THE next few weeks were a magical time for Aimi, who didn’t allow herself to question what she was doing but simply lived for the moment. Whenever her conscience attempted to raise its head above the parapet, she forced it back down again, not wanting to listen. Yet, even whilst she enjoyed the blossoming relationship, she couldn’t throw off a feeling that she was living in a house of cards that would soon come crashing down around her.
She had imagined Jonas would want to dine out every night, and be seen in all the smart places, but discovered the opposite was actually true. Sometimes they did dine out but, more often than not, they would eat at her apartment or his house, simply enjoying each other’s company. At weekends he drove them out into the country, finding lovely little hotels to stay in, from where they could take long, leisurely walks.
At times Aimi felt as if she must be dreaming, for she was having much too much fun. Yet how could she help it, when Jonas was such fun to be with? She found that with him she could relax. It was a monumental relief to just be herself, and she would always be grateful to Jonas for giving her that.
Sometimes, though, she would catch sight of herself in the mirror when she was getting ready to go out, and be unable to look herself in the eye. Those nights her dreams would be troubled, and she would wake in the morning and know from her heavy eyes that the nightmares had visited her. It would take a concerted effort to act as if nothing had happened. Jonas never asked, but she knew he knew. He was waiting for her to make the first move, but she never would. Eventually the mood would pass, and she would be all right until the next time. What troubled her was that the next time was always sooner than the last.
She wasn’t thinking about that now, as she lay with her head cradled on Jonas’s shoulder, listening to him breathe as she waited for him to wake up. It was hot already, but the heatwave that had almost melted the country just weeks ago had broken eventually, to the tune of spectacular thunderstorms, returning them to a more normal heat of summer. They were in Jonas’s bed, and through the open window she could see birds flying in and out of the trees.
Her pillow took a deep breath and she glanced round and up, her green eyes meeting sleepy blue ones. ‘Good morning,’ she greeted softly, liking his dishevelled look.
Jonas combed a hand through his hair and sighed. ‘What time is it?’
‘A little after half past nine,’ she told him, taking a quick look at the clock on the bedside table.
‘That late? You should have woken me,’ he chided, but Aimi shook her head.
‘I enjoy watching you sleep,’ she confessed, and one eyebrow quirked as his lips twitched.
‘Do you now? And how often does this happen?’ he asked, shifting slightly so that he could run his hand caressingly over the lissome curve of her back and hip.
Her body stirred at his touch and she made a tiny purring sound in her throat. ‘Only now and again.’
‘Well, next time it happens, wake me. That way we can both enjoy the moment,’ he suggested, lowering his lips to hers and taking them in a long, slow, deeply erotic kiss.
One thing led to another and it was quite some time before they were both capable of rational thought again. Later they shared the bathroom, Aimi showering whilst Jonas shaved. She was humming to herself, rinsing off the soap, when she thought she heard him speak. Turning off the tap, she opened the door a crack.
‘Did you say something?’
Jonas looked at her in the shaving mirror. ‘Uh-huh. Paula rang me yesterday to invite us out to dinner. I meant to tell you last night, but we got a little distracted,’ he added with a wicked grin.
For once the look didn’t register with Aimi; she was concentrating on what he had said. ‘Did you say “us”?’ she queried, reaching out for the fluffy bath sheet and quickly wrapping it around herself.
His eyebrows rose at her tone. ‘What’s wrong? Apparently she tried to contact you at home and, when she couldn’t, rang Nick. He told her to talk to me.’
Aimi’s heart sank and she stepped out of the shower. ‘Oh, no,’ she exclaimed in dismay. ‘Why did he have to say that?’
Jonas went still, the hand holding the razor dropping as he slowly turned to face her. ‘Why shouldn’t he?’
‘Because Paula isn’t a fool. She’ll realise that you and I are seeing each other!’ Aimi explained in frustration, failing to see the odd look that flickered in his eyes for a moment. She had wanted to keep their affair from the other members of his family. Once it was public, it became real, and she could no longer ignore that reality.
‘Are you ashamed to be connected with me, Aimi?’ he asked her in a strangely level tone, and she belatedly realised how her remark must sound to him.
‘No, no! That wasn’t it at all!’ she insisted, crossing to his side and touching his arm. How could she explain that their relationship was something she had entered into at great personal cost? She had broken faith with Lori to have this, and she knew it was that which troubled her sleep. She was being torn, and going public would not make things easier. ‘I just wanted to keep it our secret.’
He shot her a dubious look. ‘Well, Nick knows, and that didn’t surprise you, so I assume you must have told him,’ he pointed out reasonably, and she sighed.
‘I didn’t tell him; he guessed. He warned me against getting involved with you right from the beginning, and I made a mess of trying to pretend it wasn’t you who sent me the rose,’ Aimi explained quickly.
Jonas dropped his razor into the water and drew her into his arms. ‘Well, you’re right about Paula; she will have made the connection, which means the cat is very much out of the bag. So you’re left with two options. Either you sit at home squirming, or you face her head on. What’s it to be?’
Aimi might not have wanted to make their affair public knowledge, but if Paula knew the truth there was no point in hiding it. The damage was already done. ‘What time do we have to be there, and should I wear a posh frock?’ she asked by way of an answer, and Jonas’s rakish grin reappeared like magic.
‘Saturday, eight-thirty. I’ve not been to the place but, knowing Paula, it’s bound to be expensive, where they do dinner and dancing. A posh frock is definitely required.’
Aimi smiled up at him, then, going on tiptoe, dropped a kiss on his nose. ‘I’ll go shopping for one during my lunch hour,’ she promised and wriggled out of his hold before he could stop her. Laughing, she hurried into the bedroom, hearing him chuckling behind her.
Her smile faded, though, as she sat on the bed to dry off her hair. Suddenly she felt as if a shadow had fallen on the happy cocoon she had been living in, and she shivered as if a chill had passed over her. Immediately she told herself not to be so fanciful. Though she would much rather Jonas’s family didn’t know about them, there was nothing she could do about it now. There might be a few moments of embarrassment, but that would pass. Really, thinking about it, she was amazed that they had been able to keep the secret this long.
Yet, in the deep recesses of her mind, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that something bad was going to happen.
When Saturday finally came around, Aimi paid a great deal of attention to dressing herself in the new dress she had bought for the occasion. She had treated herself to a pair of strappy sandals and matching evening purse, too. The deep blue of the dress complemented the soft blonde of her hair. After much thought she had decided to leave her hair down tonight, too.
Examining her reflection in the wardrobe mirror, she was almost amazed by what she saw. The woman who looked back was a stranger. An alluring, attractive stranger who didn’t remind her of herself at all. Aimi was more used to seeing the cool, controlled person she had been these last nine years. This woman looked so much different from the young woman she had been before that. Of course she was older, but it was more to do with the way she held herself, with the confidence that only came with maturity.
Aimi couldn’t help smiling a little, for she realised that she had been so busy she had failed to see she had grown up. More than that, she looked how she felt—happy—and that was all down to Jonas. At least, she was happy most of the time. She always felt that way when she was with him, but the bad dreams were getting her down, weighing on her mind when he was not there to distract her.
A glance at her watch told her that he would be here any minute. Even as she was thinking it, the doorbell rang and she smoothed her palms nervously over her thighs before going to open the door. However, any nervousness she was feeling vanished the instant she saw Jonas in his dinner suit. He was … breathtakingly handsome in the silk suit and all at once her heart was bombarded with all sorts of emotions, none of which allowed her to utter a word.
Jonas, on the other hand, had no such trouble.
‘Stunning!’ he declared when he saw her. ‘I’ll be the envy of every man in the room.’
‘And I’ll be the envy of every woman,’ Aimi responded, finally managing to get her voice to work.
‘I’m glad you left your hair down,’ Jonas observed as he stepped inside. Carefully taking her into his arms, he kissed her and, like magic, Aimi forgot about her fears. When he drew back, he smiled gently. ‘Nervous?’
‘A little.’ Whilst Aimi got on well with Paula and Nick, she couldn’t help feeling neither would be happy that she was involved with their brother.
‘Well, don’t be; you’re with me, so you can relax and enjoy yourself.’
Aimi stared up at him solemnly, then nodded. ‘I’ll do my best. You must think I’m ridiculous, worrying about what they will think,’ she added with a wry laugh.
‘Not at all. I’ve had my own worries,’ he confessed, and she looked sceptical.
‘You?’
Jonas shrugged. ‘It’s not easy to think seriously about a woman when you know that most of those who go out with you do so only because you’re rich. After a while you start to wonder if they see you or your wallet.’
‘I never thought of that. It must be unpleasant,’ she responded sympathetically.
‘It was, until you came along, and I realised here was a woman who saw my wealth as a turn-off. Naturally, I was intrigued,’ he told her, eyes full of gentle humour.
‘I’ve met a lot of rich men, and it didn’t take me long to realise it’s no measure of decency,’ Aimi confirmed, thinking back to the world of the rich and famous she had once inhabited.
‘And just where did you meet this horde of rich men?’ he asked her teasingly.
Aimi dropped her gaze and moved away from him, ostensibly to collect her evening purse which lay on the coffee table. ‘In another life,’ she responded uncomfortably, not wanting to go there. Finally she turned back to Jonas and smiled. ‘Shall we go? We don’t want to be late.’
Jonas remained where he was, studying her broodingly. ‘You’ll tell me one day,’ he said gently and her heart leapt, for it had been a while since he had mentioned her demons.
‘There’s nothing to tell and, even if there was, it’s none of your business,’ she told him firmly, which only made him smile grimly.
‘I’m hoping that one day you’ll trust me enough to make it my business,’ he responded, stepping away from the door so that she could precede him out of it.
‘Why would I do that?’ she asked with a frown, watching him pull the door closed, then take her arm.
‘Darling, the answer to that will be obvious when the time is right,’ he told her lightly, hardly making things clearer so far as Aimi was concerned.
Aimi was puzzling over that very odd remark when they walked out of her building and she discovered Jonas had a taxi waiting for them.
Immediately Aimi started thinking ahead to the moment they entered the nightclub. She realised she was going to be making quite an entrance, and that set the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. All eyes would be upon her, because she was with Jonas, and being the centre of attention was something she had become unused to. After all this time, she wasn’t looking forward to it.
Strangely enough, though, when she did walk into the nightclub on Jonas’s arm, she felt quite amazingly calm. Yes, people looked at them, some even seemed to recognise Jonas, but after that the attention faded away, leaving Aimi feeling a little bemused.
As if he felt something of what she was experiencing, Jonas glanced round, placing his free hand over hers. ‘OK?’ he asked, and her smile blossomed naturally.
‘Yes … yes, I am!’ she responded, and he grinned back at her before giving his attention to the waiter who was leading them through the crowded tables.
Paula was already smiling when Aimi and Jonas reached the table, and it was so warm and welcoming that Aimi forgot to be embarrassed.
‘My goodness, Aimi, how lovely you look!’ Paula exclaimed, rising and rounding the table to give her a friendly kiss on the cheek. ‘Oh, dear, that didn’t come out right, but you know what I mean!’
Aimi laughed. ‘I do, and thank you, Paula. I love your dress.’
There followed a swift round of greetings and, in the midst of it, nobody but Aimi appeared to notice that Nick’s response to Jonas was brusque at best. She had thought Nick was coming to terms with their relationship, but she could see that he was still angry with his brother, and that saddened her.
When they were all seated again, Paula leaned forward, her expression even more animated than usual. ‘Isn’t this a marvellous place? We’ve been sitting here name-spotting, and it’s enough to make your head spin! Who have we seen? Let me see.’ She began to relate a list, ticking them off on her fingers as she went.
‘Did you get any autographs?’ Jonas teased her, and she pulled a face.
‘No. I was thinking about it, but James wouldn’t let me,’ she responded, shooting her husband a mock glare, then something caught her eye and she sat up straighter. ‘Oh, my goodness, you’ll never guess who just walked in!’
‘Don’t tell me, it’s the Pope,’ James quipped indulgently and received a kick for his pains.
‘Don’t be silly, he’s in Rome. No, it’s that fantastic actress. Ooh, you know!’
‘I haven’t the foggiest idea,’ James told her, and Paula tutted.
‘It’s on the tip of my tongue. She gets all those fabulous meaty roles that make me weep buckets! I’ve got it. Marsha. Marsha Delmont!’ Delighted at having made the connection, she beamed at everyone around the table.
Aimi looked round quickly, attempting to spot her mother, but the room was buzzing with people, making it difficult to see. ‘Where?’
‘She’s gone,’ Paula answered disappointedly. ‘No, there she is, over the other side of the room.’
They all turned to look, and this time Aimi caught sight of the familiar figure of her mother. She smiled as a wave of pleasure swept over her. Her mother had been filming in New Zealand for the past three months, and she had missed her. She could see other heads turning, for Marsha Delmont was something of a national treasure. It was always the same wherever she went, and her mother responded with a small, friendly wave before she sat down.
It was then that Jonas, who had been looking across the room, turned to study Aimi intently. Almost at once she saw a look of comprehension enter those fascinating blue eyes and knew that he had discovered the answer to the mystery of who she reminded him of. Before he could say anything, though, the waiter, who had been hovering to one side, took their order for drinks and departed.
Opening her menu, Aimi knew it was only a matter of time before Jonas brought up the subject of her mother. She knew she should have told him, but she hadn’t wanted him to make the connection, because then he could have remembered how her mother had rushed to be with her after the tragedy. She knew now that she didn’t want him to think badly of her, although she knew he must. Who could think anything else?
The words of the menu blurred before her eyes as a profound question occurred to her in that moment. Why should she worry so very much about what he thought? The answer came shockingly loud and clear. Because a woman wanted the man she had fallen in love with to think only the best of her.
Aimi’s lips parted on a tiny gasp as her true feelings were emblazoned in her heart and mind. She was in love with him. How could she not have known it before now? Because she hadn’t been expecting to feel anything like this. Her affair with Jonas was just supposed to be a light thing, nothing so deep and momentous as falling in love. And yet she might have guessed it, because nothing about her relationship with him had been ordinary.
At that moment she suddenly became aware that Paula was laughing and looked up to find everyone at the table was looking at her. Having been miles away, she had totally lost the plot.
‘What is it?’ she asked and, across the table, Paula grinned.
‘The waiter wants to know what you would like to eat,’ she prompted and colour stormed into Aimi’s cheeks.
‘Oh, sorry,’ she apologised and looked back at the menu, choosing the first thing her eye lit upon. The waiter made a note, smiled in a friendly fashion, then departed with the menus. Wondering what to say, she discovered she didn’t have to when Jonas took her hand.
‘Dance with me,’ he urged her and, taking her agreement for granted, he stood up. She went with him for the simple reason that, if he was going to say anything, she didn’t want everyone else to hear.
The dance floor was already crowded with couples and there was no chance of Aimi keeping some sort of distance from Jonas, even had she been inclined to, which, having discovered her feelings for him, she wasn’t. He turned her into his arms, one hand settling in the small of her back, the other holding her hand close to his chest. Aimi placed her free hand on his shoulder, which brought her head close to his. Slowly, they began to move.
They had never danced together before tonight, and it was, quite simply, the most sensual dance she had ever experienced with a man. Their bodies touched from shoulder to thigh, and every gliding step she took brought with it the tantalising brush of his toned, muscular body. She was in love with this man was the thought going through her head, and consequently she made no attempt to stop her senses coming alive, registering every subtle nuance and sensation. Her body seemed to turn molten, softening, moulding itself to his in a way that stole her breath and started an ache way down deep inside her.
‘It’s crazy, isn’t it?’ Jonas murmured in a low voice next to her ear. ‘That two supposedly intelligent people can’t control the attraction they feel for the other, even in the middle of a dance floor.’
The provocative statement caused her to smile faintly and tip her head up so she could see him. ‘You must be speaking for yourself. I have no trouble with my self-control!’ she claimed flirtatiously.
Blue eyes danced. ‘Liar,’ came back his answer on a sighing breath.
Aimi stifled a moan as she felt the heat of his hand branding the small of her back. Dancing with him like this, knowing how she felt about him, was the most agonisingly sweet torture.
‘You might not know me as well as you think you do!’ she teased breathlessly, letting her fingers explore his neck and shoulders.
Jonas moved his head so that his cheek touched hers. ‘I know you lied about not knowing who it was you look like,’ he murmured for her ears only, and Aimi caught her breath, tensing a little. ‘Why didn’t you want me to know your mother is Marsha Delmont?’
Aimi closed her eyes momentarily, then bit the bullet. ‘It isn’t a connection I brag about, simply because my mother always wanted me to live out of the goldfish bowl she has to live in.’ Although that hadn’t worked, because Aimi had simply created her own notoriety. She crossed her fingers, hoping he knew nothing about her past.
To her relief, Jonas merely nodded. ‘I can appreciate that. Now that I know, I realise where you get your acting ability from,’ he declared, and Aimi laughed.
‘I can’t act my way out of a paper bag. It’s my father I take after. He was an academic. I get my love of history from him.’
‘Beauty and brains. An irresistible combination,’ he said with his devilish charm, and neatly turned her out of the way of a collision. ‘Are you going to go and say hello?’
‘A little later,’ she confirmed, preferring to do it with a bit more privacy.
‘Good, I’m looking forward to meeting her. There are some things I want to ask her about you,’ he added, and her heart lurched anxiously.
‘What sort of things?’ she asked, her voice sounding unnaturally sharp, and felt the laughter in him.
‘Don’t worry; I only want to ask how she managed to produce such a beautiful, talented daughter,’ he told her and, raising their joined hands to his lips, he pressed a kiss to her fingers.
Even so gentle a touch played havoc with her senses and brought a catch to her breath. ‘Stop that!’ she ordered huskily, though her attempt to pull her hand away was half-hearted at best.
‘I can’t help myself,’ he admitted huskily, steering them over to the far side of the room. ‘Whenever I’m with you, I have this urge to touch you. You haunt me, Aimi. My every waking moment is filled with thoughts of you, and my dreams …’ He let the declaration tail off, knowing she would understand.
Aimi bit her lip hard, stifling a groan. ‘Devil!’ she berated him, but her eyes when she looked up at him were smoky with hidden passion.
‘I’ve warned you about looking at me like that,’ Jonas growled, and she smiled seductively.
‘What are you going to do about it?’ Aimi challenged, and he immediately stopped dancing.
‘Nothing in front of all these people.’ Casting a hasty look around, he found what he was searching for. ‘Come with me,’ he commanded, and took her by the arm to urge her through the tables to where French windows opened on to the night air. Her heart started to beat just that little bit faster.
However, they had only gone a few paces on to the terrace when a voice halted them.
‘Aimi?’ The soft question was comprised of hope and uncertainty.
At the sound of it, Aimi came to a halt and turned back to face her mother, who blinked rapidly, then sent out a beaming smile.
‘I thought it was you!’ she exclaimed, closing the distance in no time and sweeping her daughter into a tight hug. Aimi hugged her back, as ever inordinately glad to see her.
‘I thought you were still away on location. When did you get back?’
Marsha Delmont laughed. ‘Actually, darling, I’m not really back. Adrian broke a leg and is out of the production, so I’ve come home for a few days whilst a replacement is found. It’s all too frustrating, but at least it gives me the opportunity to see you. Let me have a good look at you,’ she said, and stepped back to put Aimi at arm’s length. What she saw had her eyes widening in astonishment. ‘Oh, my goodness!’ She had to let go of her daughter’s hands in order to bring them to her face. Tears spilled out down her cheeks. ‘You don’t know how long I’ve waited to see you like this! Oh, darling, thank God! I’ve been so very worried, but look at you. Your hair … your clothes … It’s … absolutely wonderful!’ More tears fell until Marsha was virtually sobbing.
Stricken to realise from this reaction just how concerned about her her mother had been, Aimi quickly gave her another hug. ‘Don’t cry. Please don’t cry,’ she urged, feeling wretched.
Marsha eased herself away and sniffed. ‘I’m OK, darling. You know how emotional I get. Now I’m sure I had a tissue in here,’ she declared, searching through her evening purse.
‘Use this,’ Jonas suggested, holding out a pristine handkerchief.
Taking it, Marsha used it to dab at her eyes, then took a good look at the man who had come to her rescue. Her eyebrows rose, and then she smiled. ‘Now I understand,’ she said knowingly, looking from Jonas to her daughter. ‘Whoever you are, I am so very, very pleased to meet you!’
‘Jonas Berkeley, Miss Delmont, and I’m honoured to meet you,’ Jonas introduced himself with a smile, giving Aimi’s mother a taste of his rakish charm.
‘Marsha, please,’ the older woman invited. ‘And let’s not stand upon ceremony. When I’m with my daughter I’m her mother, not an actress. If you’re responsible for this transformation, then I’m in your debt.’
‘Mum!’ Aimi exclaimed in dismay, but her mother merely turned and smiled at her with so much love it brought a lump to her throat.
‘Darling, I’ve waited so long for this day, don’t try to stop me enjoying it.’
Aimi bit her lip. She knew what her mother was thinking, and she had to put her right. For, whilst she might have fallen for Jonas, she very much doubted he felt the same way. ‘Mum, Jonas and I … we’re not …’
Marsha laughed delightedly and cupped her daughter’s cheeks. ‘Darling, I don’t care what you are or aren’t, just be happy. Now, much as I would love to stay and chat with you for hours, I must go. Come and see me. I’m here until the end of next week. Bring Jonas. I absolutely insist upon it!’ she added with another tinkling laugh, then kissed her daughter, smiled at Jonas and went back inside.
‘Your mother is a truly lovely person,’ Jonas remarked as he came to join Aimi, who looked up and smiled.
‘I think so.’
‘She’s right about you, too. You look amazing, but that has nothing to do with me.’
Aimi knew better. He had a lot to do with how she was today. ‘You’re wrong. I would never have gone out and bought a dress like this but for you, and she knows it.’
Jonas turned her into his arms and brought her up against him. ‘And are you happy?’
Aimi hesitated a moment, not because she wasn’t happy but because it was such a difficult thing for her to say. To admit it would be a further renunciation of her friend. And yet … how could she not say it when, for the first time in so very long, she actually was deeply happy. ‘Yes,’ she admitted huskily, ‘I am.’
He smiled. ‘Good. That makes two of us,’ he told her softly, and kissed her with exquisite gentleness.
Aimi rested her head on his shoulder, unable to stop herself experiencing a new wave of guilt. Yet no sooner had the thought come, than she forced it back, not wanting to think about it now. She would only think of this moment, and no further.
They stood like that for an age, until another couple came from inside, breaking the mood.
‘We’d better go and join the others. They’ll be wondering where we’ve got to,’ Jonas proposed as he released her, and immediately she missed the warmth of his closeness and its ability to fend off unwanted thoughts. He did hold her hand as they made their way back inside, but Aimi felt the cold winds of her past following in her wake.
No sooner had they reached their table than Nick jumped to his feet. ‘Can I have a word with you?’ he asked his brother in a surprisingly stern voice. Jonas’s brows rose as he settled Aimi in her seat. Squeezing her shoulders encouragingly, he nodded.
‘Of course, Nick. We won’t be long,’ he said to Aimi and the others, then turned to follow a rigid-backed Nick to the side of the room.
Not surprisingly, the others were intrigued by this turn of events and watched the distant conversation with as much interest as Aimi. It was clear to see that Nick was furiously angry, gesticulating wildly as he harangued his brother. Jonas simply stood and listened to it all. However, when Nick stopped for breath, he held up his hand and started to speak. Whatever he said, the change in Nick was profound. His posture softened and, as he listened, he dragged a hand through his hair. Then he had a question or two to ask and, when Jonas nodded, he hesitated for a moment, then held out his hand. Jonas took it, and they hugged. Seconds later, both men walked off in the direction of the bar.
‘Well!’ exclaimed Paula, looking from her husband to Aimi. ‘That was interesting. What on earth do you think was going on?’
Aimi was frowning, wondering the same herself. ‘I have no idea.’
‘I know Nick didn’t like you and Jonas being gone so long. Would it be too indelicate to ask what you were doing?’ Paula’s expression was part grimace and part wheedling as she looked at Aimi.
Aimi couldn’t help laughing, whilst Paula’s husband groaned aloud. ‘Honestly, Paula!’
‘It’s OK,’ Aimi responded. ‘Actually, we were talking to my mother.’
Of all the things Paula had been expecting to hear, that wasn’t one of them. ‘Your mother!’
There was nothing else Aimi could do than come clean. ‘Marsha Delmont is my mother,’ she confessed, and Paula’s face was a picture.
‘Oh, my goodness! Really? Oh, Lord, did I say anything nasty about her? I did, didn’t I? Oh, I just want to curl up and die!’ she exclaimed, covering her face with her hands.
Aimi smiled understandingly. ‘It’s OK, Paula. You were very polite. My mother will be glad to hear she has another fan.’
‘And I do like her. I really do!’ the young woman declared earnestly. ‘Now, spill the beans—tell us what it’s like, growing up the daughter of a screen goddess.’
Amused and diverted, Aimi spent the few minutes until the men returned relating a few of the funnier episodes in her life. When Jonas finally took his seat beside her, she looked at him curiously.
‘What were you and Nick talking about?’ she asked immediately.
‘He wanted to tell me what he would do to me if I harmed a hair on your head,’ Jonas enlightened her with a wry smile, and Aimi caught her breath.
‘I hope you told him to mind his own business,’ she returned sharply. Employer or not, he had no right to interfere in her private life.
‘Actually, I told him that if I ever did, then I would save him the trouble and do it myself.’
Aimi stared at him in a state of bemusement. ‘Really?’
Jonas nodded. ‘Really. I’ve come to realise that if there is one person in all the world I would never want to hurt, it’s you. The simple truth of the matter is, I’ve fallen in love with you, Aimi Carteret.’