Heartbeats in Moonlight

Chapter 21

He thought he'd managed to hide his mood as Ella stepped out of the room. Loretta's eyebrows rose as she noted that the normal twinkle in David's eyes had vanished.

Ella was barely out of the room when she heard Loretta.

"Are you sure you want her designing this place? It could be a complete disaster! She's such a frosty bitch. Did you see what she was wearing? Dated style." Loretta pulled out a stool at the island kitchen table and sat down.

Ella didn't wait to hear David's reply. She headed for the furthest room and began to make a few notes.

David reached for the wine bottle, and lifted it with a question in his eyes as he said, "Her best friend, Amelia, said she did a good job with her place." He pointed to the wine bottle. "Want a top up?" David kept his eyes on the doorway, expecting Ella to reappear to defend herself. But, no sight of her.

"Yes please." Loretta lifted her glass towards him. He topped up her glass. Then he moved away from Loretta now that Ella was out of sight. He put the bottle on the island-table without topping up his own glass.

He looked away, and rubbed his hand behind his neck, before running his palm over his jaw and lips. What a mess, he thought. He had invited Loretta to keep him in check, not to start a new war with Ella.

Loretta looked over the rim of her wine glass. "Are you ok?"

David looked over, with a false smile pasted on his lips, "Yeah."

"Really?" Her eyebrow rose in amused challenge. She settled back on her stool.

"Yeah. Sorry, Loretta."

Loretta said silkily, "You kind of look like you have a problem."

"My mind was on something else." He said equally silkily. He picked up his glass, "I meant to apologise."

"For what?"

"Inviting you over." His plan was lousy. He may well have blown any prospect of a long-term answer to his situation with Ella.

"Oh."

"I should have told you about Ella coming over to quote for this job."

"Well, you did tell me she was coming over." Her lips twitched.

"Yeah, but only after she pressed the doorbell!" He massaged the bridge of his nose. He knew he was never going to reconcile with Ella if he kept coming up with foolish ideas.

"Ah."

He knew he was a man of significant experience, but this farce was wrong, on so many fronts. He had already stuffed things up between him and Ella, and if he told Loretta that he had only invited her to dinner to protect him from Ella, would definitely stuff up his relationship with Loretta. A relationship with Loretta, his heart questioned him? You want a relationship with Loretta? Really, are you kidding, his heart repeated that question?

"The thing is, that I invited you over, to protect me!" David stated calmly.

"What? She raised a brow. "I doubt that!"

David smiled, "Actually, it is the truth."

"Oh." She threw him a questioning look.

"You probably know, that I and Ms Jones..."

"Ms Jones? You call Gabriella, Ms Jones." She giggled. "I thought you knew each other well enough and were on first name basis!"

"Old habits." He nodded. "Before Jack started to date Amelia, yeah, I used to call her Ms Jones." He shrugged his shoulders. "I have not got used to using her first name!"

"So why would you need me here?" She narrowed her eyes.

"You must have noticed that Gabriella dodges me, actually, I avoid her too."

Loretta ran through her memories, "I only just realised that." She sipped her glass.

"Yeah, well, we dodged! For the last two years."

"Really?"

"From the time she arrived here." David also sipped his wine.

"Now that I think about it, you and Ella were never in the same places, or the same parties. I thought you just were in different social circles. A bit like Jack and Amelia." She tipped her head as she thought about it. Loretta asked candidly, "So why did you want me here?"

David shrugged nonchalantly and replied smoothly, "I didn't want her thinking I have designs on her, now!"

Loretta laughed aloud. "Because of this new relationship between Jack and Amelia?"

"Yeah, kind of." David nodded.

"Well, I guess, now, given she saw us kissing, she knows that you don't fancy her!"

David pulled himself together and he wondered if he should apologise to both ladies. It was no good pretending that he and Ella had an ancient history and their recent history showed they had a future. That was the problem. They hadn't even talked about their ancient history, how the hell can they address the recent history, let alone contemplate their future.

Loretta sensing his sudden sadness, put her glass down, came around the island-table and wrapped her arms around his hips. "Have I thanked you for that kiss?" She tipped her head back and she whispered, "And if you need me to help your cause, perhaps another kiss?" She didn't wait for his response, just stated blithely, "Just to confirm that you are not interested in her?" Loretta was not sure if the confirmation was for David's, Ella's or her benefits. Even now, as she watched his eyes, she knew that he was not glad about her suggestion.

He took a deep breath and then said softly, "A kiss?" Not a good idea. Loretta ignored David's frustrated sigh. He knew this was definitely not a good idea, not when his mind, and heart, was elsewhere.

"Your Ms Jones," She tipped her head to the side and grinned when David quirked an eyebrow at her, "might get the message!" She moved her arms from his hips to his waist and tightened her hold on him.

"I think she already got that message, and I don't want to take advantage of you." David said bluntly. He ran his hands through his hair in order to avoid holding Loretta.

She laughed. "No problem with me." Loretta tidied her hair, and licked her lips that had quirked into a smug smile. "Happy to have another kiss!"