Her voice was light, but once again he was sure she glanced between her lashes at her son’s nanny.
Then her gaze went back to him. ‘Will you come in for drinks? My husband will be home soon from the golf course.’
He shook his head, made his voice regretful. ‘Thank you, but I’d better not. I’m flying down to the Caribbean tomorrow, to check on my latest build there, on Ste Cecile, and I must spend this evening touching base with my affairs back in Europe.’
Laura’s face fell—but not, Vito felt, because he’d refused her offer.
‘But you’ll be coming back to New York?’ she said quickly.
He saw her throw another swift look at Eloise, who was still standing quietly, her expression unreadable.
‘Most certainly,’ he assured her, his smile warm.
Laura’s face relaxed. ‘Great,’ she said. ‘And then you really must come over for dinner—or maybe brunch at the weekend.’ She looked down at her son, who was tugging on her hand. ‘Just wait a moment, Johnny...’ she began.
Eloise was there instantly, galvanised into action. ‘I’ll take him,’ she said, conscious that she was, after all, the nanny.
She turned to Vito.
‘I hope you have a good trip tomorrow, and that everything is...is OK at the site, and with—well, everything,’ she said, feeling awkward. Feeling a whole lot more than awkward.
‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘I’m sure it will be. The build is all on schedule, and we’re still on track to open as planned next month. Maybe,’ he said, and now it was as if his eyes were speaking, ‘you’ll be able to take some holiday time round about then.’
‘Definitely!’ Laura’s voice was enthusiastic. ‘We’ll make sure she’s free.’
Vito smiled at her. ‘Thank you,’ he said.
It was what he needed to hear—he needed to know that Eloise would be free to come with him, to be with him.
If she wanted to.
But does she? Will she? Is what I said to her what she wanted to hear?
His eyes went to her now. She was hunkered down by Johnny, asking him about his day with his mother and Maria. Then her employer took her son’s hand, talking straight to Eloise.
‘Ellie, I’ll take Johnny indoors—you say goodbye to Vito. No need to rush.’
Laura lifted a hand in farewell to Vito, with a final admonition for him to come over next weekend, and wished him a good flight south. Then she swept inside with Johnny.
Vito’s eyes went back to Eloise, who’d straightened. She was clutching her straw bag tightly on her shoulder. He went up to her an
d took her hands, holding them lightly, his eyes only for her.
‘Thank you for today,’ he said softly. ‘It has meant so much to me.’ He took a breath. ‘Think, I beg you, on what I have said. I mean every word, Eloise. I could not be more sure of them,’ he said.
The grip on her hands tightened momentarily, and his voice deepened.
‘I want you to be my future, Eloise—to be with me always, to make your life with mine. I have no doubts, no questions, about that. What happened between us—that nightmare in Rome—has only served to make me absolutely sure of that. Absolutely sure. You mean everything to me—and you always will.’
He gave a smile—a brief, flickering smile. ‘Take all the time you need before giving me your answer. If it is when I return to New York—or even if it’s later, or next year, or at any time—I will be ready for it.’
For one last, endless moment his eyes held hers and she felt their force, their power reaching into her, transforming her. She felt again that shimmer of joy she had felt in the car, before little Johnny had erupted upon them.
Her expression changed. He’d been so good with him. Laura Carldon’s description echoed in her head. ‘A natural’, she’d called him.
She felt her throat tighten suddenly. Then Vito was lifting her hands to his mouth, one after another, kissing each softly. She felt joy, deep emotion, felt a golden glow encircling her—transforming her.
‘Oh, Vito!’ Her voice caught, and then it was her hands that were tightening on his before, with a reluctance she could not hide, she drew them from him, stepped away.