Page 16 of Emergency Engagement

‘This is not what I was expecting. Like I said...’

‘In the big scheme of things, a week is neither here nor there. I won’t expect anything from you but a bit of acting and, like I just said, you’ll probably be busy preparing food so the acting will be limited—a smile here, a fond glance there. I’m not a touchy-feely person at the best of times.’

‘And your important business colleagues are going to buy into you falling madly in love with an impoverished chef you happened to know when you were a kid?’ She shot him a look of blazing disbelief. ‘They surely must know that you date models and...gorgeous blonde women with big hair and long legs?’

‘Well iftheydon’t, then you certainly seem to.’

‘No one will believe you for a second, Rafael.’

‘I’ll say straight away that Victoria did.’

‘Well...’

‘In a lot of ways, it’s far more convincing that, after a string of unsuitable beauties, I’ve lost my heart to...’

‘The girl next door? Or should I saythe girl who used to be next door? Thanks for the compliment.’

‘To a girl who’s the complete opposite of what I’ve always gone for—to a proud and ambitious working woman who isn’t interested in living a life of leisure, whiling away her time doing her nails and shopping for designer clothes.’

‘Which is what the women you date enjoy doing?’

‘I’ve never had a problem with that. At any rate, being a full-time model involves more than nail-doing and designer-clothes shopping.’

‘Of course,’ Sammy agreed dutifully. ‘Who could disagree with that?’ She was half-thinking about the temptation of taking him up on an offer that could open a million doors for her and would certainly solve all her financial problems for the foreseeable future, if not for ever. If shedidagree to his crazy scheme, would that make her easily bought or incredibly canny?

‘It’s an impossibly tall story to pull off, Rafael. What does this ex of yours look like?’

‘Six foot one, blonde hair, long legs.’

‘Exactly! Now look atme.’

‘I’m looking.’ He paused just long enough for her to blush. ‘Why are you so touchy?’

‘I’m not touchy! I’m being realistic.’

‘Look,’ Rafael said gravely. ‘For the reasons I’ve outlined to you, I really would like you to play along with me for the next few days. Like I said, once it’s under our belt, you will walk away a wealthy woman with the career opportunities you dreamed of within your reachimmediately—no need to spend six months on an unfamiliar island.’

The carrot dangled tantalisingly. It was a truly astronomical amount of money on offer. Maybe to him it was less than a drop in the ocean, but to her? Yes, all those career opportunities would be firmly within her reach, and more besides. She would be able to treat her mother to all the things she deserved after a lifetime of scrimping and saving for her kids.

Rafael was right. What were a few days in the grand scheme of things? It would all be just a game, and one rooted in good intentions at that. Rafael would be spared the inconvenience of an ex-lover making a play at him behind her husband’s back, and Sammy would get to skip the six-month stay and head straight home to Yorkshire to achieve her dream of starting her own restaurant.

‘I’m tired,’ she said truthfully. ‘It’s been a long day.’

‘Let’s go.’ He stood up immediately and she followed suit.

The utter madness of this man being her lover flashed through her head. But then, her mind veered off on a tangent and began playing with all sorts of inappropriate images that made her burn up inside. Images of him touching her...looking at her with those clever, dark eyes...seeing more than just a nuisance who had shown up at his office clutching her portfolio and calling his conscience into question.

It was madness, of course. Rafael Moreno would never see her in that light. Men tended to go for women who were clones of one another. He went for catwalk models, or at least women whocould becatwalk models. He was the guy who could have anyone.

‘How long do I have to think about this?’

‘The duration of the car ride back to my villa.’

‘And if I say no?’

‘Then you say no.’

‘What would you tell your ex, after you’ve said that we’re an item?’

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