Tall and muscular in his business suit, the jacket undone, the tie gone, he looked both powerful and commanding and yet so familiar now. His gaze skimmed down her figure, his eyes blazing when they fixed back on her face.
‘You look stunning, Eleanor,’ he murmured, the raw edge to his voice making her feel as if they were suddenly alone. Unfortunately, though, knowing he desired her didn’t have the power it once had to paper over the cracks in her heart.
She forced a smile, flattered and wary as she slipped into the booth opposite him.
‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘I’m glad I made the effort,’ she added, having opted for a vintage red velvet designer dress—one of the many the stylist had supplied for her to choose from in the last three weeks. It had occurred to her as she had donned it half an hour ago that she would have to leave the stunning wardrobe behind when she left. She had no use for the gowns and accessories once this was over, and she didn’t want Alex too much out of pocket. ‘You could have warned me you’d booked one of the most exclusive restaurants in the country,’ she continued, sending him what she hoped was a quelling look. ‘What if I had decided to turn up in jeans and a T-shirt?’
He gave a low chuckle, the sound oddly strained. ‘I’d still want to strip you naked on sight.’ The arousal in his eyes told her he was only half joking.
Awareness pulsed over her skin, but only made her heart jump and jiggle more.
‘You’re such a guy,’ she said, trying to keep the longing out of her voice and maintain the light-hearted humour that had always been so much a part of their relationship. And had protected her from the depth of her own feelings for so long.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t seem to get the lightness back now, when she needed it most.
‘Guilty as charged,’ he said, but as his gaze searched her face she couldn’t see the teasing wit she’d become so used to. In its place was a guarded watchfulness that only made her feel more insecure.
‘Eleanor, there’s something I need to tell you...’ he began, all traces of humour wiped from his expression.
And suddenly she knew, he was going to tell her their Christmas fling was over.
But I’m not ready to lose him yet.
Her panicked thoughts were interrupted by the waiter, who came to take their drinks order. But as soon as the man left, Alex’s gaze fixed back on her face—intense, wary, determined, as if he had a bitter truth to deliver and didn’t want it blowing up in his face. His sensual lips opened, and the panic exploded in her chest.
Don’t let him say it.
‘Yes, we do need to talk. Because I met your family today.’ She threw the words out before he could say anything more.
His eyebrows shot up his forehead and his mouth closed with a snap. His expression went completely blank for a moment, then a muscle in his jaw started twitching.
‘What did you say?’ he croaked.
He didn’t sound angry, she realised, he sounded stunned.
She’d meant to stop him dumping her. She hadn’t expected it to be quite so effective though. In all the time she’d known Alex, she’d never seen him as rattled as he was now. Even when he’d been apologising to her all those weeks ago in Staten Island.
‘Well, I didnae actually meet them,’ she admitted. ‘I had a long chat with your youngest sister, Mia, over the phone.’ She began to babble, desperate to fill the charged silence and ease the turmoil on his face. Whatever had happened to Alex to make him want to ghost his family, it was still a source of pain. ‘She introduced me, sort of, to your other siblings. Arianna, aka Ari, the divorcee with three kids. And Isabella, who misses you a lot too. And Matteo, who is training to be a firefighter and is very bossy. And Aldo, who’s just had his first child with his girlfriend, Sammy. They named him Luca Alessandro, after you. I guess there’s one other, though, she must have missed, because I make that only five siblings and you said you had six.’ She finally wound to a stop.
‘Lucia,’ he whispered, the name raw with emotion.
He looked away, the muscle still twitching, as he dragged his fingers through his hair, sending the stylish waves into haphazard rows. Then he swore viciously, the force and fury behind the expletive making her tense.
‘I’m sorry, I know it’s not my business,’ she said softly, covering his hand, which was bunched into a fist on the white tablecloth.
His fist jerked as soon as she touched him. He drew his hand away, rejecting her comfort. His gaze locked back on her face, probing, searching, but where she’d expected to see anger, all she saw was strained tension. As if he were holding onto his emotions by a thread.
She didn’t want to snap the thread. She knew she had no right, so she said nothing. The silence stretched tight as he stared at her. But she wasn’t even sure if he could see her any more. He looked shell-shocked.
The waiter arrived with their drinks, a Scotch for him, a dry martini for her. He downed the liquor in one gulp.
The tumbler hit the table with a sharp crack.
‘Are you ready to order, folks?’ the waiter asked, apparently oblivious to the tension.
‘No,’ Alex snapped, with enough force to make the man jump. ‘We’ll let you know when we’re ready,’ he said, his gaze still locked on Ellie’s now burning face.
The waiter disappeared.