Zia’s face flamed as she caught Stephan’s sudden scowl. ‘No, I haven’t.’ She chose not to mention that they’d talked in the gazebo till nearly one this morning, which might have contributed to her fatigue today, but neither of them had tried to take the other to bed. Maybe he was right about Brendon making her wary or maybe they’d been exploring what there was between them apart from sex.

Then, this morning, she’d said goodbye to Durante, who’d been distracted by the worry that Lucia’s stomach cramps were showing no sign of improving, and found Piero waiting at her car. ‘Just here to wish you a safe journey,’ he’d murmured, looking and smelling deliciously, freshly showered. His goodbye kiss had been thorough and she’d driven away feeling like one shivering erogenous zone, regretting not taking the opportunity to go to bed with him the night before. Though maybe she’d have missed her flight …

Stephan was still frowning. ‘Are you seeing Bren while you’re here?’

The question was a rude awakening from her daydream. ‘No plans to,’ she said briefly.

His expression turned faintly accusatory. ‘You know he’s sorry.’

‘Yes, but it doesn’t change anything.’ She didn’t try and hide her lack of appreciation of the note of censure in Stephan’s voice and any companionable warmth he’d been showing cooled noticeably. After making arrangements with Ursula for the following day Zia left the couple to enjoy their newfound closeness and headed to the New Steine and the apartment she’d always loved. It was odd to pass elegant pastel-coloured town houses instead of homes built from stone and terracotta; Marine Parade and gardens behind railings rather than mountains and a valley full of vines.

She’d barely turned her key when her phone rang and she saw Brendon on the screen. ‘Didn’t take long for you to get the news I was here,’ she answered disagreeably as she shoved the door shut.

He hesitated. ‘Um, I was going to get in touch anyway.’ Then he went on more enthusiastically, ‘Thing is, I got a call from Elise Stokes.’

The affection with which Zia remembered Elise made her continue more moderately. ‘Really? How’s she doing? She was just about the best boss we ever had.’ Elise had managed their team with a mix of warmth and efficiency. Her time as their colleague was also too far in the past for her to have been at the party where Brendon got caught cheating.

Brendon pronounced significantly, ‘Recruiting.’

She hesitated in the doorway of the kitchen. ‘Recruiting?’

‘And she was interested to hear you might be available,’ Brendon added with the air of producing a rabbit from a hat.