‘Why?’ he rasped. ‘So that you have something else to torture yourself with?’
Helen propelled herself away from him, refastening her buttons with shaking fingers. ‘I think I’ll go to bed.’
‘I take it that wasn’t meant as an invitation?’ Leon taunted, running a hand through the thickness of his hair, its disorder giving him a rakish appearance.
‘You know it wasn’t,’ she breathed softly.
‘I was just hoping. You can’t blame a man for trying,’ he shrugged.
She moved away with jerky movements. ‘A bit too soon, wouldn’t you say?’
‘Maybe. Okay, Helen, you go to bed.’
She gave him a sharp look. ‘What are you going to do?’
‘Have a drink, maybe even a couple of dozen drinks,’ he muttered. ‘I think it would be better if I’m drunk when I go to bed, that way I wouldn’t be capable even if I did come to your room.’
Her eyes widened in panic. ‘You—you don’t think there’s any possibility of that happening?’
‘Scares the hell out of you, doesn’t it?’ he drawled.
‘You’re being cruel again, Leon.’
‘Go to bed, Helen,’ he said wearily. ‘I won’t be bothering you. Put my behaviour tonight to the back of your mind, put it down to the flight and the fact that I went through hell thinking you weren’t here.’ He gave a strained smile. ‘I’ll be better tomorrow.’
‘Are you—are you going to work tomorrow?’
‘Yes. I should be leaving about six-thirty.’
‘Would you like me to have breakfast with you?’
‘Isn’t six o’clock a bit early for you?’ he asked.
‘Perhaps. But living here I’ll have to leave earlier to get to work.’
Leon frowned. ‘You still have your job?’
Helen looked surprised. ‘But of course. What—what would I do all day while you’re out at work if I stayed here?’
‘Wait for me,’ he said harshly. ‘I don’t like the idea of you still working. I want you here when I get home. I want you here, Helen!’
‘You’re beginning to sound like a husband! I’m only living here, my other life still has to go on.’
‘Not when you’re with me it doesn’t. Leave the job, Helen. If I get time off during the day I want you to be here.’
‘Isn’t that a little chauvinistic?’ she queried lightly.
‘If it is it’s only the way I feel about you. You make me feel like that, no other woman ever has. Oh, go to bed, Helen, before I change my mind about getting drunk.’
‘About breakfast—’
‘Join me if you want to. And hand in your notice tomorrow, better still, don’t go back.’
‘Oh, I couldn’t do that,’ she protested. ‘It wouldn’t be fair.’
‘And do you think it’s fair to me that you aren’t going to be here half the time?’
‘I’ll only be out the same time you are. Be reasonable, Leon, I—’