Page 121 of Under Her Protection

She put the plate down on the stone.

She drank the rest of the wine.

She took her phone out of the pocket of her jeans and she phoned Leandra Cole.

The call rang.

It rang four times.

"Cole."

"Leo."

A beat.

"Madame."

"I am not Madame this evening. Just Vivienne. I would like to apologize to you, Leo. May I?”

A beat.

"Yes."

"Leo."

"Yes."

"I was a bitch to you. I said cruel things that I did not mean because I was afraid. I know I cannot take them back, but I would like to apologise."

"Vivienne." Leo’s voice was rough and gravelly and tinged with longing.

"Mm."

"You do not have to apologise.”

"I do. I want to. I would like you to come to my house. I would like you to come to my house tonight and I would like to apologise face to face.”

A long beat.

"I will come."

"Thank you."

"An hour."

“Let yourself in. I will be at the pool."

She hung up.

She sat on the stone bench with the empty plate beside her and the empty glass beside the plate and the bottom-lit pool in front of her and she did not, for an hour, move.

Leo eventually came down the three stone steps in jeans and a black T-shirt and a field jacket and boots and her hair out of the elastic and slicked back and she looked sexier than Vivienne had ever seen anyone look.

Their eyes met.

"Leo."

"Vivienne."