'Certainly not,' she snapped, instantly on the defensive. He was too near; the spicy scent of his cologne mingled with the fresh spring air was having a disastrous effect on her breathing. Then to her astonishment Leo suddenly smiled, a breathtaking, face-splitting grin that deepened the slight laughter lines around his sparkling brown eyes and took years off his age.
'I'm glad to hear it, Jacy.' And for a ridiculous moment she thought she saw a flicker of relief in his expression and wondered if he had been jealous of her friendship with Simon, but quickly dismissed the thought as he continued smoothly, I know Tom and Liz are away for the weekend, but I promised the boys I would bring them an Easter egg each. So where are they?'
She wanted to ignore him, leap in her car and drive off. He was much too dangerous to her emotional well-being. But he made the request sound so natural that she had no choice but to tell him. 'I'm just going to collect them from Sunday school.'
'Great, we'll take my car; there's more room.' And before she could object Jacy found herself in the front seat of the gleaming Jaguar, as near to the door as she could get, and reluctantly giving Leo directions to the village church.
For a while the only sound was the swish of tyres on tarmac. Jacy determinedly looked out of the side window, keeping her face averted from Leo, but she was achingly aware of every move he made.
'So how are you managing as a surrogate mother?' His deep voice drawled seductively along her over strung nerves, and the word 'mother' gave her a sinking feeling in her already upset stomach. She said nothing.
'Are the twins running you ragged? You look a bit washed out.'
I’m fine,' she snapped. So what if he did think she looked a mess? It didn't matter to her. But if he ever found out what was the matter with her, her life would not be her own, she recognised instinctively. Then, frightened she had been too emphatic, she tagged on, 'I love the boys, I can manage perfectly.'
'I wasn't suggesting you couldn't, Jacy,' he said, quietly stopping the car at the entrance to the church. Turning sideways, he studied her huddled form in the corner of the seat. He stretched out a hand and flipped the end of her long blonde hair over her shoulder.
She knew it looked a mess, but this morning she had scraped it back in a ponytail with an elastic band simply for ease. The touch of his hand made the hairs on the back of her neck prickle in alarm, and her hand grasped the door-handle, ready to bolt...
'Still the mute defence, hmm?' he prompted, his hand curved around her shoulder, preventing her exit, quite deliberately allowing the tension to build until finally Jacy could stand no more; she had to look at him.
His dark eyes, strangely intense, held hers and for a long moment something inexplicable passed between them, an emotion so strong that Jacy shivered in fear. Her eyes fell to his mouth; the firm, sensual lips were parted slightly, and she knew if he made a move to kiss her she would not be able to resist. She had refused to go out with him, but only over the telephone, and soberly she realised face to face she had no defence against him. But his next words broke the tenuous thread that held them together.
'Would it be so hard for you to behave as a normal human being for the next couple of hours?' he demanded bitingly, his dark eyes never leaving her pale face. 'I have no desire to upset the children, but if you insist on trying to ignore me or keep a foot of space between us the boys are bound to notice.'
He wasn't interested in her. When was she going to get it in her thick head...? It was the boys he was worried about, and he was right, she knew. He was here to see the twins, and at that moment two voices could be heard screaming in delight at the sight of the long black car.
Opening the door, Leo prompted, 'Well, Jacy— friends?'
'Yes, all right.' She slid out of the passenger seat and greeted the twins.
For the next few hours Jacy was treated to a totally different Leo Kozakis. The ruthless businessman was replaced by a laughing friend who thought nothing of driving to the outskirts of London to lunch in the nearest hamburger restaurant. They returned home to a frantic football game on the front lawn, with a wild disregard for Liz's recently planted flowerbeds, and by six in the evening two bathed, shiny-faced boys lay comfortably on the floor in the elegant drawing-room, a tousled Leo sprawled out beside them while they attempted to build a castle with Lego.
Jacy, stretched out on the sofa, was pretending to read the Sunday paper, but her gaze kept straying to the three on the floor, or more particularly to the man, and remembering the last time she had seen him lying down; then he had been naked and in her bed, his handsome face taut with passion...
'What's wrong? Have I a smut on my nose or something?'
With a guilty start the paper fell from her hands as Leo caught her staring at him. How could she tell him what she had been thinking? 'No, no, nothing like that,' she blurted. I was just thinking how good you are with children.'
With the speed and grace of some sleek jungle cat he rose to his feet and came towards her.
'I like kids, and I'm very good with my nephew and nieces, I'll have you know,' he offered, grinning smugly.
'You just don't like how you have to get them?' she said, thinking of his aversion to marriage and his host of casual relationships.
A roar of laughter greeted her comment. 'You couldn't be more wrong, sweetheart.' Collapsing on the sofa beside her, he flung his arm around her shoulder, and, his breath like a summer breeze against the soft curve of her cheek, whispered huskily, I love how one has to get children; I couldn't do without it. Shall I show you later?' Then he leant back, still chuckling.
Jacy turned a fiery red with embarrassment. 'I didn't mean that... I meant getting married,' she corrected him furiously.
'True, I have always avoided that particular trap, but-' whatever Leo might have added was forestalled by the boys.
'Can we have some more of our chocolate egg?' Jethro asked, pulling on Jacy's arm, while his twin was pulling on Leo's arm, demanding another game.
Relieved at the distraction, Jacy eyed her two little charges' flushed faces and tired eyes. 'You have both had enough for one day.' They had been delighted with the huge chocolate eggs Leo had presented them with and had eaten almost half already. 'And Leo has to go now, so how about we see him off, and then bed and a story, hmm?'
'But I want Leo to stay, and I want some more chocolate,' Jethro demanded fractiously.
'Sorry, darling, but it will make you sick; you'll be ill and you wouldn't like that.' She tried to placate the little boy.