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It was unsettling to think just how fast two years could fly by before you noticed that date nights had become a thing of the past. Before you noticed that you barely looked at guys with any kind of interest any more.

Until now.

Now that she was sitting here looking at someone who was the last sort of man she should be looking at for a million reasons.

Carlos had told her in passing that women tripped over themselves to be with his brother.

Good Lord, she’d spent a lifetime picking up the pieces every time her mother had fallen for the last man she should have fallen for. She’d seen what happened when you turned yourself into somebody’s possession, waiting in vain until he got bored and started hunting around for something newer and shinier.

So, a man who had women tripping over themselves to be with him? Not a chance.

She had no intention of being one of those women. In fact, she couldn’t think of anything more distasteful.

‘Just to make it clear,’ she said, making an effort to rein in her wandering thoughts and focus. ‘On this trip…er…search and rescue mission…er…unnecessary journey because Carlos will be in touch when he’s ready…um…’

‘Spit it out. No need to be embarrassed because you’ve accepted some filthy lucre to come with me, even though I sense it goes against the grain for reasons I can’t comprehend.’

‘It does go against the grain. I don’t care about money but if I’m to do this favour for you, then why on earth would I do it for free? Like I already said?’

‘Apologies for reminding you that this is a situation that comes with some attractive upsides.’

He didn’t look apologetic. While she didn’t give a hoot if he thought that she was the sort of woman who could be bought, she still had to force herself to remain composed.

‘The fact that you’re paying me doesn’t make you my boss,’ she said bluntly. ‘That’s what I need to make clear to you. You want me to tag along in case we find Carlos—which we won’t, because if he wanted to disappear for a few weeks he wouldn’t disappear where he could be found by you—but you won’t be ordering me around.’

She’d somehow managed to finish her pasta without noticing. She pushed her plate to the side and leaned towards him, with icy determination.

‘Ordering you around?’

‘That’s right. You came here threatening hell and damnation when you thought I knew where your brother was and was withholding information from you.’

‘That’s something of an exaggeration.’

‘You told me that you’d buy up my workspace and then chuck me out of it.’

He flushed slightly and shrugged. ‘In this instance, I intended to get what I was after and that seemed as efficient a means as any. I find there are times when it pays to cut to the chase. Frankly, I could live my life very happily without any pleasantries being exchanged.’

Hope gritted her teeth.

‘Precisely what I’m saying! That sort of attitude isn’t going to work with me.’

‘You’ve agreed to come with me. My game plan has accordingly changed.’

‘The reason I’ve decided to cooperate is purely because I care about Carlos. While I know he’s absolutely fine and is just taking some time out to evaluate his life, what you said about…about…’

‘His adventures with drugs?’

‘If that’s how you want to put it,’ Hope said with a concerned sigh. ‘He’s never mentioned anything about that to me in all the time we’ve known one another.’

‘I expect Carlos thought it best to bury that particular episode when it came to making friends. It wasn’t exactly a high point in his life.’

‘How did you find out? Can I ask?’

Hope could feel the beginning of a slippery slide of engagement with these brothers, both of them. She was no longer listening to one side of a story. She was curious about the other side now and had an avid interest in learning more about their fractured relationship.

This was beyond her brief.

Did she care about Javier Mendoza? No. Something inside her was telling her that she should keep him at a distance.