Boss Meets Baby(15)

‘Why?’ Luca asked as she came back into the bedroom with his toiletry bag and was finishing off his packing, ‘when I say I’m going to Japan, do they think it has something to do with them—why would they think that I’m lying?’

‘Because you usually are,’ Emma pointed out.

‘Well, I’m not this time.’ He ran lazy eyes over her, taking in the smudges under her eyes, the vague distraction that slightly displaced her more usual sunny nature. ‘What’s wrong, Em?’

‘Ms Stephenson to you!’ Emma instantly pulled him up, refusing, just refusing as she always did with him, to cross the line. ‘But you can call me Emma.’

‘What’s wrong, Emma? And don’t give me that rubbish about a headache.’

‘Nothing’s wrong,’ Emma insisted.

He lay back on the bed, closed his eyes and gave a low laugh.

‘Now that I’ve stopped, I realise I have a headache too!”

He did—right there at the front of his head. He could hear the sounds of her packing, and it would be so incredibly easy to just close his eyes and sleep. He didn’t want to go to Tokyo. Incredibly, and not for the first time lately, he could hardly stomach the thought of the flight.

‘We should fare force…’ Luca smiled with his eyes still closed.

‘Sorry?’

‘You know…’ he waved his hand, tried to come up with the English word for it, but it eluded him, and those gorgeous navy eyes finally opened to hers. ‘Leave school…’ He snapped his fingers, impatient with himself now. ‘Not go back.’

‘Play hooky!’ Emma grinned.

‘Play hooky!’ Luca smiled at the term and closed his eyes. ‘That would be good—we could get ice-packs from the fridge for our foreheads and lie in the dark and ignore the phone.’

‘Sounds good.’

‘And I wasn’t being inappropriate.’

‘I know.’ Emma smiled, because she knew exactly what he meant, exactly how he felt, because she felt it too. ‘But we can’t.’

He looked as if he was dozing, except his mind was actually whirring.

He was sick of keeping things businesslike between them.

He was cross with himself too for his handling of things.

He wanted her.

And yet he didn’t—because he actually liked working with her. Liked having her around, and once things moved, as they surely would, well…

There was no question of a future for them.

Not even a hint of one.

He deliberately didn’t do long-term relationships—as soon as things got too comfortable, too nice, he cut all ties.

It was a promise he had made himself many years ago.

He lay there, head pounding, listened to her pad out to the kitchen, to the running of the tap, and for once he was torn with indecision.

He wanted her.

He didn’t want to lose her.

Yet he couldn’t have both.

‘Here.’ She was back, holding out a glass of water and punching out two tablets from a blister pack. ‘Take these.’

‘Only if you do.’

Emma punched out two for herself and they shared the glass of water. Funny that he noticed a little thing like that—funny that to Luca it mattered that she didn’t go and get another glass.

‘We’ll feel better in twenty minutes.’ Emma smiled, glad that they seemed to be talking normally again after the strain of the past few weeks. ‘It says so on the box.’

She zipped his suit holder and picked up the phone to summon his driver as Luca downed a quick shot of espresso from his coffee machine. He stuffed files and papers into his briefcase as he gave her a few lastminute instructions that would take about a couple of hours to execute.

‘Any problems, ring Kasumi. It doesn’t matter what time it is there—things have to be in place for tomorrow.’

‘Sure!’ He watched her bristle slightly at the mention of the other PA’s name and inside Luca smiled.

‘Saifu o otoshimashita,’ Luca said, watching her cheeks go pink as he repeated the words he had said to Kasumi. ‘Isha o yonde kudasai.’

‘You can tell her yourself when you see her,’ Emma responded coolly.

‘I’ve dropped my wallet!’ Luca laughed. ‘Can someone please call a doctor? I was practising new phrases!’

He made her laugh, but her little flare of jealousy was acknowledged and out there now—and she didn’t know how to handle him, or this energy that swirled between them. His dangerous offer still dangled in the air and right there at that moment she wanted to reach out and grab it. Maybe she could fake it, Emma thought wildly, maybe she could pretend that she wasn’t a virgin. Maybe her body would just know what to do. Evelyn buzzed and he picked up his briefcase. ‘Don’t bother going back to the office,’ he said, nodding to a PC. ‘Do it from here and then finish up for the day…’ He frowned at her pale face. ‘Actually, have tomorrow off.’

‘I’ve got a full schedule tomorrow.’

‘Cancel it—my orders.’ Luca shrugged. ‘Have a day off and sort out whatever “nothing” is, or, failing that, catch up on some sleep. I’ll see you on Monday.’

And as always, he left home as easily as he left a hotel room—just turned and walked out of the door without a second thought.