The Real Romero(42)

                ‘But that’s ridiculous.’ Who in their right mind would link the two of us together romantically? ‘I’ve been here for a couple of days. How on earth would anyone suppose that we’re somehow romantically linked?’ She tried a laugh of sorts and, as expected, he saw nothing funny in the situation. ‘Besides, I’m here recovering from a broken heart. Don’t forget I was due to be married less than a month ago...’

                ‘She’s implied to my mother that we may have known one another longer than a mere couple of days. She knows how I feel about involvement and permanence because I told her, and she knows that the last thing I would want is to find myself trapped in a situation where my mother thinks that I may have ditched my bachelor ways...’

                ‘How do you feel about involvement and permanence?’

                ‘Another time, Milly. For now, you just need to know that they don’t form part of my lifestyle choices.’

                Milly burst out laughing. ‘I just can’t picture it!’ She gasped. ‘I just can’t imagine you sneaking around my miniscule two-bed house, comforting me after my break-up. Somehow I don’t think you’re the kind of guy to go unnoticed! And then what? We planned a secret rendezvous here via snooty Sandra and her band of clones? It doesn’t add up. Any fool would be able to see through that in seconds!’ She sobered up. ‘But that was a mean trick. I guess she fell in love with you. Poor woman.’

                Lucas raised his eyebrows, momentarily disconcerted. If he hadn’t had proof positive that Milly wasn’t interested in what he brought to the table, he would have put her down as just another gold-digger with a slightly different approach. ‘I’ll cut to the chase,’ he said tightly. ‘She’s told my mother that we’re slightly more than an item. My mother is now under the impression that we’re going to be married. Isobel showed her whatever candid snapshot got taken and presented her case as the utter truth because would I have gone for someone so...different from what I usually go for if it weren’t for the fact that we were serious about one another?’

                ‘What do you usually go for?’ She mentally answered that question for herself before she had finished asking it. The guy was drop-dead gorgeous and rolling in money as an added bonus. Guys like that only went for a certain type and that type wasn’t her. ‘No, don’t answer that,’ she told him quietly. ‘I’m thinking you like lots of supermodel types, stunning arm-candy. I’ll bet your jilted Isobel was tall and skinny and looked like a model.’

                ‘She was a model.’

                ‘So she’s pulled a pretty clever trick in showing your mum a picture of dumpy little me, because why else would you be in the same room as me unless it was serious. Am I right?’

                ‘That’s more or less the size of it. She must have glossed over the holes in the story and ran amok with the rest because my mother’s fallen for whatever she’s been told hook, line and unfortunate sinker.’

                ‘Do you know what, Lucas?’ She breathed in deeply and marvelled at how complicated her life had become ever since Robbie had entered it—lying, cheating Robbie who had come along and wreaked havoc with her perfectly enjoyable, uneventful, contented life. And, not satisfied with that, fate had decided to carry on where Robbie had left off and had thrown her a blinder in the form of the man now looking at her with dark, lazy intent.

                ‘I think I need a break from the male species. In fact, I might take a permanent break from them. Anyway, I don’t know why you’ve told me all this. I’m sorry your mother now thinks that you’ve found the love of your life but you’ll just have to tell her the truth.’

                ‘There is an alternative...’ He stood and flexed his arms, stretching out from having sat in one spot for too long when he had wanted to move around, walk some of his restlessness away.