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She was running down a one-way street with this, because he certainly hadn’t fallen in love with her.

The silence stretched to breaking point. She wasn’t going to say anything about how she felt, wasn’t going to lose her pride and her dignity. She’d seen her mother do that far too many times and was very well acquainted with the contempt with which her confessions had always been greeted. Men who had chased so hard had suddenly run away, never to look back over their shoulder at the woman who had made the mistake of pouring her heart out to them.

About to say something, to tell him that they needed to think about heading back because Christmas was looming and she had a life to be getting on with, she heard the buzz of her phone on the table next to her.

It was a temporary reprieve from a conversation she didn’t want to have.

She picked up her phone, but in the next moment breathed in sharply and sat up.

‘It’s Carlos.’

Javier, caught by surprise as he played with the idea of pursuing their fling beyond Mexico, stiffened. Then, he sat up to face her.

‘Carlos?’

Had he actually forgotten why he was here? Forgotten the problem of his brother that would have to be sorted out?

Had Hope managed to get that much under his skin?

Every nerve in his body tightened in immediate rejection of that sign of weakness.

‘Where is he? What does he have to say?’ He checked his own phone. Nothing. ‘He hasn’t bothered to contact me,’ he said bitterly. ‘Surprise, surprise.’

‘Javier…’

‘I know what you’re going to say, but don’t bother. Just tell me what he said.’

‘He’s back in London. He said he’ll contact you shortly. He’s…he’s ready to have a conversation.’

Javier looked at her. The sheet was round her belly and her small, perfect breasts were pouting at him, distracting him from the more pressing issue of what lay just round the corner when he saw his brother.

Even now, he still wanted her. It was inconceivable to him but there was no point pretending it wasn’t so.

In time, this fever would inevitably wane. Until it did, he would deal with his brother. Then he would contemplate doing what he hadn’t once thought he might ever be tempted to do.

He would try and persuade her to carry on their affair once they were back in England. If this was a fever for them both, then surely it would have to run its course.

‘We need to pack.’ He swung his legs over the side of the bed, suddenly restless, fighting the urge to get back to that soporific place he had just left. ‘We’ll leave for London tomorrow, first thing.’

CHAPTER TEN

‘ARE YOU NERVOUS?’ Hope asked.

‘I don’t do nerves.’ Javier, sprawled in the backseat of his chauffeur-driven car, glanced sideways at Hope, whose face was a pattern of shadows in the darkness.

He wanted to reach out and hold her hand but he figured that that would have made what he’d just said look like a lie. It would have been the very thing to suggest he needed reassurance.

They were on their way to see his brother. It was odd to think that less than thirty-six hours ago they’d been making love. Even with the prospect of a showdown with Carlos on the horizon, he had still been able to enjoy every single second of that final early morning experience, when they had come together as one, bodies warm and languorous and lazy with sleep.

He hadn’t said a word about prolonging their relationship. It hadn’t, somehow, seemed appropriate. It could wait until he had talked with his brother but he was comfortable with his decision because he still wanted her, against all the odds.

And she still wanted him.

Two consenting adults still in the throes of a passion that seemed bigger than them. Stolen desire. Eventually, it would burn out under the glare of reality but why hurry that along?

He yielded to temptation and reached out so that he could entwine his fingers with hers. Then he straightened and pulled her against him.

‘Okay,’ he conceded, ‘I’m slightly nervous.’