Page 30 of Bound By Her Shocking Secret

Mia had been to plenty of glittering events before, but usually for work. Never like this, on someone’s arm. And not just someone. A man everyone recognised on sight.

Daniel took her arm and gently guided her up to another level where there was a private drinks reception before the performance started. After someone had taken her cape Daniel handed her a glass of champagne.

Mia was more interested in the hors d’oeuvres. She hadn’t had time to eat much while making sure that Lexi and Odile were going to be okay together. She tried to eat a concoction of caviar on the smallest piece of toast she’d ever seen, with as much grace as she could, but a steady stream of people were approaching Daniel, and he snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her into his side, effectively ruining her appetite for the evening.

One older, very well-preserved woman spoke to Daniel while barely glancing at Mia. She said, ‘She’s an American? You have a child with her? I hope this won’t damage the brand, Mr Devilliers.’

Shocked at what she was hearing, and incensed that Lexi might be subjected to any kind of judgement, Mia cut in, ‘Yes, I am American—and, yes we have a child. And I can assure you the Devilliers brand is quite safe.’

The woman looked at Mia as if she had two heads, and then she stalked off.

Mia looked at Daniel. ‘Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. Who was she?’

To Mia’s surprise, Daniel’s mouth quirked. ‘One of the longest-serving members of the board.’

‘Oh.’

‘Your French is impeccable, by the way.’

Mia shrugged, self-conscious. ‘I’ve had plenty of time to practise it over the last two years.’

Then she added tentatively, ‘She looked angry...will this cause problems for you?’

Daniel took a sip of champagne, and even that relatively innocent movement made a skewer of desire arrow right to Mia’s lower body.

‘No. It’s dinosaurs like her I’m trying to ease off the board. She and a few others are the only ones clinging onto the past. We have to move forward.’

At that point a melodic bell sounded to indicate that they needed to move into the theatre. Daniel took Mia’s hand and led her out of the function room and along a corridor and into a private box.

Mia gasped when the full majesty of the auditorium was laid out before her. Tiers of seats rose up around the stage in a circle. The furnishings were lavish and totally over the top. Baroque. Dramatic. The ceiling was adorned with lush frescoes.

The crowd—most of whom had taken their seats—were as glittering as their surroundings. The men handsome in their tuxedoes.

‘This is amazing,’ she breathed as she sat down, momentarily distracted from everything else.

For a while, when she’d been younger, she’d had dreams of becoming a dancer. A teacher had even helped her apply for a grant to get into advanced classes, and Mia had had visions of going to Juilliard in New York. But one day she’d damaged her knee, and her dreams of becoming a dancer had turned to dust. And then, as if conspiring against her, her body had started to develop, giving her curves that would never have been acceptable in a ballet dancer.

So being here now was making her feel nostalgic and wistful. She had a sudden vision of an older Lexi, being brought here with her father to see a ballet performance, and emotion gripped her before she could stop it, stinging her eyes.

She cursed herself and kept her head averted from Daniel. Ever since she’d given birth to Lexi her emotions had sat just under her skin, and the most innocent and benign of incidents or things could set her off. Not to mention the tumult of being back in Daniel’s orbit.

The lights went down and a hush fell over the crowd. Mia sat forward, her skin prickling with anticipation. Well, she told herself it was anticipation, and not because Daniel’s tall, powerful body, his long legs stretched out before him, was close enough to touch. Smell.

She let the performance distract her from the man beside her, knowing it would be an all too brief respite...

A week after the ballet performance Mia spotted the floppy ear of Lexi’s favourite bunny peeking out from under a couch and grabbed it. She looked around and saw the other detritus belonging to a small person. A cardigan shoved down between some cushions. A small shoe discarded by the door. And a sticky handprint on a glass coffee table.

She sighed. Already Lexi was treating this place like a small queen in her new domain, and even Mia had settled into the luxurious space far too easily. But she had to keep reminding herself that it was only temporary. And surely these transgressions into Daniel’s pristine space would make him realise that having them here wasn’t conducive to his newly acquired bachelor lifestyle?

That was if he was here to see them—which he wasn’t. After the night at the ballet, which had left Mia feeling very emotional, Daniel had told her the following morning that he had to go to New York for a few days.

She’d schooled her expression while inwardly relishing the thought of a reprieve, to take stock of everything that had happened without Daniel’s disturbing presence.

‘Don’t look so pleased,’ he’d said dryly.

‘What’s in New York?’ she’d asked.

‘Our North American head office. We’re having some discussions about a new campaign.’

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