‘There’s nothing to forgive,’ she extricated her hands moving away from him. ‘If I ever say anything like that to you again I hope you’ll deal with me in the same way. Could I have a sherry, please?’ she changed the subject.
‘We can’t just dismiss it like that,’ he poured her sherry for her. ‘You mouth, your beautiful mouth!’ He shut his eyes as if wishing he could shut out the memory of that painful scene. ‘It must hurt like hell.’
Kelly flinched as he would hav
e touched her, rescuing her sherry from his shaking fingers. ‘It will remind me in future to keep it shut,’ she said lightly. She smiled as a knock sounded on the main door, wishing an end to this conversation. ‘That will be our dinner—I hope. I’m very hungry. What did you order for me?’
‘Duck.’
Her eyes glowed. ‘My favourite.’
‘Still?’ he quirked his eyebrows.
‘Yes.’
‘It’s nice to know some of your tastes haven’t changed.’ He moved to answer the door.
The waiter stayed to serve them their food and wine, making anything but general conversation impossible, so at least Kelly was able to eat her meal in peace.
She poured their coffee in the lounge, the waiter having wheeled away the service trolley. ‘I’ve been thinking, Jordan,’ she sipped her coffee.
‘Mm?’ He was relaxing in the chair opposite her, his long legs stretched out in front of him.
Kelly nodded, trying not to notice how attractive he looked, that wary look having left his face now. She could almost believe they were the happily married couple they were trying to appear—and that wouldn’t do at all. She must keep up her guard against Jordan, he had already shown he wasn’t averse to kissing her when the mood took him. ‘It’s about the house,’ she hastily explained.
Jordan frowned his puzzlement. ‘Your father has a housekeeper, doesn’t he?’
‘Oh yes,’ she dismissed, automatically passing him the sugar. Sugar and cakes were Jordan’s weakness, and yet he didn’t put on an ounce of weight. ‘I didn’t mean Daddy’s house, I meant ours.’
‘What about it?’
‘We don’t have one. And Daddy’s sure to remember the house, we spent months decorating it before I moved in. He’s going to think it strange if we bring him back here. I suppose we could always rent an apartment, but—’
‘Not necessary,’ Jordan cut in lazily.
‘But we can’t go back to his house either, he didn’t have it then. Don’t you remember—’
‘I still have the house, Kelly.’
Her eyes widened. ‘Our house?’
‘That’s right,’ he nodded.
‘And Mrs McLeod? Do you still have her too?’ Kelly asked dazedly.
‘Yes.’
‘But why?’ She shook her head. ‘What I mean is, why stay here when our house isn’t far away?’
‘You want the truth?’
‘Of course,’ she said indignantly.
‘Memories,’ came Jordan’s single-worded reply.
‘Memories…? Good or bad?’ she asked sharply.
‘Oh, definitely—’ he broke off as someone knocked on the door. ‘Excuse me.’ He stood up to answer it.