as he brushed his lips on her forehead.
Feeling his fear penetrate through her, she said, ‘I can come with you. I’d like to help.’
After a pause, he kissed her forehead once more. ‘I’d love you to, but I think I need some one-to-one time with Jack. Maybe, if and when I get to the bottom of it, you can join us. It wouldn’t be fair on you or Thierry if I’m not around.’
Lizzie’s face dropped as a wave of gloom swept through her. She couldn’t bear the thought of being separated from Cal. Since he’d moved into her apartment after their trip to the States, they hadn’t been apart. It had been nearly two months of utter bliss but she suspected she would react exactly the same if it were Thierry.
Cal scrolled down the screen at his travel options. ‘Jee-sus. OK. I’ll drive to Lyon.’
‘What?’ Lizzie stepped back.’
‘Oh, times, prices, options. Right. I’ve got this one at seven, so I think it best if I get packing now and be on my way,’ Cal said, confirming his booking.
‘Now! Right, well…do you want me to drive you?’
‘Pretty lady, you go back to bed. Give those beautiful green eyes some rest. I’ll have time to park, collect my ticket and, yeah, all good thank you.’ He got to his feet, easing her up beside him. ‘Actually, I’d love a coffee if you don’t mind while I make a start packing. And, the biggest goodbye kiss you can muster,’ he said taking her arm and drawing her into his torso. He slid his fingers through her long chestnut hair as Lizzie allowed his lusty scent to linger in her. ‘I need to go to him. I’ll be back as soon as I can.
‘Yes, oh I understand. Oh, the house. Annatia and Jean-Luc. You’ve booked them in for Friday. It’s only some renovation ideas. Shall I hold them off until you get back?’ Lizzie asked, knowing how excited he was to have now finally got the keys and how much he was looking forward to visiting his very own Provençal house and vineyard. His life-long dream.
‘Well, why don’t you go along and show them around? The keys are still in the envelope, I’ll put them on the hook.’
‘I don’t know the first thing about what your plans are. I’d rather we go together. We’ll postpone it. I’m sure they won’t mind.’ Lizzie kissed him lightly on the lips feeling disappointment hiding behind them.
‘Our plans. Don’t you forget that! Besides, I barely looked at the house. It looked about the right size, but I was focusing on the vineyards.’ As he held her, his seductive eyes bored hungrily into her before his lips pressed harder onto hers, his arms wrapping tightly around her sending whirls of lust through her. Before she knew it, he’d lifted her and placed her on the bed, firmly closing the door behind him.
‘Just remember I love you,’ he told her stroking her now loosened hair.
‘I love you too,’ she told him, finding his lips and savouring every second she could as they made love. She would miss him dreadfully. As Cal pulled away, she held onto a lock of hair. She sighed. ‘You stay safe. I couldn’t bear anything happening to you. I just hope everything goes well with Jack.’
‘I’m sure it will be fine. God, I hope it will. Just for once, I feel he really needs me,’ Cal said jumping up from the bed and sliding into the shower room. ‘I can’t let him down.’
Lizzie nodded. ‘You won’t.’ She padded out to the kitchen and pressed the button on the kettle and shot back for her slippers.
‘So,’ Cal added switching on the shower, ‘why don’t you meet Annatia and Jean-Luc anyway so that they can work on some ideas whilst I’m away? At least you can get the ball rolling.’
‘I just don’t like to feel I’m interfering in your project. And you have only just got the keys. It can wait.’
‘Lizzie, it’s not mine it’s ours,’ Cal shouted from the shower. ‘It will be our home.’
A shard of warmth shot to her heart. Our home, he’d said. Not only was Cal the most amazing man she’d ever met, but he just happened to have bought a sizeable vineyard with a house; a home which could potentially be for their future family. What more could a girl want, she asked herself. To love, be loved and to share, to belong. She could only pray Jack was OK then Cal would be happy and return soon.
‘I can wait,’ she repeated as he appeared wrapping a towel around his naked body. Criminal! ‘Heesh,’ her breath escaped trying to resist. ‘I’d rather we share the occasion.’
‘I’ll leave it up to you,’ he said softly, his eyes beckoning her.
‘Coffee.’ She turned before she stalled him further.
Once Cal was packed, and after a long lingering kiss, Lizzie waved him goodbye from her apartment terrace wiping a stray tear from her cheek. There was no way she could go back to bed right now. Her own heart was still thumping with fear. Whether it was fear for Jack and his crisis, for Cal, having to rush to Nantucket, or fear for herself now alone, she couldn’t be sure. Quite possibly it was all three. Stupid, she told herself. You’ve got Thierry here safely tucked up in bed, a child you’ve had from birth. Cal will probably be a few days at the most and he only sees Jack twice a year.
Stepping back into the living room, she pushed the solid-glass terrace door to. She began to imagine what was going on in Cal’s mind. He’d never had much say in his son’s life and he had to trust that Kelly and her husband Reuben made the right decisions on a daily basis. She couldn’t imagine how Cal must have felt discovering his pregnant girlfriend was marrying someone else. And to think Kelly was trying to pretend it was Reuben’s child. That was just such an evil thing to do. Ironic really, she had always imagined herself cruel for failing to reveal her pregnancy to Thierry’s father about their son, but at least she had good reason. Cal was not a fucked-up druggy like Anton. Hmm, huge difference, she consoled herself.
Having fallen asleep on the sofa, it was Thierry who woke her. First she’d felt the tiny fingers tickling her neck then, as he wasn’t getting the response he expected, he climbed up and jumped onto her torso beginning to bounce. His nanny, Marie-Claire was close behind.
‘Thierry, no.’ Marie-Claire cussed him in her stern French accent and reached out to him.
Lizzie forced her eyes open and swung her body round. ‘It’s OK, Marie-Claire, I’m sure it must be time to get up. Hello, my darling,’ she said hugging Thierry to her chest and then tickling him back. He chuckled, displaying shiny milk teeth.
‘It’s seven-fifteen. I’ll make coffee,’ Marie-Claire said, turning towards the kitchen.
‘Oh lovely, thank you, and, just one. Cal had to catch a flight this morning.’
Thierry’s laughing eyes suddenly frowned. ‘Where’s Cal gone?’
‘He has gone on an aeroplane to see Jack. Do you remember Jack?’
Thierry’s eyes opened wide. ‘Jack, my friend Jack. Can we go and see Jack? And Harry and Bea?’
‘Yes, maybe. His daddy has some important work to do and then he’ll let us know. What do you think would make Jack smile? Would you like to draw Jack a picture to take with us?’
Thierry jumped up with a new burst of energy and waited as Lizzie
