Only a few months before, and the thought of being close to a member of the Fane family would have been unthinkable for him, but Lizzie Fane was the only woman he wanted in his bed.
When the music stopped, he was irritated to see Lizzie’s friend Danny waving imperatively to Lizzie from the edge of the dance floor. ‘What does she want?’
‘You’ll have to excuse me—’
‘I will?’
They glared at each other for a moment and then he stood back.
‘I’ll watch out for wolves,’ she said, flashing him one last challenging glance.
If she didn’t, he would.
* * *
Denied Chico’s heat, the enclosing warmth of his arms, and the sheer challenge he presented every time they were together, she felt his loss immediately, but the presentiment of trouble ahead worried her more as she hurried across to join Danny. She had to shake this feeling off. She was in danger of looking for trouble everywhere. She was in the middle of a party, for goodness’ sake. What could possibly go wrong?
It didn’t matter where she was, Lizzie realised as she made her way out of the crush to where Danny was standing. She felt like that fifteen-year-old girl again, sitting on the stairs listening to her parents fight, and Chico had triggered this uncertainty by reminding her of the past. She still wasn’t sure exactly what part he’d played in the drama, and sometimes she wondered if she would ever find out. She passed Tiago, who was leaning back against the bar and raising his glass to her, and ignored him as she walked on towards Danny. By the look on Danny’s face, something was seriously wrong.
‘What is it? What’s happened?’ she pressed urgently.
‘I got a call from Scotland, because you were, um, otherwise engaged.’
‘And?’ The expression in Danny’s eyes was alarming her now.
‘It was Annie calling me—she needed to speak to you, but your phone was off.’