He hated the be-my-slave-because-I’m-beautiful attitude a lot of women gave out. He’d had a gutful of it from his ex-wife, expecting him to dance attendance on her, provide her with everything her greedy little heart desired, pouting and carrying on when he had to put business first.
It would be a long time before he shackled himself to another marriage. If ever. He’d been so deceived by Serena, how the hell could a man know when a woman was pulling the wool over his eyes? Besides, freedom was good. He’d had three years of it since the parting of the ways with his self-serving ex-wife and he liked it better all the time.
Teri obviously appreciated her freedom, too. Nothing like a failed marriage to get you thinking about what you really wanted to do with your life. She was a smart businesswoman. The way she’d tapped into a highly marketable idea was truly admirable. He had a lot of respect for Teri Adams. She could stand on her own two feet and meet him on equal ground.
The cabbie turned into Jersey Road and Leo directed him to the home he’d made his own, which was nothing like the status symbol house Serena had insisted upon, undoubtedly with an eye to taking half the proceeds of its sale as her divorce price. This place was all his.
It was ten past eight when he walked into his living room and glanced around, gleaning pleasure from the familiar, comfortable layout he’d chosen for himself and feeling a deep sense of satisfaction in his independence.
The cleaner had been in, leaving everything shipshape. Didn’t need a wife for that. There was his mansize leather chair and footstool with the coffee-table handy, placed directly in front of the maxi-screen television so he could watch his favourite sports in absolute comfort. No wife to complain about how much time he spent on it instead of sharing things with her—never mind her never trying to share things with him.
This was good. All it lacked was a woman in his bed. But the price of that was too damned high. And a wife didn’t guarantee it, either. Sex was doled out at her convenience, not his, and only when he’d performed as he should in her eyes. Well, to hell with that!
Teri suited him just fine and he obviously suited her. Which reminded him to get moving. Shower, shave...full tummy, happy heart.
A very happy heart tonight!
CHAPTER FOUR
TERI checked her watch again—8:31. This waiting was dreadfully distracting, not to mention nerveracking. So Leo was a minute late, she argued fiercely to herself. He might be half an hour late. He might not come at all. He hadn’t promised anything. It was stupid to be working herself into a state with this constant clock-watching.
If Dylan had kept his mouth shut, she would have been sailing serenely through the evening, doing her job as she always did, without feeling as though she had a hive of buzzing bees inside her. In actual fact, she’d prefer it if Leo didn’t turn up. Tomorrow night or any night in the future would be soon enough to tell him she was having his child. Then there’d be no possibility of feeling anything bad about going to bed alone on her thirtieth birthday.
Teri concentrated on counting notes out of the till. Most of her clientele were working people who didn’t want to cook for themselves and they’d either been and gone home or were still eating. Nine-thirty was closing time. Which would fit nicely into giving a baby its night feed, she assured herself.
The doors whooshed open.
Teri’s head jerked up.
Leo!
He came striding through the dining room, not glancing at the buffet section where a tempting array of food was still laid out, paying no attention whatsoever to the people seated at the tables, what they were eating or doing or chatting about. The bright, red-check cotton tablecloths, the little bowls of daisies, the framed black-and-white cartoons of people feasting that she’d hung on the walls...none of them rated the slightest bit of notice.
Leo made straight for the weighing counter behind which Ten stood, exuding an energy that instantly had her heart zinging. His blue jeans and royal-blue sports shirt meant he was well and truly off work tonight and the twinkle in his blue eyes held an almost wicked glee in the freedom to do whatever he liked.
“Hi!” he said, leaning his arms on the top of the cash register and grinning at Teri, his handsome face radiating the strong power of a winning personality.
Teri tried to keep her feet on safe, sensible ground, despite her toes tingling. He had great teeth, she thought, white and straight, and somehow they combined with his eyes to deliver a charismatic impact that curled her insides and sent miniquakes down her legs. It would be good if their child inherited his teeth and eyes, Teri decided, trying valiantly to distance her mind from Leo’s physical effect on her.
“Good trip?” she asked. Her mouth had a will of its own. It was smiling back at him. Or maybe Leo mesmerised her muscles into responding to the pleasure he was pouring out.
“Achieved what I wanted,” he said with satisfaction. And he intended to do that here, too, his eyes said in no uncertain terms.
She was wearing the uniform she’d designed for the restaurant; a white T-shirt emblazoned with a red heart on which a simple white curve representing a smile had been painted, a neat little red skirt and comfortable white loafers on her feet. She could feel her breasts peaking into the soft fabric of the T-shirt and wished she had two red hearts positioned to disguise the fact.
“I can see success has put you in a good mood,” she commented, intent on holding Leo’s gaze on her face. If it drifted downwards the problem would surely worsen.
“Coming here puts me in a good mood,” he replied, making the message very personal.
Maybe not after tonight, her mind clicked in, but her body didn’t want to respond to that sobering piece of caution.
“Hey, Leo!” Dylan broke in, popping his head out of the kitchen. “I put four of the Changmai Surprise aside for you. I’ll microwave them now if you like.”
“Great!” Leo beamed at him. “And I’ll follow them up with your lamb kebabs if they’re on the menu.”
“Will do,” Dylan agreed cheerfully.
“That guy really knows what to do with food,” Leo remarked as Dylan retreated into the kitchen. “You got a prize in him, Teri.”
“Yes, I did. And every chef likes to have his creativity appreciated. It gave him a real buzz, your calling this afternoon.”
He laughed. “Pure self-interest. The thought of plane food did not appeal. Have you eaten yourself, yet?”
“Bits and pieces.” Her stomach had been too screwed up to accept much.
His eyebrows slanted in charming appeal. “Join me at my table?”
She nodded. “When I’ve finished up.”
He gave the remaining diners a quick scan. “Not too many left. Shouldn’t take long.” Another dazzling smile. “I’ve been looking forward to your company.”
“You mean I rank up there with the food?” she lightly mocked, trying to quell the maverick rush of need to know how highly she did rank in his life.
His eyes danced, inviting her to be his partner in pleasure as he replied, “I have a hunger for many things.”
“Mmmh...” she answered noncommittally.
“I’ll do my best to tease your appetite,” he promised.
And she’d probably rob him of his, Teri thought with savage irony. His black