The Party Starts at Midnight

‘I know. But you nearly were once.’

And now his jaw was tightening, almost imperceptibly, but she was beginning to recognise the tiny signs that on the odd occasion gave him away. ‘How do you know about that?’

‘Something on the internet.’

‘Where?’

‘I’ll send you the link.’

‘Thanks.’

‘I guess you’ll be wanting to hush that up too.’

He frowned. ‘What?’

‘How did you keep what happened so quiet? How did you keep it out of the papers?’

‘I have loyal family and friends. So does Lisa. How much do you know?’

‘I know she left you at the altar for some guy she’d got back in touch with on Facebook.’

‘She married him. They have a child.’

‘And how do you feel about it all?’

‘I don’t feel anything.’

Abby’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Seriously?’

‘Why would I? It happened five years ago.’

‘And at the time?’

This time there was nothing imperceptible about the way his jaw clenched and his face darkened. ‘I handled it,’ he said and it occurred to her that, however he’d handled it, it hadn’t been well.

‘So how come you still have a problem with the time of year and you haven’t slept with anyone since her? Other than me, I mean,’ she added, and her cheeks heated.

Leo’s gaze snapped to hers. ‘What on earth are you talking about?’

‘Jake said you hadn’t had a woman in your bed for years.’

‘Doesn’t mean I haven’t been in their beds,’ said Leo dryly. ‘You weren’t the first by any means.’

And you won’t be the last, so don’t think you’re anything special was the very clear message, and for a moment it knocked her a bit sideways.

‘Oh. No. Well. Of course not,’ she said, swiftly rallying because she didn’t want to be special to a man who held such an opposing view to something she valued so highly. ‘Jake?

??s obviously got the wrong end of the stick.’

‘I don’t see the need to discuss my sex life with him. And I really don’t have a problem with the time of year any more. It would be absurd to be hung up on something that happened so long ago. I genuinely couldn’t care less about it.’

Which well and truly told her. ‘And the shutting off of your emotions?’

‘Habit.’

‘Oh, but it’s such a bad one.’

‘You’re the expert.’