‘I like cooking.’ She rinsed her hands under the tap and dried them on a tea towel. ‘So how was your date with Nicole? I presume that’s where you’ve been? Did it all go according to plan?’
‘We had a drink.’
Miranda’s neat brows lifted. ‘Just a drink?’
He held her gaze for a long beat, watching as a host of emotions flitted across her face. ‘Yes. Just a drink.’
‘You must be losing your touch.’
‘Maybe.’
She began to fuss over a salad she was making on the counter. ‘I’ve packed up about half of your father’s paintings. I’ve still got some research to do on the others. I’m waiting to hear back from one of my colleagues. I should have it more or less done by the end of next week, maybe even earlier. I’ve got the shipping people on standby but I’ll need you to authorise the insurance.’
Leandro felt something in his chest slip at the thought of her leaving earlier than he had planned. Had he pushed her too far? Made her feel uncomfortable? All he had wanted to do was make her see how she was throwing her life away... Well, maybe that wasn’t all he wanted to do. He couldn’t get the memory of their kiss out of his head. He kept reliving it. Kept feeling the sensual energy of it in his body. Every time he looked at her mouth he felt a spark fire in his groin. Did she feel it too? Was that why she was talking so quickly and keeping her eyes well away from his? ‘Do you want me to change your flight back home?’
She caught her lip with her teeth, her gaze still avoiding his as she fiddled with the salad she was preparing. ‘Do you want me to leave early?’
‘No, but what do you want?’
She reached for an avocado and pressed it to see if it was ripe. ‘I thought I’d stay on. Help you with the clean-up and stuff.’
‘You don’t have to.’
‘I know, but I’d like to.’
‘Why?’
She still actively avoided his gaze. ‘I’m enjoying being out of London and not just because of the weather. I can actually walk down the street here without anyone bothering me.’
‘Always a bonus, I guess.’
Her cheeks went a faint shade of pink as she reached for some cherry tomatoes. ‘Will you be seeing Nicole again before she leaves?’
Leandro couldn’t help teasing her. ‘For a drink, you mean?’
‘For...whatever.’
‘No.’
Her brow puckered as she looked at him. ‘Why not?’
Leandro hadn’t intended to resume his on-off relationship with Nicole in any case but he found it amusing to see Miranda struggle with the notion of him having a sex life. Was she just being a prude or was she actually jealous? Was she envisaging having a fling with him? Maybe she thought she could get away with it while she was away from home. Was that why she kept looking at him with that hungry look in her eyes? Was she rethinking her commitment to her dead boyfriend? Was she finally accepting it was time to move on and live life in the present instead of in the past? Could her fuss over Leandro’s love life be a sign she was finally ready to take that first step?
The thought of exploring the spark between them was tempting.
More than tempting.
How long could he ignore the chemistry that swirled in the air when he was in the same room as her? But having a fling with her? How would he explain it to her brothers? It was a line he had sworn he would never cross. Not that he had ever discussed it with Julius or Jake. He hadn’t even thought of Miranda that way. He wasn’t sure when things had changed—when he had changed—but he had started to notice her quiet beauty. The way she moved. The way she spoke. The care and concern she expressed to those she loved. He had held back, kept his distance, not wanting to compromise his relationship with her brothers, or indeed with her.
And yet now he had kissed her. Touched her. Wanted her. How could he simply ignore the attraction he felt for her? Did he want to keep on ignoring it?
Could he ignore it?
Leandro gave a nonchalant shrug. ‘It’s time to move on.’
Her frown of disapproval deepened. ‘So she’s past her use-by date?’
‘It’s how it works these days.’
‘I know, but it sounds pretty clinical if you ask me,’ Miranda said. ‘What if she was secretly hoping for more?’
He reached across for a piece of carrot. ‘I make a point of never offering it in the first place.’
‘But what if you change your mind?’
He gave her a pointed look. ‘Like you might, do you mean?’
Her eyes fell away from his as she put the last touches to the salad. ‘I’m not going to change my mind.’