Page 9 of Emergency Engagement

If Rafael had developed a talent for recall, then he wasn’t the only one. She could remember how she had scorned those girls who had tried so hard to get his attention and, worse, how she had hated herself for secretly being as fascinated by him as everyone else seemed to be.

He had cast a spell over them. Reluctantly, she was forced to concede that her anger at finding out who had bought the hotel and pulled the rug from under her feet was partly fuelled by him being who he was—when really he’d just been a boy who had become an incredibly successful man and now wanted to invest in a community he had once been a part of. He hadn’t been personally spiteful towardsherin buying the place she had saved up for. It had just been business for him—as he’d said.

She forced herself to meet his piercing stare with a bland expression. In the very short space of time that she had been in his company, he was already getting under her skin. She wasn’t going to start spilling her heart out to him and tell him all about her miserable time when Deeley had been around. She wasn’t going to revert to being the shy fourteen-year-old peering at the cute boy who could have any girl he wanted.

‘We all have things in the past that have affected us one way or another,’ she said politely. ‘You must have stuff you’d rather not talk about, and fortunately...’ she paused for dramatic effect ‘...I won’t be asking you to tell me all about it because I’m not interested.’

‘That’s very, very...’ Rafael’s lips twitched with suppressed amusement ‘...reassuring.’

‘So maybe we could get back to the reason you’re here?’

Their eyes locked.

‘What else do you do aside from baking and cooking?’ he asked.

‘Sorry?’ Sammy was confused. Why was he avoiding getting down to the business of why he had come here in the first place?

‘I read in your spiel that you trained under some big names. I take it you have experience across the board when it comes to your culinary skills? I could have looked you up online but I wanted to ask you face to face.’

‘Of course. I work twice a week at a restaurant close by. It has a Michelin star and it’s excellent for keeping my hand in with the basics of French and Mediterranean cooking. I also advertise my services as a personal chef, which can be extremely challenging. My heart lies in the intricacies of baking, though, which is why I’ve decided to start with a café that does light food and specialises in pastries. You’ll appreciate that I have to make ends meet somehow. I’ve sacrificed quite a bit to get experience over the years. I had to work extremely long hours. Putting aside enough money for the deposit on the café has been a labour of—’

‘I’ve got that message loud and clear. Here’s the thing... I’m hosting an important series of meetings on a tiny island in the Caribbean in two weeks’ time. It’s a deal that involves the CEOs all coming together to dovetail the sale of several of their companies to me. But it’s important that the deal is done smoothly and, most importantly, in the space of a week. I’m hosting them at one of my new hotels—it’s not officially open to the public yet. There’s a new restaurant in the hotel that I’m on the verge of opening. I’m willing to try you out as Head Chef while we’re out there. You’ll be able to show me a variety of skills.’

‘Head Chef...? Small island...? Caribbean...?’ She found it difficult to keep up with what Rafael was saying. The words werecoming fast at her and she barely had time to pin them down. What on earth was he saying?

‘Excellent weather this time of year.’

‘But... I’m confused.’

‘Impress me.’ He leaned forward, arms resting on his thighs, giving her his undivided attention. ‘And I’ll hire you to steer the restaurant. You can have free rein to come up with whatever menus you like, just so long as there’s an emphasis on local produce. It won’t be a permanent situation—six months, the first of which will be the week of the meetings. Of course, I’ll stay on after my clients have left to oversee the final touches, but I’ll be out of your hair. After those six months are up, you’ll be free to return here and open whatever kind of restaurant you want. You’ll be paid enough so that buying a place of your own will be more than affordable. You’ll also have me on your CV.’

‘I’ll haveyouon my CV?’

‘You successfully run my restaurant in a start-up hotel, and your database of clients will be guaranteed. You just have to let it be known that you impressed me.’

They looked at one another and Sammy eventually rolled her eyes.

‘You are anextremelyarrogant human being, Rafael Moreno.’

Rafael grinned. ‘I know. I’m working on it.’

‘So,’ she said, swiftly bringing the conversation back to logistics, because she’d been tempted to laugh. ‘If the restaurant is only now in the process of...of being operational, then how is it going to be possible for me to cook anything? What’s the equipment like? And how many...er...people are going to be there?’

‘Twelve, including partners.’

‘Okay.’

‘The equipment has been ordered. You can oversee what’s coming. Consider it the start of your new, exciting career.’

‘And until the stuff arrives—sandwiches and barbecues on a beach?’

‘That does sound reasonably relaxed,’ Rafael mused. ‘And relaxed is the aim of the game for the week. But, no. No sandwiches or barbecues on the beach. High-end fine dining, champagne and caviar, and interesting excursions for the other halves during the day when business is being done. I have a local guy already in place for that. You look a little bewildered.’

‘Should I go along with this...? I can’t just stay put over there when you and everyone else has left after the meetings are over.’

‘You’ll have a fortnight to return here so that you can sort out your affairs before you return. Six months isn’t very long. You might think that I would want you to stay put for longer, to prove your worth before I make a decision, but...’

‘But?’ Sammy echoed coolly.

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