for to be a daddy soon, or o into free fall