‘It’s great!’
Noah grinned at him then turned back to the screen and Leo felt his heart overflow. He couldn’t describe how wonderful it felt to see the child looking so happy. It had been a long haul to reach this point and there could still be problems ahead, but Noah would get there eventually. He was sure of that, just as he was sure that meeting Mia had been the trigger. Noah had formed a bond with her and Harry and that was what had made the difference. He would always be grateful to her for that.
He glanced along the row, felt his breath catch when he caught sight of her. She was staring at the screen but he knew that she wasn’t thinking about the film. There was just something about her expression, a certain set to her features that told him it was the last thing on her mind.
Leo turned away, staring sightlessly ahead. He could no longer see the eye-aching colours flashing across the screen or hear the raucous music. He was being drawn into a world of his own, a world that he really, really didn’t want to inhabit.
He groaned quietly, unable to fight off temptation any longer. Pictures immediately flooded his mind, pictures of him and Mia touching, kissing, caressing, making love. He knew it was wrong to indulge himself this way. If he followed through on such thoughts it could be a disaster, and not just for him but for Noah and Harry. He had dated enough women both before and after his marriage ended to know that physical attraction didn’t last. Oh, it might take a month or two but it always faded, and that would complicate matters even more.
He could deal with the thought of Mia being Noah’s real mother, accept that she had given birth to his son. What he couldn’t handle was the idea of her once having been his lover. That would be a step too far!
CHAPTER NINE
IT WAS GONE seven by the time the film ended. Mia took hold of Harry’s hand and briskly led him outside, wanting to bring the evening to a speedy conclusion. Turning, she smiled politely at Leo, who was in the process of zipping up Noah’s coat.
‘Thank you for inviting us. We really enjoyed it, didn’t we, Harry?’
‘It was brilliant!’
Harry grinned at them and she saw Leo’s expression soften. It touched her that it so obviously meant a lot to him to have earned Harry’s approval, but she hardened her heart. She couldn’t afford to let her emotions run away with her again.
Heat rushed up her face as she recalled in vivid detail how she’d felt in the cinema and she turned away, making a great production of fastening Harry’s jacket. Maybe she was attracted to Leo but nothing was going to come of it; she would make sure of that. It would be foolish in the extreme to get involved with him when the situation they faced was already so fraught.
‘I’m glad you enjoyed it, Harry. Noah enjoyed having you along. Maybe you’d like to come round to our house one day and play with him, if your mummy doesn’t mind, of course.’
Mia looked up when she heard the hesitancy in Leo’s voice. It wasn’t like him to exhibit anything other than supreme confidence, so it came as a surprise. ‘Of course I don’t mind,’ she said quietly, wondering what could have dented his legendary self-assurance.
‘Good.’ He gave her a quick smile and she realised that she must have imagined it. There was certainly no sign of indecision as he turned to Harry. ‘How about if you come round on Saturday? Would you like that? Noah and I can pick you up around ten if you fancy it.’
‘Yes!’ Harry exclaimed, obviously delighted at the thought of seeing his new friend again.
Mia didn’t share his joy, however. Leo had made no mention of her going along and she wasn’t sure if she was happy to let Harry go off on his own with Leo just yet. Maybe he was Harry’s real father but she knew very little about him apart from the fact that he was a first-rate surgeon.
‘Noah’s daddy and I need to talk about it first,’ she cautioned. She shook her head when Harry’s lower lip jutted ominously. ‘I’m not saying that you can’t go, darling, but Leo and I need to sort out the details.’ She gave a forced little laugh, hating the fact that she’d been made to take on the role of the bad guy for spoiling the promised treat. ‘Why, I don’t even know where Noah lives!’
‘You’re right,’ Leo said with a grimace. ‘Sorry, Harry. I should have asked your mummy first before I suggested it.’
‘Never mind.’ Mia tried to shrug it off as an oversight, although she wasn’t happy about his high-handed behaviour. If he thought he could walk all over her, he could think again! She took hold of Harry’s hand. ‘I’ll give you a call and see what we can work out. OK?’
‘Fine. You should have my phone number but I’ll give it to you again just in case.’ He dug in his pocket and came up with a scrap of paper, scribbling down his telephone number before handing it to her. ‘We live in Primrose Hill—I should have written the address down as well.’ He took the paper from her and wrote down his address then gave it back to her. ‘If you do agree to let Harry come I promise I’ll take very good care of him, Mia.’
‘I’m sure you will,’ Mia agreed, wondering if he was deliberately making it appear as though she was fussing. Her smile was strained as she slipped the paper into her pocket. If Leo was planning to play these sorts of games, she had no intention of letting him get away with it. ‘Right, it’s time we went home. Say goodnight, Harry.’
She led Harry to the bus stop after he’d said goodbye. Fortunately their bus arrived almost immediately so they got on board and climbed the stairs as Harry loved sitting on the top deck. Mia caught a glimpse of Leo and Noah standing at the bus stop before their bus pulled away and had to clamp down on the anger bubbling inside her.
Was Leo trying to gain the upper hand by offering Harry treats? She hoped not. The situation was difficult enough without that sort of added pressure. Harry was her son no matter what the DNA tests said and she wasn’t going to allow anyone to lure him away. How would Leo feel if she tried to do the same to Noah? she wondered, and shivered. She could imagine only too easily how Leo would react.
* * *
Leo made his way home, very much aware that he had upset Mia. He got Noah ready for bed then went downstairs, wondering what to do. Normally, he wouldn’t have cared two hoots. Although he was never deliberately rude, he did tend to be a little too forthright so there’d been a number of occasions when he had unwittingly hurt someone’s feelings. Normally his solution was to ignore it because in his experience folk got over it in the end. However, he couldn’t seem to take that approach with Mia. He had upset her and he regretted it. Very much.
He went into his study and picked up the phone then hesitated. Would a phone call be enough or would it be better if he spoke to her face to face? He would hate to think that she didn’t believe he was genuinely sorry, especially when it could have a detrimental impact on their future dealings. He needed Mia on his side, although he wasn’t prepared to delve too deeply into all the reasons why it was so important to him.
He phoned his housekeeper instead and asked her if she would mind sitting with Noah as he had to go out. As soon as she arrived, he left. He glanced at the dashboard clock as he started the car: half past eight. Not too late to go calling by most people’s standards so, hopefully, it wouldn’t be too late for Mia. He certainly didn’t want to upset her any more than he already had!
* * *
Mia had just made herself a cup of tea when there was a knock on the front door. Putting the cup on the table, she went to answer it, wondering who it could be. She rarely had visitors and it was too late for any salespeople to call. Opening the door, she gasped when she found Leo standing outside.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘I was going to phone but then I decided it would be better if I spoke to you face to face,’ he said quietly.
‘Really?’ Mia replied, hoping he couldn’t tell how on edge she felt. Having him turn up like this was a shock and not a ple
asant one either after what had happened earlier. She squared her shoulders, determined to stick to her decision not to allow him to ride roughshod over her. If he had come to harass her about allowing Harry to visit his home this weekend, he could think again.
‘So, what do you want? Or do I need to ask?’ Her smile was tight. ‘If you’ve come to browbeat me into agreeing to let Harry come and play with Noah then forget it, Leo. I make the decisions where Harry is concerned, not you.’
‘I know. And I’m truly sorry if you thought I was trying to force your hand.’ He grimaced, his handsome face filled with contrition. ‘I’m so used to getting my own way that it’s hard to accept that I need to consult you when it comes to Harry.’
‘Oh. I see.’ Mia was nonplussed by the apology and had no idea what to say. She bit her lip and heard him sigh.
‘I never meant to upset you, Mia. The last thing I want is you and me falling out.’
‘Me too. We’ve enough to contend with without us being at odds.’
‘Too right we do.’ His tone was wry. It matched the smile he gave her as he stepped away from the door. ‘Anyway, I won’t keep you. I just wanted to make my apologies and smooth things over.’
‘I appreciate that.’ Mia took a quick breath, wondering why she felt so loath to let him leave. She didn’t bother trying to work it out as she opened the door wider. ‘Would you like a cup of tea, seeing as you’re here? I’ve just made a pot and you’re very welcome to share it with me.’
‘Thank you. I’d like that.’ He smiled at her as he stepped into the tiny vestibule. ‘A cup of tea sounds like just the thing to seal a friendship.’
Mia smiled politely as she led the way into the living room, although she couldn’t help wondering if they would ever be friends. Necessity had brought them together rather than choice and there was no way of knowing if they would get on in the long term, just as there was no way of knowing if friendship would be enough. She bit her lip. Having Leo as her friend might be good, but having him as her lover would be even better.
‘I’ll get your tea. Milk and sugar?’
Mia forced the thought aside, terrified that he would pick up on it. She didn’t want Leo to be her lover; the idea was ridiculous. It would only complicate matters even more, especially if they fell out as lovers so often did. Imagine how difficult it would be to see and speak to Leo, to have any dealings whatsoever with him if they’d been intimately involved. No, she must forget how she’d felt in the cinema and focus on what really mattered, Harry and Noah. She may not have given birth to Noah but he was still her son and she cared about him.
‘Just milk, please.’ Leo looked around the room, smiling when he spotted a photo of Harry on the mantelpiece. He picked it up, shaking his head in amazement. ‘There’s a photo of me at about the same age and we could be two peas in a pod.’
‘Really? You must let me see it one day.’ Mia went over to the shelves in the alcove next to the chimney breast and picked up the photograph album. ‘There’s a lot more photos in here if you’d like to have a look at them.’
‘I would. Thank you.’
Leo took the album from her and she sucked in her breath when their hands touched. He took it over to the sofa and sat down, opening it at the first page. He seemed engrossed when she left the room and it was a relief. At least Leo hadn’t experienced that flash of awareness that had shot through her when their hands had touched. It would be so much harder if he had, so much more difficult to fight her feelings if she knew that he felt the same.
She took a deep breath, forcing down the rush of sensations that had filled her. They were the parents of their two beautiful boys. It was enough of a bond between them and they didn’t need anything more.
* * *
Leo inhaled sharply as Mia left the room but his heart was racing. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this way—probably never. Whatever relationships he’d had in the past, he had always been in control. Even when he had asked Amanda to marry him it had been a conscious decision, weighed up and evaluated beforehand. Love hadn’t entered into it, desire had been merely a bonus. He had enjoyed sleeping with Amanda enough to overlook her more irritating traits, although even that hadn’t lasted much beyond their honeymoon. Desire rarely did last in his experience. So why had he reacted so strongly when his and Mia’s hands had touched? Why did he want it to happen again? And, most worrying of all, why did it feel as though his brain was engaged this time and not just his body?
‘Here you are.’
Leo jumped when Mia reappeared with a cup of tea for him. He took it from her, taking care not to touch her this time. Once was enough if his current parlous state of mind was anything to go by. ‘Thanks.’
He took a sip of the hot liquid then looked for somewhere to put the cup down. Mia hurriedly moved a small table closer to him.
‘Use this.’
‘Thank you.’
He placed the cup on the table and sat back in his seat, determined to project the right image. Maybe he did feel at sixes and sevens but it would pass and he’d soon be back to his usual self. He frowned, wondering why the idea seemed less appealing than it should have done. He liked his life free of emotional ties, apart from the ties he had to Noah obviously. So why did he find himself wondering if he was missing out?
‘Harry really enjoyed the film. He talked about it all the way home.’
‘Did he? That’s good.’
Leo dredged up a smile. His life was fine and there was nothing he lacked. He had enough money to buy whatever he wanted and go wherever he chose. He enjoyed his work and wouldn’t wish to do anything else. If he needed to satisfy his more basic needs then it was easy enough to find an attractive woman to satisfy them with. He had everything he could possibly want.
Except Mia.
The blood rushed to his head so that he missed what else she said. There were reasons why he and Mia could never get involved, important reasons like the effect it could have on the boys, but it didn’t make a scrap of difference. Leo realised with a sinking heart that it was what he wanted. Badly. He, Leo Forester, erstwhile master of his own destiny, had no control whatsoever in this instance.
Mia’s voice faltered. Leo was staring at her, although she doubted if he’d heard a word she had said. She had no idea what was going through his mind but if his expression was anything to go by, it wasn’t pleasant. She cleared her throat and saw him jump. ‘Penny for them. You were miles away.’
‘Was I? Sorry.’
He turned to the next page in the album, studying a photo of Chris holding Harry on his lap. Harry had been just a few weeks old when it was taken and he was staring at the camera with that intensity that very young babies often displayed. Mia drummed up a laugh. She really didn’t want to know what Leo had been thinking. Something warned her it would be too disturbing.
‘Harry was about six weeks old when that was taken,’ she explained, clamping down on the rush of heat that scorched her veins. To imagine that Leo was experiencing the same kind of uncertainty as she was would be asking for trouble. ‘He’d just had a bath and Chris was giving him a cuddle before I put him to bed.’
‘He looks very contented.’
‘He was. He was such a good baby, ate and slept exactly like the textbooks said he should do.’ She smiled reminiscently. ‘Chris and I used to say that we’d won the jackpot when we got Harry.’
‘Noah was the exact opposite,’ Leo said wryly, and she was relieved to hear him sounding more like he normally did.
‘Was he?’ she said quickly, wanting to keep the conversation on track. It was easier when they focused on the children, less stressful.
‘Mmm. He never slept and as for feeding...! We were lucky if we could get a couple of ounces of milk down him.’
‘It must have been very difficult for your ex-wife,’ she observed
, wondering if that explained why Noah’s mother had abandoned him. A lot of women suffered from postnatal depression and it could be that Noah’s mother had been one of them.
‘Amanda had very little to do with looking after him. She hired a nanny to care for him when she left hospital,’ Leo said shortly.
‘I see,’ Mia replied, because there wasn’t much else she could say. She had loved looking after Harry and had relished every moment, but maybe she was being uncharitable. After all, she hadn’t suffered all those sleepless nights, had she?
Leo didn’t say anything else as he turned to the next photo, which happened to be one of her sitting on a rug in the garden, holding Harry. He studied it intently, rather too intently, in fact. Mia gave a nervous little laugh.
‘The bags under my eyes were the result of rushing around all over the place. Harry wasn’t responsible for them.’
‘I never noticed them.’ He looked up and his grey eyes seemed to shimmer with silver fire as they rested on her. ‘I was just thinking how happy you look, Mia. Happy and fulfilled.’
‘I was.’ Mia felt a lump come to her throat. It was silly to feel so touched by the observation but she couldn’t help it. ‘I loved being a mum and to cap it all, Chris was so well at the time too. It was one of those perfect times in your life when everything comes together.’
‘You must miss him, your husband, I mean.’
‘I do. He was so brave. It doesn’t seem fair that after everything he’d been through, he should have died like that.’
‘What happened exactly?’
‘He developed a DVT. Chris had no idea, of course. He wasn’t aware of any pain but I realised something was wrong when I saw how swollen his leg was.’ She sighed. ‘He was rushed into hospital and given drugs to dissolve the clot but part of it must have broken off. He had a massive heart attack and there was nothing anyone could do.’
The Motherhood Mix-Up Page 9