Page 105 of Tears of Glass

Jennifer freezes, her smile losing sincerity. “Once.” She shakes out her honey blonde hair. “How about us girls go and get a coffee together?”

Tabitha shakes her head. “Mum, I’m going to work.”

“Work, darling? Don’t be silly.”

Tabitha shakes her head, firm and hard. “Mother, you have no idea what I’ve been through the last few weeks, how terrible everything’s been.”

Jennifer reaches for her but Tabs steps back. “You can talk to me. I can help.” Her face is frozen, but beneath the mask there’s a glimmer of real fear and... is that pain?

Tabitha gives her a searching look. “No, I can’t. Not like this, not after what we’ve become.”

With that she flounces into the lounge, grabs her bag and coat and walks past us to the front door, not even looking again at Jennifer.

When the door shuts, we stand in heavy silence until her eyes land on my face, searching and reading. “Everything has changed since you came along.”

I won’t let her put this on me. This isn’t me. “Jennifer, if you are losing your control, it’s because you’ve pushed it too far.”

Her eyes lock with mine. “Control, Faith. I’ve never had any of that.”

“Then you should have fought for it the way your own children are.”

She pulls her lower lip between her teeth and for a moment she looks like a concerned mother, the kind I’ve never known. “It’s too late for that I fear.”

I shake my head and find myself stepping closer. “It’s never too late to change.”

With a wan smile she meets my eyes. “I don’t suppose you fancy that coffee, do you?”

Ah crap. “Sure.”

Her face beams. Now there is the Jennifer Fairclough I love to hate. “You can tell me all about the Tate Modern.”

I groan. There is literally nothing that this woman doesn’t know.

I’m hiding the jars of pasta sauce in the recycling bin when the door clicks open. My eyes automatically land on the large, chrome kitchen clock. It’s only six thirty; this is unheard of.

Then I hear voices and know Eli isn’t alone. Crap. I might not have made the pasta sauce from scratch, but I have still splattered it down my pale cotton shirt. Oh, and I’m not wearing any trousers, just my ink.

“Hi.” I run my hand through my hair, my fingers tangling with sand and chemicals. His eyes fall on me and his lips curve at the edges.

“Hi.” The blues dance and he walks closer and gathers me into his arms. “You smell delicious. Part, Faith, part Dolmio.”

I flush widely, my gaze centred on his face, falling into his beauty. “Why are you home so early?”

His breath flutters against my ear. “I wanted to see you.”

“With an audience?”

His lips skim my mouth, his tongue sliding along my bottom lip. “I couldn’t give a fuck about the audience.”

A warm fire kindles along my insides. “I’ve cooked dinner.”

His smile presses against my mouth. “I can smell.” With a gentle peck on my lips he releases me. “Enough for a crowd, I hope. We are researching. I thought you might be able to help.”

“I know nothing about researching.”

“Don’t worry, Faith.” My stomach drops at the voice behind, it’s all cut glass and oozing sexiness. “It’s as boring as hell, but not hard.”

I give Sienna a tight smile and Elijah’s eyes soften. He pulls me in, hugging me tight into his body and kissing the top of my head. Roger and Jess, his associates, watch us, their eyes wide as he displays his softer side.