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too stunned to move. This couldn’t be his Toni Lau? She’d always been reserved, dignified with her boyfriends. She didn’t allow them to paw at her. But here she was, practically doing the nasty right there in public.
    Fury had shot through him. He’d wanted to fling that sleazy snake off her and punch his lights out. Instead, he’d turned around, walked back to his car, and vomited in the bushes.
    The guy she’d been making out with was Nick Fleming; the man she’d married. The man who’d cheated on her.
    Now, Dion couldn’t pinpoint what he felt for Toni. Once, he’d believed he was in love with her, but after all this time he wasn’t so sure any more. How could he tell if his feelings were real or just fantasy, the result of years of fruitless daydreaming?
    “Toni, have some more wonton,” Pearl said. “I made it specially for you.”
    Toni turned away, breaking Dion’s concentration. He realised the back of his neck was damp, his hand fisted on his knee, a hard cramp in the centre of his abdomen. Shit, after all these years of wishing Toni was free, now she was, but he wasn’t prepared for the physical shock of her presence.
    “Thanks, Mum.” Toni beamed at her mother as she accepted a bowl brimming with clear broth and wontons. “My favourite. Haven’t had this in ages.”
    Dion continued to gaze at her as she lifted the spoon to her mouth. When she pursed her lips to blow on the hot soup, his stomach clenched even harder. His emotions might be scrambled, but there was no denying what his body wanted. The years of fantasising had only sharpened his appetite.
    “Mm.” Closing her eyes, she let out a sigh. “Yeah, that hits the spot.” Her eyes fluttered open, caught him staring at her. She blushed faintly. “I hope you haven’t taken my mum’s wontons off the menu at the Happy Palace.”
    He cleared his throat. “No. I wouldn’t dare.” But he had altered the recipe a little, something he wasn’t going to admit right now. No point kicking up a storm of protest. Let everyone try them first and then they could criticise him if they wanted.
    Pearl nodded at him. “You can’t make these wonton in a restaurant anyway. At home I mix ingredients by hand, not a machine. Tastes much better.” She eyed her daughter calculatingly. “Maybe I teach you while you’re here.”
    “Dion’s the cook, not me.”
    “What about when I’m gone?”
    Toni’s mother didn’t look like she was going any time soon. Toni shrugged her shoulders. “Well, Dion can make wonton, then.”
    “Maybe Dion too busy.” Pearl fixed her daughter with a steely gaze. “Maybe Dion not always around for you.”
    An awkward pause developed. Toni glanced at him, surprise flickering across her face. Was that because she couldn’t imagine him not being around? All her life she’d taken him for granted. He couldn’t blame her; he had been the same way with her, once. Not any more. He wanted her to sit up and take notice of him. He stared at her lips still moist from the soup. Maybe he should just put his arm around her waist right now, pull her into him, and kiss that damn delicious mouth of hers. That would get her attention.
    Toni dipped her head, almost embarrassed, and he wondered if she’d read his mind. “You’re right, Mum,” she murmured to her mother. “I should take a few lessons from you.”
    Pearl nodded, pleased. “Once you know, it’s not hard at all.”
    Toni shifted about in her chair. He felt her pulling away from him, maybe uncomfortable by what she’d seen in his expression just then. He didn’t mind. At least she sensed things between them were different now.

Chapter 3
    After dinner, Toni and Dion cleaned up as usual. They stacked the dishwasher, packed leftovers into the fridge, wiped down the table. The parents had moved to the living room, where they settled down to a few rounds of mah jong. Falling into the habits of a lifetime, Toni and Dion retreated to the back porch. Here her father