Five
Matt’s face was shuttered when he walked into the sunroom the next morning, but Lana knew she flushed. She didn’t want to think about her comment last night in his room on scratching backs, or the sound of a zipper going up or running her palms over his muscular chest, yet she couldn’t seem to help herself.
She knew he saw it, too, and something reciprocal flashed in his brown eyes before he turned to focus on Megan.
He swung his gaze back to Lana.
“What do you plan for today?” he asked, surprising her with the question.
“Just a quiet day at home with Megan.” No need to tell him she planned on working until she’d finished her commitments to Wainwright’s.
He stared for a moment. “Have a good day.”
“I will.”
He left not long after, and Lana roped in Ruth’s help this one time to keep an eye on Megan, so by mid-afternoon she was able to take the paperwork over to Mr. Wainwright.
She felt such a sense of accomplishment as she handed over the files, but that soon disappeared on the way out when one of the female staff made a smart comment about her being lucky enough to marry Matt Valente.
Lana held her head high and ignored her. She wasn’t feeling terribly lucky right now.
Far from it.
Arriving back at the house, she was disconcerted to see Matt’s car in the driveway. She’d meant to ask Ruth not to say anything about today, but had forgotten in her rush to get out of the house.
Not that it really mattered if Matt knew what she’d been doing all day. Serve him right if he got a guilt attack from it. She pulled a face. Who was she kidding? Matt Valente didn’t know the meaning of guilt.
She found him sitting on the leather sofa bouncing Megan on his lap, the pair of them laughing together. Her heart ached a little to join in the fun.
She stepped into the room. “You’re home early.”
His head turned to face her, the animation dying on his face. “I wanted to see Megan.”
She felt as though she was intruding in something special.
As she was.
“Of course,” she murmured, ready to leave them to it.
“Ruth said you’d gone to Wainwright’s.”
His words spun her back to face him. She shot him a defiant look. “Yes, I did. And I finished it all, despite your attempts to make me do otherwise.”
“So I believe.” A light of admiration entered his eyes. “Good for you.”
His reply stunned her.
Then she quickly turned away, murmuring that she’d go change. She was confused and heartened in the same instant. Just when she wanted to hate him, he did or said something to make her change her mind.
Not that the feeling lasted long, she decided after dinner when he mentioned he was going out again, sluicing any softening toward him right down the drain.
Nonetheless, the next morning she was secretly glad of his company when they stepped out on the eighth floor of the House of Valente together. She wasn’t actually nervous about it all, more uneasy. The real thief could still be here and could be watching her.
His middle-aged personal assistant greeted her warmly. “Lana, it’s so nice to have you back.”
“Thank you, Irene,” she said, feeling cheered by the reception. She’d always enjoyed working here. Until her awareness of Matt had grown out of control.
Her eyes fell on Matt’s office, and out of nowhere memories of the Christmas party came flooding back. She felt her cheeks begin to heat up, but thankfully the others didn’t appear to notice.
Irene handed Matt a pile of messages. “You’re late for your first appointment,” she scolded in motherly fashion.
“I know, Irene, but we have a child who comes first now. Everyone else can wait.” He turned to Lana, his eyes distant. “Irene will show you to your office.” He turned and walked into his office and shut the door, leaving behind an awkward moment.
Typical.
Irene smiled at Lana. “New fathers are always cranky,” she mused.
Lana forced a smile but said nothing. What could she say anyway? The press might have put a spin on their marriage being a love match, but it wouldn’t take long before word got around the office once they saw her and Matt together. Loving they were not. Hopefully everyone would think they were just being private.
“Which office has he put me in, Irene?”
“The end one.”
Lana got a sinking feeling in her stomach. “That’s a single office, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s right. I’ll show you. Then I’ll take you around to meet the staff. There are some new faces.”
Lana went with her, embarrassment and anger warring beneath the surface. Matt was certainly making sure she started off on the wrong foot with her co-workers.