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And then the fright he’d just given her faded and the anger she’d been harbouring swelled back. Her hand gripped the door.
‘Actually, I might ask the same of you—what the hell are you doing here, Fonseca?’ Something occurred to her. ‘And how on earth did you even know where I was?’
His mouth was a tight line. ‘I told Sancho, my driver, to wait at the airport and make sure you got on the flight.’
The extent of how badly he’d wanted her gone hit her. Her hand gripped the door even tighter. ‘This is a free country, Fonseca. I decided to stay and do a little sightseeing, and as I no longer work for you I really don’t think you have any jurisdiction here.’
She went to close the door in his face but he easily stopped her and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him and forcing her to take a step back.
His arctic gaze took in her appearance with derision and Serena crossed her arms over her braless chest, self-conscious.
‘Mr Fonseca—’
‘Enough with the Mr Fonseca. Why are you still here, Serena?’
His use of her name made something swoop inside her. She crossed her arms tighter. It reminded her bizarrely of how it had felt to kiss him in the middle of that dance floor. Dark and hot and intoxicating. No other man’s kiss or touch had ever made her feel like that. She’d pulled back from him in shock, as if his kiss had incinerated her, right through to where she was still whole. Herself.
‘Well?’
The curt question jarred Serena back to the present and she hated it that she’d remembered that feeling of exposure.
‘I want to see Rio de Janeiro before going home.’ As if she would confide that she also wanted to delay revealing the extent of her failure to her family for as long as possible.
Luca snorted indelicately. ‘Do you have any idea where you are? Were you planning on taking a stroll along the beach later?’
Serena gritted her jaw. ‘I was, actually. I’d invite you to join me, but I’m sure you have better things to be doing.’
His sheer animal magnetism was a
lmost overwhelming in the small space. The beard and his longer hair only added to his intense masculinity. Her skin prickled with awareness. She could feel her nipples tighten and harden against the barrier of her thin T-shirt and hated the unique way this man affected her above any other.
Luca was snarling again. ‘Do you realise that you’re in one of the most dangerous parts of Rio? You’re just minutes from one of the worst favelas in the city.’
Serena resisted the urge to point out that that should please him. ‘But the beach is just blocks away.’
Now he was grim. ‘Yes, and no one goes near this end of the beach at night unless they’re out to score some drugs or looking to get mugged. It’s one of the most dangerous places in the city after dark.’
He stepped closer and his eyes narrowed on her speculatively.
‘But maybe that’s it? You’re looking for some recreational enhancement? Maybe your family have you under their watch and you’re relishing some freedom? Have you even told them you’ve been fired?’
Serena’s arms fell to her sides and she barely noticed Luca’s gaze dropping to her chest before coming up again. All she felt was an incredible surge of anger and hatred for this man and his perspicacity—even if it wasn’t entirely accurate.
Disgusted at the part of her that wanted to try and explain herself to him, she spat out, ‘What’s the point?’
She stalked around Luca and reached for the door handle, but before she could turn it and open the door an arm came over her head, keeping the door shut. She turned and folded her arms again, glaring up at Luca, conscious of her bare feet and damp hair, trying desperately not to let his sheer physicality affect her.
‘If you don’t leave in five seconds I’ll start screaming.’
Luca kept his arm on the door, semi caging Serena in. ‘The manager will just assume we’re having fun. You can’t be so naive that you didn’t notice this place rents rooms by the hour.’
Serena felt hot. First of all at thinking of this man making her scream with pleasure and then at her own naivety.
‘Of course I didn’t,’ she snapped, feeling vulnerable. She scooted out from under Luca’s arm and put some space between them.
Luca crossed his arms. ‘No, I can imagine you didn’t. After all, it’s not what you’re used to.’
Serena thought of the Spartan conditions of the rehab facility she’d been in in England for a year, and then of her tiny studio apartment in a very insalubrious part of Athens. She smiled sweetly. ‘How would you know?’
