‘Well, I suppose so. Maybe.’ Christy stared at him, wondering why he suddenly seemed so tense and moody. Had she said something? ‘Anyway, why are we talking about Jake?’
There was a long, pulsing silence while Alessandro studied her and drummed his fingers on the table. ‘He just seemed to come up in conversation,’ he said silkily, and she gave a puzzled smile.
‘Well, we’ve all known each other and been friends for the same length of time, so I suppose that’s natural.’ She helped herself to a spoonful of another dish and tried not to mind that Alessandro suddenly seemed tense and uncommunicative.
He didn’t enjoy her company any more, she thought miserably as she chewed her way through a mouthful of food that she didn’t even want. And he still hadn’t said anything about what she was wearing or made a single move in her direction.
It was so unlike him. In the past, whenever they’d had a problem, he’d just grabbed her and that had been that. Now he didn’t seem to want to touch her.
Was it because he didn’t find her attractive any more?
Or was it because he was seeing someone else?
Back in the barn, the DVD had just finished and Ben was changing into his pyjamas in front of the fire.
‘Uncle Jake, what’s mating?’
Jake choked on his whisky. ‘Well, I…’ He cleared his throat and vowed never to babysit again. ‘Ben, you’ve had seven years to ask that question. Why do you have to ask it now, while Mummy is out?’
‘Because Katy said it earlier,’ Ben said solemnly, wriggling his arms and head into his pyjama top. ‘She said that we have to get Mummy and Daddy back into the same bedroom so that they can mate. It’s why I broke the bed and spilled my drink.’
Jake gave up on the whisky. ‘You did what?’
‘I broke the bed,’ Ben said patiently, ‘by bouncing hard. Katy did it, too. So Mummy couldn’t sleep there any more. But it didn’t work.’
Jake put his glass down on the nearest table. ‘It didn’t?’
Ben shook his head. ‘Daddy went and slept on the sofa, so I spilt my blackcurrant on it.’
Jake’s gaze slid to the sofa on the far side of the room, now covered in towels. ‘So you did.’
‘Now Daddy has to sleep with Mummy in the bed,’ Ben said proudly, and Jake looked at him thoughtfully before shifting his gaze to Katy.
‘It appears that you’ve been rather busy, young lady.’
‘You can’t tell me off. You’re my godfather. You’re only responsible for my religious education.’
He lifted a brow. ‘No more presents, then.’
She grinned. ‘Presents are acceptable.’
‘I just bet they are.’ Jake studied her face and thought how much she resembled her father. ‘Have you been interfering?’
‘Maybe. Just a little.’ Her expression was wary, as if she was unsure of his response. ‘Never underestimate a child.’
‘I don’t,’ Jake said dryly, rising to his feet and reaching for his glass. He had a strong feeling he was going to need a large refill. ‘Let’s get your brother to bed and then you and I need to have a talk, Katherine Isabel Luisa Garcia. You have some serious explaining to do.’
CHAPTER FIVE
‘YOU look knackered.’ Nicky juggled an armful of dressings and frowned as Christy walked onto the unit. ‘Heavy night?’ She gave a saucy wink and Christy gave a wan smile.
What would Nicky say, she wondered, if she confessed that she’d spent the night lying next to Alessandro and he hadn’t laid a finger on her? Not only that, but he’d clearly had no trouble sleeping, whereas she’d lain there, tense and breathless, waiting for him to touch her. His steady, rhythmic breathing had done nothing for her ego or her hopes for the survival of their marriage.
Oh, damn, damn, damn.
He obviously didn’t even find her attractive any more. It was the only possible explanation for not touching her.
And just to bolster her insecurities still further, Katya chose that moment to stroll up to them. ‘Hi, there.’ Her voice was smoky and seductive and her blonde hair fell down her back in a perfect, smooth sheet. She wore a pale pink roll-neck jumper and a tight navy skirt that ended just above the knee, and could have walked straight out of the pages of a glossy magazine. ‘Have either of you seen Alessandro? He promised to spend some time talking me through some interesting X-rays.’