Page 17 of Twin Flames

The coordinator escorted her to the back of the room, and she was fittedwith a microphone and did a quick sound check.

She could really have done without this today. Her head wasn’t in the game.

When her turn came, she went through the motions in a slightly robotic fashion. People didn’t seem to notice, and it was soon over.

‘Thank you,’ said Cara. She smiled and left the stage to an enthusiastic blast of applause.

Thank goodness, I’m done.

She’d not been her best, but she’d managed to pull it off.

She signed copies of her new book,The Rise and Fall of the Tudor Dynasty, for a line of delegates and then excused herself. Her head ached. She took a few gulps of water and then checked her phone. There was a message from George. Her heart did a little jig.

‘Good morning. How did it go?’

She debated whether to resist responding immediately and to instead focus on the next speaker or to reply and risk being carried away on an inevitable riptide of emotion.

Ten minutes passed, then twenty and then thirty. Each minute seemed like an hour, and Cara wasn’t able to concentrate on what was being said. Her fingers twitched with the urge to respond. Finally, her resolve exhausted, she typed a shortmessage to George. It was rude not to reply, she reasoned, and then she put her phone away.

After the dullest hour, they broke for lunch, and she fished her phone out of her bag.

There was one missed call from George. The phone rang almost immediately. ‘How are you doing?’

It was him. He didn’t give up easily.

‘Very well thank you, how are you?’

The sound of his deep voice was all it took. She wanted him.

‘I finished my talk.’

‘How did it go?’

‘I wasn’t my best, but it seemed to go all right.’

‘How fabulous. I bet they love your book. You’re a superstar author now.’

‘Um, not quite,’ she said, embarrassed.

What are you up to for the rest of the day?’

‘We’ve just stopped for a two-hour break and then I’m due back for the afternoon session. How’s your unexpected business going?’

‘I took care of it earlier. Wasn’t as complicated as we thought.’

‘That’s good,’ said Cara. Her heart tolled louder than the cathedral bells.

‘I wondered if you’d like to come for lunch. Valeria, my fantastic housekeeper, is preparing a huge salad and delicious home-baked bread as we speak, and apple pie to follow. You’d truly be doing me a great service by joining me, or I’ll probably scoff the lot.’

Cara laughed. ‘It would be cruel to ignore such an urgent plea for help.’

‘Exactly. You mustn’t! It’s settled then: I’ll send my car for you now. I’ll ask Alejandro to wait for you at the front of thehotel. Keep your eyes peeled for a black Mercedes and a friendly smile.’

Cara rushed out of the conference room and into the elevator. She reapplied a pale lip gloss with precision and checked her appearance. Not too bad. The earlier weariness had miraculously dissolved, and her eyes sparkled. She looked a little feverish.

It must be lack of sleep.

She smoothed her hands over her skirt. It was creased, but there was no time to change now, which was probably just as well because she had nothing better to wear. She was jittery at the idea of meeting George at his villa, and she had no appetite. Again.