To Love Again

with her plans.

It was now obvious that Marsha had only let him have the children today so that she could

spend time with Julian Holland. It was also obvious that, although the other man was still

something of an unknown quantity to Daisy and Robin, they already liked him. Lucas was having

to walk a very thin line between his dislike of the idea of the children having a stepfather and not

letting the children know of his feelings. And it obviously wasn’t easy for him to do.

Marsha Kingsley’s house was ablaze with lights as the car turned into the driveway,

the children jumping up and down on their seat at the thought of telling their mother all

about the lovely day they had had, their earlier disquiet forgotten for the moment.

Lucas had come to the house alone to pick up the children this morning, returning for

Christi, and it hadn’t occurred to her until this moment that she might actually have to see

Marsha and her fiancé when they took the children home.

She hesitated in her seat as Lucas helped the children out of the back.

Lucas bent down to talk to her. ‘Coming inside?’

She grimaced. ‘I think I’ll just wait out here.’ She shook her head, not at all eager

for another encounter with Marsha Kingsley.

Lucas nodded, the children having already run up to the house to ring the doorbell. ‘I

can’t say I’m exactly looking forward to this myself,’ he acknowledged grimly.

There was a pale green BMW parked in the driveway next to Marsha’s grey

Mercedes, and it didn’t take much intelligence to realise the second car must belong to Julian

Holland.

Christi made her decision quickly and unhesitantly, opening her car door to step out on

to the gravel driveway. ‘I think I will come in, after all,’ she told Lucas lightly.

He gave her a derisive look as she walked around the car to his side. ‘I’m not looking

forward to it,’ he drawled. ‘But I can handle it.’

Christi gave a careless shrug. ‘I don’t really feel like sitting out here in the car.’

Lucas squeezed her arm as he took hold of her elbow to walk beside her up to the

door that now stood open, Marsha reflected in the light. ‘Thanks,’ he murmured before they

came into earshot of the other woman.

‘Lucas,’ Marsha drawled, her sharp hazel gaze turning to Christi. ‘And little Christi,’ she

greeted mockingly. ‘Did you enjoy your day at the beach, dear?’ she taunted as she held the

door open wider for them to enter.

She felt Lucas’s fingers tighten on her arm at the deliberate challenge, but her own

expression remained impassively calm. ‘Of course, you’re a little old to enjoy such pleasant

pastimes, aren’t you?’ she returned sweetly.

Marsha’s mouth twisted. ‘Let’s just say I prefer my—amusements, to be a little more

mature than days at the beach,’ she drawled.

Christi smiled confidently, her arm possessively through the crook of Lucas’s; this woman

had made her turn tail and run once, she wouldn’t succeed in doing it again. ‘Oh, I enjoy

those sort of amusements, too, at the right time,’ she taunted huskily.

Marsha’s gaze narrowed on the way Christi and Lucas stood so close together. ‘I hope you

kept this—relationship from the children?’ she snapped.

‘Oh, you needn’t worry, Marsha dear,’ Christi answered before Lucas could, patting the

other woman’s arm reassuringly. ‘Robin and Daisy are still as innocent as I—fortunately!—am

not.’ The statement was a double-edged sword, telling this woman of her confidence in her

own femininity, but also warning her that she was completely wise to the deceit she had

practised a week ago, and that she wouldn’t fall for it a second time.

She could tell by the way Marsha’s lips thinned that neither meaning had been lost on

her, and her gaze was angry as it once again swept over the two of them. ‘I suppose if you want

to make a fool of yourself, Lucas---- ‘

‘I don’t believe Lucas is the one making a fool of himself,’ Christi cut in bravely, her

eyes as hard as the sapphires they resembled.

Marsha flushed. ‘What the hell do you mean by that?’ Her eyes flashed fire.

Christi met her gaze unflinchingly. ‘You must admit, it is a little odd for you to be

behaving so possessively towards your ex-husband when, as I understand it, you’re thinking of

being married again quite soon—to someone else!’

The other woman’s mouth tightened even more. ‘You

‘Darling, surely you aren’t going to keep Lucas—and his friend,’ added the short,

slightly overweight man, with receding blond hair, who had joined them from the lounge, as

he saw Christi standing at Lucas’s side, ‘standing out here all evening?’

This was Julian Holland? He wasn’t at all what Christi had been expecting, and she

stared at him in open astonishment.

He wasn’t much taller than Marsha’s five foot five in her three-inch-heel sandals, for

one thing, and was certainly a couple of inches shorter than Christi herself. And, although his

looks were quite pleasant—warm brown eyes and a round, friendly face—he wasn’t what Christi

could call in the least sexy or heart-stoppingly attractive the way Lucas was. Although his suit

was obviously an expensive one, it didn’t look half as good on him as Lucas did in jeans and

a casual shirt, for Julian’s stocky build was only slightly concealed by the excellent tailoring.

But he obviously was Julian Holland, his arm moving lightly about Marsha’s waist as he

reached her side, his bulkier appearance making Marsha look tinier than ever.

Lucas was the first to recover. ‘Holland.’ He held out his hand politely.

Something in Lucas’s tone put the other man on his guard, Julian Holland eyeing him

warily. ‘Kingsley,’ he returned slowly.

Lucas nodded tersely. ‘If I could just say goodbye to the children?’ He turned to Marsha.

Marsha’s gaze swept challengingly over Christi before settling on Lucas. ‘Don’t you want to

help me put them to bed, the way you usually do when you bring them home?’ she suggested

huskily.

His gaze unconsciously turned to Christi before he shook his head. ‘I don’t think

‘Please go ahead and help put the children to bed, Lucas,’ Christi cut in sharply, knowing he

must be longing to spend even that little more time with the children he saw all too infrequently. ‘I’m

sure Mr Holland and I can amuse ourselves while we wait in the lounge for the two of you.’ She

gave the other man a brief smile, having chosen her wording carefully, knowing Marsha hadn’t

missed the implication. She looked outraged by the challenge.

Lucas hesitated. ‘If you’re sure you don’t mind ... ?’

‘Of course I don’t,’ her smile was warm with feeling as she turned to him, ‘and I’m

sure the children will love it,’ she added indulgently.

While Lucas rounded up the children for their baths, Julian Holland moved to pour

Christi a drink, Christi and Marsha eyeing each other speculatively.

A grudging respect slowly entered the other woman’s eyes. ‘You really did grow up,

didn’t you?’ she mused.

Christi gave an abrupt inclination of her head. ‘I really did.’

Marsha glanced at Lucas as he laughingly threw Daisy over his shoulder to carry her out

of the room. ‘But I wonder if you grew up enough?’ she murmured without a second glance,

following theman who had once been her husband, and her children, from the room.

Christi let out a shaky breath, sitting down in the nearest chair before she fell down.

Marsha might be going to marry the pleasant-faced man who was now handing her the sherry

she had requested, but she certainly had no intention of relinquishing her claim on Lucas at the

same time!

‘Cheers!’ Julian Holland held up his glass before taking an obviously welcome swallow of the

whisky inside it. ‘Have you known—er—Lucas, long?’ he enquired casually as he sat down opposite

her, obviously awkward with the familiarity after Lucas’s terse formality.

‘Several years,’ she nodded abruptly, feeling a little sorry for him, but also very much

aware that he was the reason for Lucas’s present unhappiness.

His eyes widened. ‘Really? I wouldn’t have thought—you don’t look old enough—well,

isn’t that nice!’ He gave a bright, meaningless smile.

For a diplomat, this man certainly wasn’t very diplomatic! ‘Isn’t it?’ she agreed drily. ‘Have

you known Marsha very long?’ He couldn’t have done if he were contemplating marrying her! He

smiled as he thought of the woman he loved. ‘A few months.’

‘How nice.’ She turned away uninterestedly, pretending interest in one of the paintings

that hung on the wall. It wasn’t this man’s fault, and under any other circumstances she

would probably have liked him, but she couldn’t help but feel angry at what this man’s marriage

to Marsha would do to Lucas.

‘Do you like that?’ He squinted up at the abstract painting Christi was staring at so

fixedly.

How could anyone like green and pink lines on a canvas? ‘No,’ she answered with blunt