A Very Public Affair

Clare flushed and turned away, not wanting to be reminded of the night she’d spent with him. She’d been trying not to look at him directly, but it was hard not to remember the powerful body that was under the immaculate evening-suit, a body perfect in its masculinity. Yet again she wondered about his ex-wife, why they’d divorced. But that was nothing to do with her; she had enough to concentrate on in keeping him away from Toby.

Jack was trying to work out how to play it. Her flushed cheeks told him that she was still sensitive about their lovemaking, which surprised him; it had been so long ago. And just for that one night. But maybe she was entitled to be sensitive as it had resulted in her having a child. His voice more gentle, he said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me about Toby?’

Her eyes, a beautiful hazel with green lights, he noticed, flashed fire at him again. ‘Toby is nothing to do with you.’

‘He is according to his birth certificate,’ he replied evenly.

‘You had no right to look that up, to go prying into my life.’

‘And you had no right to keep his existence from me,’ Jack returned shortly.

Clare hesitated, then thought that she would do anything to keep Toby away from him. So she said, ‘Actually—what I put on the certificate wasn’t true. I—I don’t know who his real father is. There were a couple—a few men around at the time. But I had to give some name, so I just picked yours out of thin air. But he definitely isn’t yours,’ she added for good measure.