page23 (1/2)

‘I hate you!’ Pixie snapped with pure venom because it was the last straw that he should witness her in such a state when all her defences were down, and there were ain

Having cleaned her up with unblemished cool, Apollo carried her back to bed ‘Do you want me to cancel the party?’

‘You can’t Half our guests are already on their way,’ she groaned ‘I’ll be fine once Holly gets here’

‘I haven’t had sex with anyone but you since we gotany reference to that burning issue

‘Don’t believe you,’ Pixie gasped, turning over on her side to avoid looking at him ‘Nobody would believe you I’m not stupid It’s what you do, it’s who you are…you probably can’t even help it’

‘It’s not who I am!’ Apollo bit out hotly froht and accusing ‘The least you can do is give me the chance to explain’

Pixie closed her eyes tight and played dead His sudden anger had unnerved her She didn’t fear hie of such an emotive confrontation In fact suddenly all she wanted was Holly’s reassuringly soothing presence Tears stung her eyes behind the lowered lids

‘Izzy is Jeremy Slater’s kid sister Vito and I went to school with Jereh you haven’t met him yet, he’s a close friend Izzy was at a dinner I attended I’ve met her before and she askedso asof it,’ Apollo adrittily ‘I wasn’t particularly surprised either when the paparazzi juraph us e arrived because Izzy’s every move is currently prime fodder for the tabloid newspapers’

‘So, according to you, you siave her a lift,’ Pixie recited ‘How does that explain her still being with you the next ?’

‘She spent the night hoever she was visiting She phonedand asked me if I could drop her off onfor ether’

‘When you were caught on cauards intervene?’

‘Because I suspected that Izzy was using h the situation, I saw no harrily

His explanation covered the facts but his generosity towards Izzy Jero for publicity when he himself loathed paparazzi attention infuriated her Since when had Apollo not ‘thought through’ a situation? He must’ve realised how the press would present those photos, one taken the night before, the next early the next

‘I’m sorry,’ she pronounced flatly ‘I don’t believe you’

The door thudded closed on his exit and only then did her tension ease a little yet she had never felt so empty She had not realised that she could love anyone assomeone could hurt so much that it hurt to breathe And it was a lesson she truly wished she had not had to learn She had lain awake a long tiht before Apollo had presumably slept in another room and ironically his absence had distressed her as h she were being ripped slowly apart, divided betanting hi him

Vito and Holly arrived ht voice echoing up from the hall she called down to her friend fro Apollo and Vito looked up Pixie reddened and waved to excuse herself for not having gone downstairs to welcouests

‘I’nant,’ she told Holly baldly ‘And, yes, it was planned’

‘Is that why Apollo is looking a little ragged round the edges?’

‘No… I think that was caused by the doctor telling us that we’re having twins’

‘Twins?’ Holly squealed in excitement ‘When are you due?’

As the friends shared due dates, because Holly was expecting her second child, they went downstairs by a service staircase and settled doith cool drinks in the orangery with its tall shady plants and softly playing indoor fountain

‘Vito toldto have a child with Apollo,’ Holly confided then