Bargained Marriage

estaurant informed Claire Williams tha

th, before sending a smile to the approaching waiter. I bel

ainly

n alcove and screened from the rest of the room by palms. Knowing Lucas, it was probably the best

e. It was just that there was such a p

an’t

back a

celebrating instead a colonial decor popular over a century ago. It reminded her of raffles in singapore. Minu

you a dr

rkling mineral wat

again.Ah…so he recognized her too huh? She resis

een of palms at the rest of

e cafe at the Tate Modern. Where they could stare out at

s would never purposely touch his best friend’s little sister. Especially not

o yourself like this or someone will overhear. She th

r committed for such eccentricity. Besides, she’d been ca

ts view over a great city. But today called for more salubrious surroundings. Today was Michael’s birthday. M

sness, As usual her heart-rate picked up speed at the sight of those impossibly broad shoulders, long legs and lean hips. Lucas Thompson was built along lines tha

reation. Regardless of what looked like she knew that, as us

she’d love to see him run to fat. Just a little bit. Just one flaw~that was

s well ask

said when h

he skin around his eyes. It was a double shame bec

o, Lu

width of the table between them. She pulled back and planted herself in the c

gle time the stilted dista

n the planet who had loved Michael as much as she had ex

hurting each other she and Michael turned to each other. They had seemed to realise that the had no other family to rely on. She’d done her best to stop him from

w he w

that she and Lucas should hold each other tight on the occasion they di

them in touch, some respect for Mich

? Would he feel he’d discharged some unspoken duty to Michael and was now off the hook? The thought made her heart ache. She cou

eant she couldn’t let Lucas go. And she wanted to tell him she

look

t . ‘Sorry,’ just feeling a bit wis

ge of his nose and she realised he had

ngs more

the restaurant. I hav

ened. ‘Do y

cause she was always on he

laughed. ‘Y

tarved. So as long as the food is goo