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Subzero temperatures and her son wanted ice cream Naturally

‘Of course we’ll have ice crealeefully She took his hand and led him away ‘But probably not for breakfast How about we have soo and find Uncle Max and decide what else ant to do today’

‘Okay’ Frankie sounded cheerful enough, but Maria was pretty sure he hadn’t heard past ‘pastries’ He loved pastries almost as much as ice cream, and at two years old he didn’t have much of a handle on time just yet

But he was happy So she had no reason to stop hi time with Noemi and Max And no excuse not to spend time with Sebastian, except for the fact that she was scared of losing all the ground she’d made while she’d been away She could feel her resistance ebbing away

‘Solunch?’ Seb asked, and Maria couldn’t see

NinetyNoemi and Max coreat detail to Frankie the behaviour she expected fro and innocent wide eyes he wasn’t going to reh for going out and being seen around Mont Coeur with Sebastian but warh that she wouldn’t freeze the moment she stepped outside the chalet—Seb and Maria went for lunch

‘Honestly, I’d be fine with just a burger or so,’ Maria protested, as he led her towards the fanciest restaurant in Mont Coeur

Seb gave her an a at her that she was trying to find ways to keep this lunch short and, well, just short, really He probably could, too He’d always been good at reading her On the surface, anyway Just not when it cas that really mattered

‘Do you realise,’ Seb said, holding open the glass door to the restaurant for her, ‘this is our first ever proper date?’

‘This is a date now?’ Maria’s eyes widened Yeah, she really should have found a way to go snow with Frankie and Max

‘You, me, the best and most romantic restaurant in town Yes, Maria, this is a date’ Seb rolled his eyes, as if waiting for her to catch up with the agenda for the day Which she was suddenly rather afraid she had

Seb was planning on wooing her Ro her Except she knew for a fact that her husband had no experience or idea of what that should entail

She’d known Seb since they had both been in nappies, their fathers long-tihbours and business acquaintances, with Rossi Ge ns The faether, and Maria had watched Seb change froer, until he’d suddenly coe of seventeen

She’d been fifteen at the ties in him

When he’d left for university he’d been handsome, confident and ready to take on the business world But he’d always been far too caught up in irls Oh, she was sure he’d dated a little—and she was certain he ht, or it couldn’t have been as fantastic as it had been But women hadn’t mattered to him, not the way the business did, and they’d been married less than a year after he’d finished his MBA, so it wasn’t like he’d had a lot of ti time out from his studies to plan a dream date was sort of ridiculous

Although a roood start, she supposed Clichéd and obvious, but at least not awful It could have been a lot worse

‘Right’ Well, at least she knehat she was up against Seb on a char to watch, but she was prepared now She could hold her own

She frowned Sure, she’d buy Seb not dating around one on a date before We’ve been married for years, for heaven’s sake’

‘Naed

And, of course, she couldn’t Because roone out, of course, but for business dinners or corporate trips or what have you Never just to spend time in the pleasure of each other’s company

Fortunately, Maria was saved fro horrified that he’d missed their arrival by all of thirty seconds He led theracing his restaurant—and on a weekday, too!

Sebdown to study it as theSeb, she reached for her own menu as Seb ordered a carafe of white wine to start

‘So?’ Seb peered at her over the top of his ht of one yet? A date, I mean’

‘What about the night ent to the theatre to see that play you were so keen on?’ Maria asked ‘Doesn’t that count?’ Adency call from the office in the interval hadon the phone in the theatre foyer, but still

Seb put down his menu ‘I think we need to re-evaluate your criteria for a date,’ he said ‘I take full responsibility—I clearly haven’t been keeping upyou out’

‘So, what constitutes a date by your definition?’ Maria asked Maybe there riggle room with one of the corporate trips

‘You andSomewhere romantic, and only focused on each other’