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‘I doubt it.’
The murmured comment stirred her interest even more. Who was Stella? And what was her connection with the most obnoxious man on the planet?
Having reached her front door, Stella opened it and beckoned them inside.
The interior was cool and shady with slivers of sunlight slanting in through the shutters. The air smelled faintly of herbs, and, gazing around, Lisa noticed that every window ledge was lined with terracotta pots sprouting densely packed greenery. ‘What a lovely home you have.’
Stella smiled, pointing to the easy chairs. ‘Please, both of you sit down.’
‘Are you sure I can’t help you with anything?’ Lisa said, ignoring this suggestion as she edged towards the kitchen door.
‘No, no.’ Stella was quite certain on this point. ‘You two relax, and let me prepare the food. I won’t take long.’
You two? Again she was bracketed with the last man on earth she would have chosen to be paired with. Lisa would have thought the distance that existed between them would have been glaringly obvious to everyone, especially to a woman who seemed as bright and observant as Stella. Wandering across the room, she casually picked out a window seat as far away from Tino as possible. Sitting down, she stared out through the barely open shutter.
‘Is that better for you?’
Lisa breathed in convulsively as Tino leaned across to open the shutters a little more for her. She could feel his warmth in every fibre of her being. And then he remained at her side so that the acute, and very troubling, awareness of him refused to fade.
‘You’re an early riser, Lisa.’
‘I always wake at dawn on a working day.’ Her voice was clipped, inviting no further conversation between them. And then, to Lisa’s relief, Stella bustled back into the room carrying a loaded breakfast tray.
‘Why didn’t you call me to bring this in for you?’ Tino demanded, crossing the room in a couple of strides to take the tray from her.
‘Because you were keeping our visitor company.’ Stella stared hard at him before releasing the tray, and then she turned to Lisa. ‘Forgive me, Lisa, I am sure you do not want to hear us bickering.’
‘You know my name?’ Lisa frowned, realising she had forgotten to introduce herself. She glanced at Tino, but he was suddenly too busy unloading the breakfast tray to notice. ‘I’m sorry, Stella, I should have said.’ Lisa made up for her earlier lapse with a smile, ‘I’m Lisa Bond. I’m here to do business with Tino.’
‘Business with Tino?’ Pulling a face, Stella made a fanning motion with her hand that required no translation.
‘I’m sure I can handle him.’ Lisa stared at him so that he could be in no doubt that she would.
‘So, what are your plans today?’ Stella looked between them as she piled their plates high with fresh bread and honey.
‘We have a meeting.’
‘I plan to take Lisa out on the boat.’
They both spoke at once, and Lisa bridled instantly. She had no intention of wasting the first of her five precious negotiating days on Tino’s floating gin palace.
‘And I will bring back some fresh fish for your supper,’ he added to Stella.
‘I shall look forward to it.’ Stella clapped her hands with pleasure.
Lisa looked from one to the other. Tino was not going to ignore her. And he was not going to draw this lovely, innocent woman into some devious plan he had concocted. They had more important things to do than catch fish today. She watched angrily as he tucked into his breakfast with relish. Breakin
g off a crispy crust from one of the chunks of bread, he dipped it in some honey.
‘No,’ she said flatly.
‘No?’ Tino paused, bread in hand, to stare at her.
‘I’m not coming with you—I have better things to do than idle my time away. I thought we both did.’
‘Lisa?’ Putting a hand to his chest, Tino affected an innocent expression.
‘Don’t you like boats?’ Stella looked concerned.
