Dear Reader

A turquoise ocean, palm-fringed beaches, and lazy days spent sipping cocktails from a sunlit veranda … What better way to try to mend a broken heart and lay plans for the future?

That’s what I had in mind when I set out to write Alyssa and Connor’s story. An exotic paradise island seemed to me to be the very best setting for their romance. Anything can happen. Dreams can come true … eventually.

Even paradise can suffer storm clouds now and again, though, and that’s exactly what happens to Alyssa’s attempts to restore her soul. Of course she needs a very special person to make her dreams come true …

Enjoy!

Joanna

Praise for Joanna Neil:

‘I’ve never given a romance novel 5 stars before,

but I loved this one.’

—www.goodreads.com on

A COTSWOLD CHRISTMAS BRIDE

About the Author

When JOANNA NEIL discovered Mills & Boon®, her lifelong addiction to reading crystallised into an exciting new career writing Medical Romance™. Her characters are probably the outcome of her varied lifestyle, which includes working as a clerk, typist, nurse and infant teacher. She enjoys dressmaking and cooking at her Leicestershire home. Her family includes a husband, son and daughter, an exuberant yellow Labrador and two slightly crazed cockatiels. She currently works with a team of tutors at her local education centre to provide creative writing workshops for people interested in exploring their own writing ambitions.

Recent titles by Joanna Neil:

TAMED BY HER BROODING BOSS

DR RIGHT ALL ALONG

DR LANGLEY: PROTECTOR OR PLAYBOY?

A COTSWOLD CHRISTMAS BRIDE

THE TAMING OF DR ALEX DRAYCOTT

BECOMING DR BELLINI’S BRIDE

These books are also available in eBook format from www.millsandboon.co.uk

His Bride
in Paradise
Joanna Neil

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CHAPTER ONE

‘I CAN’T believe my luck,’ Alyssa said excitedly, cradling the phone close to her ear. ‘The house is magnificent, Carys, and it’s right next to the ocean.’

‘Mmm … that’s exactly how I imagined it,’ her cousin answered. ‘So you managed to find the place all right? How’s it all going for you?’ On the other end of the line, Carys’s voice held a note of eager anticipation.

Alyssa smiled at her enthusiastic tone. Carys lived on the mainland in Florida, some sixty or seventy miles away from here, and she was keen to know everything that was going on.

‘Oh, it was easy enough,’ Alyssa said. ‘The taxi driver dropped me off. Apparently everyone around here knows the Blakeley property.’ She adjusted the fluffy bath towel around her damp body. She’d not long come from the shower and had been sitting for a few minutes by the dressing table, blowdrying her long hair so that the mass of chestnut-coloured curls gleamed softly in the lamplight. ‘I’m doing just fine,’ she added. ‘It’s lovely here. You wouldn’t believe how beautiful it is.’

She left the dresser and went to settle down on the luxurious softness of the large divan bed, stretching out her long, slender limbs. ‘I only arrived here a couple of hours ago, so I haven’t really had time to look around, but the house is perfect. There are double glass doors everywhere, even in the bedrooms, and when you step out onto the deck you look out over the Atlantic Ocean. It’s fantastic, Carys … it’s so incredibly blue.’

A faint breeze wafted in through the open veranda doors, and glancing there from across the room Alyssa could see the branches of the palm trees swaying gently against the skyline of the setting sun. Birds called to one another, sleepy in the warm evening air. ‘I’m sitting here now, and I can hear the waves breaking on the shore.’

‘It sounds heavenly.’

‘Mmm, it is.’ Alyssa couldn’t believe her change in fortune. Within a few weeks she’d gone from enduring a bleak, desperately unhappy situation back in the UK to finding herself in this idyllic haven on a sand-fringed island in the Bahamas. ‘I keep thinking that any minute now someone will come along and pinch me and tell me it’s all a dream.’

Carys chuckled. ‘No, I think it’s really happening. Is Ross there with you? I know he was keen to help you get settled in.’

‘No. He rang to tell me he’d be along a little later. He had a meeting with the director so that they could iron out a few things before filming starts tomorrow.’

Alyssa stopped to listen for a moment as a faint creaking sound caught her attention, like a footfall on the steps leading to the deck. Was someone walking around outside? Could it be that there was a change of plan and Ross was coming home earlier than expected? Then one of the voile curtains fluttered on a light current of air, distracting her, and she shook her head. Ross had stressed the importance of the meeting. It must have been the door that was creaking, that would be it.

‘Well, he’ll make sure that everything goes smoothly for you, I’m sure,’ Carys murmured. ‘You can put all your troubles behind you now, and forget about your awful ex. I’ve known Ross for ages, and he has a heart of gold. He’ll take good care of you. I know he was besotted with you from the moment he set eyes on you.’

Alyssa sat up against the pillows. ‘Oh, no … surely that can’t be true … At least, I hope it isn’t.’ Ross knew how she felt. She’d come here to get away from all the mess that relationships involved, clutching at the chance Ross had given her to make her escape. This was her sanctuary.

Her work back in the UK had proved to be a stumbling block, too, and she’d reluctantly decided to put what had once been a promising medical career temporarily on hold. At least, she hoped it was only a relatively short-term move. In the end, things had proved too much for her, and she’d had to accept that she needed to take time out to recover from the burnout that had crept up on her and caught her unawares.

Somehow, she had to try to get herself back together again and she was pinning her hopes on the healing qualities of these next few months. As to the rest …

‘I’ve finished with romance,’ she said, her tone quiet and restrained. ‘I’m done with all that.’

‘So you say.’ Carys laughed. ‘Anyway, your ex is finally out of the picture, so with a bit of luck you can relax now and look forward to a few months of sheer luxury and self-indulgence.’

‘Well, of course,’ Alyssa answered, tongue in cheek. ‘How could I not enjoy all this? I’ve got it made, haven’t I? Nothing much to do but enjoy the sunshine and surf and thank my lucky stars. I’ll take money and all these rich trappings over love any time. Who wouldn’t?’

‘Sure you will,’ Carys murmured drily. She knew full well that Alyssa was joking. ‘Look, I have to go. I’ll call you again. You take care. Love you.’

‘And you.’

Alyssa cut the call and put down the phone, listening once more as the creaking grew louder. Was someone or something out there? It couldn’t be Ross, surely? He’d said he would be delayed for at least an hour. Frowning, she went over to the doors and stepped out onto the deck.

A white ibis caught her attention in the distance, wandering along the shoreline, dipping his long red bill into the shallows in search of any tasty morsels that might have been washed up by the sea. She watched him for a moment or two.

‘We see those birds quite often around here,’ a male voice said, catching her completely unawares. The deep, resonant tones smoothed over her, making her swivel around in startled surprise.

The man moved from the shelter of the open sitting-room door and came to stand just a couple of feet away from her. He leaned negligently against the rail, making himself completely at home.

‘Who—who are you …? What are you doing here?’ She stared at him, shocked, wide-eyed, a little afraid and uncertain as to what to do. She was completely alone out here. He was at least six feet tall, long limbed, broad shouldered, definitely a force to be reckoned with.

She quickly thought through her options. The neighbours were too distant to hear if she were to shout out, and for an instant she floundered, before self-preservation took hold. Maybe he was a neighbour, and she was simply jumping to conclusions. Just because he was standing on Ross’s veranda, it didn’t have to mean he was some kind of would-be felon … did it?

‘I was originally planning on helping myself to a cool drink and something to eat,’ he answered with a faint shrug. ‘I thought the place was empty, but then I heard a woman’s voice and thought maybe I’d better find out who was here.’

His glance travelled over her, gliding along the creamy slope of her bare shoulders, moving down across the brief white towel that clung to her curves and coming to linger for a while on the golden expanse of her shapely legs. His gaze shifted downwards. Her feet were bare, her toenails painted a delicate shade of pink, and there were tiny gemstones embedded in the pearly nail varnish. A faint smile touched his mouth. ‘I certainly hadn’t expected to find anyone quite so lovely here to greet me.’

Alyssa felt warm colour invade her cheeks and her fingers tightened on the towel, clutching it to her breasts. He seemed to be quite at ease here, yet he still hadn’t explained who he was.

‘Well, whoever you are, you shouldn’t be here,’ she said. What kind of person would have the gall to calmly walk in and help himself to a drink? Ross had insisted she would have the place to herself. Her green eyes flashed a warning. ‘You’d better go before I call the police.’

Belatedly, she remembered that she’d left her phone on the bedside table. Could she sidle back into the room and dial the number without alerting him to her actions? Hardly. Still, a bit of bravado wouldn’t come amiss, would it?

He’d made no attempt to move. ‘I can’t think why you’re still standing there,’ she said in a terse voice. ‘I meant what I said.’

‘Yes, I realise that … I just don’t think it’s a very good idea.’

‘Of course you don’t. You wouldn’t, would you? Even so …’ She took a couple of steps backwards into the bedroom, not taking her eyes off him for a second. The smooth, Italian-tiled floor was cool beneath her feet, soothing to her ragged nerves. Her heart was pounding, her pulse thumping out an erratic beat.

He didn’t look the least bit put out. He was dressed in cool, expensive-looking chinos and a loose cotton shirt. His hair was dark, the perfect styling framing an angular face, but it was his eyes that held her most of all … They were narrowed on her now, grey, like the sea on a stormy night, and compelling, a hint of something unknown glimmering in their depths as he studied her.

Slowly, he pushed himself away from the rail and began to move towards her, and her insides lurched in fearful acknowledgement. Instinctively, she recognised that this was a man who knew what he wanted and who was used to getting his own way. He wasn’t going anywhere, and it certainly didn’t look as though he intended to heed her warning.

She felt behind her for the mobile phone on the bedside table.

‘As I said, I really wouldn’t advise you do that,’ he murmured, his gaze following her actions. ‘You might find yourself having to explain to them what exactly you’re doing in my house.’

Her jaw dropped a fraction. ‘Your house?’ She frowned, then shot him a steely glance. ‘No … no, that can’t be right. You’re the intruder, not me. I’ll tell them so.’

There was a glint in his dark eyes. ‘Okay, let’s get this straight—I’m Connor Blakeley, and this has actually been my home for a number of years. My brother lives here too, from time to time, but it’s a fact that it’s my name on the deeds of the property.’ He studied her. ‘So, would you like to tell me who you are and what you’re doing here?’ His mouth moved in a wry smile. ‘Or perhaps I can hazard a guess. This is bound to be something to do with Ross. You must be his latest girlfriend.’

She stiffened. He made it sound as though there had been a stream of them. Deciding to ignore his comment, she shook her head so that her bright curls tumbled about her shoulders. This man had to be an imposter, surely? Doubts were beginning to creep in, but she said cautiously, ‘Connor’s away for the next six months. Ross told me so. His brother’s in Florida, helping to organise a new medical emergency unit over there.’

He nodded briefly. ‘That was true. Unfortunately an urgent situation occurred right here in the Bahamas, and I was asked to come back and take over the accident and emergency department at the hospital. So I’ll be working here and at the same time I’ll be keeping an eye on the Florida unit from a distance.’

Her indrawn breath was sharp and audible. What he said sounded plausible enough. Could it be that she’d made a mistake in doubting him? He did look a bit like Ross, now she came to think of it.

Carefully, she replaced the phone on the table and straightened up. Now what was she to do? Her cheeks burned with colour. How could she have ended up in such a humiliating situation? Hadn’t she put up with enough of those back in England? This was meant to have been a fresh start, and now it looked as though her expectations of spending a relaxed, trouble-free few months out here were being rapidly consigned to the rubbish bin.

She lifted her chin, determined to pull herself together. It was a setback, that was all. Somehow she would sort this out and find herself another place to stay. She just had to hope that the cost wouldn’t be way beyond her means. It had only been Ross’s conviction that she could stay in this house rent-free that had persuaded her she could afford to come out here in the first place.

‘I’m really sorry,’ she said. ‘I’d no idea … I wasn’t expecting anyone else to be here tonight.’ She hesitated, drawing in a calming breath. ‘I’m Alyssa Morgan. Your brother invited me to stay here.’

‘Was he planning on staying here with you?’

She frowned. ‘Not with me, exactly. He said he would take the upper-floor accommodation, and I could have the downstairs apartment.’ She looked across the room to where her suitcases stood against the louvred doors of the wardrobe. She hadn’t even had time to unpack. ‘But, of course, it’s all changed now. I’ll get my things together and find somewhere else to stay.’

‘At this time of the evening?’ He raised a dark brow. ‘Even supposing you could find anywhere at such short notice, I couldn’t let you do that. I’ve a feeling that an attractive young woman alone in the city would be far too great a temptation for some of our, shall we say, less civilised, male citizens?’

She straightened her shoulders. ‘I can take care of myself.’

His glance moved over her. ‘Really?’

His obvious disbelief stung. She felt his dark gaze linger on her slender curves, and she hugged the towel to herself in a defensive gesture. With so much pale golden skin on display she felt she was at a distinct disadvantage. ‘Anyway, I should get dressed,’ she said, with as much dignity as she could muster. ‘If you wouldn’t mind …?’

He nodded. ‘Of course.’ He started to walk across the room but stopped by the door to look back and say, ‘You seem a bit flushed. Perhaps I could get you an iced drink and maybe something to eat? Or have you already had supper?’

Her eyes widened. She wasn’t expecting such generosity, given the circumstances, and it only made her feel worse, after the way she’d spoken to him. ‘No … um … I haven’t had time … I only arrived here a short time ago, and I was feeling hot and dusty after the flight and so on, so I decided to have a shower before I did anything else. Ross and I were going to have supper when …’ She broke off, then added, ‘He had to go to a meeting.’

‘Hmm.’ Connor was frowning as he looked at the suitcases. ‘I take it from your accent that you’re English. Is that right? Did you and Ross meet over in the UK? I know he was over there scouting for talent for his latest film project.’

‘Yes, we did.’ Connor was American-English, she knew, as his father had been born in the United States and his mother was from London. ‘We … uh … have a mutual friend over in Florida … my cousin, Carys … and she suggested he look me up.’

‘Oh, yes. I know Carys.’ He made a faint smile as he studied her. ‘I expect Ross was glad he took the time to follow up on that.’ He started to turn back towards the door. ‘Well, maybe I’ll make a start on preparing some food and then Ross can join us when he gets here.’

‘I … Yes, that would be good. Thank you.’ Her head was reeling. How on earth would Ross react on finding that his brother was here? One way or another, he was in for something of a shock.

Connor left the room and Alyssa pulled in a deep breath. It wasn’t the best way for her to have met Connor, was it? She’d heard quite a bit about him from Ross, and her overall impression was that Ross was a little in awe of his older brother. Now that she’d met him, she could certainly understand why. There was that quality about him, something that suggested he would always be in complete control of any situation, that nothing would faze him. Everything about him underlined that. He was supple and lithe, his body honed with latent energy, and a calm, inherent sense of authority oozed from every pore.

She dressed quickly, choosing a pale blue cotton dress with narrow straps, cool enough for the warmth of the evening. It wasn’t much in the way of a defence, but at least being fully dressed made her feel more in command of herself.

A few minutes later she walked into the kitchen and found Connor busy at the table, adding tomato paste and grated cheese to a large pizza base. He looked up as she entered the room. ‘You look fresh and cool,’ he murmured. ‘That colour suits you.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Sit down,’ he said, waving her to a chair by the pale oak table. ‘Would you like mushrooms with this? And peppers?’

‘Yes, please.’ She nodded, watching as he deftly cut and sliced mushrooms and then sprinkled them over the cheese.

She glanced around. From here, by the deep, broad window, she could look out over the ocean, and closer to home there was what seemed to be a small kitchen garden just beyond the veranda. The light outside was fading now, but solar lamps sent a golden glow over a variety of vegetables and a small grove of trees laden with plump, ripe oranges.

She turned her attention back to the kitchen. ‘You have a beautiful home,’ she said. The kitchen was full of state-of-the-art equipment, along with a tiled island bar and glass shelving that housed colourful ceramics and delicately sculpted vases.

‘Thanks.’ He smiled. ‘I must admit I’m pleased with it. When I moved here I wanted a house where I would be able to relax and shrug off the cares of the day, and this seemed to be the perfect place in an idyllic setting … a small piece of paradise, if you like. I sit out on the deck of an evening and watch the waves breaking on the shore. It’s very relaxing, especially if you like to watch wildlife, as I do. You sometimes see herons and egrets around here, and there might even be a golden plover that appears from time to time.’

‘It sounds idyllic.’

‘It is.’ He slid the pizza into the hot oven and came over to the table, picking up a jug of iced juice. ‘Would you like a drink? I can get you something stronger if you prefer.’

‘Thanks … orange juice will be fine.’ She made a face. ‘I’m not used to this heat. I seem to have been thirsty ever since I arrived here.’

His mouth curved. ‘You get used to it after a while. I have air-conditioning, but sometimes I prefer to throw open all the doors and windows and let the sea air in.’

‘Yes, I can understand that. I think I would, too.’ She sipped the cold juice, pausing to rest the glass momentarily against her throat to cool her heated skin. His glance followed her movements, but his eyes were dark and unreadable.

‘So, you and Ross must be working together on his new film, I suppose?’ he commented. He poured himself a glass of juice and took a long swallow, looking at her over the rim. ‘He and I haven’t talked much about the casting, but I can see why he must have wanted to bring you over here. I imagine you’re very photogenic. And I guess you must have auditioned well.’

‘Um … that’s not exactly what happened,’ she murmured. She frowned. He obviously had the wrong idea, if he was assuming she was an actress. ‘I’m really not expecting to have anything to do with the filming as such.’

‘Ah … that’s interesting.’ He shot her an assessing glance. ‘Still, he must think a lot of you, to have brought you over here and set you up in the family home. After all, you can’t have known each other very long.’

Alyssa put down her glass, her mouth firming into a straight line. ‘Um … I don’t know, but … I think you must have the wrong idea. I get the impression that you’ve put two and two together and made five.’

‘Have I?’ His mouth tilted in disbelief. ‘I may have some of the facts wrong, but in essence I know my brother pretty well, and this wouldn’t be the first time he’s fallen for a young woman and gone out of his way to throw the world at her feet.’ There was a gleam in his eyes. ‘Unfortunately for him, this time he wasn’t expecting me to turn up out of the blue. I can see how that might make things a bit difficult.’

She stood up. ‘You know, on second thoughts, I don’t think this arrangement is going to work out after all. I think I’ll go with my original plan and find somewhere else to stay.’

She started to move away from the table, but he caught hold of her, his fingers curving around her bare arm. ‘Please don’t do that, Alyssa, it’s really not a good idea.’

‘Maybe so, but that’s my worry, not yours.’

She tried to pull away from him, but he simply drew her closer to him, so that her soft curves brushed against his long body. ‘I’m afraid it’s very much my problem,’ he said, ‘since my brother has seen fit to install you under my roof.’

‘You make me sound as though I’m a package to be parcelled up by your brother and shipped wherever the fancy takes him,’ she said in a terse voice. ‘That’s not only insulting, it’s downright chauvinistic. Where have you been living these last thirty or so years? It’s obvious to me that your mind-set is stuck somewhere in the last century.’

He laughed. It wasn’t what she was expecting, and anger and frustration rose up in her like mercury shooting up a gauge on a blazing hot day. ‘You’d better let me go right now,’ she said, ‘or I swear you won’t like the consequences.’ When he didn’t release her, she started to bring her knee up, ready to deliver a crippling blow, and he swiftly turned her round so that his arms encased her from behind. Frustratingly, she was locked into his embrace, her spine resting against his taut, masculine frame.

‘Of course I’ll let you go,’ he murmured, ‘if you promise me that you won’t try to leave before morning. I apologise if I’ve been jumping to conclusions. I’ve been assuming that Ross is behaving in his usual hedonistic manner, but I have to admit you’re very different from what I might have expected. You’re not at all like his usual choice of women.’

‘Is that so?’ She was rigid in his arms, still seething with indignation.

‘I didn’t mean to offend you,’ he said. ‘Honestly. I’m trying to explain. Look at it from my point of view. I had no idea that he was bringing anyone home. He usually tells me. So why didn’t he do that if everything was open and above board? For all he knew, I might have arranged for a friend to stay here while I was away. That’s why we always tell each other about our plans.’

‘Perhaps he acted on impulse and meant to tell you later.’ Her body relaxed a fraction.

‘Yes, I suppose that could be it.’ He nodded, and his cheek lightly brushed hers. His hold on her eased a little, and it seemed to Alyssa’s heightened senses that it became much more like a caress. She felt his warm breath fall softly on the back of her neck, and his arm brushed the rounded swell of her breast as he held her to him. It was unintentional, she was sure, but the heated contact ricocheted through her body, bringing with it a shocking, bone-melting response. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply. How could she be reacting this way? She didn’t even know him. It was unthinkable.

Clearly there was something wrong with her. Jetlag, probably. She needed to break free from him, but the warmth of those encircling arms and the gentleness of that embrace had taken her completely by surprise. It seemed like such a long time since anyone had held her in such an intimate way and, worryingly, she was discovering that she liked it.

‘I’ll find somewhere else to stay first thing in the morning,’ she said.

Slowly, almost reluctantly, he released her. ‘You don’t need to do that. You’re Ross’s guest, and therefore mine, too. I wouldn’t dream of having you go elsewhere. Please stay. I’d like you to stay.’

‘I’ll think about it.’ She dithered for a moment. She wanted to walk out of the room, but as she stood there, undecided, she glanced towards the oven, conscious of the appetising smell of melting cheese and sizzling herbs and tomato permeating the air. She hadn’t realised until now how hungry she was … her last meal had been virtually a snack on the plane journey over here.

He looked at her, his head tilted on one side, a faint smile playing around his mouth. ‘You’re hungry,’ he said. ‘It’s no wonder you’re feeling a little fractious. Sit down and we’ll eat. Things always seem better on a full stomach.’

Annoyed by her own weakness, she did as he suggested and went back to the chair. Maybe he was right, and circumstances had combined to throw her off balance. A long plane journey, a change of surroundings and the appearance of the proverbial tall, dark stranger had certainly knocked her for six. Her heart was racing as though she’d run a marathon, and the world seemed to be spinning around her ever so slightly. She felt decidedly odd.

There was a noise from across the room and they both turned as the kitchen door opened and Ross came in.

‘What on earth …? Connor, what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in Florida?’ He was tall, like his brother, with dark hair and the same angular jaw, but Ross had more homely, lived-in features, and generally there was a happy-go-lucky, almost boyish air about him. ‘You said you’d be away for several months.’

‘I did, but there was a change of plan. It turns out I’m going to be working here, on the island, for the most part.’

‘So you’ll be staying here.’ It was a matter-of-fact statement. Then Ross added, ‘I’ve arranged for Alyssa to have the ground-floor apartment. I’d no idea you would be coming back so soon.’

Connor nodded. ‘Yes, she told me. That’s okay. That arrangement can still stand. It just means that you’ll have to stay at your place near the film studio. That won’t be a problem for you, will it?’

Ross’s grey-blue eyes narrowed. ‘I guess not.’ He looked at his brother as though he suspected him of some devious ploy.

‘Good. So now that’s all sorted, perhaps we can sit down together and enjoy a meal.’

Connor took the pizza from the oven, and Alyssa said quietly, ‘Is there anything I can do to help? I could set the table for you, if you like.’

‘Thanks. That would be great. There’s a bowl of salad in the fridge. You could put that out, too, if you would.’

‘Okay.’

They worked together, while Ross went to freshen up. ‘So, if you’re not involved with the filming, what will you be doing all day while Ross is at work?’ Connor asked. ‘Is this meant to be a holiday for you, or a sightseeing trip, or something like that?’

Alyssa smiled. ‘It’s nothing like that. I’m going to be working as a medic on the film set. Apparently, the company Ross usually calls on to provide that service is tied up with other projects right now, so when he found out that I was looking for work, he asked me if I’d like to take it on.’

Connor’s dark brows lifted. ‘You’re a nurse?’

She shook her head. ‘I’m a doctor. I’ve worked in the same line as you, accident and emergency, so I should be able to deal with any problems that arise if stunts go wrong, and so on.’ She smiled. ‘Though, hopefully, that won’t happen. Mostly, it’ll be a case of handing out headache and sunburn medication, I expect.’

‘So now you’ve managed to surprise me all over again.’ Connor stared at her for a moment or two, before starting to slice the pizza into triangular wedges. ‘Now I understand what you meant when you told your friend that there would be nothing much to do but enjoy the sunshine and the surf and thank your lucky stars.’

She frowned, sending him a fleeting glance. ‘You heard me talking to Carys on the phone?’

He nodded. ‘I didn’t know it was Carys, but I heard some of the conversation you were having. I came out onto the deck and I couldn’t help but hear what you were saying.’ He paused as he checked the filter on the coffee pot.

‘The only part that bothered me was when you added that you’d take money and all the trappings over love any time.’ His gaze meshed with hers. ‘I don’t know what your plans are, but perhaps I should warn you to tread carefully there. I wouldn’t want to see my brother hurt. He has his faults, but he’s family and I care about him very much.’

Once again this evening she felt hot colour rise in her cheeks. No wonder he’d been so edgy with her from the beginning. He’d heard what she said and had drawn his own conclusions.

‘It was just a joke,’ she said. ‘The sort of throw-away remark we all make from time to time. It didn’t mean anything.’

‘Maybe so.’ He acknowledged that with a wry smile, but she noticed the warmth didn’t reach his dark eyes. ‘But the warning stands … I’ve always looked out for my brother, and I see no reason to stop doing that.’

‘Even though he’s a grown man who owns a successful film company? Don’t you trust him to make his own decisions?’

‘Of course I do … to a certain extent. But Ross is a fool where women are concerned. He’s made a few mistakes over the years that have cost him dearly. I don’t want to see that happen again.’

‘And I’m obviously the scarlet woman whose talons cut deep?’ She sent him a scornful look.

‘You’ve come all the way from the UK to be with him.’ His mouth twisted. ‘I don’t blame you for that. Who would turn down the chance of living a life of luxury on this beautiful island? But I’m inclined to be cautious all the same.’

Clearly he wasn’t going to believe she was on the level. Alyssa opened her mouth to make an answering retort, but Ross came back into the kitchen just then, and she concentrated instead on carefully laying out the cutlery on the table.

‘I’m starving,’ Ross said, eyeing the food with a ravenous eye. ‘This looks good.’

She smiled at him, handing him a plate, and took her seat at the table. She didn’t need to say anything more to Connor. They simply looked at one another, and that glance spoke volumes. They both knew exactly where they stood. He didn’t trust her an inch and for her part she was ultra-wary of him. The battle lines were drawn.

CHAPTER TWO

‘ARE we all clear for this shot?’ Ross was talking to the cameraman, making sure that every detail was covered. They were standing just a few yards away from Alyssa, and she could hear every word that was being said. It was fascinating, she’d discovered, to watch a film being put together. In principle, Ross was the producer, but she’d learned that he also had a hand in directing the films.

‘Let’s start off by letting the audience see the coral reef in the distance,’ Ross said quietly, ‘and the sheer drop to the sea. Then we can gradually move to the background of the pine forest and sweep down to a view of the lake, so that we see the sun shining on the surface.’

The cameraman nodded, and Ross went on, ‘Lastly, I want you to bring in the bridge over the main road and try to give us an impression of the sheer height and majesty of it all. We’ll tie all that in with atmospheric music and build up to a crescendo.’

‘Okay. And that’s where we cut to the car chase?’

‘That’s right. As soon as that comes to an end, we’ll go straight into the stunt scene.’

‘You want the lorry to come into the picture from the east? I’ll need a clear signal for that.’

‘Yes. I’ll let you know as soon as the driver starts up the engine.’

‘Okay.’

Alyssa watched all the activity around her with interest. The actors who would be needed for the next scene were standing around, chatting to one another, languid in the heat of the sun as they waited to be called. Everyone wanted to see how the stunt would go. The technicians had planned it down to the last detail, and there had been several rehearsals, but now it was time for the real thing, and the stuntman, Alex, was in position on the bridge, a lone, dark figure against the protective rail.

Ross came over to her. He was in prime form, bubbling with energy and totally enthusiastic about the way things were going. ‘I’m going to be tied up with this for the next hour or so,’ he told her, ‘but I thought we might have lunch later at the new restaurant that’s opened up in town … Benvenuto. It’s down by the marina. They do some great dishes there. I think you’ll like it.’

‘Sounds great. I’ll look forward to it.’ Alyssa smiled at him and on the spur of the moment he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her soundly on the lips.

‘Me, too.’

‘Oh.’ She was startled by the fervour that went into that kiss. ‘What was that for?’

He grinned. ‘I really appreciate what you’ve done here for us these last few weeks. Everyone says you’ve been brilliant, helping with everything from toothache to blistered toes. And I love the way you’ve looked over the script and offered advice on the medical stuff. Even if they’re just a minor part of the film, it’s important we get the hospital scenes right. And in the restaurant, when the man keels over, we needed to know how a doctor would respond.’

‘Let’s hope that won’t be necessary at the restaurant today.’ She laughed. ‘It’ll be great to sit and enjoy a meal in peace and quiet after all the goings-on on set.’

‘Yeah, too right.’ He gave her a final hug before letting her go. Then he hurried over to the lorry driver to give some final instructions.

‘Going by the looks of things, it seems you and Ross are getting closer every day.’ There was an edge to Connor’s voice, and Alyssa looked at him in surprise as he came to stand beside her. His jaw was faintly clenched as though he was holding himself in restraint. He was wearing stone-coloured trousers and a casual, open-necked shirt, and he looked cool in the heat of the day.

‘Hello, Connor,’ she greeted him in a light tone, trying to counteract his disapproval. ‘I wasn’t expecting to see you here. I imagined you would be at work.’ In fact, she’d seen very little of him these last few weeks, considering that they shared the same house, but she guessed he started work early at the hospital and he often came home late. Occasionally, he’d gone over to Florida to oversee his other project. Perhaps he’d been going out of an evening, too, once his shift ended.

As to his comment about her and Ross … she simply wasn’t going to answer him. He was obviously hung up on the situation, so why make matters worse? It bothered her, though, that he had seen that kiss. How would she ever be able to convince him that there was nothing going on between her and his brother after that?

‘It’s my day off,’ he said, ‘so I thought I’d come and see how things were going here. Apparently the filming’s on schedule so far.’ His dark gaze moved over her. ‘And I wondered how you were getting on. Has it been the quiet, relaxing time you expected?’

‘Not exactly,’ she murmured. ‘But, then, I’ve been making something of an effort to get to grips with the job from the start.’

‘Yes, so I heard.’ A glimmer of respect flickered in the depths of his eyes. ‘Ross has been singing your praises for days now. Apparently, you’ve made yourself known to everyone on set and managed to get a medical history from each one of them. He’s very impressed with the way you’ve been handling things.’

Alyssa shrugged lightly, inadvertently loosening one of the thin straps of her broderie-anglaise top, so that it slid down the lightly tanned, silky smooth slope of her shoulder. ‘It’s what I’m paid to do, and the job is exactly what I thought it would be. I made it my business to get to know as much as I could about everyone beforehand so that I would have a good idea what I’m dealing with.’

‘Very commendable.’ Before she could remedy the offending strap, he reached out and hooked a finger beneath the cotton, carefully sliding it back into place. His touch trailed over her bare flesh like the slow lick of flame, causing an unexpected, feverish response to cascade through her, heating her blood and quickening her pulse. ‘There,’ he murmured. ‘You’re all neat and tidy once more.’

‘I … urn … have you … have you been to see every one of Ross’s films being made?’ she asked, disconcerted by his action and lifting a hand to push back the curls from her hot face. The movement lifted her brief top and exposed a small portion of her bare midriff, pale gold above the waistband of her dark jeans. His glance flicked downwards and lingered there for a while.

‘I … uh …’ He sounded distracted for a moment and then he cleared his throat. ‘Most of them. I like to keep up with what’s going on in the film world from time to time. Even though he’s my brother, I must say Ross’s work is good. He’s had some notable successes. He deserves them because he works hard and pays a lot of attention to detail.’

She nodded. ‘I’ve noticed that, too. He’s been worrying about this morning’s stunt, though. The timing has to be perfect. The stuntman has to jump from the bridge onto the moving lorry to escape from his pursuers, and he has to do it at exactly the right moment. They’ve even worked out how to make sure the lorry will be going at a certain speed when he jumps.’

He nodded. ‘I guess that’s what you might expect with these action adventure films. There always has to be something spectacular going on. After all, that’s what the audience pays to see.’

Ross gave the signal for the camera recording to begin, and they turned to watch the proceedings. Around them, the buzz of conversation came to a halt and everyone’s gaze was riveted to the scene about to take place. A lorry began to gradually pick up speed on the main road, which had been temporarily cleared of traffic while filming took place. The stuntman abandoned a wrecked car on the bridge and ran, chased determinedly by burly men who looked as though they meant business … nasty business. Coming to the concrete bulwark, he glanced around as though his character was trying to assimilate his options in double quick time.

With nowhere to go, and his pursuers gaining ground with every second that passed, he sprang up onto the guard-rail, remained poised for a moment, and then, as the men snapped at his heels, he leapt from the bridge.

The landing was perfect. He balanced, feet apart on top of the moving lorry, but a moment later a shocked gasp went up as the onlookers took in what happened next. Somehow Alex’s foot twisted beneath him and the momentum of the still moving lorry flipped him onto his back, causing him to topple to the ground.

Alyssa was already on the move as it was happening, grabbing her medical equipment and racing towards the road where Alex was lying on the grass verge, groaning in agony. Her heart began to pound against the wall of her chest. This was the last thing she had expected. They’d been working so hard to make sure that nothing could go wrong. She had even checked him over to make sure that he was in prime physical condition before he attempted the feat.

‘Alex, can you tell me where it hurts?’ She quickly knelt down beside him, looking at him in concern.

‘It’s my back,’ he said, his face contorted with pain. ‘I think I caught it on the side of the lorry as I went over. I thought I felt something crack.’

The thought of the damage that might have been done to his spine made her sick with fear. All those old feelings of dread that she’d experienced back in the UK came flooding back to her, but she knew she had to get a grip on her emotions for her patient’s sake. Small beads of perspiration broke out on her brow.

‘Okay,’ she said, disguising her inner fears with an air of confidence, ‘try not to worry. We’ll soon have you feeling more comfortable.’ She dialled emergency services, calling for an ambulance and warning them of a suspected spinal injury, and then she turned to Alex once more. ‘I just need to check you over to see what the damage is.’ All the colour had drained from his face, but at least he was still conscious and able to talk to her. That was perhaps a good sign, but she’d seen the way he’d fallen, and it didn’t bode well.

‘I can’t believe I … could have messed up like that,’ Alex said in a taut, strained voice. ‘I thought … I thought it was going to be okay …’ He broke off, and small beads of perspiration broke out on his brow.

‘Are you in a lot of pain?’ she asked. ‘On a scale of one to ten?’

‘Twelve,’ he said, squeezing his eyes closed and pushing the word out through his teeth.

‘All right.’ Her head was swimming—the shock of this awful event was beginning to crowd in on her, but she made a huge effort to cast her feelings to one side. ‘I’ll give you something to take that away, just as soon as I’ve done a preliminary examination. Try not to move. It’s very important that you stay still.’

She made a brief but thorough check of his injuries and noted his blood pressure and pulse, before injecting him with a painkiller. ‘I need to put a collar around your neck to immobilise it and make sure there’ll be no further damage.’

Alex didn’t answer her. His strength seemed to be ebbing away, and she realised that he might be slipping into neurogenic shock through a combination of pressure on the spinal cord and possible internal bleeding. A wave of panic swept through her. It was down to her to get him through this. What if she couldn’t do it?

‘Would you like some help?’ Connor came over to her, and she guessed he’d been standing by, waiting to see if he was needed.

‘Yes, that would be great, thanks.’ Alyssa sent him a fleeting glance. His expression was serious, but he was calm, and his long, lean body was poised and ready for action. If only she could experience some of that inner composure. She said quietly, ‘His blood pressure and pulse are both dropping rapidly, so I’m going to try to stabilise him with intravenous fluids.’

It was a very disturbing situation. When she tested his reflexes, Alex wasn’t aware of any sensation in his legs and that was tremendously worrying, because it meant the eventual outcome could be disastrous. It was possible the damage was so great that Alex might never walk again.

She dashed those thoughts from her mind and breathed deeply to try to overcome the chaotic beat of her heart, concentrating on doing what she could for her patient. It was down to her to bring about the best outcome possible for him and the responsibility weighed heavily on her. ‘I want to get a rigid collar around his neck … that’s all important … and we must give him oxygen.’

He nodded. ‘I’ll do that for you.’ He knelt down and supported Alex’s neck while Alyssa carefully fixed the protective collar in place. Then he placed the oxygen mask over their patient’s nose and mouth and started to squeeze the oxygen bag rhythmically. All the time, Alyssa was aware that Alex was slipping into unconsciousness.

She sucked in her breath. ‘His heart rate is way too low. I’m going to give him atropine and have the defibrillator standing by, just in case.’ Simply, if the heart didn’t pump blood around his body effectively, her patient would die, but the atropine should help to increase the heart rate.

She quickly prepared the syringe while Connor continued with the oxygen. ‘Okay,’ she murmured, ‘let’s see if that will bring him round.’ While they waited for the drug to work, Alyssa placed pads on Alex’s chest and connected him to the portable defibrillator.

‘It’s not happening—the heart rate’s not picking up enough,’ Connor observed with a frown a short time later. ‘Maybe it’s time to deliver a shock to the heart.’

She nodded and set the machine to the correct rate and current. ‘Stay clear of him while I do that.’

Connor moved back a little, and both of them waited. For a second or two, nothing happened, and Alyssa’s mouth became painfully dry, the breath catching in her throat. She realised she was praying silently. This had to work.

Then there was a faint bleep, and the display on the defibrillator began to show a normal heart rhythm. She breathed a sigh of relief. The rate was still slow, but at least he was out of the woods for the moment.

The ambulance arrived as she and Connor continued the struggle to regulate Alex’s blood pressure. The paramedics greeted Connor as a friend, as if they’d known him for a long time, and then they listened as Alyssa quickly brought them up to date with what was going on.

‘I’m very worried about any injury to his back,’ she said quietly, ‘so we need to take great care when we move him. We’ll help you to get him onto a spinal board.’

She and Connor knelt with one of the paramedics alongside Alex’s still form, each one ready to lift and gently roll him on his side towards them on Alyssa’s command. ‘Okay, let’s do it … three … two … one … go.’

The second paramedic slid the board underneath Alex, and then they carefully rolled him onto his back once more.

‘That was well done.’ Alyssa stood back as the paramedics strapped him securely in place and lifted him on to a trolley stretcher. Alex was still not speaking and she was dreadfully afraid his condition was deteriorating fast. ‘I’ll go with him to the hospital.’

‘Okay.’ The paramedic nodded and turned to Connor. ‘Will you be coming along, too?’

‘Yes. I’ll follow in my car.’

Alyssa watched as they trundled Alex towards the ambulance, and saw, out of the corner of her eye, that Ross was hovering nearby. Seeing that she had finished working on her patient for the time being, he hurried over to her.

‘Is he going to be all right? I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It’s my worst nightmare.’ The lively, boyish young man he’d been just a short time ago had disappeared completely. He looked haggard, devastated by what had happened.

‘We’ll know more after they’ve done tests at the hospital.’ She laid a hand on his arm, wanting to comfort him. ‘It wasn’t your fault, Ross. All stunts carry danger, you know that. It was plain bad luck.’

‘Even so, I feel terrible about it.’ His face was ashen. ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have been directing today, but Dan had to be somewhere else, so I had to step in. I know he wanted to be here for this scene. Maybe it was an omen …’

‘Ross, you mustn’t blame yourself. No one could have foreseen what happened.’

His shoulders sagged. ‘I don’t know … I thought I had everything covered …’ He pulled himself together, straightening up. ‘I want to go to the hospital to be with him, but I have to get in touch with his wife, and stay here and talk to the police, and try to explain what went wrong. There will be all sorts of questions, accident reports, insurance forms to be dealt with … I’m going to be sifting through all that over the next few hours, but tell him we’ll take care of his family and see to anything that he needs, will you? Anything he wants, he just has to ask.’

‘I’ll tell him.’

‘Thanks. I’ll come along to see him just as soon as I can.’

‘Of course.’

She gave him a reassuring hug and then turned back to the ambulance. Connor was standing by the open doors, supervising Alex’s transfer.

‘It looks as though Ross isn’t taking it too well,’ he murmured.

‘No, he isn’t. He feels responsible.’ She glanced at him. He looked concerned as he watched his brother brace himself and walk towards a uniformed officer. ‘Do you want to stay with him while he talks to the police and so on?’

He shook his head. ‘No, I think I can probably be of more use at the hospital. I’m sure Ross will cope once he’s over the initial shock.’

‘Maybe. Let’s hope so.’ She frowned, rubbing absently at her temple, where a pulse had begun to throb.

He studied her, his grey eyes narrowing. ‘Are you all right? You’ve gone very pale all of a sudden.’

‘I’ll be fine. It’s just a bit of a headache starting.’ She had to admit to herself, though, that now her role as an immediate response medic was complete, she wasn’t feeling good at all. She’d taken this job feeling pretty certain that nothing like this would ever happen. When it had, despite all the odds, she’d found herself acting purely on instinct, following the basic tenets of medical care in the way that she’d been taught, in a way that had become second nature to her.

Now, to her dismay, the adrenaline that had kept her going through those initial moments was draining away and in the aftermath she was shaking inside. She was experiencing those same feelings of dread, of exhaustion and nervous tension that had started to overwhelm her when she had been working in emergency back home. A feeling of nausea washed over her.

She climbed into the ambulance and seated herself beside Alex, closing her eyes for a brief moment as though that would shut out the memories. He reminded her so much of that patient she’d treated back in the UK. They were about the same age, the same build, with dark hair and pain-filled eyes that haunted her, and both had fallen …

The paramedic closed the doors, bringing her back to the present with a jolt, and within a few seconds they were on their way, siren blaring, to the hospital.

Connor met them at the ambulance bay. ‘Welcome to Coral Cay Hospital,’ he murmured, reaching out to help Alyssa step down from the vehicle. His grip was firm and the hand at her elbow was reassuringly supportive. ‘Our trauma team is all ready and waiting for the patient. They’ll take good care of him, you’ll see.’

Oddly, she was glad he had decided to come here with her. ‘Yes, I’m sure they will.’ By all accounts, the hospital had a good reputation and Alex would be in safe hands.

The registrar was already walking by the side of the trolley as the paramedics wheeled Alex into the emergency unit, and Alyssa went with them, ready to talk to the doctor about his condition.

‘We’ll do a thorough neurological examination,’ the registrar told her. ‘And then we’ll get a CT scan done so that we can find out exactly what’s going on.’ He glanced at Connor. ‘Do you know how we can get in touch with any of his relatives?’

Connor nodded. ‘You don’t need to worry about that, Jack. My brother’s already spoken to Alex’s wife. He rang to tell me on the car phone when I was on my way over here. She’s going to make arrangements for someone to look after the children while she comes to be with him.’

‘That’s good.’ They’d reached the trauma bay by now, and Jack started on his examination of the patient. Alyssa and Connor took turns to tell him what had happened and describe the treatment they had given Alex.

‘You did everything you could,’ the registrar said, ‘but there’s nothing more you can do here. Why don’t you two go and get a cup of coffee, and I’ll let you know as soon as the scans are finished? I know how concerned you must be, but I promise I’ll keep you in the loop.’

‘Okay. Thanks. We’ll get out of your way.’ Alyssa glanced at Alex, who was connected to monitors that bleeped and flashed and underlined the fact that he was in a distressing condition.

‘I can hardly believe this is happening,’ she said under her breath as she walked away with Connor.

He nodded. ‘It’s hard to take in.’ He sent her an oblique glance. ‘Are you okay? You don’t look quite right.’

‘I’m fine,’ she lied.

‘Hmm. I suppose all this must come as a shock when you imagined the job would involve nothing more than having to deal with a few minor ailments or lacerations.’ He led the way along the corridor and showed her to his office, pushing open the door and ushering her inside, his hand resting lightly on the small of her back. It was strangely comforting, that warmth of human contact.

‘Please … take a seat.’ He waved her to a chair by the desk, and then flicked a switch on the coffee machine that stood on a table in a corner of the room.

She looked around. The office had been furnished with infinite care, from the seagrass-coloured carpet that added a quiet dignity over all, to the elegantly upholstered leather armchairs that would provide comfort and ease to anxious relatives, keen to know the details of any treatment their loved ones would need. There was a leather couch, too, set against one wall, adding a feeling of opulence to the whole.

To one side of the room there was a mahogany bookcase, filled with leather bound medical books, and in front of the large window was a highly polished desk made of the same rich, dark mahogany. This was topped with a burgundy leather desk mat and beautiful accessories, which included a brass pen-holder and an intricately designed brass paperweight.

‘You’re still look very white-faced,’ he remarked as he set out two cups and saucers and began to pour coffee. ‘It’s not just that you’re worried about Alex, is it? I can’t help thinking there’s something more.’ He hesitated for a moment. ‘Shall I get you some painkillers for the headache?’

She shook her head. ‘Like I said, I’ll be fine.’

He slid a cup towards her. ‘Would you like cream and sugar with that?’

‘Please.’ She nodded, and he slid a tray containing a cream jug and sugar bowl onto the desk beside her. The bowl was filled with amber-coloured chips of rock sugar that gleamed softly in the sunlight and gave off a pleasing aroma of dark molasses.

Connor sat down, leaning back in his black leather chair, eyeing her over the rim of his cup. ‘Something’s definitely not right,’ he said. ‘What is it? You did all you possibly could for Alex, so it can’t be that. Does it have something to do with the reason you’re not working back in the UK?’

Her eyes widened and her heart missed a beat. ‘Why would you think that?’

He shrugged. ‘A few stray connections linking up in my mind. It’s odd that you would leave the place where you did your training and where you worked for several years and give it all up to come halfway across the world. I can’t help thinking something must have gone wrong. It’s not as though you could afford to travel the world and simply take time out.’

She raised a brow. ‘How do you know all that? Have you been talking to Ross?’

He smiled. ‘Of course. He talks about you every opportunity he gets.’

‘Oh, dear.’ She brooded on that for a moment or two. She’d never given Ross the slightest encouragement to think of her as anything more than a friend, but somewhere along the way he must have started pinning his hopes on something more developing between them. Judging by what Connor was saying, she would have to put a stop to it, and sooner rather than later.

He was watching her as she thought things through. ‘He thinks the world of you and would do anything for you, but we both know that you don’t really feel the same way about him, don’t we?’

She stiffened. ‘I like Ross. I think he’s a wonderful person.’ She didn’t appreciate the faintly challenging note in Connor’s tone. It annoyed her that he should imply she had come here with an ulterior motive.

‘Yes, he is …’ Connor agreed, ‘but that still doesn’t explain why you abandoned everything to come out here with him.’

She sipped her coffee, giving herself time to gain a little more composure. ‘You think I was sick of working for a living and gave up on it to follow him, don’t you?’

‘Isn’t that a possibility?’ He studied her thoughtfully. ‘The idea of coming to a sun-soaked island where you could relax and forget your cares must have had huge appeal.’

She smiled briefly. ‘Of course it did. But you’re forgetting … in my case I’m actually here to work. Ross gave me the opportunity to try something new and I jumped at it. I don’t see anything wrong with that. Do you?’ Her chin lifted and a hint of defiance shimmered in her green eyes.

‘When you put it that way, no … of course not.’ His glance wandered over her face, lingering on the perfect curve of her mouth, the fullness of her lips made moist by the coffee and accentuated by the inviting, cherry-red lipstick she was wearing. After a moment or two he pulled himself up and shook his head as though to clear it. ‘I dare say a lot of people would envy you being able to simply take off and leave everything behind.’

‘I guess so.’ She might have said more, but his pager went off just then, and he frowned as he checked the text message. ‘Jack Somers has finished the preliminary tests. We can go and talk to him now.’

‘That’s good.’ Her stomach muscles tightened in nervous expectation.

They went to find the registrar in his office. ‘I have the CT scans here,’ he said, bringing up the films on his computer screen. ‘You’ll see there are a couple of fractured vertebrae and there’s a lot of inflammation around that area.’

Connor winced. ‘It’ll mean an operation, then?’

Jack nodded. ‘I’m afraid so.’ He glanced at Alyssa. ‘We’ll get him prepped for surgery as soon as possible, maybe within the hour. The surgeon will stabilise the spine with metal rods and screws and do what he can to ease the pressure on the spinal cord. Unfortunately, it’ll be some time before we know what the outcome will be regarding him regaining any movement in his legs. There’s so much swelling that it’s hard to see exactly what damage has been done.’

‘I appreciate that. Thanks for letting us know.’ Alyssa was saddened, looking at those films. How would Alex take the news, having been an active, athletic man? He was in his prime, with a young family to support, and it grieved her to think of how this would affect them.

Connor added his thanks and they left the office, going over to the trauma room where Alex was being tended by two specialist nurses. Alyssa spoke to them and watched for a while as they set up drips and programmed the medication pump. He was still unresponsive, but he was being well looked after, she felt sure.

There was nothing more they could do there and she went with Connor to the car park a few minutes later.

‘Time’s slipping by faster than I imagined,’ he said, looking briefly at the gold watch on his wrist. ‘Maybe we should go and get some lunch and come back later to see how he’s doing once the operation is over.’ He glanced at her. ‘We could go to Benvenuto, if you like. It would be a shame to let Ross’s lunch reservations go to waste, don’t you think?’

‘I don’t know. I …’ His offer caught her unawares. Until that moment she hadn’t even realised she was hungry, but now he mentioned it there was a definite hollow feeling in her stomach. Even so, it made her feel uncomfortable to think of deserting Ross and going out to lunch with Connor instead. ‘Is there no chance he could join us? Perhaps I should give him a call …’

‘I already did that.’ They had reached his car, a low-slung, highly polished sports model, and now he pulled open the passenger door and waited for her to slide onto the leather upholstered seat. ‘I spoke to him while you were talking to the nurses. He agreed it would be a shame to let the booking go to waste.’

‘Oh, I see.’ She frowned. ‘I suppose he’s still busy dealing with the accident reports? Did he say how it was going?’

‘He’s still talking to the insurers and working on his report. Then at some point he’ll have to meet with the director and work out how they can reschedule the filming. Everything’s been put on hold for the next couple of days. Everybody’s too upset to go on right now. He’s spoken to Alex’s wife, and arranged for a car to take her to the hospital.’

‘I’m glad he did that.’

Connor slid into the driver’s seat and set the car in motion, while Alyssa sat back, thankful for the air-conditioning on such a hot day. Connor had a light touch on the controls and it seemed as though the car was a dream to handle, smooth and responsive, covering the miles with ease. If it hadn’t been for her worries, the journey to the marina would have been soothing and a delight to savour.

Instead, she tried to take her mind off things by looking out of the window at the landscape of hills clad with pine forest, which soon receded into the distance and changed to a vista of lush orange groves and thriving banana plantations.

‘We’re almost there,’ Connor said a little later, pointing out the blue waters of the marina in the distance. ‘I expect the place will be quite busy at this time of the day, but Ross reserved a table on the terrace, so we’ll be in the best spot and able to look out over the yacht basin.’

‘That sounds great.’ She made a face. ‘I’m actually starving. I hadn’t realised it was so long since breakfast.’

‘Hmm. I’m not surprised.’ He looked her over and smiled. ‘I doubt you can really give what you have to eat the term “breakfast”. Fruit juice and a small bowl of cereal is more like a quick snack, I’d say.’

She looked at him in astonishment as he drove into the restaurant car park. ‘What do you mean? How do you know what I eat?’

He slipped the car into a parking space and cut the engine. ‘I’ve seen you from the upper deck—you often go out onto the terrace to eat first thing in the morning, don’t you? You’re a lot like me in that. I like to be out in the fresh air so that I can take stock of my surroundings and, like you, I drink freshly squeezed orange juice. It makes me feel good first thing in the morning. Though how you can expect to last for long on what you eat is beyond me.’

He came around to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for her. She frowned. ‘I usually take a break mid-morning and catch up with a bun or a croissant,’ she said in a rueful tone. ‘Of course, with everything going on the way it did today, that didn’t happen.’

‘You should enjoy the food here all the more, then.’ He locked the car and laid a hand on the small of her back, leading her into the restaurant.

Alyssa was glad of the coolness of the interior. His casual, gentle touch felt very much like a caress to her heightened senses, and the heat it generated seemed to suffuse her whole body.

A waiter showed them to their table out on the terrace, and once again the heat of the sun beat down on Alyssa’s bare arms. Her cheeks felt flushed and Connor must have noticed because he said softly, ‘At least we’ll be in the shade of that palm tree. There’s a faint breeze sifting through the branches—couldn’t be better.’

‘It’s lovely here.’ She sat down and absorbed the beauty of her surroundings for a while until gradually she felt herself begin to relax. On one side there was the marina, with an assortment of yachts bobbing gently on the water, and on the other there was the sweep of the beach, with a magnificent stretch of soft, white sand and a backdrop of low scrub and palm trees.

In the distance, the coastline changed yet again, becoming rocky, with jagged inlets, peninsulas and lagoons. There, the trees were different, smaller, and she could just about make out their twisting trunks and branches laden with sprays of yellow flowers. ‘Are those the logwood trees I’ve been hearing about?’ she asked, and he nodded.

‘That’s right.’

‘I heard the wood yields a rich, deep reddish-purple dye,’ she said. ‘I’ve seen some lovely silk garments that were coloured with it.’

‘Yes, it’s used quite widely hereabouts. The flowers give great honey, too, so I guess it’s a useful tree all round.’

The waiter handed them menus, and they were silent for a moment, studying them. Connor ordered a bottle of wine.

‘I can’t make up my mind what to choose,’ Alyssa said after a while. ‘Everything looks mouth-wateringly good to me.’

‘I thought I might start with conch chowder and follow it with shrimp Alfredo and marinara-flavoured pasta,’ he murmured. ‘They do those dishes particularly well here.’

‘Hmm … I think I’ll go along with that, too.’ She smiled and laid down her menu.

The waiter took their orders, and Connor poured her a glass of wine and asked about her family back home.

‘Do you have any relatives in the UK? I know you have your cousin Carys in Florida.’

‘My parents are living in London at the moment,’ she told him. ‘I don’t have any brothers or sisters.’

He frowned. ‘I imagine they must miss you, the more so since you’re an only child.’

‘Possibly.’ She thought about that for a moment or two. ‘But they’re really quite busy … My mother runs a boutique and my father is a businessman, a director of an electronics company. I don’t think they’ll really have time to worry about what I’m getting up to. And of course I’ve lived away from home for a number of years, since I qualified as a doctor.’

‘Hmm … that sounds like quite a … sterile … relationship.’ He studied her for a while, pausing the conversation as the waiter brought a tureen of chowder to the table and began to ladle it into bowls.

Alyssa tasted her creamy soup and mulled over Connor’s remark. ‘I don’t know about that,’ she said. ‘It was always that way, for as long as I can remember. In my teenage years I was what people called a latchkey kid, coming home to an empty house because my parents worked late. I didn’t mind back then. In fact, I never thought much about it. I learned to fend for myself, and there were always friends that I could be with, so I wasn’t lonely.’

He’d hit on something, though, the way he’d described her relationship with her family. Her eyes were troubled as she thought it over. Sometimes she’d missed that intimacy of family closeness that her friends had seemed to take for granted, especially when her career had started falling apart and her love life had taken a dive. She hadn’t felt able to share her innermost secrets, even with her best friends, but it would have been good to be able to turn to family in her hour of need.

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