When Francesco’s car horn sounded outside the apartment at eight o’clock, Alex picked up her evening bag, took a final look at herself in the mirror, and then sashayed down the path, fully aware that she looked her very best. This was reflected in Francesco’s eyes as he held open the car door.“Such a beautiful senorita,” he murmured, his fingers lingering just a little too long on her back as he helped her into the ridiculously low bucket seat of his sports car.Alex smiled as she watched him walk around to the driver’s door. After their recent argument, to say nothing of the mortifying incident of the towel, she had determined, once and for all, to put any thought of Matt right out of her mind and enjoy herself. To that end, she had treated herself to a single glass of wine while she waited for Francesco to arrive, hoping that it would help her relax.Although fjie journey to Playa de las Americas was still pretty hair-raising, Francesco did tone it down slightly, so that when they

Alex woke to the sound of a heavy thud outside her bedroom window. It was followed by angry voices, and she hurriedly stumbled out of bed and, for a second time that night, peered through a slat in the blinds.Two men were walking away from the apartment, and the taller of the two appeared to have the other in a viselike grip. When they reached the pavement, he opened the door of a car that was parked at the side of the road and bundled his victim inside. Alex had a brief view of both men as the interior light came on. One was short and dark and looked vaguely familiar. The other was Matt!She rubbed her eyes in disbelief and then looked again. There was absolutely no doubt about it. Although she couldn’t see his face, the tilt of his head and the breadth of his shoulders as he stood beside the car were so achingly familiar that she felt weak at the knees. What was he doing outside her apartment at four in the morning? She had seen him drive away at least a couple of hours earlier, an

Alex made straight for the dining area as soon as they arrived at the Alcaszar. Matt, following more slowly, chuckled when he noticed her scarlet sneakers.“I see you haven’t taken the concept of sensible shoes entirely seriously,” he teased.She flashed him a quick smile but didn’t answer. Instead, she turned her full attention to the dining room. It was a grand affair with high ceilings and the promise of a bright and airy interior once soft pastels and creams transformed the plum-colored walls and pale marble tiling opened up the floor area. An entire wall of folding glass panels looked out onto a balustraded terrace and what had once been an exotic tropical garden.“That needs a canopy,” she said, waving toward the terrace. “People will want to eat outside during the daytime, but it will be too hot without shading. If you use a canopy instead of umbrellas, then everyone will have an uninterrupted view of the gardens, even those diners who prefer to stay indoors.”“But what about t

Alex was up early on Saturday. She sat on her balcony enjoying the early-morning sunshine as she thought about the day ahead. While she very definitely needed a break, she wasn’t at all sure whether spending a day on the beach with Matt, particularly a Matt dressed in a bathing suit, would provide much relaxation. The only thing to do, she told herself firmly, was to spend as much time as possible chatting with Cristina and playing with the children. That way she could avoid being in close proximity with Matt and enjoy herself at the same time.Working with him over the past weeks had not been as difficult as she had feared. There was so much to do that there had been little time for their conversations to be anything other than strictly professional, and, because her ankle was better, she now worked mostly in the office, which meant that they were never alone. That, combined with the fact that she had rented her own car and so was much more independent, meant that she had been able t

When Matt arrived at the office on Monday morning, he found Alex already hard at work. From the papers strewn across her desk and the half-drunk cup of coffee beside them, it was clear that she had been there for some time. In two strides he was beside her, his palms flat on her desk, his eyebrows drawn together in a frown.“I told you to stay at home until you recovered!” he snapped.Before she could reply, the telephone rang, and one of the temporary assistants put the call through to Matt’s office. With a growl of irritation he made for the door and was soon in deep discussion with a client. Alex felt anger and frustration building inside her as she watched him go. With a sigh, she flung down her pen. On Saturday she had finally accepted that she was totally and completely in love with him. With it had come the bitter realization that she had to accept that her feelings for him were one-sided, because he would never be interested in anyone while the memory of his failed marriage ha