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Of course He’d be with a patient She lifted Aimee out of the stroller ‘Then I’ll sit here and wait I a anywhere until I’ve talked to Mattia’ She wasn’t risking hi while she was in a bathroom

‘I’ll call Security’

‘That won’t be necessary, Sonia,’ came an annoyed coo home It is late for you to be here’

‘But—’

‘No buts, Sonia Please do as I say’ Mattia aze was fixed on Elene when she twisted around to face him Those almost black eyes ith surprise ‘Elene’

So he hadn’t recognised her fro ‘Mattia,’ she acknowledged Let the show begin Better yet, could it wait twenty-four hours? She ht be more prepared

‘This is an unexpected pleasure’

‘I’’ They had rarely got on well enough to have more than a professional relationship, and when he’d duton onto his next adventure they’d drawn battle lines

‘Still blunt, I see’

‘Only way to go,’ she snapped, before reet on with him or there’d be no hope for her or Ai and arduous couple of days andthe better of me’

His gaze alighted on heral Could he be reton? But ould he? It wasn’t as though he’d have been celibate in the intervening year after leaving Danielle He asked, ‘You’ve come all this way to see me?’

The disbelief was so tangible she could al in the air between them She could certainly feel it Not that she bla exactly the sahtened involuntarily around Aih her like wildfire in a pine tree plantation

The dark gaze that had been focused on her lowered to her precious bundle, and Mattia rocked on his feet His wide ance she remembered rose to the fore

‘We should take this soh a dry mouth

Mattia raised his head to stare at her, shock beginning to shadow that gaze

He knows Without a word being said, he’s seen what’s before him

Mattia stepped back froratulations on your child How old is she?’

Denial to the fore ‘This is Aiut reaction

But Mattia wasn’t playing that gao ‘Twelve ht you were sworn to a single life’

She still was Which was none of his business Careful, you have to talk with Mattia about so anyone when you ith Danielle’

‘How is Danielle?’ His gaze flicked to Aimee, immediately looked away

r /> Oh, no She was about to leap right into the middle of the deepest pool without a lifebelt Her heart was already diving Inclining her head towards the door that led into his office, she whispered, ‘Can we?’

‘I think we must’ He turned to his secretary, who hadn’t done as requested and left ‘Sonia, I’ll see you toument, yet the woman didn’t leap up to leave Brave lady Or did she have so on him?

Could she share it with th from Sonia’s attitude, Elene stepped past Mattia Then faltered He had never see Not even when he’d held her, been about to kiss her Then, when the office door clicked shut behind the to do their job Without invitation, she sank onto the nearest chair and settled Aimee on her lap, an arm around her tiny waist