Her Temporary Boss

Chapter Seven

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Amelia's phone was ringing when they returned to the apartment and she raced to answer it.

"Hello?" she called breathlessly down the speaker.

"Amelia Harrowby, do you have any idea how long I've been trying to get a hold of you? I've had images you lying in the snow somewhere, turning into a modern-day Ice Man going through my mind. I've been worried sick!"

"Jenna? Oh God, I'm so sorry! I was going to call you last night to let you know I was ok but I ended up being...distracted," she finished lamely. From the corner of her eye she saw Luca smirk as remembered what had distracted her.

"Are you ok? Do you need rescuing from anywhere?" Jenna demanded.

"No, I'm fine. It turns out Luca has an appartment on the floor above his office. He let me stay with him instead of braving the snow."

The line was silent for a moment.

"And? Was he the reason you were distracted? Did the two of you keep each other warm during the long, cold night?" There was amusement and excitement in Jenna's voice.

"Jenna!" Amelia hissed and waved Luca away from where he was shamelessly eavesdropping.

"What? You know I'm going through a dry patch. And you haven't been on a date in the entire time I've known you. That means I want details. How big was he?"

Amelia glanced over at Luca again. There's no way he couldn't have heard that statement. She moved to the other side of the room.

"I'm not having this conversation now."

"Is he there with you? Ok, we'll use a scale. Books. You like books. Was he like a young adult book? A celebrity biography? An encyclopaedia?"

"Jenna!"

"Oh God, don't tell me he was a children's picture book. That may just break my heart."

"I'm hanging up now."

"We'll talk about this when you get home," Jenna shouted while Amelia pulled the phone away from her ear. Sighing, Amelia dropped the phone on to the coffee table. Too embarrased to face Luca, she instead focused onundoing the zipper of her big snow jacket.

"So, that was your flatmate," Luca said from behind her, as he took the coat from her.

"Yes. Jenna," Amelia perched on the edge of the couch and began taking off her boots, still refusing to look at him.

"She sounds like a real character."

"She is. She isn't known for being shy but she also has an absolute heart of gold. She took me, a complete stranger, in, didn't she?"

"And was what else she said true?" Luca tried to ask casually.

Amelia flushed but tried to act nonchalant. "What else?"

"About you not seeing anyone for as long as she had known you. Or did she just not know that you were seeing anyone."

"Oh, that. Yes, it's true. In between moving half way across the world and getting established here, dating was never much of a priority."

Luca moved until he was standing in front of her. He used a finger to raise her chin until she was forced to meet her eyes. His eyes examined hers closely, as if trying to gauge the truth behind her words.

"Who was he?" Luca asked softly.

Amelia automatically flinched. "Who was who?"

"The man who hurt you. The man who broke your heart so badly that it put up the walls in your eyes that you have not taken down since."