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Henry was basically a decent man, Sophie thought, but he was lonely and she’d played a dangerous game, not making her feelings clear to him from the start. She glanced at Xavier, a man who exuded testosterone from every pore. She felt safe working with him, and knew she would never feel safe with Henry again. And she had never loved Henry; she understood that now. But she couldn’t help admiring him. Volunteering to work in a situation so alien to him, it had to be hard—and would only get harder once he was out in the field. But the project was more important than her own feelings.
‘You could bring so much to the project, Henry,’ she said encouragingly. ‘And we’ll be working together again,’ she added, trying to sound happy about it.
‘Ah—’ Xavier interrupted. ‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible.’
‘Why not?’ Sophie said uncertainly. Was she to be sent home then? Mashing her lips together, she forced back her angry defence. This was a tightly run ship. She respected Xavier’s judgement. If he really thought she wasn’t up to the job—
‘I need you with me,’ he said simply. His face registered nothing as he waited for her response.
‘But, Xavier, I thought—’
‘I can’t help what you thought, Sophie,’ he said firmly. ‘The point is, Henry’s here now, and I can use you better elsewhere.’
Disappointment hit her square in the guts. There wasn’t a trace of intimacy in his voice—no hidden agenda, no double entendre, just plain, unadulterated fact. He was referring to her work and nothing else, Sophie realised, trying not to care. She glanced at Henry, who smiled ruefully back. He had resigned himself to a life without her, a life that absolved him from springing to her defence. ‘OK,’ she said, lifting her shoulders in a small shrug. ‘I’m here to work, Xavier. I’ll go anywhere you want me to.’
‘Good. I’m glad that’s settled,’ Xavier said with satisfaction as if he had tied up the last of the loose ends. ‘Well, we’ll have supper now and then turn in. We’ve got an early start in the morning,’ he said, shooting a warning glance at Sophie.
‘Henry,’ he added, clapping his new colleague on the shoulder, ‘how are you in the kitchen?’
‘So, where are we going?’
Sophie knew Evie would have answered her question right away. But Evie had taken herself off for her annual break to Rancho del Condor when she had touched down, and Xavier was piloting the light aircraft back to Lima. Apart from telling Henry he would be leaving for Spain soon, Xavier hadn’t mentioned where they were going, for how long, or why. Sophie had hardly seen him to ask questions: he was always busy briefing the new doctors who had arrived with Henry. And now Xavier was lost in thought, with an expression on his face that suggested he wouldn’t welcome a distraction. But she had every right to know.
‘OK, Xavier, so I know it’s Lima,’ she said firmly, ‘but what are we going to do when we get there? What will my duties be?’ she demanded, getting heated now.
‘Buckle up for landing.’
‘Xavier—’
‘I need to concentrate,’ he said with maddening calm, adjusting the bank of controls in front of him. ‘We’re on the final approach.’
‘What are we going to be doing in Lima?’ Sophie said again when they had landed safely and were taxiing along the runway.
‘I’ve got meetings, interviews.’ He shrugged.
‘And what about me?’
‘You’re my second in command,’ he said. ‘You’ll be my sounding board.’
‘And you consulted me about this, when?’
‘I thought you should have a proper overview of the project. It will help you to understand how I go about fund-raising, managing my own financial input as well as the awareness exercises I carry out with the media.’
‘Like I said,’ Sophie demanded tensely, ‘when was I consulted about this? I signed up to be a doctor with the project, not to glad-hand the press.’
‘Well, that glad-handing is what keeps this scheme alive and thriving. And if you’re so short-sighted you can’t see that—’ Before Sophie could launch a counter-attack he warned, ‘I’m not in the mood for this, Sophie.’
The temperature was rising sharply between them. It felt as if he didn’t want her there—so why had he brought her, Sophie wondered. Right at this moment, taking on Henry back at the clinic had more appeal than struggling to build bridges with Xavier.
Though she tried to harden her mind against him, her body had other ideas. But at least her mind remained firm—firm-ish, she amended, watching Xavier’s strong hands moving with such efficiency between the controls. Everything those hands had touched, stroked and pleasured throbbed now with an insistent pulse. And the knowledge that they would never touch her again was unbearable—frustration squared.
‘That was a heavy sigh,’ he commented.
Sophie reddened, wondering if he had a direct line to her thoughts.
He glanced across at her. ‘Are you OK?’
‘I’m fine, thank you,’ she said, pleased that her voice sounded so even, so controlled—in complete contrast to the jangling disorder of her heart.
Being cooped up with Xavier in the small cabin for the best part of the morning was no antidote to the erotic meanderings of an off-duty mind, Sophie realised, easing position in her seat. She was still aroused, still incredibly sensitised from his lovemaking… Maybe she always would be, she hypothesized with a short inward smile. And wasn’t that better than nothing? It was certainly far safer than the real thing as far as her emotions were concerned.
‘I know it’s been a long trip,’ Xavier commented, ‘but don’t worry, it won’t be much longer.’
A long trip was right, Sophie mused wryly. Coming to Peru had been the journey of a lifetime in more ways than one. It was such a pity her fantasies couldn’t have remained intact for just a little while longer.
CHAPTER NINE
XAVIER took an entire floor at the Inca Continental Hotel in the centre of Lima. But Sophie soon discovered that the grand old building bore no resemblance to any five-star hotel she knew. If it had to be rated in stars, a whole constellation would have been closer to the mark.
‘This is my room.’
Sophie made herself ignore the spear of disappointment that the idea of Xavier sleeping alone induced as he led her across a huge and magnificent room. An illusion of additional height had been lent to the magnificently gilded and domed roof above her head by a series of diminishing scrolls. The bed was dwarfed by the size of everything else, but it was the use of colour she found intoxicating. Turning full circle, she tried to take it all in before Xavier whisked her away—brightest coral and gold, deep jade and sky blue—and everything that could be gilded had been, so that with the addition of the vast chandeliers glittering over their heads the room seemed filled with light and brilliance like an earthbound celestial cabaret.
‘If the furniture is moved it can be used as another ballroom,’ Xavier informed her casually, as a uniformed man-servant appeared out of nowhere to open some huge arched doors for them, ‘in addition, of course, to the larger ballroom in the main body of the hotel.’
It didn’t take much imagination to picture the scene when it was transformed, Sophie mused, casting a last lingering look over her shoulder. There would be ladies in couture gowns, and the men…perhaps some of them would be in uniform. And an orchestra…yes, a full orchestra, she decided.
‘Are you coming, Sophie?’ Xavier demanded, bringing her to her senses with a not so discreet cough. ‘I’ve got my first meeting in less than an hour.’
‘Yes…yes, I’m sorry.’ She walked briskly through the doorway where he was waiting, feeling his force field envelop her briefly. And then she was past him and entering another even more fabulous room. An experience like this was a once in a lifetime event, she mused, gazing around with naked appreciation. She wanted to take her time…savour it.
‘This is your sitting room,’ he said briefly.
‘My sitting room,’ Sophie repeated, st
raight-faced. Well, there were sofas—four of them—so she supposed the magnificent space was used for that purpose. In spite of the question mark hanging over her presence in Lima, she couldn’t help enjoying this chance to observe a lifestyle Xavier took for granted.
