The Taming of Xander Sterne(77)

                But it was the changes in his face that now caused Sam to frown; his cheeks seemed thinner even than the weekend, the last time he had called and picked Daisy up for the day, with deep grooves beside his mouth and eyes, and his mouth was a grim and uncompromising line.

                Her throat moved convulsively as she swallowed, still not completely sure he was really here or just a figment of her aching imagination. ‘Are you real?’

                He gave a rueful smile. ‘Unfortunately for you, yes, I’m very much real.’

                Sam’s frown deepened. ‘Unfortunately for me?’ She had never been so pleased to see anyone in her life before as she was Xander.

                Just to be alone in the same room with him. To be able to drink him in: how he looked, how he moved, how he smelled.

                ‘That last evening at my apartment you made it pretty clear that you had no interest in seeing me again.’

                ‘I did?’ The whole of that last day in his apartment had become something of a hazy dream to Sam the past few weeks.

                ‘You did,’ Xander confirmed grimly as he stepped away from her before thrusting his hands into his trousers pockets. ‘Are you okay, Samantha?’ He could see what Darius meant now; without Daisy as her protective shield, Samantha’s cheeks were pale and hollow, those beautiful amethyst-coloured eyes dark and haunted.

                ‘Has Howard been bothering you again?’

                ‘No, absolutely not,’ she assured him hastily. ‘I’m pretty sure we’ve all seen and heard the last of him. And Daisy loves our new apartment. She so much enjoys going to the park after school.’

                ‘I’m so glad to hear that. But I asked how you were, Samantha,’ he said gruffly.

                Her gaze now avoided meeting his. ‘I love working here at the studio with Andy, and to no longer have any money worries—’

                ‘That isn’t what I was asking, either. Sorry,’ Xander apologised as he realised he had raised his voice. ‘I didn’t mean to shout.’ He grimaced. ‘I just—I’ve missed you, Samantha.’

                ‘You have?’ she gasped softly.

                Xander nodded abruptly. ‘Very much. I— Look, will you have dinner with me this evening?’ A nerve pulsed in his jaw as he waited for her answer.

                Sam stared up at him, not altogether sure she had heard him correctly. Why would Xander invite her out to dinner with him? ‘I really am okay, Xander,’ she assured him ruefully. ‘Malcolm signed the contract, and paid the divorce settlement into my account. I’m happy working here, and nicely settled into the new apartment. Daisy is happy—’

                ‘I don’t give a—!’ Xander broke off, breathing heavily as he ran one agitated hand through the heavy thickness of his blond hair. ‘Well. Yes.’ He grimaced. ‘Of course I care about those things, Samantha. But I’m asking you out to dinner for me, not so that we talk about your new flat, or how much Daisy loves the park or how she’s doing at school.’

                She gave a puzzled shake of her head. ‘I don’t understand.’

                ‘Obviously not,’ he muttered. ‘Samantha, I’m trying to ask you out on a date, and all you keep doing is talking about everything else. Do you have any idea how frustrating that is? How irritating it is to have you keep telling me how good your life is now, when my own is completely messed up?’