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Yes, she had agreed to go with him, but they definitely weren’t friends and it was important to keep their acquaintanceship to the bare minimum.

She knew the sort of man he was. Fundamentally. Not only had Carlos described him to her, but meeting him in the flesh had confirmed every word Carlos had said.

And more!

Yet she found that she was waiting breathlessly for him to respond. She couldn’t peel her eyes away from his sinfully handsome face.

‘He got kicked out of his school,’ Javier said softly. ‘I got a call from the principal of the school where he was boarding.’

‘What did you do?’

‘There aren’t that many choices when faced with a sixteen-year-old who’s been expelled. I laid down the law, got him into another school and made sure he knew exactly what the consequences would be if he didn’t toe the line.’

‘Poor Carlos.’

Javier looked at her with incredulity.

‘Poor Carlos?’ He laughed shortly. ‘If that’s your reaction to my brother’s teenage lunacy then I’m guessing he’s got you wrapped around his little finger.’

‘Of course he hasn’t! Do I strike you as the sort of woman who’s wrapped around any guy’s finger?’

In response, Javier looked at her with leisurely, assessing eyes until Hope felt the colour rise to her cheeks.

‘How would I know?’ he eventually asked in a silky soft, musing voice. ‘That would require a much more personal relationship than the one we have. Underneath all that mouthy arguing you might be putty in the right man’s hands.’

He laughed with genuine amusement when she glared at him resentfully under lowered lashes.

‘Don’t explode. Tell me, why do you think I have any interest in telling you what to do? Now that you’re on board and willing to help me find my brother?’

‘Because Carlos said that you’re…’ She broke off angrily. Having impulsively said the first thing that came to her head, she reddened a little bit more.

‘Ah. Got it.’ Javier’s expression cooled and he looked at her with a shuttered expression. ‘You and Carlos have been gossiping about me behind my back.’

‘No!’

He shrugged.

Of course his brother would have discussed him and not in the most flattering of terms either.

‘I do what I have to do when it comes to Carlos. If he has a problem with me because of that, then there’s nothing I can do about it.’

‘Javier…’

‘There’s no need to launch into some kind of stumbling explanation for what you almost but didn’t quite say.’

‘We don’t gossip about you.’

‘Time to drop this. What other questions do you have? I won’t be telling you what to do. You’ll be there for one thing and one thing only. To facilitate a conversation between my brother and myself without it coming to blows.’

‘Carlos isn’t the fighting sort.’

‘Physical blows aren’t the only ones that can land.’

‘I’m sorry if I hurt you just then…’

‘Hurt me?’ Javier laughed shortly. ‘Trust me, the possibility of that ever happening is zero. I’m paying you to help me out. I won’t be bossing you around and, for further clarification, I am very, very comfortable with keeping our interaction to the bare minimum.’

‘What does that mean?’