Delectable (Sinclair Bryant)

Iron and Copper

When Sian laid eyes on the blonde woman roaming around the house, she panicked and stood still like an idiot. Apparently, she'd be useless in a break-in. Sinclair was behind her before she even had a chance to talk to the woman who had finally noticed her.

"Natalie," Sinclair said with a rigid coldness.

As if she wasn't there, Natalie talked straight through Sian and to Sinclair.

"What's going on? You didn't answer the phone, I tried a few times." Natalie's nasally voice rose.

So that's who was calling earlier, Sian realised. She wondered if he knew it was her, wondered if that's why he pulled the line out.

"Sorry...I was busy," he replied. His eyes flicked to the back of Sian's head, who was standing awkwardly between him and Natalie. He felt nothing but guilt that they'd run into each other like that. Natalie had a tendency to do this when she was in an utter state of depression or when she wasn't getting what she wanted. Sinclair had been entertaining it for too long.

Sian turned and met Sinclair's hazel eyes, "I'll give you some space."

He wanted to say he didn't need space but he could feel Natalie boring holes into him without even having to look at her.

"Excuse me," Sian directed at Natalie but the blonde woman, who was suspicious of her presence and had no issue showing it on her sharply defined face, ignored her.

Sian really had no means of actually leaving, which is all she wanted to do at that moment, but she was fairly sure Sinclair wouldn't be impressed with her stealing his Jag. Outside wasn't an option because who knows how long Natalie would be there and frostbite in her fingers would not be conducive to her job. So, she panicked and fled quickly up the stairs. It probably was the wrong move but she didn't exactly have much time to work with.

Sinclair watched, torn at what to do. He didn't want her to go hide but, honestly, he also didn't want her to have to deal with Natalie either.

"Sinclair," Natalie snipped, bringing the attention of her ex-husband back to her. "Is that who you were busy with?"

He couldn't believe her sometimes. Sinclair shook his head and rested his hands on his hips. "I'm not even going to entertain that question with an answer."

Sian, not able to resist the temptation, was half in Sinclair's bedroom and half out on the landing, listening. Natalie was apparently a nosy cow, she thought as she tried her best to stop herself from marching straight back down there. As if the woman had the audacity to sleep with another man in their marital bed and then have a problem with Sinclair having a woman there post-divorce. And to just let herself in? More to the point, why did she even still have a key? Sian's mind was running faster than she could keep up with, especially as she was still trying to listen.

"Can we have a cup of tea or something?" Natalie asked him, her voice suddenly sweeter than before.

"No, I'm busy Nat. What's so urgent that you decided to let yourself in again?" he asked, hiding his growing impatience.

"Nothing Sinclair...it's just Sunday and I missed you," she couldn't see but Sian could make out the clicking of her heels against the hardwood floor "Don't you remember Sundays? Long lie-ins, breakfast in bed...a lot of other things in bed."

"I really can't do this today, Natalie" he interrupted before she went down memory lane any further, "I have company, remember?" he sighed.

Sinclair just wanted her to leave, every time he started to feel better, she turned up, like she could sense that he was forgetting about her. Natalie shook her head softly and let out a small, breathy laugh.