‘She takes Julianna and Marcie?’
‘She does,’ Maria declared. ‘She and Papai have taken the girls out there at least twice this past year. And on those occasions, I never looked out over that rainforest and wondered if they were okay. Because I knew that she would take care of my daughters in a way she never thinks to take care of herself.’
‘I see.’ He nodded slowly. ‘I just didn’t think of it that way. Flávia told me that she was the fun aunt. I guess I assumed that also meant...’
‘That she wasn’t entirely responsible with them?’
He eyed her sharply but there was no judgement in Maria’s expression.
‘I suppose.’
‘I understand why,’ she continued. ‘But no, that isn’t what Livvy is like at all. That’s what Enrico couldn’t seem to get his head around.’
‘Enrico?’
‘Her ex-fiancé.’ Maria rolled her eyes. ‘Idiot man.’
It was irrational. And insane. But jealousy swept through him like a tsunami, and even though he tried to pull himself up, it was too late. He’d waded in too deep and now he couldn’t get out.
‘Who’s an idiot man?’
They both swung around at the sound of Flávia’s voice.
‘Boy, do you both look guilty.’ She tried for a laugh when they didn’t answer. ‘Never mind. You don’t have to tell me.’
‘I wasn’t going to.’ Maria laughed at l
ast as she turned around to leave, dropping a kiss on her sister’s cheek as she did so. ‘I think I’ll leave you to it while I go and find my husband.’
‘Luis has his chef’s cap on. He looks set for the night.’
‘Great. That means I can grab another wine and find somewhere else to hide before he drags me in to help him.’
‘Yeah, good luck with that,’ joked Flávia, watching her sister go.
Just as Jake, in turn, was watching Flávia.
As though he had no choice in it. Because he seemed to have very little control over himself when it came to Flávia Maura.
And then they were alone, and he found himself fighting some inexplicably primal urge to grab and kiss her, and make her his—over and over—when she started to speak.
CHAPTER EIGHT
‘WHY WERE YOU talking about Enrico?’ she asked carefully.
‘You heard that, huh?’
If she’d hoped to decipher anything from his tone, then she realised she was out of luck. She had to force herself to keep her own voice deliberately even.
‘I heard Maria tell you he was my ex-fiancé.’
‘Was it recent?’
Was he asking out of simple curiosity? Or something more?
‘We broke up two years ago.’ She shrugged. ‘Dated for eight years before that.’
He cocked one eyebrow.