There was an anxious appeal in her eyes that begged him not to interfere, not to make any claims on her. It clicked through his mind that she’d cried off going to Melbourne and now she wanted another two days without him. After four weeks of very mutual intimacy, why this? Then it hit him. Four weeks…
He heaved a relieved sigh as understanding cleared his concerns. Lucy was funny about some things…like being embarrassed about his mother knowing they were having sex together. Never mind that his mother was completely blasé about her own affairs! And she so clearly approved of Lucy as a partner for him, taking her out to lunches and showing her all her favourite shopping places in Balmain.
Good thing the chicken pox scare was over and she’d flown back to Melbourne. He preferred to have Lucy to himself. But since Lucy had been so good about his mother’s foibles, it was only fair for him to give consideration to her mother.
He dropped his briefcase and turned to draw her into a reassuring embrace. She came stiffly, confirming his conclusion that sex was out for a few days. He gave her a soothing smile.
‘It’s okay. You don’t have to be embarrassed about saying you’ve got your period. I am aware of a woman’s cycle.’
A flood of heat swept into her cheeks. She dipped her head, her long lashes veiling her eyes. Clearly she was acutely embarrassed. Did she think he would have wanted sex anyway, not respecting her feelings?
‘I’d prefer it if you’re open with me, Lucy, not hiding anything,’ he gently chided.
She bit her lips. Sensing a strong inner turmoil he didn’t understand at all, James decided to let the issue drop for the moment, not wanting her to be upset. ‘Hey…’ He tenderly tilted her chin. ‘It’s no big deal. Just having your company is great to me.’
Her lashes lifted and the anguished uncertainty that poured out at him gave James a severe jolt. She couldn’t think all he wanted her for was sex…could she? Admittedly he could barely keep his hands off her, but she’d been just as hot and hungry. Definitely mutual desire! So what was going on here? Did she only want him for sex?
Perplexed, disturbed, James retreated to familiar ground. ‘Let’s get on with work. Okay?’ He released her, picked up his briefcase and proceeded to dump it on his desk. ‘Any e-mails that need urgent answering this morning?’ he tossed at her.
‘I’ll get the print-outs,’ she answered and fled like a cat on a hot tin roof.
James sat in his chair, feeling like a pricked balloon, all his earlier good humour totally evaporated. He’d dealt successfully with people for too many years not to know something was very wrong here. Lucy’s behaviour did not add up to what he felt could be reasonably expected of their relationship.
She enjoyed his company. He knew she did. No-one could fake the instinctively positive response he saw in her eyes, the easy rapport in their conversations, the body language that openly expressed pleasure in being with him. There had to be some other factor at play here, something more than being funny about her period.
Her mother?
Was Lucy holding some secret she didn’t want to reveal about her mother?
Further thought reminded him of Lucy’s discomfort when his own mother had started boring in about family background. Of course, no-one liked being so obviously cross-examined. All the same, Lucy had never brought up the subject of her mother herself—no reference at all to her life in Gosford—until now. And that was an unusual omission, given that most women did mention family, if only in passing.
His mind was revolving around this intriguing little mystery when Lucy re-entered his office, carrying the e-mail print-outs. He hadn’t even opened his briefcase, but getting to work was not his priority here. Seeing that Lucy still looked tense, he leaned back in his chair, promoting a relaxed mood, and offered a friendly smile.
‘I was just thinking…I don’t even know your mother’s name. I presume it’s something Worthington,’ he prompted.
‘Ruth. It’s Ruth Worthington,’ she replied stiffly.
‘And where in Gosford does she live?’
Lucy frowned, not welcoming this line of questioning. ‘Green Point,’ she bit out.
Not giving an actual address, James noted. ‘Well, I wondered—’ he pressed on ‘—would Ruth mind having me as a guest this weekend? I mean…does she disapprove of our relationship?’
Her feet instantly faltered. Her cheeks bloomed with hot colour again. ‘It’s a small house. It doesn’t have a guest room.’
And there’d be no sleeping with her under her mother’s roof, James instantly deduced.
‘Besides,’ she went on with a telling grimace, ‘I haven’t even told her I won the car yet. And I haven’t told her about—’ she took a deep breath ‘—about us.’
James had the strong impression that ‘us’ was a huge hurdle to be negotiated, and why anyone would hold back the news of winning such a car was a puzzle in itself. The mystery deepened.
‘Might be easier just to present her with the lot in one shot,’ he suggested, undeterred by the image of a dragon lady.
‘No…’ She shook her head, dropping her gaze from his, nervously fingering the pages in her hands. ‘That wouldn’t work at all well. Believe me—’ another deep breath and her gaze lifted reluctantly, appealing for his forebearance ‘—I have to go and it’s best I go alone. I’m sorry to…to disappoint you, but that’s how it is.’
‘Okay. It was just a thought,’ he said dismissively, irony tilting his smile. ‘I didn’t know I was a deep, dark secret.’
Her chin lifted. ‘You won’t be after this weekend,’ she promised with an odd intonation—like a mixture of pride and pain.
Was there some old private conflict with her mother she didn’t want to share?
‘Good!’ he said, approving her decision to be open with her mother, if not with him. Though he didn’t intend for that situation to continue much longer, either. ‘Then I’ll look forward to meeting your mother another time.’
‘I hope so,’ she muttered, resuming her walk to his desk, holding out the e-mails for his attention. ‘These came in.’
Still he sensed turmoil in her mind. He thought about pursuing the subject, but decided it would not win him anything. Lucy’s mind was made up and he sensed there’d be no changing it. But she wasn’t happy about this trip back to the maternal home. She was expecting conflict.