Minding Amy

Lydia watched him while he worked.

"Be nice," he instructed. The

cat looked back at him steadily. She'd hated Catherine, his ex, vehemently, and she'd made it quite obvious. The cat had appeared at the most inappropriate of times and fixed his ex with a determined stare, as if she could oust the woman from her master's bed through willpower alone. There was nothing as off-putting to your stride as a cat with an expression of extreme distaste on its face. After the onset of the rather acrimonious split he realized the cat was probably a better judge of character than he was.

When he got back to Amy she'd curled herself into the sofa, shoes off, her legs folded under her. The soft, black jersey mini dress she was wearing clung to her body. His hands ached to follow it over her curves. All in good time, he told himself.

"Mm, lovely." She took the cup from his hand.

"So, what are the plans for the week ahead?"

She looked up at him, surprised. "Oh, let's just think about today for now," she whispered, running her hand over his thigh as he got comfortable next to her on the leather sofa.

That was a very inviting gesture.

"I'm not arguing, I just wondered what else you had in store for us, work wise. A man needs to be prepared." He gave her a cheeky grin. He was asking because he had to put in an appearance at his office, although he hoped to fit that around whatever plans she made. Then there was the little matter of pursuing his own investigations regarding Quentin Edwards, their missing TV host.

"I'm going to have to spend a bit of time on my regular job tomorrow," she said, looking down into her tea.

"So you'll call me when you need me?"

She smiled. "I believe my father hired you to accompany me when I'm on the road for Quentin material. Besides, as much as I adore your company, I think it would be overly indulgent of me to ask you to accompany me on my regular chores, don't you?"

"Oh, I don't know…"

"Well, seeing as you're on offer," she paused, eyeing his body. "Why don't we compromise, and meet later on, for the evening?"

"Sounds good."

"Monday is my Tae Kwon Do evening, so it'll have to be after that."

"Tell me where you'll be and I'll meet you there."

"Okay, I will. I finish up the class about seven. If we meet then it'll give you some time for yourself. Besides, don't you have a message to return?" She nodded over at the answer machine.

Sebastian puzzled over her remark, then realized she must have meant the message from Alex.

"Alex is my sister," he said. "But yes, I will have to call her back." He winked. When she smiled, he could see relief in her expression, she really must have thought it was a girlfriend. Surely not? He thought he'd clarified his status already.

"The one with the kids?"

"No, that's Sandra, my older sister. Alex is younger than me and she lives here in London too. Sandra and her family are in Yorkshire, close to my Mother, in the town I grew up in. Filey, on the east coast."

She nodded.

"It was because of Alex I bought this house. She moved down to London the year after I did and I bought the place so she could use it for a base, but she got her own place soon after."

"That explains the female touches."

Sebastian smiled. She could pull out investigative skills when she put her mind to it.

"It must be nice to have a big family. I'm an only child and I always wanted that."

"I think you appreciate it more as you get older, as a kid I always hated having sisters either side of me."

Her gaze searched his face as he spoke. "Have you been on your own since Alex moved out?"

Despite the casual sideways glance she gave him when she said it, he sensed the weight of her question. Sebastian wasn't one for beating about the bush when it came to stuff like this. "If you're asking about relationships, I had a pretty serious relationship, well—I thought it was serious—and it ended about a year ago. She left me for someone she'd started seeing on the side." It was still difficult to talk about, and the sympathy and concern in Amy's eyes really didn't make it easier. "Since then, I've been...well, off women. Until you fell into my lap and tempted me back."