she’d had any self-respect, she would have. Luke knew from his own unhappy experience, divorces were not that hard to come by.
He wondered when she had got a divorce, and whether she’d been the one to initiate it. Recalling how she’d deceived her husband, Luke thought it was reasonable to assume he’d been the one who had finally wanted out.
Even so, he hadn’t forgotten a moment of their time together. He could still taste her sweetness on his tongue. An affair that had never become an affair, he reminded himself bitterly. She’d left the wine bar with her husband, and, until today, he’d never seen her again.
It didn’t please him that she was even more attractive now than she’d been five years ago. And oh, yes, he knew exactly how long it was since that scene at the Parker House.
His presumed stumble over the years had been a deliberate attempt to disconcert her. Unfortunately, it had had the opposite effect.
Had she gained a little weight? If so, it suited her. And her hair wasn’t as ghostly pale as it had been before. It was still thick, and a rich honey blonde, with silver highlights. But she’d drawn it back into a ponytail, exposing the delicate bones of her face.
So why was he noticing these things? Did he want to risk her making a fool of him again? He still wanted to have sex with her. That much was unfortunately true. But it was just a physical thing and he had no intention of acting on it.
She seemed to hesitate, and then said, ‘You left without your coffee this morning.’ A faint smile touched her lips. ‘Were you afraid I might poison it?’
Luke’s lips tightened. ‘No, I can honestly say, that didn’t occur to me.’ Probably because he considered she was too clever to make a mistake like that, however much she might resent him.
‘Good.’ She caught her lower lip between her teeth. ‘I shouldn’t like there to be any animosity between us.’
‘Us?’ Luke scowled. ‘There is no “us”.’
Faint colour touched her cheeks. ‘Not now. I know that.’
‘Not ever,’ he interrupted her harshly.
‘Okay.’ She paused, and then said hurriedly, ‘I hope you don’t think I’m trying to use our past—association—to influence you in your decision about—about the development.’
‘Oh, please.’ He held up a hand. ‘You couldn’t.’ He paused. ‘And I’d rather not be reminded that I was almost responsible for you cheating on your husband. Or maybe that wasn’t the first time.’
Abby was furious. ‘If you remember, it wasn’t me who started it. You were on the lookout for a casual hook-up and I was there.’
‘That’s not true!’
‘Isn’t it?’ Her lips twisted. ‘I bet you thought you were onto a good thing.’
‘Well, I got that wrong, didn’t I?’ he snarled, and she shook her head disbelievingly.
‘I can’t believe you said that,’ she exclaimed. ‘How could I ever have been attracted to you?’
‘Abby...’
To his frustration, the retriever chose that moment to wind itself about his legs, throwing him off balance. Without thinking, he tried to save himself by clutching her shoulder, and Abby’s arm curled automatically about his waist.
The atmosphere was suddenly charged with tension. Luke was overwhelmingly conscious of Abby’s warm body close against his own. It was not a situation he’d engineered, but now that it had happened, he was unwillingly—and undeniably—aroused.
Stifling a groan of anguish, he grabbed the leash and set himself free. ‘I think I should go.’
‘Yes, I think you should,’ she said tightly. ‘But don’t leave on my account. I’m going back to Harley’s myself.’
For a moment, his mind was too caught up with other things. Primarily what he’d like to do to her body. Then he realised what she’d meant. ‘Oh, the café?’ he said flatly, and she nodded.
Then, almost against her better judgement, she said, ‘Please don’t penalise any of the other tenants because of me.’
‘I don’t see how I could do that.’
‘Oh, don’t underestimate yourself, Luke.’ Abby spoke bitterly. ‘This isn’t an easy situation for any of us.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Are you?’ She didn’t sound as if she believed him. ‘Well, if you’ll excuse me...’
Luke groaned. ‘What do you expect from me, Abby? Absolution?’
‘You’re joking!’ She held up her head. ‘I expect nothing from you, Luke. I never did.’
Luke’s jaw hardened. ‘That wasn’t my impression. But, perhaps, I was wrong. I was wrong about so much else about you, wasn’t I?’
‘You arrogant bastard!’
Abby grasped Harley’s leash in both hands and backed away from him. Her features were pale now and taut with outrage, and Luke knew a feeling of grim frustration. He hadn’t intended to hurt her, but he evidently had, and, unable to do anything else, he went after her.
‘Abby...’
‘Stay away from me!’
‘I don’t want to fight with you.’ He sounded as if he regretted what he’d said, and he didn’t like it.
‘Don’t you?’ he thought she muttered as she turned away from him and started back towards the road. ‘Well, don’t worry,’ she called back over her shoulder. ‘I’ll pretend this conversation never happened. Just get your solicitor to let me know when you want the café vacating, and I’ll be out of there.’
With a feeling of defeat, Luke strode after her, grasping her arm and swinging her round to face him. There were tears staining her cheeks, he saw at once, and, unable to prevent himself, he lifted a hand and used his thumb to brush them away.
‘Don’t,’ she whispered, but he wasn’t listening to her. His mind was filled with images of the hot, steamy sex they might have shared if things had been different, and it was difficult to remember exactly why he shouldn’t be touching her.
Her cheek was so soft beneath his fingers, and he allowed his hand to move lower until his thumb was stroking the parted contours of her mouth.
She didn’t try to stop him. She was still gripping the retriever’s leash like a lifeline, but Luke was intoxicated by her scent. Unable to prevent himself, he bent towards her and covered her lips with his.
Her mouth was hot and unexpectedly vulnerable, and all the emotions she’d aroused in him five years ago came flooding back.
He knew instantly why he hadn’t forgotten her, why he could remember so well her taste and her smell. And the sensual pressure of her hips against his erection made sanity desert him.
