Minding Amy (20 page)

Sebastian looked at her beseechingly, lifting his eyebrows. She surely knew he hadn't come just because of the job and their working relationship, but because of their more personal relationship.

She glanced at him and her eyelids dropped immediately. She was biting her lower lip. Yes, at least she understood that much, which was a small mercy.

"If I were you," her father mused. "I would try to look favorably on Mr. Armitage's skills and take advantage of his presence for the rest of your time together."

The rest of their time together
. The remark made Sebastian's mind wander away to images of Amy back in his arms again and he had to haul it back on track.

Amy's head shot up, her mouth opening. "You can't expect me to continue working with him, now that I know?"

She was annoyed, but her remark injured Sebastian's feelings far more than he cared to admit. Was she just upset, or did she really not want to be around him any more? "Of course we can carry on…as before, nothing has really changed."

She didn't look convinced, but he could see her mind was racing. Perhaps she too was thinking over the more intimate side of their time together. Would that sway her? He certainly hoped it would.

Richard Norton shifted in his chair, and the expression on his face assured everyone he was adamant. "You're not continuing to work on a suspicious, possibly criminal investigation, without Mr. Armitage at your side."

Before she had time to reply—which was probably just as well—the door sprang open and her mother walked in with a tray of coffee cups and a plate heaped with scones. "Refreshments," she declared, with a big smile, before she realized the mood in the room was not entirely conducive to friendly banter over a cuppa and a bun. "Oh, we're not still fighting are we?" she asked, as she set the tray down on a coffee table.

"No, we're not," Richard Norton replied, taking the opportunity to clarify. "If Amy wants to continue with this case she has to continue working with Mr. Armitage at her side and that is the bottom line. Now, I understand from Fiona that you are going walkabout with this again tomorrow, is that correct?"

Amy nodded.

"Well, now everything is out in the open, I see no reason why you shouldn't get on with the job—the job you wanted so very much, may I remind you."

Even Sebastian knew her well enough to realize that was not going to bring about the right response from Amy. She was fiercely independent, proud and ambitious. Even when she did need help she fought against it every step of the way to try to make it on her own.

She stood up, snatching the cat into her arms as she did. "If those continue to be the terms of the job I have no choice, but I haven't forgiven or forgotten the two of you for duping me and for treating me as if I couldn't cope on my own. I'll show you what I can do and you will realize how wrong you were to underestimate me."

She clutched the cat against her chest where it hung limply, trustingly, in her arms, waiting to see what she was going to do next. The only sign of its annoyance over the change in arrangements was an occasional flick of its thick black tail.

She turned round and deposited the cat on her seat. "Sorry Mum, I've got to go." She stepped over and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek then promptly left the room.

Sebastian stood up. "I'd better go after her."

"Do come back for your coffee." Mrs. Norton gave him an encouraging smile.

The woman was clearly confused about the whole shenanigans, and who could blame her. The undercurrents Sebastian had been feeling from Amy were more about the fact the two of them had been bedfellows and, despite that, he hadn't shared that personal information about himself. He realized now how wrong of him that had been.

He caught her up outside the garden gate. "Amy."

She stopped and turned back.

When her gaze lifted to meet his, he was shocked. He'd expected the anger to be on the rise but above all she looked hurt. The realization stabbed him in the gut. He'd really hurt her by not being up-front with her. But hadn't she told him that's what had upset her about the ex from college? Sebastian cursed himself. How could he not realize this would become such a big thing, a painful barrier between them?

"I'm sorry." Instinctively, he stroked her shoulders with his hands, unable to stop himself reaching out for her. "I didn't think it mattered, truly I didn't."

"So you lied to me?" Her lip trembled and there was a definite sheen of withheld tears in her eyes.

Sebastian could have kicked himself, repeatedly. "I didn't lie to you, I just didn't tell the whole truth—it's no excuse I know, and it will never happen again."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

She looked at him with trusting but sad eyes.

"Look, Amy, there's something else I have to tell you." Doubts riddled through his mind. He hoped that what he was about to say wouldn't push her any further away than she had been over the last couple of hours. "I did do a little bit of snooping myself. It wasn't much, I hasten to add." He looked at the small frown lodged between her eyebrows, wishing he could smooth it away. "I went over to Quentin's apartment, because it was the kind of thing I would do and I thought it might be helpful. As it happens, it wasn't overly helpful, so you haven't missed out." That wasn't entirely true, but he hadn't found anything concrete and he decided that was the best way to sell it to her. "I was going to tell you, honestly, I was just trying to find the right time." Could he do it all, could he tell her he'd visited Jake as well?

"You didn't get that scar in a skiing accident, did you?"

Her remark surprised him. He expected more of a rebuff over his latest confession. Sebastian shifted his feet, restlessly.
You are doing the right thing, you are coming clean
, he reminded himself. This is what he wanted to do. He didn't particularly like remembering the time he got the scar, though. Things had gone too far. Private investigation wasn't supposed to be about being a soldier, and that's what he'd done wrong.

"It was a company fraud investigation case. Turned out to be an undercover arms trader dealing out of an official British army supply unit. Things turned nasty."

She looked upset, concerned.

He'd expected her to be angry. Her eyes were damp. Had he said too much, all at once?

"So that was a lie then, wasn't it?" She had him there.

He gave a deep sigh. "Amy, in my line of work you sometimes have to hide things, not for the wrong reasons, but because you have to. Often it's to protect people from things that might hurt them or put them in danger. I admit I'm set in my ways and often keep things to myself that I don't need to, but it wasn't meant badly, do you believe me?"

She regarded him with those beautiful eyes of hers then nodded. "And what sort of work have you done for Dad, before now?"

"There was a senior accountant at the paper who was on the take. Your Dad had a hunch about him but he needed evidence. I got it for him"

"Was that Frank Mayors, about a year ago?"

He nodded.

"I'm going back to my office," she announced, blinking back the tears. "I've got work to do."

"Amy…?"

She turned back.

"Can't I give you a lift?" He nodded over at the Land Rover.

"No, thanks, the walk will clear my head."

"What about our plans for this evening?"

She shook her head, staring at the ground. "I need some time on my own, I'm sorry."

"Okay, I understand, but please remember I'm here for you…not only because it's my job, but because I want to be."

She nodded. She must know he was referring to the more intimate side of the relationship, but she didn’t respond.

He reached out and stroked her shoulders again then dropped his hands at his sides, silently admitting defeat. For now. "In that case I'll collect you at your place tomorrow, after the rush is over. Is ten good for you?"

"Sure, ten is good for me," she replied, then turned on her heel and began to walk away.

Glancing back at the house, Sebastian saw Cynthia beckoning at him encouragingly from the window. No doubt she'd been watching the entire interaction. If she were anything like his own mother, she would have picked up on the more tender mood between them and had probably jumped to all sorts of conclusions, most of which were likely to be correct.

He acknowledged her wave with a weak smile then watched as Amy disappeared down the street, cursing himself for not realizing how badly she would have taken this, cursing himself for not having explained earlier. Before he went back into the house, he plowed his fingers through his hair. It was a restless and desperate gesture from an unhappy man.

* * * *

Amy threw back the sheet, sighing into the night. She couldn't sleep because she couldn't stop thing about Sebastian. She could still sense his hands on her body. It was as if they still coursed over the surface of her skin, knowing and sure, bringing on a heady rush of sensation.

It was hot, that was why she was so bloody restless, she told herself. She rolled her head on the pillow and looked out at the night sky. Yeah, the heat wave would also explain the extreme sense of longing she felt inside, would it?

Her happy little studio flat seemed empty. The occasional noise and flicker of neon light from the street below did not, as it would usually do, make her feel as if the world was happening and alive around her. Instead, it made her feel alone. Lonely. Lonely for Sebastian. Even after what had been said between them that afternoon, her body still craved his. It craved his male strength, his warmth, his passion and vigor. Her hands fisted against the sheets. If only he weren't so darned good in bed.

It was more than that, though. She swore softly into the night, closing her eyes, unable to stop herself reliving some of the moments they'd shared. That first night, when their hunger for each other had made them eager and insatiable. She'd never felt the way she felt when he was inside her. It was as if they were perfectly matched, keying readily into each other's need and desires. He was so attentive, so aware of her. She would also never forget the playfulness he aroused in her, how he had unleashed that side of her. Seeing the look in his eyes when she had straddled him the night before…well, that had been exquisite. She ached inside, physically and painfully, for more of him.

Perhaps she should have done as Janine suggested and pretended she didn't know, so that they could enjoy the rest of their time together. That would have been impossible, because it wasn't the way her heart and mind worked. Her mother would have been proud of her integrity, but maybe it was holding her back—and in more ways than one. Perhaps her integrity was the bane of her life. In terms of her job, she could have printed what Jake had told her, made something of the occult story without traveling to Arundel to check it out. And if she'd been able to ignore the truth with Sebastian, she'd be having a champion evening in his company right now, followed by another wild and memorable bedroom romp. She had to wonder if she was she cut out for any of this.

She sat up then paced to the window, looking down at the street below, looking for distractions. A couple ran along under the streetlights, chasing after one another. All it did was remind her of Sebastian. The young man caught his girl in his arms and kissed her. Amy shook her head. She ran her fingers along the window ledge. She shut her eyes, willing herself not to be aroused by the very thought of the man, not to hear his whispered seductions nor feel the touch of his hands on her body, not to remember how finely tuned they were to one another.

It was going to take a while, she realized, before this dreadful need wore off, this incredible addiction her body had developed for his. And continuing to work together was not going to help. Damn her father. Damn his conditions. Could any other journalist in the history of The City News have had so many obstacles and such a hard time to get a good pitch and a bit of respect?

She still couldn't believe Sebastian had done previous work for The City News. He'd been around before. The story about Frank Mayor fiddling the accounts had been hot gossip amongst the staff a year back, and Sebastian had been involved. She pictured him walking the corridors of the building, back then. If only she'd met him then, things might have panned out differently. But that wouldn't have been the right time for them, her rational voice interjected. He'd have still been with his ex. She shook her head, chastising herself for pursuing pointless chains of thought. She had to face it, they'd met at the right time but it still hadn't worked out as they'd agreed. She sighed into the night, resigned to the fact the next day would be difficult. Why oh why couldn't she be like Janine? Why couldn't she just have pretended it hadn't happened?