Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
L ight snow had begun to fall and when he stepped out of the apartment, he felt like he was the only person in the world. His footsteps left black out of white patches on the pavement. By the time he’d walked a couple of blocks, his hands were numb and his feet stung from the cold.
When he buzzed the intercom, he almost sagged with relief when the door opened and he was able to step inside out of the biting cold.
‘Come in,’ said Zdeňka, wearing a welcoming smile and a very sexy dressing gown. He smiled back. He might be pissed off and broken-hearted but he wasn’t dead.
‘Thanks for having me. I didn’t know where else to go.’
‘I could choose to be insulted by that.’ Zdeňka gave him a teasing smile. ‘But instead, I’ll focus on the fact that you walked all the way here instead down a flight of stairs.’ She brushed at the snow in his hair, dislodging a few flakes.
‘I didn’t want to disturb Michaela and Jan,’ he said flinching at his own lie. He wanted to punish Anna, punish himself. It was a dick move.
‘But you knew I wouldn’t mind. Especially not now when you’re about to sign a contract and I’ll receive the commission.’
He lifted his shoulders in a hopeless shrug.
‘Take your coat off. I’ll get us a drink.’
Shimmying out of his coat, he noticed he hadn’t done the buttons up properly on his shirt and it was skew-whiff. No wonder he was so bloody cold, he hadn’t even put a sweater on. He followed her into the living area, with its vibrant red sofa and block coloured rugs on wooden floors. Although everything was tasteful and beautifully placed – that was what jarred, everything felt carefully arranged, too carefully – it didn’t have the cosiness of his and Anna’s flat.
He took a seat, perching on the edge of the sofa, tiredness rolling in. What was he doing here?
‘Here you go.’ Zdeňka handed him a beer and sat down next to him. He couldn’t help noticing her silk robe was draped artfully to reveal a healthy amount of cleavage. Her skin was smooth with a faint tan and he could see the remnants of summer bikini lines.
He took a morose sip of his beer remembering his uncomplicated summer in Italy, with a stream of bikini-clad babes. ‘Thanks.’
‘ Na zdraví. ’ She lifted her bottle and tapped his, and then leaned back curling one slim leg underneath her and extending the other along the sofa. She looked as comfortable as a cat with a belly full of cream, confidence and self-assurance oozing from her. The type of woman who had no expectations. The type of woman Anna expected him to move on to.
‘So Leo, why are you here in the middle of the night?’
He gave her a rueful smile. ‘I knew you wouldn’t turn me away.’
She tutted. ‘You’re always welcome in my bed but I don’t think that’s why you came. You have the look of a man on a mission to blow everything apart. I take it Anna doesn’t know you’re here.’
‘It’s got nothing to do with Anna,’ he all but snarled.
‘Ah trouble in paradise. Poor Leo.’ She patted his arm and then leaned towards him, her assets clearly on display and pressed a kiss on his lips.
He stiffened and didn’t respond. Temptation didn’t even come into it. Beautiful and sexy as she was, he didn’t want her. He never had. She was good, straightforward fun and in a previous life he would have taken her to bed without a thought, for a carefree romp that meant nothing to either of them.
She pulled back with a minxy smile on her face.
‘Leo, Leo, Leo. You came to press the self-destruct button and now you can’t do it.’
He sighed and ran his hands through his damp hair. ‘I don’t know what I’m doing.’
She relaxed back into the sofa, studying him, amusement ticking up the corners of her mouth, making him feel utterly stupid.
‘You’re trying to prove that Anna is right and you’re no good. Sorry, but the only thing you’re no good at is being bad.’
Leo grunted, knowing she was right. He’d stormed out, furious – as much with himself as with Anna – wanting to pay her back for her lack of trust.
‘She’s blind,’ said Zdeňka. ‘But why?’
Leo lifted his shoulders.
‘Leo, think. What is she afraid of?’
Leo was surprised. Zdeňka was shrewd but he hadn’t thought she was that perceptive. ‘She was the one that left when we were married.’
‘Why?’
‘I don’t know. Everything was fine. I loved her. We were married.’
Zdeňka raised an eyebrow. ‘She just left. For no reason.’
He nodded but this time he also remembered that everything hadn’t been fine.
‘There was … there was a girl. But there was nothing going on. We were friends.’
Savannah Aitken. Now her name popped into his head so inconveniently, so did other memories. Hindsight, that wonderful accessory after the fact, now made him realise that his friendly overtures – and that’s all they were – had encouraged Savannah, despite his protestations at the time. He’d so wanted Anna to trust him. For her to be the one person that believed in him unconditionally. He assumed that his love was strong enough for both of them and that she would trust him no matter what. Maybe he’d expected too much, especially when it turned out that Savannah had been everything Anna had accused her of. But Anna should have trusted him.
He ducked his head, glancing down at his knees, ashamed. Maybe he had been stubborn.
‘She was always afraid I’d leave her.’
‘Which –’ Zdeňka shook her head ‘– is exactly what you’ve done. You’re a fool.’
‘Thanks. Tell me something I didn’t know.’
‘You love her.’
‘Yeah, I do but it’s no good. It’s not enough. It’ll never be enough.’
‘Poor boy. Michaela said you had it bad.’ She laughed. ‘Michaela told me to behave and leave you alone. She’s a soft-hearted romantic, which is why we all love her and do as she tells us.’
‘Yes, she does tend to get her own way but in a very nice way.’
‘She’s the mother of the group, always looking out for everyone, and she took you and Anna into her family.’
‘True, she’s been good to us.’
‘But also naughty.’ Zdeňka smirked. ‘I hear there was a mishap with a mattress. Jan was a little cross with her when he found out, but she said it worked out for the best.’
Leo shook his head with reluctant admiration. ‘And she always looks as if butter wouldn’t melt.’
‘Sorry?’
‘It’s an English saying. She’s looks very sweet and innocent.’
‘She is, truly she is … but she wanted a love story for you and Anna. She says Anna loves you, so I ask again. What is she afraid of? Why does she think you’ll leave her?’
Leo lowered his head into his hands, his elbows propped on his knees, his brain too muzzy to think straight.
‘Time for bed, I think,’ said Zdeňka. ‘You can share mine or I can get you a blanket and you can sleep here.’ She rose from the sofa and lifted one shoulder in an elegant shrug, revealing more of her smooth skin. ‘Your choice.’
‘Thanks, Zdeňka, but I think I’d best stay put.’ His tired smile made her tighten her lips in rueful resignation.
‘Probably a good decision. I hope you won’t regret it. It’s a one-time offer.’ Her eyes narrowed into a sultry cat-like gleam, as she stood with her hand on her hip in a pose that highlighted all of her best features.
‘You’re very generous. Thanks for letting me stay here.’
‘It’s no problem, Leo.’ She disappeared to return with a big navy blue blanket and a couple of pillows. ‘Make yourself comfortable and help yourself to whatever you need. Mine’s a black coffee if you’re up first and fancy bringing me breakfast in bed.’ Again her eyebrows winged up, in suggestion.
He laughed in spite of himself. ‘Sleep well.’
‘I intend to. You on the other hand probably need to spend a few hours working out how you’re going to win Anna over and explain where you spent the night.’ With that she departed, waving a hand over her head in farewell.
Leo plumped up the pillows, kicked off his shoes and lay down, pulling the blanket over him. He’d really thought that things had changed but nothing had. Anna had always had one foot out the door, ready to bolt. Nothing had changed. She would never trust him. He’d worked so hard on his plan to prove that he could be steady and reliable, like that idiot boyfriend of hers … but obviously it wasn’t in his nature and Anna knew that better than he did. He did have the capacity to love and to love wholeheartedly, to love one woman – but it wasn’t enough. Not for Anna.
He would never be enough for her.
* * *
He woke to Zdeňka’s earthy laugh and looked at his watch with surprise, rubbing his blurry eyes until they adjusted enough to see the time. It was after nine. He cradled his forehead in one hand and sighed.
It sounded as if Zdeňka was on the phone, and very chipper she was too, whilst he felt he’d been flattened by a tank. Throwing off the blanket he hauled himself to his feet and wandered through to the kitchen. Zdeňka stood with her back to him, on her mobile, looking out of the window. Outside, a blanket of snow trimmed the rooftops like icing on gingerbread houses. Zdeňka must have seen his reflection because she turned and broke off. ‘Morning, Leo.’ Then she said to the person on the phone, ‘I have to go. I will make the arrangements.’
She ended the call.
‘Michaela says hi, although I don’t think she’s very pleased with you.’
He groaned inwardly. He gave a weak smile and followed his nose to the pot of coffee on the side, pouring himself a cup. It disappeared in a couple of swallows.
‘So what are you going to do?’ asked Zdeňka.
‘I’m going to check into a hotel.’
‘Giving up so easily.’
‘Zdeňka, I’m not giving up. I’m facing reality. Anna and I were never meant to be and she’s always known it. Just a shame it took me so long to catch up.’
‘In that case you can come and look at another property with me today.’
‘I don’t feel like it.’
She gave him a twisted smile. ‘You owe me. Besides, what else are you going to do today?’
Leo shrugged. It was something to do although all his enthusiasm for the project had died. Opening a brewery and pub in Prague wouldn’t be the same without Anna.