Page 19 of Emergency Engagement

‘Outside—dinner is served poolside. The plan is for you to briefly meet everyone and then retire: jet lag, et cetera et cetera. I expect after the day you’ve had you won’t be arguing with that.’

‘After the past few weeks I’ve had,’ Sammy said, ‘I could sleep for the next hundred years.’

‘Sammy.’ Rafael stopped dead in his tracks and turned, stilling her with his hand on her arm. ‘The Yorkshire hotel...that was business.’

‘I get that, but you must have known that I had made an offer on the side building?’

‘I knew, but it wasn’t a consideration when I decided to outbid you. Business is business, after all. Besides, I had no idea who had offered on the outbuilding. It wasn’t my concern.’

‘Would it have made you stop and think if you’d known that it was me?’

‘No.’

‘When did you get so hard, Rafael?’

‘That’s a big question for eight-thirty on a Thursday evening.’

‘Does that mean that you don’t want to answer?’

‘It means that, whatever our game entails, questions about my personal life are off-limits.’

Sammy shrugged, but her green eyes were still curious and steady as they collided with his.

‘Okay. And, just for the record, questions about mine are off-limits as well.’

‘Good. Glad that’s settled. Great match, like I’ve said. Is it any wonder we’re rushing recklessly into marriage when we get one another so well? Now, shall we meet the assembled party?’

But, as they strolled through the villa, heading out towards the massive infinity pool that was perched on manicured grounds leading down to a private cove, Rafael could feel his curiosity about her pique. He’d warned her off thinking that, because they were in this unusual situation, she was somehow owed access to his private thoughts or to the things that had made him the man he was: the hurt, anger and disillusionment that had struck during his formative years, emotions never to be forgotten. No one would ever have access to that part of him.

It was fair enough that she had laid down the same ground rules for him as he’d laid down for her, and really, since when had he ever been curious about any woman’s back story? So he was surprised to find himself wondering about the woman by his side with her chin held high and grim determination plastered on her face.

The sound of laughter was getting louder the nearer they got to the sprawling French doors that led out to the terrace and pool area at the back of the villa. The nights drew in early here but it remained warm enough for people to swim at night if they cared to. He never did.

He could feel her stiffen next to him. Good Lord, could she look more as though she were being dragged to face a hangman’s noose?

Some nerves were understandable. He’d understand a shy smile, perhaps, as he introduced her to people she didn’t know...and maybe, just maybe, an adoring look up at him... Was that asking too much?

When he glanced down, it was to see the last thing she seemed likely to give would either be adoration or a shy smile. Her mouth was pursed, her eyes were narrowed and her posture was rigid. This wasn’t a woman in love with him. This was a woman who wanted to hit him over the head with a rolling pin.

He sighed to himself. There was only one thing for it. He turned to her and called her name in a low whisper. As she looked up at him, he cupped the nape of her neck with his hand, tangled his fingers into her short, dark hair and kissed her.

That kiss...

It was the last thing Sammy had been expecting. The mouth that covered hers was cool, the tongue that probed was moist and the reaction she had was devastatingly powerful. She was so surprised that she didn’t pull back; so stunned that she lost herself in it and yielded to a drowning sensation quite unlike anything she had ever felt before in her life.

She tiptoed to return the kiss and her hand crept along his neck and curved the shape of his jaw just as he pulled away and murmured with husky amusement, ‘Thank you.’

In a heartbeat, she realised what had just happened. About to introduce the love of his life, and fearing thatlovewas probably the last thing on her face, he had pulled her to him and kissed her...kissed her until she’d been soft, compliant and rosy-cheeked...kissed her senseless...until she’d displayed all the classic signs of a woman in love: pink cheeks, parted lips and dazed eyes.

Blinking like an owl, she turned to a collection of very appreciative faces. Some people were standing, some were lounging on recliners and a couple was actually in the pool. The backdrop of a starry night, the dark shadows of swaying coconut trees and in the distance the even darker strip of ocean made the scene look almost staged—especially as everyone seemed to have stopped whatever they’d been doing.

‘Let me introduce you to Sammy.’

Rafael’s voice snapped her out of her stupor and she duly plastered a smile on her face. Her eyes were adjusting to the darkness, the lights mounted on the wall behind them picking out over-sized planters with bamboo bursting up, several sun loungers with canopies that were the size of single beds and a shaded area, beneath which was a long table and chairs and a bar area. The pool itself was absolutely enormous, flat, shiny and still.

It could only have been a matter of seconds, but it felt as though it took for ever before the silence was broken by a woman slow-clapping and stepping out of the pool.

‘I never thought I’d see the day when the inveterate bachelor decided to join the ranks of us in love...’ came a low, amused, husky female drawl with just the tiniest thread of bitter rage detectable, Sammy was sure, only to Rafael and her. Because of course the woman in question emerging out of the water could only be his ex.

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