„I‟ve moved out.‟

Dominic simulated astonishment. She would have a field-day if she knew that he had phoned her boss to enquire about her and sheer pride refused to allow her that option. „Moved out? Where to? No, let me guess. Back to that loser of a boyfriend of yours, I expect. Running back to what you know even if it‟s bad for your health.‟

Mattie couldn‟t help herself. „And do you think that you were good for my health, Dominic? Lying and cheating your way into my…into my bed.‟ Into my heart, she nearly said, only biting back the dangerous words at the last minute.

„Is that why we need to talk, Mattie? So that you can throw a few more accusations my way? Because if it is…‟ If it was, well, he still wanted to see her, Dominic thought with disgust.

„No.‟ Mattie spoke quickly, already regretting her outburst. There was no place for that and she didn‟t want to be distracted down that road.

She had had long enough to dwell on what he had done and yes, she was still furious with him, but under the fury was a niggling admission that he had really helped her. It was help that she would have rejected out of hand had he told her his intentions from the start.

The job suited her perfectly. It was challenging and well-paid and she enjoyed the people she worked with. She would never have landed on her feet like that without him. And like it or not, he had had a point when he had told her that had he really wanted to manipulate her, he would have dangled that particular carrot in his hand.

„So…you still haven‟t said.‟ It irked him to flog this particular horse but, dammit, he had to know.

„Haven‟t said what?‟

„Where you‟re living now, if you‟ve left the apartment.‟

„I haven‟t gone back to Frankie‟s,‟ Mattie said reluctantly. „Actually, I‟ve found somewhere near Wimbledon. It‟s small and not in the best of areas, but it does, and the rent‟s a lot cheaper than I would be paying in central London.‟

Dominic felt himself literally shudder in relief. „Where are you now?‟ he asked, prepared to be magnanimous now that that particular nightmare scenario, the one where she was back with her ex and loving every minute of it, had been dispelled.

„In that bistro two blocks away from where your office is, as a matter of fact.‟

That came as a surprise. Dominic turned away from the window and slowly drew his chair up to the desk. „You mean you went to that bistro on the off-chance that I would be able to meet you there when you called?‟

„It seemed as good a place as any.‟ Mattie glanced around. There was a fair amount of people filling it, all still in their work clothes. This wasn‟t the sort of place where people went to get drunk. They had a couple of glasses of wine, maybe, something light to eat, but no rowdiness. Just the comfortable safety of people around. „I‟ve got a table at the back. Will you be able to make it?‟

„I‟ll be there in ten minutes.‟

Oh, yes, the world suddenly seemed a glorious place, filled with light and colour and…possibilities. Dominic shrugged on his jacket and almost whistled in the elevator down to Reception. His car was in the basement, but no need to take it when the wine bar was within walking distance.

She was there. Waiting for him! True, she had sounded a little cold on the telephone, but that could have been the reception. Mobile phones distorted voices and she would have been using her mobile, the one thing she had accepted from him because he had insisted on her having it. Knowing that she was safe because of that damned underground system she refused to abandon in favour of the taxi. He could remember the way she had looked at him and grinned when he had pressed it into her hand and then, over lunch, patiently showed her how to use it.

The fact was that she had called him, wanted to see him. They would talk, not in an atmosphere of anger as they had the last time, but cautiously, taking steps to iron out the misunderstandings. And he was prepared to do anything to iron out those misunderstandings because he couldn‟t imagine life without her.

He made it to the wine bar in record time.

And there she was, as promised, sitting primly at the table at the back, wearing a dark grey dress and a black jacket. Dominic took a few pleasurable seconds just looking at her as she stared thoughtfully at the glass in front of her, tracing the circular rim with one finger.

She looked up just at that moment and their eyes met. Only for a few seconds, but he got the impression that dashing over to him and flinging her arms around him was not going to happen. Which made him walk rather more warily towards her than he felt like doing.

„That was quick.‟ Mattie gave him a tense, unrevealing smile. „I didn‟t expect you so soon.‟

„I said ten minutes.‟

„I thought you might have had to get in touch with whoever you were meeting. Cancel whatever arrangements you‟d made.‟

Still the same bland politeness that he hadn‟t wanted or, for that matter, expected. Still standing, Dominic glanced at the bar and then back to her. „I‟m going to get myself a drink.

What do you want? What are you drinking?‟

„Just mineral water, and no, I‟m fine.‟

„Food? Shall I bring a couple of menus?‟ Talking like strangers. He didn‟t want this, but he would let her take her time to get where she wanted. Which had to be them, back together, or why else would she have made contact at all? It couldn‟t have been easy.

„Sure. Why not?‟ Mattie shrugged and looked away. „Actually, you can order for me. Just some fish would be fine.‟

Which he did, returning to the table a few minutes later with his drink in one hand and more confusing thoughts than he felt he could handle.

„So, how are you?‟ he asked, still as polite as hell. He sat down opposite her, cradled his drink for a few seconds before tossing some of it down his throat.

„The job‟s still brilliant.‟ Mattie looked at her glass of water, up at him, and then back to the glass. She knew that she had to be very controlled here but it was damned difficult. Seeing him was so much worse than hearing his voice, and hearing his voice had been bad enough.

„Why did you give up the apartment?‟

„You know why.‟

„I‟m surprised you didn‟t jack the job in as well, in that case.‟

„Look, let‟s get one thing straight. Whatever your motivations were, I love what I‟m doing.‟

„So I‟m not the monster after all?‟

„I don‟t want to talk about that.‟

„Then what exactly do you want to talk about?‟ His patience was beginning to wear thin under the strained formalities.