hazy eyes, he saw a car come to a stop alongside her. A man clambered out. Emma opened her arms in welcome, her face wreathed in smiles.
Leon’s vision sharpened. John Sefton, Emma’s lawyer. He knew him well from the custody discussions they’d had over the past two years. And that was no proper greeting between a professional man and his client, he thought darkly. Too much hugging. Too much delight.
Spurred by an anger which had come from nowhere, Leon noted the stubby male fingers gravitating slowly towards Emma’s highly touchable rear and strode forwards before the roving hand reached its target.
His heart pounded like a trip hammer in his chest and he had to concentrate hard on containing the overwhelming emotions which battled for supremacy in his seething brain.
‘Well! They’re letting jailbirds into my country now!’ he drawled.
Emma gasped at the venom-laced voice, detached herself from John’s enthusiastic embrace and whirled around.
‘You!’ she said stupidly.
Leon’s cynical eyes lingered mockingly on her parted lips and she felt a flush creeping up her body as he began to investigate the rest of her with breathtaking thoroughness.
‘Yes, me. I live here,’ he observed when his tour had climbed to her cleavage. ‘What’s your excuse?’
She bristled, wanting to shout, My child, dammit! What do you think? Instead, she summoned her new and remarkable self-control, raised an eyebrow and with cool composure murmured, ‘I’ve come to arrange access.’
Custody was out of the question. John had fought for that on her behalf ever since she’d been sent to prison and he’d hit a brick wall. Access was a different matter—though she intended to remove Lexi from the island, once they had got to know one another well.
‘I was going to call you. I wanted time with Emma first,’ John said to Leon, looking flustered.
‘Oh, yes?’ Leon drawled coldly and turned to Emma. ‘I’ve got half an hour free. We’ll discuss it. Without your boyfriend.’
Emma let her mouth tighten with irritation. ‘You’ve met John several times. You’re perfectly aware that he’s my legal adviser—’
‘And hopes for more,’ Leon murmured, his gaze challenging John’s.
‘Don’t be ridiculous—’ she protested indignantly.
‘Ask him,’ drawled Leon.
‘My relationship with my client is her own business,’ John said rather pompously.
And, she felt, defensively. She looked up at him with different eyes. Could Leon be right? And then she frowned. Of course not! It would suit Leon to cause trouble between herself and John, who’d become her friend and ally.
‘John has worked long and hard on my case. He’s good and kind and worth ten of you,’ she declared loyally. ‘Without him I’d have been alone in the world.’ Her face flushed when she thought of those terrible, heart-breaking days and her voice faltered. ‘John was there for me. He stood by me and encouraged me when I was desperate. And he never gave up fighting for my early release.’
‘How dedicated. And, I trust, well-paid?’ Leon said purring.
But the look he gave her lawyer was one of pure menace and she felt John shrink back in apprehension. That bothered her. She needed her lawyer to be more than a match for Leon.
‘That’s none of your business,’ she replied. Selling her house had been a price worth paying. ‘The sun is too hot for me. Can we find some shade?’ she suggested and slipped in a crafty, ‘Or perhaps we could go to your home now?’
Leon’s dark eyes considered her for a moment. She met them boldly at first, confident of her hard-won protective shell. But slowly his eyes seemed to melt and she felt as if she was floundering in fathoms-deep water. A silky sensation seemed to be flowing up her body, softening her tense muscles and turning her brain to treacle.
The heat. It was melting her as though she were an ice cream. She licked her dry lips and lifted her hair from her damp neck.
‘I will talk to you and you alone,’ Leon said, his voice low and rolling through her unnervingly. ‘Otherwise…nothing.’
‘That’s not on, Emma!’ John began in protest.
She gave him a particularly dreamy smile, partly because of the warm liquidity of her body and partly because her friendship with John seemed to annoy Leon.
‘What does it matter? It’s what we want and I’ll come to no harm,’ she said affectionately. John didn’t look too sure. Amused, she rested her hand on his arm and fondly kissed his cheek. ‘I’ll see you later. I’ve got your number. I ought to speak to Leon if I’m to visit Lexi before…’ she gave him a conspiratorial smile ‘…before I return to England.’
‘I don’t like it. Don’t make any decisions. Don’t agree to anything. Remember his agenda,’ John advised sullenly.
‘Of course,’ she said soothingly. ‘I’ll—’
‘Can we get on?’ interrupted Leon irritably.
‘We have a man in a hurry!’ She smiled at John. ‘See you later.’
Leon pointedly opened the door of her lawyer’s car but his bad temper didn’t disturb her at all. As John drove grumpily away she reflected that this was more than they’d hoped.
Leon’s intransigence had been so deeply rooted that she’d thought he’d refuse even to see her. She and John had consequently planned on resorting to the courts for access and they had been resigned to a lengthy legal battle.
In preparation two weeks previously, John had brought in everything she’d need: extra clothes and medication, the dwindling remainder of the money from the sale of the house where she and Taki had lived—and a selection of toys and clothes for Lexi.
But now Leon was agreeing to talk to her! Unable to hide her delight, she turned starry eyes on him.
‘I’m grateful for your time, Leon.’ Longingly she added, ‘How is she?’
Hard eyes sliced into her delight, reminding her that she had a long way to go before she got what she wanted.
‘Very well.’
She hesitated, needing to know more. ‘Happy?’ she asked lightly.
‘I’m delirious, thank you,’ he mocked, looking nothing of the sort.
Emma bit back her irritation. She’d be able to judge Lexi’s state of mind soon enough. Leon might do everything in his power to restrict access, but surely no court would support him? A mother must count for something out here.
‘I wondered,’ she asked hesitantly, ‘do you have any photos?’
The need in her voice was more than obvious. Let him know how much she cared, she thought, wondering why he didn’t answer straight away. Leon ought
