Shot back to reality with a vengeance by that reminder, Miah slid off the bed as if she had been jabbed by a hot poker. Realising in mortification that, aside of a wispy bra and a pair of torn knickers, she had no clothes to put back on, she snatched at the bedspread and yanked violently at it to haul it from under the big bronzed length of him where he lay in an infuriatingly relaxed post-coital sprawl. Concealing herself within its folds, Miah was furiously aware of Alexander’s unashamedly amused scrutiny.“What is hidden is always more intriguing, sweetheart,” he murmured with silken approbation. “And much more appealing to a man like me than a short skirt and a low neckline—”She rolled her eyes, “Intriguing you is the very last thing on my mind!” Miah almost spat at him, a tempestuous fury building behind her embarrassment.With his brilliant eyes gleaming, his black hair ruffled and blue-black stubble beginning to shadow his strong jaw line and highlight his shapely mouth, he

‘Whether I like it or not is irrelevant!’ Miah argued wildly.‘How can it be?’ Alexander urged, turning her round to face him. ‘It’s the icing on the cake for both of us. But you should have warned me that I would be your first lover. If I’d known I would have been more patient and I might have hurt you less.’Miah wanted the tiled floor to open up and swallow her. She snatched at her bodice before it could tumble lower and expose her bare breasts. Her hands were trembling, for she was remembering that wild passion when his impatience had only been matched by her eagerness and the pain had drowned in the hot sweet tide of pleasure. Her face burning, she stepped back from him. ‘I’m fine,’ she said flatly.Alexander dealt her a flashing smile of such intrinsic charisma that her gaze stayed glued to him. ‘We’ll eat together in an hour.’Relieved by his departure and wrung out by the day’s events, Miah shed her dress in the bedroom and finally sank into the bath with a heartfelt sigh o

WHAT are you doing?’ Alexander demanded as Miah slid soundlessly off the side of the bed like a wraith trying to avoid detection. In almost the same movement she reached for her discarded nightdress.Miah ’s upper lip was damp with perspiration. She had broken out in a literal cold sweat. Why would Alexander lie? Nor had there been anything teasing about his voice or manner. Indeed he’d had been terrifyingly matter-of-fact when he mentioned putting back the time frame for a while. A baby? She was to give him a baby as part of the contract? He had to be out of his mind!She pulled on her nightie with shaking hands, for the nakedness of intimacy seemed more wrong than ever now that she was being forced to confront the reality that to protect her sister she had deceived him. Was it possible that Mirabella could have set out to deceive her as well? It was after midnight and Miah was incredibly tired. There were no bright ideas in her mind to inspire her and no magical escape hatch in si

And now she knew that it was a job she could never, ever fulfil. Alexander had been willing to pay a fortune for a discreet woman, willing to give him a child and then walk away without any hassle. What did that say about him? Her soft mouth trembled and she dug her fingers tightly into her palms. Not a guy who thought much of a woman’s maternal instincts or even of a child’s need for a mother. Not a guy who thought much of women as decent people full stop, she reckoned painfully. And all she had done was give him even more justification for his cynical attitude towards her sex!Her eyes stung with tears and she blinked rapidly and sniffed, furious that her emotions were still out of her control. But she really did feel wretched and ashamed at what she had let herself get involved in. She was thinking about the man who had impassively admitted putting his alcoholic mother to bed every night as a child. Even his loving grandmother had not managed to alter Alexander’s bleak view of fami

Suddenly, without a warning, Miah and Alexander had another vision as their eyes met, they knew it was them ... .in the past…standing outside Shaina’s room. “Are you Miah Del Ponce?” There was a stranger standing outside Shaina’s room. She sensed he had been lurking there for some time. Miah had scanned him, of course, that was as natural to her as breathing, and she had known he was waiting to talk with her.“The doctors here are quite remarkable,” she said softly. “Don’t you think it is much more likely they healed the child if her cancer is in remission? I go and read to the children often, but I cannot heal them, much as I would like to. Have you seen them on the cancer ward? They are so beautiful and brave. It’s rather heartbreaking. Perhaps you should visit them. The story would have tremendous human interest, don’t you think?”She buried the subtle compulsion in her suggestion carefully. The reporter shook his head as if to clear it. “I have to get the story.” She nodded gentl