LITMIR.BIZ

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always maintained the same distance between them. He was playing cat and mouse with her, and she was no cartoon character who could turn the tables on him. All she knew was that she couldn’t allow him to see just how anxious he was making her.

      ‘There you are! I lost you for a moment.’

      Sofie spun round, a slightly guilty smile springing to her lips at the sight of David Lacey, her boss and the instigator of the evening. She had forgotten all about him the instant she’d laid eyes on Lucas. ‘I…er…just came in here to get a fresh drink,’ she lied uncomfortably, waggling her glass at him.

      ‘That’s funny, I thought I was doing that,’ David remarked, holding up two glasses, but Sofie wasn’t listening to him, her eyes had automatically started to search for Lucas again. She found him not too far away, watching the pair of them intently. ‘And the dog ran away with the ham bone,’ David ended dryly, which was where she tuned in again.

      Her nerves jumping like fleas, she half-turned away from Lucas and beamed up at her boss. ‘Hmm? I’m sorry, what did you say?’

      Not surprisingly, David frowned. ‘Forget it, it wasn’t important. Are you all right, Sofie?’ he asked in concern, then glanced at her glass. ‘How many of those have you had?’ He set the spare glass he had brought with him on a passing tray.

      Sofie took a steadying breath, telling herself to get a grip. The last thing she needed was for David to ask awkward questions. ‘Sorry. It’s speech time soon and I’m a tad distracted.’ Hell’s bells, what an understatement that was, and so far from the truth! Knowing that Lucas was watching her every move was hardly conducive to calm. ‘Don’t worry, this is only my second glass.’ She never drank much and had abandoned the first glass because it had become warm and lost its fizz.

      ‘I see everybody who is anybody has turned out for this shindig,’ David remarked, glancing round the room. ‘Everywhere I look there’s a familiar face. Although having said that, there is one person I don’t know. Have you any idea who the man in the suit by the door is?’

      Sofie’s heart gave a wild kick, for she could guess who he meant. ‘What man?’ she asked gruffly, wondering what to do, because if she pleaded ignorance and then Lucas decided to come over, she would be caught out in a lie.

      ‘It doesn’t matter. He’s gone,’ David replied, not realising how that would affect her.

      Sofie turned, her eyes flying to the spot where she had last seen Lucas, and her spirits sank like a stone when she discovered he had moved away. As much as she had dreaded having a confrontation with him, her worst fear was that he would go and she would never see him again!

      With something approaching anxiety her eyes scanned the room, searching for him and failed. Completely distraught, she couldn’t believe he had gone without making contact, when he had spent the whole evening watching her. Disappointment weighed heavily on her and she couldn’t explain why. She knew the best thing was for him to go. They couldn’t go back, and had no future. Let him be gone, the logical part of her brain told her. Let this be the end of it. Sadly, her shattered heart would always crave more.

      Which was why, uncharacteristically, she took a large gulp of champagne and almost emptied the glass. Seeing it, David’s brows rose and he plucked the glass from her fingers.

      ‘Steady on! You’ll get tipsy doing that on an empty stomach. Wait here. I’ll go get us something to eat,’ he decided, setting their glasses aside, and would have gone off in search of the buffet had she not placed a staying hand on his arm.

      ‘No, don’t. I’m fine, really,’ she lied bravely, as her nerves were a mess and she was as far from fine as it was possible to get. ‘It’s almost time for my speech anyway.’

      It was a relief when she had to go up and help present the awards. Making small talk with David as if nothing was the matter had been excruciatingly difficult. The last thing she felt like doing was smiling for the cameras, but it was all part of the job and she formed her lips into as near normal a smile as possible.

      Casually glancing around the sea of faces below them, her heart leapt when her eyes found Lucas once more. So he hadn’t gone! As if he knew exactly what she had been thinking, he raised his glass in silent salute and her thoughts scattered to the four winds as she realised nothing was over yet.

      Unfortunately she lost sight of him again when she and the winners descended to the floor and were surrounded by admiring friends and family. It took time extricating herself from everyone who wanted to speak to her, but as soon as she was alone Sofie searched the room again, with the same negative result as earlier. Tired of playing games that had her emotions see-sawing wildly, and knowing she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to make small talk with anyone right then, she sought for a means of escape and found it beyond the door to the terrace.

      Outside in the warm summer night air, she made her way to the parapet and leaned on it, looking out over the city. The light was fading and all around the city began to twinkle. She had never regretted moving north, only the circumstances that had made it necessary. She had done a good job of vanishing off the map and couldn’t have chosen a better place to make a fresh start, even though she had been terrified that Lucas would find her.

      When time passed and he hadn’t discovered her hiding place, she had started to think she was safe, and look what had happened—Lucas had come back into her life. The very thing she had been afraid of for so long, because, however much her heart wanted to see him, her brain knew it wasn’t safe to do so. Now, more than ever. It had gone beyond the reason for her leaving. There were things he didn’t know and, though he had a right to know them, she feared what he would do if he found out.

      Life, she had learned years ago, could be cruel, causing people to make choices they shouldn’t have to make. It had broken her heart then and she had barely survived. She didn’t think she would be so lucky if fate played its hand a second time.

      Just then a soft breeze blew her shoulder-length brown hair across her face and at the same time a tingle of awareness ran down her spine. She spun round, her breath hitching in her throat as she saw the source of her turmoil stroll out of the nearby shadows.

      Up close he was still the handsomest man she had ever seen. A shaft of light from the windows highlighted the almost blue-black of his hair and the intense blue of his eyes. She could remember those eyes smiling at her with such love in them it had taken her breath away. Now, though, it was hard to read what he was thinking. He had closed himself off from her.

      Lucas stopped a few feet away, a faintly mocking smile hovering around the corners of his mouth, whilst his eyes ranged over her. Once upon a time such a glance would have sent delicious tingles along her nerve-endings as they passed, but there was no warmth in his eyes surveying of her now. It left her feeling bereft, a faint hope dying before she was even aware of its existence. She was inordinately glad when he finally held her gaze.

      ‘What took you so long?’ he said huskily, the rich tone of his voice delighting her senses as it always had. However, the question made her jump.

      ‘L-long? I…er…’ she had to cough to clear a dry throat. ‘I don’t understand,’ she returned in genuine confusion, her emotions making it hard for her brain to work. Facing the man she loved six years after walking out on him was not a situation she had ever planned for. Quite the opposite.

      Lucas shook his head disappointedly. ‘Of course you do. You’ve been watching me all evening, and I’ve enjoyed watching you watch me. That’s why I knew when you couldn’t see me you’d come in search of me.’

      Sofie caught her breath, her pulse racing anxiously with her inner turmoil. ‘That wasn’t the reason. It was hot and I needed…That is…’ Realising she was almost babbling, she closed her eyes and drew in some steadying air. ‘I thought you were gone.’

      ‘Hoped, you mean,’ Lucas returned silkily, and she licked her lips nervously to moisten them.

      ‘Yes…no…w-whatever!’ she responded jerkily, then made an effort to get a grip. ‘Why would I want to see you? We

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