Page 30 of His Housekeeper's Twin Baby Confession
His hand indicated her clothes. ‘You’re dressed for work.’
‘Of course I am. How else would I be dressed?’
Massimo reached over and pulled out a chair. ‘Sit down...have some breakfast.’
‘But I don’t ever eat breakfast with you.’
‘You do now.’
Carrie sat down, bemused. She’d expected Massimo to be professional, business as usual. Brisk. But he was looking at her with a light in his eyes that didn’t make her think of being briskorprofessional.
‘Coffee?’
Carrie blinked. Massimo was holding up a pot. Her boss was offering her coffee. ‘Yes, please.’
He poured her a fragrant cup. Then he held up a plate of pastries. She took a croissant.
Suddenly she blurted out, ‘This feels wrong. I shouldn’t be here...like this.’
‘Like what?’
Carrie felt a spurt of irritation at the way he was behaving so obtusely. ‘Like a guest.’
The corner of Massimo’s mouth twitched. ‘I think we burned any such formalities to the ground last night.’
Mindful of the chef, not too far away, Carrie hissed, ‘But you don’tdothis.’
Massimo rolled his eyes. ‘This again...’
Carrie sat back. ‘You don’t have breakfast with them the morning after.’
Massimo took a sip of his own coffee, unconcerned. ‘That’sthem. This is you—and now.’
Carrie’s heart thumped. A little rogue inside her made her say, ‘You’re saying I’m different?’
His gaze sharpened on her. ‘This whole situation is different. But I’m not offering anything more, Carrie. I made that decision a long time ago, and nothing and no one will convince me to change my mind. Let me be very clear: this lasts for as long as it lasts and then it will be over. I have no intention of making a long-term commitment to anyone.’
Why?The word hovered on Carrie’s tongue, but anyone with an ounce of intelligence would be able to deduce from this man’s well-documented history why he might be averse to making any long-term commitment. Not to mention whatever other personal reasons he had.
And in many ways—albeit for completely different reasons—she felt the same. She too had vowed never again to enter into a union that might destroy her.
Then she frowned when what he’d said fully sank in.‘This lasts for as long as it lasts.’
Carefully, she asked, ‘Are you saying that this...isn’t it?’
Massimo sat back in his chair. ‘I’m due to go to Brazil for the next few weeks. Rio de Janeiro. I have a conference to attend and then I was going to take a break.’
‘I saw that on your schedule.’
She was due to go back to London when he was in South America.
‘I want you to come with me.’
Carrie would have choked if there had been anything in her mouth
‘You want me to come with you?’ she repeated.
He nodded.
