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He stood with his back to her in the open deck door, his hands tucked into the back pockets of his denim shorts, his shoulders stretching the confines of his cotton T-shirt.
Mia’s heart turned over. This beautiful man, this strong and incredible man, was her lover.
Matthew turned and looked at her. His eyes were unreadable, his jaw was tight. For an instant, the uncertainty came back. She’d slept with him, explored his body as he’d explored hers, and she still didn’t know anything about him, or why Douglas had chosen him to hunt her down…
“Good morning,” he said softly, and everything changed, his eyes, his expression, and when he opened his arms, she stopped thinking and flew into his embrace.
“I’m sorry I slept so late,” she said, smiling up at him.
“Mmm.” His arms tightened around her. “You should be. Thanks to you, I’m starving.”
“You should have had breakfast without me.”
His smile was slow and sexy. “I’m not talking about breakfast,” he said softly, and gave her an unhurried, coffee-flavored kiss.
He led her onto the deck. She’d only glimpsed it yesterday. Now, she saw that it ran the length of the house. Low stone walls bordered its perimeter. The air was redolent with the scent of flowers that overflowed terra cotta planters scattered everywhere.
“This is wonderful,” Mia said softly.
Matthew brought her hand to his lips. “I thought we’d have breakfast out here.”
“Yes. That would be perfect.”
They ate at a glass table, shielded from the sun by a huge blue umbrella. Evalina had gone to the local native market but she’d left their meal ready for them: covered dishes of scrambled eggs, bacon and tortillas.
“What is this place?” Mia asked. “Where are we?”
“We’re in the Andes. A mountain range called the Corillera Oriental.”
“It’s like being on top of the world.”
He smiled. “The locals call it Cachalú. Land of the Sky.”
“And all of it’s yours?”
His smile became a grin. “Not quite all, but a big piece of it, yeah.”
“But you’re North American.”
His smile faded. “I spent some time here, long ago.”
“Here? At this house, you mean?”
He shook his head. “I was in the country, and I spent a couple of days here, on business. Someone else owned it then.”
“A friend?”
“Just someone I knew. Not really what I’d call a friend.” He paused. “A guy I, ah, I met through work.”
“I thought you said you were a soldier.”
“I was.” The last remnant of his smile disappeared. “It’s ancient history.”
Chastened, Mia sat back. “Matthew, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
He reached for her hand and wound her fingers through his. “No, baby, I’m the one who’s sorry. It’s just that the time I spent here wasn’t… I’m not much for reliving the past, you know?” He smiled again, though she could tell that it was forced. “Besides, why should we talk about me when we can talk about you?”
They couldn’t talk about her. He’d ask questions and she couldn’t give him answers. Not without being absolutely certain of the real reason he’d been looking for her.
