Had he taken leave of his senses?

How the hell was he going to explain to Carl that he had taken off with one of the prime suspects? His friend would think he was crazy. Maybe he was. But he knew he would do anything, pay anything, to keep Liza out of trouble with the law, and if that made him a fool, then so be it.

Liza was a walking, talking sex goddess. Either dressed in trousers and top with her glorious hair scraped back in a ponytail, as he had seen her this morning, or—with her hair a tumbled mass around her shoulders—elegant in a black wraparound dress that was just begging to be unwrapped. Crook or not, she turned him on without even trying.

To hell with it! He swore. Keeping her out of jail did not mean he had to keep her out of his bed….

To the rescue…armed with a ring!

Marriage is their mission!

Look for the next thrilling title in this

adventurous new series.

The Yuletide Engagement

by

Carole Mortimer

On sale in December, #2364

Coming soon from

Harlequin Presents

At the Spaniard’s Pleasure
Jacqueline Baird

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER ONE

NICK MENENDEZ irritably drummed his fingers on the steering wheel of the Jeep he had picked up at the airport. He had expected to be in Lanzarote by nine at the latest. He’d arrived in his own plane and he was still late because there’d been no landing slot. Heads would roll… He was a man who got what he wanted when he wanted it, and he did not appreciate being frustrated by anything or anyone! But he should have guessed, he thought, his mouth tightening angrily. Any damn thing connected to Liza Summers, a blonde, blue-eyed siren, had always caused him frustration of one kind or another…

A wry smile twisted his firm lips. No, if he was being honest, his frustration was not really Liza’s fault. They had been good friends years ago until he had caught her kissing a young man, and overreacted. With hindsight he could admit it; he had been jealous as hell, he had wanted to be Liza’s first lover, but, as he was engaged to someone else at the time, he had been in no position to do anything about it.

Then, last night at his home in Malaga, he had been reading the latest report from one of his companies, a security firm that was doing some work for a pal of his, when her name had leapt off the page.

Last month Carl Dalk, a friend from his university days whose family owned a diamond mine in South Africa, had contacted him and asked for his help and he had immediately agreed. As students they had been white-water rafting together when Nick was thrown from the raft and knocked unconscious. It was Carl who had dragged him from the raging torrent; he owed the man his life. And though they saw each other infrequently, they’d remained good friends.

Nick had joined his father in the family firm straight after university, a small but one of the most prestigious merchant banks in Spain. Over the years Nick had expanded and diversified the business into the vast international corporation it was today. Carl was one of the few people who knew that one of Nick’s holdings was a very discreet security agency. It was an agency that had assisted in many sensitive investigations, both corporate and criminal, worldwide, and liaised on a regular basis with the Spanish government on matters of security.

Carl had called on Nick’s security firm because twice in the past year diamonds had been stolen from the mine. The clever part was after the thieves had ascertained the value of the diamonds they had been offered back to Carl’s insurers at roughly half their worth.

With the consent of the police, and in the hope of catching the thieves red-handed, the insurance company had arranged to pay up. Not surprisingly, as it meant the insurers saved money by not having to repay the full cost of the diamonds. But it had not stopped the insurance company putting up the cost of Carl’s premiums, but, worse than that, the plan had not worked…

Both times the thieves after exchanging the diamonds had managed to give the authorities the slip.

Carl’s business was in real trouble; what with the influx of cheaper diamonds from Russia over the last few years, and the invention of man-made diamonds, he had seen his firm’s profits slump to an all-time low. The drastic fall in the stock market over the same period had seriously depleted the firm and family funding. Carl had a serious cash-flow problem and now there had been another theft… Nick had offered to help him out financially, and had put the expertise of the security agency at Carl’s disposal.

Reading the last report, Nick had been confident that this time Carl with the help of the agency and the Spanish police were well on the way to catching the thieves, and then he spotted the name Liza Summers. He had called the manager of the security firm, and discovered that it was none other than THE Liza Summers, the daughter of his mother’s best friend.

Nick had promised to spend the whole weekend in Spain with his mother to attend a series of parties arranged to celebrate the golden-wedding anniversary of her brother, Uncle Thomas. That plan was seriously curtailed when he’d decided to take the place of his top investigator, and make a flying visit to Lanzarote. If anyone was going to question Liza it was going to be him. It was six years since he had seen her, but whatever else she had become he found it hard to believe she could be involved in these thefts as the report suggested.

Which was why it was now almost eleven and he was stuck at the crossing to the drawbridge in Arrecife as a group of tourists, obviously from the cruise ship in the harbour, made their way over the road. Usually he loved visiting Lanzarote, also known as Isla de las Volcanoes. The landscape was surreal, completely covered by over a hundred and thirty volcanoes, with craters and fields of petrified lava. He had owned a villa here for years on the edge of the Timanfaya National Park, as did the king of Spain and the crowned heads of a few Arab countries. It was a place that allowed him to relax out of the public eye and do his own thing. But not today, he thought grimly, his irritation increasing by the minute at the thought of what lay ahead.

The information that had brought Nick dashing to the island caused deep frown lines in his austere but strikingly handsome face as his gaze swept over the scene before him. His hard glance flickered over the kiosk café on the promenade to the taxi rank, where another hold-up was causing chaos. Then abruptly returned to the café, his dark eyes flaring then narrowing on the single female seated at one of the tables.

Long blonde hair tied back with a scarf revealed an exquisite profile, a slender throat and the soft curves of high, firm breasts exposed by a body-hugging blue cotton top. A glimpse of bare midriff, then white cotton trousers moulded long legs that were stretched out before her and crossed at the ankles in casual ease.

His great body tensed. Well! Well! His information was correct, he thought with grim satisfaction.

Carl and the South African police had managed to trail the diamond thieves up through Africa to the Sahara Desert and discovered they then made the short sea-crossing to the island of Lanzarote, where they had disappeared either at sea or on the island. Dalk could have picked up the African thieves, but that was not what he wanted. He wanted the top man in Europe to stop it completely.

The report Nick had read last night from his agency had stated, after they had done some digging on the continent, the trail led to one Henry Brown, a director of Stubbs and Company of London, a well-respected investment house. The top investigator had trailed Henry Brown and discovered he had flown into Lanzarote that day with his PA.

Grinding his teeth in exasperation at the hold-up, Nick still couldn’t get over the fact the man’s PA was none other than Liza Summers. The girl he had known since the age of eight had become the woman now reclining in the chair at the promenade café looking as if she did not have a care in the world… That was about to alter if she did but know it.

Carl Dalk had received a copy of the same report and had been on the telephone to Nick late last night, jubilant as they had almost all the information to spring the trap. The middleman in Lanzarote was the only missing link. Still reeling from shock at the sight of Liza’s name, Nick had had to do some very fast talking to persuade Carl to let him get personally involved and quiz her himself. Laying it on thick about his connection with the island’s police and telling Carl that he had to go anyway to check out a business venture, Nick had made arrangements to travel here at once on his private jet.

It was a conflict of interest Nick could do without. He supported Carl a hundred per cent. It was stealing, blackmail, call it what one liked. But he did not want to believe Liza Summers was involved, and if the worst happened and she was, though he could never condone dishonesty, he had to try and keep her part in the theft low-key and out of the Press. He owed it to the family friendship and the delightful child she had once been.

Eyes black as night raked over her once again, his firm lips curling in a wolfish grin, there was nothing childish about her now. Nick was something of a connoisseur of beautiful women and this one certainly fitted the bill. Things were certainly looking up, he decided; the idea of quizzing the lovely Liza was suddenly very tempting.

Nick watched as the woman removed her sunglasses and looked towards him. No, not him but the drawbridge, he realised, and his hands tightened on the steering wheel at the same time as he felt a sudden tightening in his groin. There was no doubt about it. It was Liza Summers…

His body’s instant reaction surprised him. He had not responded so spontaneously to a female in a long time. He was famed for his cool control and he rather resented his body’s betrayal, but finding Liza so quickly was the first bit of luck he had had all morning. An accidental meeting was much more convenient than calling at her hotel. He had not seen the woman in six years, and if anything she was even more beautiful then he remembered, on the outside at least, he qualified cynically, remembering the task at hand.

Damn the law! He parked the Jeep at the side of the road and leapt out.

‘Liza… Liza Summers…’

Liza clashed her coffee-cup down on the saucer, the deep, drawling voice making her hand shake. Oh, no! Silently she groaned. This could not be happening. She hadn’t heard that voice since she was a teenager. Now, on a tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic it echoed in her head like a ghost from the past.

‘I thought it was you.’

A tall, dark shadow loomed over her, blocking out the sun. Her eyes were on a level with strong masculine thighs clad in denim. She swallowed hard and slowly lifted her head; a tapered waist flared out to a broad chest, every muscle and sinew clearly delineated by a simple black T-shirt, and up to bulging biceps, and even broader shoulders.

She tilted her head back, and her heart skipped a beat; his face was in shadow but she would have recognised him anywhere. ‘You!’ she exclaimed as her blue eyes clashed with deep dark brown. Niculoso Menendez… The years rolled back and she was eight again and meeting him for the first time.

Her father had just died and her mum’s good friend Anna Menendez had invited Liza and her mother, Pamela, for a holiday at her home in Spain. The two women had attended the same boarding-school in England. Anna was the daughter of a Spanish diplomat and Pamela was the daughter of a serving army officer. Anna had married a wealthy Spaniard and Pam had married an army man. The two women had kept in touch over the years, mostly as pen pals.

Memories of the past flooded Liz’s mind. Niculoso had fascinated her the first time she saw him, at eighteen he was the most beautiful young man she had ever seen. She had been so busy staring at him that she had stumbled and fallen on the stone-flagged courtyard, skinning her knee. She had cried, but Niculoso had picked her up, smiled at her and carried her on his shoulders into the imposing house.

He had been her hero from that moment on. He was the big brother she had never had and she had looked forward to the three weeks at the Menendez country house every summer.

‘Do you mind if I join you? I haven’t seen you in years.’ Nick’s deep, husky voice cut across her reverie.

‘What?’ she mumbled, still reeling from the shock of his sudden appearance. It was Nick who had taught her to ride, and saved her from many a fall from trees, cliffs, and on one memorable occasion when she had fallen from her horse. But at fourteen her feelings for him had changed when she had developed an enormous crush on him, and done everything in her power to try and attract his attention to her blossoming femininity.

‘You don’t sound too pleased to see me.’ Nick lifted a hand and signalled to the waiter and ordered a coffee. ‘Would you like a refill?’

‘No… Yes…’ she stammered like an idiot, but she was stunned. He had appeared from nowhere like a genie out of a bottle, filling her mind with kaleidoscopic memories.

Their past relationship had ended in disaster when she was sixteen. Overflowing with unrequited love, she had been devastated when she was introduced to Nick’s fiancée, a stunningly attractive woman called Sophia, a distant relative of the family.

Suddenly Liza had seen her mother and herself for what they were. The poor friends who were given a holiday out of charity. That summer she had rebelled and gone out with one of the stable boys. It was just her bad luck the one time they were fooling around in an empty stall and she had let him kiss her, Nick had seen them. Nick with a face like thunder…

An involuntary shiver feathered down her spine, and her heartbeat quickened perceptibly. She did not want to think about what had happened next. But the scales had certainly fallen from her eyes where Nick was concerned. Nick Menendez was an arrogant, overbearing, stuck-up, chauvinist pig. Liza had kept out of his way for the rest of her stay, and if he had happened to see her he frowned at her with contempt obvious in his hard eyes. Liza had been relieved when they finally left and she’d never gone back.

Shaking her head in an attempt to dispel the memories of the past, she glanced up at him. He had moved slightly and the sun glinted off his striking features, and her heart stopped in her throat.

One dark brow arched enquiringly. ‘So may I sit down?’ His voice was a deep, slightly accented drawl that held a hint of mockery.

‘Please do,’ she finally managed to respond civilly. Though she was still shocked at the amazing coincidence of bumping into Niculoso in Lanzarote. Since the death of his father she guessed he had inherited the family company. She had seen his name in the gossip columns occasionally, when he’d attended a charity do, a première or the races, and grimaced at the reference to the Spanish Stud, supposedly a reference to the famous Menendez stud farm, but the double entendre was obvious. Still, Liza tried to avoid reading such rubbish.

‘The last time we met must have been my father’s funeral,’ Nick prompted, pulling out a chair.

‘Oh, yes,’ Liza murmured politely. That was another day she would rather forget. She had just turned nineteen and was at university in London, and living in the halls of residence. Her mum had insisted Liza travel to Spain with her for the funeral. Nick had still been engaged to the glorious Sophia and Liza had found him just as disturbing then, and when he had deigned to notice her his expression was still one of scowling contempt.

Liza hadn’t seen him since. She wished he would sit down instead of holding the chair and towering over her like some great, dark bird of prey. He was smiling down at her like a long-lost friend, and somehow it didn’t ring true. A vulture about to pick her bones was more likely, she thought drily.

‘Well, Niculoso, fancy meeting you here,’ she said coolly, her mind spinning. ‘I thought you lived in Antequera.’

‘My mother still does. But I am a big boy now, Liza. I left home years ago,’ he drawled mockingly, and finally sat down beside her. He was big and he was more striking than ever, she realised, her skin breaking out in goose-pimples as his arm accidentally brushed hers.

‘As, I believe, did you after university,’ Nick continued, apparently casually. A large hand reached out and covered her much smaller one resting on the table, and to her amazement something akin to an electric shock sizzled up her arm. ‘My mother speaks about you often and it is really good to see you again,’ he said and squeezed her hand.

Good to see her! He had to be kidding… He could not stand the sight of her… Liza felt the colour rise in her cheeks. She had told herself she hated him for years and yet incredibly his touch sent a frisson of excitement flooding through her. Her stunned blue gaze clashed with deep dark brown—was it sincerity she saw in their depths? Never in a million years… She wasn’t falling for his Latin charm ever again. ‘Yes. Well…’ she murmured inconsequentially.

‘Forgive me for surprising you. I caught a glimpse of you and could not believe my eyes. You have developed into a stunning woman, Liza.’

Niculoso Menendez giving her a compliment! He had to be joking after the scathing things he had said about her in the past. ‘Thank you, I think,’ she said with a trace of sarcasm. She pulled her hand free from beneath his and lowered her eyes from his too astute gaze.

Liza remembered all too well every second of their encounter in the stable years ago.

After dispensing with the stable boy, Nick had hauled her hard against him and kissed her savagely, and to her undying shame she had responded in a way she had never imagined in her wildest dreams, clinging to him like a limpet. Then he had shoved her back into the stall, and insolently touched her tight breasts, and completely humiliated her. His words were engraved on her brain.

‘My God! A stable boy! How wrong I was about you. For two years I have watched you flirt and flaunt yourself around me. I thought it was innocent, a young girl learning the power of her emerging sexuality. But you obviously know it all, have done it all. You’re nothing but a cheap slut.’

The memory still had the power to hurt, but Liza drew some consolation from the fact that, young as she was, at least she’d had the sense to slap his arrogant face.

Nick leant back in his seat and eyed the woman before him. She had been a delightful, impulsive child, a thorn in his flesh as a very independent, precocious teenager, and a bitter disappointment to him when he’d found her cavorting with the stable boy. But she had developed into an exquisitely beautiful woman, and he didn’t like the way she still affected him after years of blanking her from his mind. His gut reaction last night when he’d realised she was involved had been to protect her any way he could, and the strength of his own feeling had surprised him.

But he was no fool; she had inherited her mother’s features and pale, almost translucent skin, and at the moment the red tinge to her cheeks and the evasive look in her brilliant blue eyes told him she was as guilty as hell about something. Whether it was because she was involved in the theft of the diamonds or not he did not know, but he was determined to find out for Carl’s sake.

‘I can see life has been good to you, Liza,’ Nick opined, his dark eyes sweeping over her face and lower to the soft curve of her breasts with blatant male appreciation. ‘It is great to see you happy and on holiday.’

‘Yes, well, the sunshine is a treat in the winter,’ Liza offered lightly. She was older and wiser now, and not prepared to accept his friendly overtures so easily.

Nick’s gaze narrowed intently on her lovely face, and he saw the swift tightening of her luscious lips; she was being evasive—hardly the reaction of an innocent, he was forced to conclude. ‘You are on holiday?’ he queried, pressing on in an attempt to discover exactly what Liza knew. ‘Or is it business? It has been so long since we last saw each other, I have no idea what you are up to now.’ For a fleeting moment he was tempted to ask, A bit of diamond-smuggling, perhaps, as my agency’s report implies? His lips twitched in the briefest smile at the thought.

The shock of meeting Niculoso Menendez was wearing off a little and, seeing his smile, Liza thought there was no harm in discussing her work. ‘I’m a PA for a director of a finance firm in London.’ It was a safe topic, and she told him the name of the firm. ‘As for this,’ she gestured with one hand around the bay, ‘it started out as a business trip to attend an environmental conference at Costa Teguise in the hope of investing in something green, I suppose, but surprisingly it has ended up as a holiday for me. My boss has a habit of changing his mind,’ Liza ended drily, something she was quickly discovering in the few weeks she had worked for Mr Brown.

She had arrived on the island yesterday with her boss. They were staying at a five-star hotel on the Costa Teguise to attend the two-week conference. But, after vanishing last night before dinner, Henry Brown had appeared this morning and informed her that, after reading the literature, the conference was of no importance to the firm.

Instead he had asked her to do him a favour and deliver a package to an opticians in Arrecife, the island’s capital, then take the rest of the time off. He told her she could stay in the hotel, as it was paid for, or go wherever she liked. Just to make sure she was around for the gala dinner on the final evening, and to take the flight back with him the day after.

He was going sailing, but would be back the morning of the gala. Plus, if his wife happened to call and catch Liza, Liza was to tell her he had been called away suddenly.

Liza had argued she was not prepared to lie to his wife, until he pointed out she was his PA now after four years of being the secretary to Mr Stubbs, who had recently retired. It was the first time she had travelled with him, and if she valued her job she had better get used to obeying his orders. Liza had a sneaky suspicion he had arranged the whole trip so he could slope off with his latest mistress.

Something green! Nick almost snorted. The only thing green Henry Brown was interested in was a green-back dollar… Liza could not be that naive…

‘Lucky for you,’ he prompted, his attitude towards her hardening. So she was not a complete liar, but she was extremely clever—enough of the truth mixed with fiction, Nick thought cynically, his dark eyes roaming once more over her face and body. He wondered if Liza was sleeping with her boss. She had been heading that way at sixteen, and he could not see any red-blooded male turning her down. Immediately he pushed the vaguely distasteful thought aside.

‘Yes,’ Liza agreed coolly. Henry Brown was supposedly a happily married man, but he had hit on her the first week she started work for the company, but, firmly rebuffed, he had accepted with good grace and over the years they had developed a formal working relationship.

Henry Brown was a charming rogue who was probably an asset in the world of venture capitalism, but not really husband material. Still, his private life was not her problem…she was not her boss’s moral guardian, she told herself firmly.

The waiter arrived with the coffee and Liza picked up the cup and took a sip of the aromatic brew. She could feel Nick’s dark gaze on her as the silence lengthened between them. But she saw no reason why she should carry the conversation. She had not instigated this meeting with him.

Twenty minutes ago, after delivering the package, she had sat down at this table, drunk a cup of coffee, and told herself she was going to enjoy the unexpected break. It was magic to be able to sit outside in the middle of January with the temperature a balmy seventy-eight degrees after the winter gloom she had left in England. Now she was not so sure… Suddenly it felt a whole lot warmer, and she set the coffee-cup down with a less than steady hand. She could not believe Nick was actually sitting beside her, and, worse, affecting her usual icy composure like no other man before.

‘I have heard of Stubbs; a very profitable firm, I believe,’ Nick finally remarked.

Startled, Liza took a moment to remember what they had been talking about.

‘Your mother must be very proud of your success; though I hate to admit it, I have only seen her a couple of times in the last few years, usually when she is visiting my mother. It is a shame you never come with her any more,’ Nick offered lightly. He had caught the flash of panic in her eyes, and wondered why. His comment had been harmless enough. Liza was an elegant, sophisticated woman now, but that flash of fear simply confirmed his mounting suspicion she was hiding something.

‘Some time, maybe,’ Liza replied shortly. She needed no reminding of her holidays at his home, and asked, ‘And what are you doing here? I thought you still lived in Spain.’

‘I just flew in this morning. I have a villa here, though I have a house in Malaga, and of course the family home, but my business takes me all over the world.’

‘How nice,’ Liza murmured. ‘What is it you actually do?’ she queried sarcastically. Apart from flitting around the world in a private jet, usually with a glamorous woman on your arm, she almost added, but resisted the temptation.

If ever a child was born with a silver spoon in his mouth it was Niculoso Menendez. The only son of one of the wealthiest families on the continent, he lived a charmed life, indulging his every whim, whether it was skydiving, bunjee jumping or snowboarding in the Alps. He was an exponent of extreme sports, and she had thought his adventures so brave and romantic as a child. But raking over the past was churning up memories she preferred to forget, and, pinning a smile on her face she forced herself to look up into his eyes.

For a second she thought she saw a flash of anger in their depths, but she was quickly reassured when his firmly chiselled lips parted over gleaming white teeth in a reciprocal smile that was meant to dazzle…and did…

‘Right at this moment I am talking to a beautiful woman,’ he said smoothly, ‘when I should be checking a property development on the other side of the island.’

‘So you’re a property developer. That must be interesting,’ she prompted, jumping at the chance to change the subject. Niculoso complimenting her, flirting with her, made her uncomfortable. ‘I seem to remember you studied art, wasn’t it? But your father was in finance, I believe,’ she opined with the lift of one delicately shaped eyebrow. And Nick had stood to inherit the lot, and marry the family-approved distant relative, Sophia, Liza recalled cynically.

‘You’re right and he was, but with my father’s backing we diversified into other areas, though property development is one of my own pet projects.’

Surprisingly Liza believed him. There was no mistaking the passion in his tone, the gleam of determination in his incredible eyes as he expanded on the subject.

‘For instance, here on Lanzarote the landscape fascinates me. It is quite challenging to build something that is pleasing to the eye, and yet does not harm the unique environment. Don’t get me wrong. I am not one of those dyed-in-the-wool environmentalists. I do enjoy the better things of life.’

Liza just bet he did! Her blue eyes lingered on his harshly handsome face, the deliciously mobile mouth, a wry smile tugging her lips. He wasn’t called the Spanish Stud for nothing…

‘But here no building must be more than four storeys, mainly from the lobbying of the late, great Cesar Manrique, a famous local sculptor. You have probably seen some of his work around the island.’

‘I’ve read about him, but I only arrived yesterday afternoon and I haven’t had a chance to look around yet,’ Liza said, her smile broadening as for a moment she caught a glimpse of the eighteen-year-old he had once been. A young man full of high ideals and not above expounding them to a young child, before maturity and money had made him the man he was today.

‘In that case, Liza, you must allow me to be your guide for the day,’ Nick declared, flashing her another dazzling smile. Her heart lurched and for a moment she simply stared at him. ‘That is, if you are alone, of course,’ he prompted softly.

His deep, velvet voice trickled over her nerve-endings like dark gold honey, soothing and seducing. ‘Yes. Yes, I am,’ she stammered.

He really was a hunk of a man and the years since they had last met had been kind to him. If anything he was more attractive than she remembered, age giving character to his stunningly handsome face, with perfectly carved features, high cheekbones and a sensually curved mouth. As for his eyes, deep brown and as dark as sin with thick black curling lashes. The kind of eyes that would melt any female’s heart and the slightly long, silky black hair would tempt any female’s fingers. Liza was no exception; she wasn’t even aware she was staring and she never saw the brief glitter of triumph in his gorgeous eyes.

Nick Menendez’s physical presence was almost hypnotic; he exuded a lethal charm, an aura of potent masculine sexuality that called out to every atom of femininity in a woman. On a scale of one to ten, he had to be a twenty. Liza almost groaned out loud as all her deeply buried teenage fantasies rose up to haunt her.

‘I’m amazed.’ His eyes twinkled. ‘A lovely girl like you, alone! But grateful.’ Her blue eyes widened to their fullest extent on his darkly attractive face at his teasing compliment. ‘So, unless you would like another coffee, how about joining me in the Jeep?’ A strong hand gestured to where the vehicle was illegally parked on the pavement. ‘Before some official tows it away. I have to inspect the building site but after that I am at your disposal.’

If only! A vivid image of a naked Nick at her disposal filled her head and, ashamed of her sexy thoughts, she answered hastily. ‘I was going to return to my hotel and laze around the pool.’ She was still slightly wary of this new, charming Nick. Over the years she’d worked hard to block out any sign of emotion where this man was concerned, and she wasn’t sure she liked the way he cut through her defences like a knife through butter with just a smile.

He had been scathing in his contempt of her, brutally so, in the past. So why the turn-around, the flattering comments now? she wondered. Nick was a powerful, dynamic man; add wealth and looks, and it wasn’t surprising he was so arrogantly sure of himself. But surely he must be married by now with a handful of children, yet her mother had never mentioned it. ‘And maybe your wife, Sophia, would object.’ Fool, fool, she castigated herself as soon as the words had left her mouth.

Hooded eyes narrowed intently on her slightly pink face. Nick was a man of considerable expertise where the female sex was concerned, and despite her cautious reserve he sensed an underlying attraction. She wanted him, and the question on his marital state confirmed it. ‘Sophia and I parted years ago. I have no wife, no ties, and I like it that way. Now, no more argument.’ Nick rose to his feet and held out his hand. ‘Come on, you know you want to,’ he opined with sheer masculine arrogance and a wicked grin. ‘I have been reliably informed I am a charming companion. Surely you would not want to disappoint me and dent my fragile ego.’

Liza grinned back; she couldn’t help it. ‘That would be an impossibility,’ she mocked. ‘But surely a man in your position must have better things to do than spend a day sightseeing with me,’ and she nearly added of all people. Memories of the past made her super-cautious; Nick had made his dislike of her very plain, and she was still not convinced of his sincerity now.

‘Are you still angry with me?’ Shrewd dark eyes bored down into hers, guessing the reason for her hesitation. ‘For lecturing you as a child?’

Lecturing her! So that was how little he thought of crushing her burgeoning sexuality under a diatribe of insults and a savage kiss and grope. But with the benefit of maturity Liza wondered if maybe he was right, and she had made too much of what had happened. ‘No, of course not,’ she denied. If he could be so casual about their fight, then so could she, and, putting her hand in his, she allowed him to pull her to her feet. Liza was tall at five feet nine, but Nick towered over her, and she had to tilt her head back to look at him. ‘Why should I be?’ she asked, and suddenly she was conscious of the nearness of his great, virile physique, but was incapable of moving away.

‘No reason at all,’ Nick drawled throatily, pinning her with a smouldering glance, and after a provocative pause added, ‘not now.’ He lifted her hand to rest on his broad chest, and she felt the heat of his flesh through his shirt, and involuntarily she shivered. ‘What is not acceptable in a girl of sixteen does not apply to the beautiful woman you have become,’ he declared huskily and gazed at her, his eyes smouldering with an explicit sensual promise.

Liza stiffened slightly. Nick was as arrogant as ever; he would not come on to a teenager, but an older woman was fair game. Why was she surprised? In a way he was quite moral, she thought wryly. Then his long fingers tightened on her hand, the pad of his thumb caressing her palm, and she stopped thinking altogether.

‘So unless there is somewhere else you need to go,’ he urged her along the pavement, ‘any shopping or more errands to run for your boss…?’ He stopped and trailed off.

‘No, no,’ Liza denied, not quite sure what she was denying—his question or her helpless response to him. ‘Work finished when I dropped a package off for my boss at Daidolas in the town this morning, just before I met you actually.’

‘Daidolas the opticians?’ Nick asked swiftly.

‘Yes, that’s right, I think it was probably some glasses,’ she babbled on, intensely aware of him with every beat of her heart. ‘My time is my own from now on.’ She saw his dark eyes flicker with some emotion she did not recognise, and felt the sudden tension in his tall frame, and her hand trembled in his. ‘So thank you for your kind invitation, Niculoso,’ she heard herself say with ridiculous formality in an attempt to hide the chaotic feelings his nearness aroused in her, and snatched her hand free from his, dying with embarrassment.

Then she gasped as two large hands closed around her waist, and she was lifted off her feet and spun around, a hard, warm mouth briefly brushed her lips, and then she was in the Jeep.

‘So polite, Liza,’ he drawled mockingly. ‘Please, we are old friends and my friends call me Nick.’ And, chuckling at her flushed, bemused expression, he added, ‘Fasten your seat belt,’ before strolling around the front of the car and stepping into the driving seat.

‘My friends call me Liza,’ she muttered distractedly, still reeling from the touch of his mouth on her own, as he started the engine.

Nick cast her a glance, a broad grin lighting his tanned face. ‘I did know that, Liza,’ he mocked her. The speed with which she had offered the information he required meant his mission would not be as difficult as he had thought. ‘I just have to make a call.’ He gestured with his mobile. ‘The reception is better away from the traffic.’ And he jumped back out of the Jeep and strolled a few yards to the beach. He was taking no chances on Liza overhearing. Damn! But she was good. By revealing her actions so readily, either she really was simply an innocent messenger, or a consummate actress.

It may have been glass in the package! But not of the optical variety…he would bet his last cent.

Quickly he called Carl and gave him the information about the drop-off point and then talked Carl out of having Liza picked up immediately by persuading him it made more sense for Nick to keep her with him on the off-chance she had more information of use to them.

What troubled him slightly as he leapt back into the Jeep was why he was so keen to believe in her innocence. A man of his wealth, and bachelor status, he was used to the adulation of women and was wise to all their tricks to entrap him; consequently he had a very cynical attitude to the female sex in general, but Liza confused him… Not an emotion he was comfortable with.

Liza wriggled deeper into the seat as Nick flashed her a brief smile before driving away. She glanced down at his elegant, bronzed hand wrapped around the gear stick, saw the sinews in his strong arms flex as he changed gear, and thought of the same hand on her breast.

Oh, hell! She silently groaned. What a time to start having erotic thoughts about the man. She must remember Nick thought he was miles above her in every way; he had made that very plain years ago. She had to try and relax and enjoy the day for what it was. Two old friends sharing a tour of the island. It was sheer coincidence they had even met again. But in that she was wrong…

CHAPTER TWO

‘FIRE MOUNTAIN; I can see why,’ Liza said softly, staring around in awe. After a brief visit to a building site, Nick had driven Liza into the national park, passing a trail of about fifty camels, provided to give rides to the tourists. But Nick had taken them up into what looked like a lunar landscape. At first she had thought it was the sun shining off the lava that made it appear red, but the further they went she realised it was the rock itself that was red.

Nick stopped the Jeep and lifted her down, keeping one hand around her waist, and she stood in the crook of his arm, not sure which affected her the most—the man or the mountains. She had never seen or felt anything like it in her life. Craters, some huge, some small, the rock red and black and even a trace of green, but not a blade of grass grew there, and the silence was almost spiritual.

‘Impressive, hmm?’ Nick prompted. ‘Some people thought the gods were laughing when the eruptions started on April the first in 1730. It is known as the greatest volcanic holocaust ever witnessed. Thirty-two volcanoes rose up and erupted, spewing forth great quantities of molten rock.’ His hand tightened around her waist, his fingers against the bare skin of her midriff guiding her towards a view of five mountains in a line. ‘Those five erupted one after the other like Chinese firecrackers apparently. What finally wiped out most of the vegetation was the last eruption in the 1850s.’

Liza felt a bit like erupting herself; she had never been so conscious of a man in her life. She had had boyfriends and one she actually thought she loved, until they’d got engaged and made love for the first time and it was a disaster as far as Liza was concerned, and the end of the relationship. No man had ever affected her the way Nick’s simplest touch seemed to do. She had to make a deliberate effort to fight down the stirrings of desire just the sound of his voice aroused in her. Ruthlessly she clamped down on her wayward thoughts, and turned in his hold to look up at him. ‘I have never seen anything like it; it is absolutely fascinating.’ She smiled.

His heavy-lidded eyes darkened softly on her upturned face. ‘So are you, Liza.’

Suddenly the atmosphere was thick with tension. Liza was aware of his hand on her bare midriff, his fingers flexing on her skin, and she knew he was going to kiss her, and then to her surprise he stepped back, setting her free.

‘But you ain’t seen nothing yet,’ Nick joked in a mock-American accent.

Hell! He had almost kissed her. How could he even think of making love with Liza Summers until he knew exactly what she was? The answer came with a tightening in his groin, and, shoving a hand in his trouser pocket, he spun around. ‘Come on back to the Jeep.’

She did not know whether she was disappointed or relieved, but from then on the atmosphere between them slipped back into the easygoing camaraderie of years ago.

Nick was an excellent guide and drove them to another tourist vantage point set high in the weird hills. First he dropped some gravel in her hands that was red hot, and she squealed in surprise, and then they watched as an attendant dropped a bush down a ten-foot hole and it immediately caught fire. Then they walked up to the Vulcano restaurant, the only building for miles around.

‘I don’t believe it.’ She shook her head, her blue eyes laughing up at Nick. They were standing by a large circular well in the restaurant, the heat from the earth below rising to barbecue the chicken pieces spread on the iron grill on top.

‘Believe it.’ Nick took her arm and led her into the dining room. ‘You can’t visit Lanzarote and not eat volcano-grilled chicken.’

He was right and lunch was a jovial affair shared with dozens of tourists. Liza was amazed how well Nick mixed in; she would not have thought it his scene at all. The jet set were his usual companions according to gossip. But she did not have time to dwell on the point as Nick drove her all around the island. They stopped at a small lagoon, and then it was on again to a great volcanic tunnel and deep caves with pools where tiny blind white crabs lived, the only place on earth other than miles deep in the sea.

Back in the Jeep, the daylight quickly failing, Liza turned laughing eyes up to Nick. ‘I can see why you have a villa here; you really love this place.’ The hours had flown— Liza had had a great day, and the company had been superb, and all the better for being so unexpected.

‘Yes, I come here a lot; it is ideal, as one of my hobbies is seismology,’ Nick admitted honestly; he wanted her to feel secure with him and by giving a little more of himself he might get her to trust him, and reveal the depths of her own involvement with the thieves, if any… She was the daughter of his mother’s best friend, for heaven’s sake, and the longer he spent with Liza the more difficult he found it to believe she was guilty of anything underhand. It was up to him to discover the truth of her involvement, but he was beginning to think she was the unwitting messenger for her sleazy boss.

‘That figures, I suppose.’ Liza grinned; his effect on her was certainly seismic, she thought privately. And in a way it made sense; at thirty-five perhaps he had swapped extreme sports to study the extremes of nature. ‘But do we have to see everything in one day?’ she asked, hoping Nick would take the hint and ask her out again.

Nick glanced at her smiling face, his hooded eyes masking his expression. Her lips were begging to be kissed and it took every bit of will-power he possessed to resist the temptation; it was too soon… He needed to make sure her information had been correct. But whether it was or not, his mind was made up—he was going to give Liza the benefit of the doubt. He did not think for a moment she was aware of it, but by coming to Lanzarote she had inadvertently got mixed up with some very nasty criminals, and he was going to do everything in his power to protect her, whether she wanted him to or not. He owed it to their years of friendship, and their mothers’.

‘No, of course not. I’ll take you back to your hotel now as I have some business to attend to.’ He read the flicker of disappointment in her brilliant blue eyes, and almost gave in. His gaze dipped to her mouth, the full, sensuous lips, and he ached to taste them with his own, had done all day… Dios! He needed to get a grip—business before pleasure… Later, he promised himself…

Everything was going according to plan. He had kept Liza out of the way all day, and the information she had given him, which he had passed on to Carl over the phone this morning, should have been acted on by now. He needed to contact Carl Dalk again to discover what had happened. ‘I’ll call back for you at eight and take you to dinner.’ And his lips curled in amused satisfaction at the open relief in her smile.

‘Nick. Hi. Your information was correct.’ Nick Menendez lounged back in the chair at his desk in the study, and listened as Carl’s slightly harassed-sounding tones filled the room.

‘We visited the opticians and questioned the receptionist, and picked up Daidolas at his home and found the diamonds on him. He sang like a bird. He was a jeweller before he was an optician; he does the valuation and passes the information on to an intermediary in Morocco who makes the arrangements to contact the insurance company, and do the deal.’

‘So we have them,’ Nick prompted.

‘Not quite. As you know, Henry Brown is the top man. He arranges everything, his company charters a yacht in Marbella on the Spanish mainland, a different one each time, ostensibly for corporate entertainment. But in reality he has the captain pick up the diamonds at appointed places on the African coast and then transport them to Lanzarote.’

Nick grimaced; he had been hoping like hell Liza was not involved, but it wasn’t looking good for her. Knowingly or not she had delivered the diamonds. ‘So we pick up Henry Brown,’ he said quickly.

‘Eventually, yes; apparently Brown’s one weakness is he cannot resist checking the diamonds himself before they are passed to the optician for valuation. Plus he obviously does not trust the middleman he uses to do the exchange, because on every previous occasion he has been in the same vicinity ready to receive the cash when the deal is done.’

‘So what’s the problem, Carl?’ Nick asked. ‘You have him under surveillance; when the time is right, take him.’

‘If only it was that easy,’ Carl said drily. ‘Unfortunately we have lost track of him.’

‘You’ve what?’ Nick jerked upright in the chair. ‘How the hell did you manage that? I thought you had the police trailing him.’

‘Don’t yell at me, partner, and we did. They watched him collect the package last night from a yacht in the marina at Teguise, and they knew he had handed it on to the woman this morning.’ Nick’s frown deepened; he did not like hearing Liza referred to as the woman, but he listened as Carl continued. ‘They watched as Brown left in the same yacht this morning, but somehow he outsmarted them, vanished off the radar screen. But I doubt very much the thieving bastard sank.’

‘We’ve lost him,’ Nick groaned.

‘Not to worry, the local police and I have a plan. In the past two incidences, about a week or ten days after the initial contact with the insurance company the cash and diamonds were exchanged once in Morocco and once at sea, as you know. But this time, by some not so friendly questioning of Daidolas we know the exchange is going to be made in Lanzarote. He also gave us the names of a couple of local sailors who have crewed for Brown in the past. The police are tracking them down as we speak. It is only a matter of time and with Daidolas’s help, and the promise of leniency, we have set a trap. We are going to keep him locked up over the weekend to give him a taste of what to expect if he does not do as we say, and set him free on Monday under very close supervision. When the deal is done Brown will turn up to cash in, and hopefully we will get the whole gang.’

‘It still does not alter the fact you lost him,’ Nick almost groaned.

‘Hey, it’s not that bad, Nick; as long as you still have the girl, the police can question her—she is bound to know something.’

Nick’s whole body tensed. His immediate reaction was one of outrage at the thought of Liza being taken to a police station and body-searched before being questioned and probably ending up in a cell. The outrage was followed by a completely alien emotion for him—fear, and then a surge of cold, hard anger. Not if he could help it, he vowed. He closed his eyes briefly and counted to ten, fighting to stay calm before responding casually, ‘You can safely leave the girl to me, Carl. If she knows anything at all I will tell you—I am meeting her for dinner later.’

‘You’re what?’ Carl’s voice rose a notch. ‘Are you crazy? You’ve left her on her own; she could be miles away by now…she could warn Brown, and the whole deal will go pear-shaped.’

‘Come on, Carl, I can assure you Liza will be ready and waiting when I go to pick her up. Have you ever known my Menendez charm to fail?’ Nick drawled mockingly. ‘A woman has never run away from me in my life, and I can assure you that, after spending the day with Liza, she is no exception.’ And he prayed his friend would buy it. He did not question why. He just knew he did not want Liza falling into the police’s or Carl’s clutches, friend or not.

A husky chuckle greeted Nick’s comment. ‘You’re right, but this is vital, Nick. Make damn sure you get the woman. We need to know where Brown has gone and when he will be back.’

‘Don’t worry.’ Nick ran his free hand distractedly through his dark hair, and was glad they were not on video-phone. ‘I’ll do what it takes to get the information and call you back later with the information you want.’

‘You’re being very noble. “Do what it takes”,’ he mocked. ‘Good-looking, is she?’

‘Certainly no hardship,’ Nick joked back. ‘Speak to you later.’ And he cut the connection, his face as black as thunder.

Striding into the living room, he poured a large measure of whisky into a crystal glass, raised it to his mouth and took a long, fiery drink.

But still a cold knot formed in Nick’s belly. Liza Summers; he was not sure if she was guilty or not. The child he had known had been embarrassingly honest. But the beautiful, sophisticated woman of twenty-five she had become… That was a different question. It was perfectly possible she lived by her wits and stunning looks, and her job was just a cover for stealing. On the other hand she could be completely innocent, and, as she had implied, simply following her boss’s orders…

He knew he had to question her tonight about Henry Brown, and he also knew he should instruct his people to look into the state of her finances, but somehow he could not bring himself to do it. Maybe because he still held cherished memories of the child she had been.

Nick snorted in disgust and spun round. Who the hell was he kidding? He had taken one look at Liza today, and his body had reacted like a teenager. He had kept her out of the way all day for her own sake, and his if he was honest. Carl would have quite happily had her arrested this morning. Liza was beautiful, granted, but then all Nick’s women were beautiful, and he had never felt the slightest need to protect them. So why Liza Summers?

He could tell himself it was for her mother’s sake, to avoid the embarrassment a court case would cause, but that was only part of his reasoning. There was no point in pretending; along with surely every man on the planet, he wanted Liza for himself. He had walked around all day in a semi-permanent state of arousal, and he ached with frustration. Right at this moment he would not care if Liza was the biggest thief in Christendom, if he could get her in his bed.

There, he had admitted it. Nick scowled as he lifted the glass in his hand to his mouth again and drained the whisky from it then slammed it down on a convenient table.

Now, get over it…he told himself and walked out of the house, his aristocratic features as hard as granite and his heavy-lidded eyes equally as stony as he slid into the waiting car.

Three hours later, rested and showered, Liza walked back into her bedroom and surveyed the clothes she had brought with her. Excitement and anticipation bubbled in her veins like the finest champagne. She tried to keep a lid on her emotions, but it was difficult, for the first time in years, she was really looking forward to going out with a man. She fantasised in her mind how the night would progress—a candlelit meal somewhere romantic, with a deep conversation verging on the intimate, a few gentle caresses and at evening’s end perhaps a kiss, or even more…

She shivered delectably, and took a fourth outfit from the wardrobe. Nick was attracted to her, she knew it, and for once she allowed herself to think of a relationship with a man—not just any man, but Nick Menendez.

He had explained why he had yelled at her at sixteen, it was simply because of her age, and she could understand that even though she did not agree with his chauvinistic attitude. But now he saw her as a mature, sophisticated woman, and he was interested. She had seen it in his eyes, in his touch, and this time she was going to take the chance, and to pot with the consequences. Who knew, she thought optimistically, this could be the start of something big…?

Liza finally settled on a sleeveless, figure-hugging black jersey-silk dress. She slipped it over her shoulders; the bodice crossed over between her breasts and tied around her narrow waist, the wrap-around skirt ending a couple of inches above her knees. But, mindful the nights could be chilly, she added a pashmina shawl in silver-grey.

She left her long hair loose and straight, and with the addition of one more coat of lip-gloss she was ready. She stood back from the mirror. Not bad, she thought, and slipped her feet into high-heeled sandals. She was reaching for her clutch bag when the telephone rang.

It was Reception to say a Niculoso Menendez had arrived. Her heart did a funny little jig in her chest, and, taking a deep breath, she closed the door behind her and crossed to the elevator, her blue eyes sparkling with excited anticipation at the evening ahead.

Liza walked out of the elevator, and saw him immediately. He was leaning against the reception desk, laughing at something the attractive receptionist had said to him. To her surprise she felt a swift stab of something very like jealousy, and just as quickly a stomach-curling pleasure as he turned and saw her.

His firm lips parted over gleaming white teeth in a slow, sensual smile. Liza had thought he looked great in jeans, but, dressed with unexpected severity in a superbly tailored dark suit with a white shirt and plain dark tie, the man possessed a lethal, predatory aura, a supreme confidence in his masculinity that made every fine hair on her skin stand erect.

She couldn’t help it; she watched with total fascination as his big, powerfully muscled body moved towards her with a lithe arrogance that made her pulse race with excitement.

He stopped an arm’s length away, and Liza swallowed hard. So the man was incredibly handsome, sinfully sexy, and her insides felt as if they were dissolving but it was only a chemical reaction, just lust, she told herself, plain and simple. She was no longer the adoring child who hung on to his every word, but a successful career woman. Involuntarily Liza straightened her shoulders, and stood a little taller. She could handle a date with Nick, and without having a fit of the vapours, she scolded herself, and tilted her chin assertively.

‘Nick, so sorry to keep you waiting.’

‘You are worth any wait, Liza,’ Nick opined throatily. His dark eyes travelled over her from her hair, her face, lower to linger on her cleavage, revealed by the neckline of her dress, and down over her body and her long, shapely legs to her feet, then back to her face. ‘You look stunning.’ His eyes, gleaming with all-male appreciation, caught and held hers.

‘Thank you,’ she murmured, her breath lodged in her throat as she dragged her gaze away from his, and asked in a desperate attempt to free herself from the electrifying sensations he aroused in her and be her usual assertive self, ‘I don’t know where you planned on eating, but I thought, seeing as you showed me around today, perhaps you would like to be my guest for dinner, in the hotel.’

His firm lips quirked in a crooked smile. ‘Call me old-fashioned,’ he reached out and cupped her elbow with his hand, ‘but when I ask a lady out to dine I make the arrangements, and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed,’ he said, amusement colouring his tone, and, dropping his hand from her elbow to circle her waist, he held her to his side and turned towards the exit, taking control.

He felt her slender body tremble and stiffen and glanced knowingly down at her. ‘I thought we could eat at my villa if you have no objection. Plus you will be doing me a big favour, as my housekeeper loves to cook but I very rarely have any guests to dine when I am here.’

Liza flicked him a bright if strained smile; being held close to his hard body was playing havoc with the cool sophistication she wanted to display. ‘Your place is fine,’ she agreed. ‘So long as the food is not cooked over a volcano like lunch,’ she tried to joke. ‘It could be dangerous.’

‘Good.’ Nick dropped his hand and stood back to let her through the foyer door. Nowhere near as dangerous as sharing a suite with your boss, he thought sardonically as he immediately followed her out. The very obliging receptionist had quite happily given him the information. He reached an arm around her shoulders and led her to where the car waited at the kerb, and if his grip was a little hard he had good reason.

Liza felt the touch of his fingers, and repressed a sensual shiver. Nick was a very tactile man, and it was playing hell with her hormones, she thought as a wave of heat scorched her face, but that was all it was—sexual attraction—on her part. That was all it could be, a simple feminine reaction to his raw masculine sexuality. ‘No Jeep tonight,’ she commented, striving for lightness as they crossed the pavement.

‘No,’ Nick said shortly.

Then she noticed a man get out of the car and grin at them both as he opened the rear door of the car. Liza shot Nick a startled glance. ‘A chauffeur.’

‘Yes. Tonight I want to relax and enjoy my dinner with a beautiful woman and share a few glasses of champagne in comfort.’ No need to mention he had already downed two very large whiskies because of the dilemma she had created in his usually very well-ordered life. ‘And don’t worry, I think you will love the meal. Greta is the best cook on the island.’ He smiled and lifted a hand casually to flick a strand of her hair over her shoulder and his darkening gaze trapped hers.

She swallowed hard and had trouble speaking. ‘I’m sure you are right,’ she managed, tearing her gaze away from his and stepping towards the car.

Liza slid quickly into the car with more haste than elegance, sinking into a seat that was a lot more comfortable than Nick’s Jeep. But when Nick moved in beside her she realised it was also a lot more intimate as a hard masculine thigh pressed against her own, and a long arm was casually flung around her shoulders yet again.

‘Nice car,’ she mumbled, intensely aware of his leashed strength, the subtle male scent of the man, and wondered for the umpteenth time what she was doing, playing with fire. But she had been doing that all day both physically and metaphorically, she realised with a wry smile.

The villa turned out to be a magnificent building that oozed wealth and elegance. Nick introduced her to a middle-aged couple waiting in the entrance foyer, Greta and Paul. And beyond them she could see a glass wall that opened on to a floodlit swimming pool, she glimpsed tables and chairs and wondered if they were to eat outside. It wasn’t that warm.

She lifted her puzzled gaze to Nick. ‘Are we eating outside?’

‘Dios! No.’ His ebony brows arched in surprise. ‘What you English think is warm we consider winter.’ And, taking her arm, he led her through into a massive room. ‘This is the main living area, but the dining room is more cosy,’ he said softly.

Liza gazed around the vast room as he urged her across it. Soft deep sofas, exquisite antique furniture, glorious paintings on the walls, and vibrant flowers and plants—the place screamed money, and she was rapidly beginning to feel out of her depth.

Nick pushed open another door, and Liza stopped dead one foot inside the room.

A magnificent table about twenty feet long was set for two, and Greta and Paul were now standing by the table, smiling.

‘I’d hardly call this cosy!’ she exclaimed with a chuckle. ‘You could serve the Last Supper at that table and then some.’

Nick’s mouth quirked at the corners in a grin at Liza’s stunned expression, and, slipping his arm around her waist, he led her forward. ‘I suppose it is a bit imposing; I hadn’t really noticed as I usually eat in the kitchen.’ He gave her waist a brief squeeze before setting her free, but stayed close to her side. He heard her breath catch and saw the deepening colour in her brilliant eyes, and allowed a small, satisfied smile to curve his lips before adding, ‘But I so rarely have anyone to dine here that Greta wanted to push the boat out, as you say.’

Nick leant over slightly to say something to the other couple that Liza, although she spoke Spanish, didn’t catch. She watched as they left the room then Nick straightened up to his full, impressive height, and turned to face her again, pulling out a chair.

‘Please, Liza, sit down, and don’t look so wary; I can assure you, Paul and Greta won’t poison you.’

It wasn’t the food Liza was worried about; it was much too hot in here, she told herself, and it had absolutely nothing to do with Nick. She reached for the edge of her shawl, and immediately Nick’s hand caught it and slipped it off her shoulders.

‘A little warm for you, Liza?’ he queried with the arch of a black brow.

‘Yes,’ she got out, having difficulty breathing as the backs of his knuckles brushed down over her breasts as he removed her shawl, but not by the blink of an eye did she let it show. Instead she sat down on the chair he offered and folded her hands primly in her lap, her fingernails digging into her palms.

Liza wasn’t afraid to be alone with Nick—in fact, if she was honest she liked the idea. She had enjoyed his company all day, more so than that of any other man she had ever met, and she was secretly flattered that he wanted to be alone with her.

‘Now, isn’t this nice?’ Nick remarked, pulling out a chair and sitting down. ‘So much more intimate than a restaurant, don’t you think?’ Shovelling on the charm by the bucket-load, he picked up the linen napkin in front of her and flicked it open.

‘I can do that.’ She reached for the linen.

‘But I want to,’ Nick said softly and, leaning forward, his dark eyes holding her startled blue, he spread the linen napkin over her lap, his hands deliberately smoothing the fabric over her stomach and thighs. ‘Greta is going to serve the meal in a minute.’ His glance roamed over her face and figure with obvious male approval that, had it been any other man, would have made her angry, but instead the lingering touch of his fingers on her thighs made her whole body tingle with excitement.

‘I am hungry, and I’m sure you are too,’ Nick drawled with silken emphasis.

She tensed at the impact of his compelling dark gaze. Was it just food he was hungry for? Dear heaven, her own appetite had been seriously depleted by the erotic thoughts Nick aroused in her. She felt as if a thousand butterflies were partying in her stomach, and she tore her eyes away from his and cast a slightly panicked look around the room.

What were her options? Get up and walk out? But that would be childish. Or stay and eat like a civilised woman? Suddenly she was no longer feeling quite so confident. But her mind was made up for her as Greta reappeared carrying a large silver tureen, followed by Paul carrying a bottle of champagne in a silver wine bucket. They both smiled at her.

CHAPTER THREE

THE champagne cork popped and Liza jumped, and then grinned. She was overreacting—everything was perfect. Nick was seated at the head of the table and Paul was filling crystal flutes with very expensive champagne, and Greta was serving a delicious fish soup into the finest porcelain bowls.

When they had both left Nick picked up his glass, and said, ‘Here’s to you, Liza, and a pleasant evening, for both of us.’

She managed to control the slight nervousness that assailed her when they were alone, and she lifted her glass. ‘I’ll drink to that.’ Her steady voice and hand gratified her no end as they touched glasses.

Nick grinned and swirled the liquid around in his glass, then lifted it to his lips and swallowed before returning the glass to the table.

Liza followed the movement, her gaze stopping at his perfectly sculptured mouth, and she was helpless against the flush of heat that flooded her body as he took a deep drink of the champagne. Realising she was staring, she took a hasty drink from her glass. ‘Lovely champagne,’ she enthused. And saw him nod, his dark eyes lifting to hers.

‘Lovely companion.’ He touched his glass to hers again and then added, ‘And I am glad you agreed to dining here, Liza. Restaurants can be so impersonal sometimes, and I really want to talk to you, reminisce, and perhaps discover what has shaped you into the very lovely lady you are today.’ His glance dropped from her face to the firm curves of her breasts, and she felt them tighten alarmingly against the silk fabric of her dress. ‘Get to know the real you again.’

‘That sounds ominous,’ she offered and, dropping her head, praying he would not notice her body’s instant reaction, she added, ‘You might not like the real me,’ and carefully placed her glass on the table. Quickly she picked up a spoon and began shovelling the soup into her mouth. When she dared look up again, she needed not have worried.

‘Impossible. I already adore you, as you know; I have since you were a child,’ he said smoothly, his expression wryly amused. ‘Now, let us enjoy our meal, and you can tell me what you have been doing with your life over the past few years.’ His smile was irresistible.

‘Not a lot.’ Flattered, Liza grinned back. ‘And certainly nothing exciting enough to need privacy before disclosure.’ And she proceeded to give him a potted history of her adult life. ‘Three years in university reading history, and a job I enjoy, as I told you before. I have a studio apartment in London and I visit my mother every few weeks. She got married again three years ago and lives in Brighton, running an antique shop with Jeff, my stepfather. These are hardly state secrets.’

‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Nick responded with a devilish gleam in his dark eyes. ‘You might have become a porn star or a lap dancer; you certainly have the figure for it. And then there are your lovers. You have a high-powered job so maybe a lover or two in high places as well?’

His sexy teasing brought an embarrassing tinge of pink to her cheeks. Was he insinuating that was all she was good for, as he had years ago? Liza wondered, but refused to rise to the bait. ‘You know what I do for a living.’ She held his gaze. ‘But as for the rest, that is classified information,’ she managed to respond archly, much to her satisfaction.

Nick just bet it was. She was either very clever or very naive, and Liza looked far too sophisticated to be naive. He could not decide if she was completely in the know about her boss’s alternative career as a diamond smuggler or not, but for Carl’s sake he was taking no chances.

One eyebrow rose eloquently. ‘Of course, I expected no less, Liza.’ And the sardonic glance he cast her was oddly intent. ‘Though I have heard Henry Brown is not quite so reticent in his love life, although he is married, I believe.’

For a moment something unsettling about his comment teased at the back of her mind. But, dismissing the errant thought, she responded drily, ‘Henry is a law unto himself where women are concerned. And, though personally I deplore unfaithfulness in a marriage, I must admit, having met his wife, I’m not surprised.’ She tried for a sophisticated answer. Plus Margot Brown was a pretentious snob; the few times she visited the office or spoke to Liza or any of the staff she treated them as if they were a sub-species.

‘I believe you; after all, it must be great to have a boss who books a suite at a five-star hotel to attend a conference then quite happily takes off and gives you a holiday with all expenses paid at the drop of a hat. I must confess I am nowhere near as generous with my employees,’ Nick drawled sardonically.

Liza looked up sharply. What was he implying? And she answered her own question. She wasn’t a fool, she could tell when she was being insulted, and the old hurt resurfaced, causing a brief stabbing pain in her heart. Obviously he still thought of her as a promiscuous teenager and her blue eyes glinted with anger at the injustice of it all. ‘It is a two-bedroom suite.’ She held on to her temper with difficulty, determined not to show any emotion over the past in front of him. ‘And my boss was called away unexpectedly.’ Straightening in her seat, she added with contrived flippancy, ‘So who am I to argue? You know the saying, never look a gift-horse in the mouth.’

‘Yes.’ He did, but at the mention of ‘mouth’ Nick found his eyes fixed on the very generous curve of Liza’s, and imagined nibbling that full bottom lip… Dios! He had to stop these thoughts. He never mixed business with pleasure. But then he had never been confronted by the adult Liza before.

Dropping his gaze to the less tempting table, he continued in a softer tone, ‘I suppose you are right, Liza. But isn’t it rather odd that he does not want you to attend the meetings?’

‘I…well…’ Liza hesitated; his quite reasonable question made her think and defused her anger. She supposed it was a bit unusual.

‘I really don’t know.’ She told the truth. ‘I have only been his PA for a couple of months; his last one left to get married, and, as my boss retired about the same time, Henry sort of inherited me,’ she explained, not sure why she was bothering. ‘This is the first time I have travelled with him. And he is returning a week next Friday for the last day and the gala dinner in the evening, so maybe it will not be a complete waste.’

‘I hope not.’ Nick had the information he required and a flash of triumph glinted in his dark eyes; the man was coming back to the island in thirteen days’ time. The time span was about right for the negotiations; obviously Brown was returning to collect the money and he was as good as caught. A call to Carl, and, with the other culprits tracked down hopefully by the Spanish police and Interpol, the arrests were a foregone conclusion.

‘Yes, and we are returning to London together the next day, as scheduled,’ Liza added.

Not if he could help it, was Nick’s immediate thought. Liza had said she had only been Brown’s PA for a short time; that was easily checked and if true was in Liza’s favour. She could be innocent. His dark eyes narrowed assessingly on her apparently guileless face. A woman could look beautiful and innocent and still be a criminal. He was not foolish enough to think otherwise, and yet he knew he didn’t want Liza anywhere near Henry Brown when they picked him up.

At the very least she would end up being taken in for questioning, and that he could not allow. Surprisingly for him, he discovered he was not ready to part with Liza now he had met up with her again. At his age and with his experience of women, he knew the feeling for what it was—lust, stark and basic…

Liza had been an itch he could not scratch for years when she was younger, but not any more. He wanted to sate himself in that gorgeous body until she was out from under his skin for good.

Nick lifted the champagne flute and took a sip of the wine, then twirled the stemmed glass in his long fingers, studying the colour for several seconds, thinking quickly. Finally he shifted his dark gaze to linger appreciatively on her.

‘Your boss is a very lucky man,’ he declared huskily, his firm lips curving in a soft, sensual smile, ‘to have you as his PA.’ Little did Brown know, his luck had just about run out, Nick thought with savage satisfaction even as he mouthed the slick compliment.

‘Thanks,’ she said drily. But felt the colour rise in her cheeks as her eyes met his, too conscious of his virile charm and something in his expression that made her heartbeat increase dramatically. She finished her soup to hide her confusion, and was grateful when Greta reappeared with the next course.

As Nick had promised, the food was beautiful, and as they ate Nick took charge of the conversation and Liza was happy to follow. They talked in an easy manner, discussing films, books, music, and Nick’s experiences on various projects. Liza was fascinated and asked dozens of questions. He told her how he had expanded the company worldwide. He spoke with dry humour of the different business practices in the different countries, and the amusing situations that arose from the differences.

Nick was not the wealthy, idle lotus-eater she had thought; he obviously worked hard. But his skill, his charm, was such that he made everything appear easy. He told a good story, sometimes against himself, but she formed the impression that whatever the circumstances Nick always came out the winner. He had a brilliant mind, and she doubted anyone crossed him and got away with it.

Scraping the last mouthful of the mouth-watering soufflé into her mouth, she glanced up at him through the thick fringe of her lashes. ‘In a way you and I are a bit alike—you studied art and don’t use it. I read history at university and thought I would visit all the great historical places in the world, but instead I have ended up in finance, a bit of a waste.’

‘The experience of university life is an end in itself,’ Nick argued. ‘And I do use my knowledge; I appreciate anything of beauty, be it a woman or a landscape, I know where to site a building so it is aesthetically pleasing, though, with the upsurge in tourism around here in the last few years, some are anything but.’

Liza chuckled. ‘I never thought of that.’

‘Have you ever thought of changing, Liza?’ Nick demanded seriously. ‘You’re young—you have plenty of time to start another career.’ He was satisfied he had discovered all he needed to know. Henry Brown was returning to Lanzarote. As for Liza, he was almost sure she was innocent of any crime, and, even if she was guilty, once away from financial temptation and into something more academic it was possible she could change, and he never questioned his reasoning, simply pursued the thought.

‘You could get out of finance and back into what you really want to do,’ he suggested. ‘It is never too late, Liza, believe me. I might even be able to help you.’

‘I suppose you’re right.’ Liza smiled. ‘But don’t take it so seriously, Nick; I’ll survive whatever.’ And she sat back with a sigh of contentment. ‘That meal was magnificent, Greta is a great cook.’

‘You can tell her that in a minute,’ Nick said curtly. He didn’t know why but her casual attitude infuriated him, had she no idea of the danger she was in? Did she even care? Pushing back his chair, he stood up. ‘Greta will serve coffee in the sitting room.’

But what was really bugging him was his superior intellect had apparently deserted him. He had already missed half of the family celebration in Spain and if he didn’t get back to his mother’s for the final party he and his mother were hosting tomorrow evening, his mother would never forgive him. But what to do with Liza? He dared not leave her alone on the island without telling Carl or he would never forgive him either.

He had been racking his brains to think of some way of persuading Liza to come to Spain with him, and incidentally keep her out of harm’s way, but was damned if he knew how to do it. Short of asking her ‘Will you come to Spain with me for the rest of the weekend?’ But he knew that would go down like a lead balloon, given that she had made a point of avoiding visiting the Menendez home for years.

No, he had to think of something else, and, confident as he was in his masculine powers of seduction, he doubted all the seductive technique in the world would convince Liza to fly off to Spain with him only a day after their meeting up again.

Rising to her feet, Liza followed him through into the elegant living room, wondering what had caused the sudden coolness in the atmosphere. She sat down on one of the soft hide sofas, the occasional table already held the accompaniments for coffee, and a moment later Greta appeared with a pot to add to the already prepared tray.

Liza smiled at the other woman and thanked her for a lovely meal, and then stiffened when Nick chose to sit down beside her on the sofa instead of taking the one opposite. During the meal there had been space between them and the atmosphere had been good most of the time, but now she sensed a tension in the air, and she felt distinctly crowded.

‘Will you be mother?’ Nick asked smoothly.

The words hung in the air as Liza had a vivid mental image of being mother to Nick’s child, a small dark-haired angel. Her face turned scarlet at the provocative thought and hastily she bent forward and filled two small cups with the aromatic coffee. ‘Sugar, milk?’ she asked, without looking at him.

‘As it comes.’

Lifting one cup, she turned slightly, her hand stilling. Nick was lounging back against the cushions, one long arm flung along the back, his jacket hanging open and his shirt pulled tight across his muscular chest, she could see the slight shading of body hair and swallowed hard.

He gave her a long, sardonic look. ‘Are you going to give me the coffee, or simply hold it?’

Blushing at her stupidity—she was eyeing the man like the dumb teenager she had once been—she thrust the cup at him, a little of the liquid spilling, and his long fingers curved around hers.

‘Steady, Liza. I want to drink it, not drown in it,’ he drawled mockingly.

The touch of his hand sent a warmth shimmering through her, and quickly she snatched her hand back, and, grasping her own cup of coffee, forced herself to sit back against the sofa, and lift the cup to her mouth. She took one sip and almost burnt her tongue. Her lips tightened and she just prevented a yelp escaping.

She had to get over her panic; hadn’t she decided in the hotel earlier to take a chance? Nick was just a man like any other. But that was the trouble, he was not like any other man she had ever known, she thought ruefully, casting him a sidelong glance from beneath the thick screen of her lashes. How was it, she mused, that as a young girl she had had a crush on him and was brutally cured of the illusion by the man himself? For years she thought she hated him and yet now one day in his company and all she saw was a dominant, attractive male who turned her bones to jelly.

Feeling vulnerable in a man’s presence for the first time in years, she was not sure she trusted the feeling, and common sense told her to thank Nick for the meal and leave. With that in mind she drained her coffee-cup and replaced it on the table, and, turning slightly, she glanced at his face. He was looking down at her, his mouth a hard, taut line, and for a moment Liza felt a slight shiver of fear, or was it a shiver of sensual anticipation? She was not sure which, and quickly fixed her gaze somewhere over his left shoulder and before she could weaken.

‘Thank you for a lovely evening, Nick. But I think it is time I got back to my hotel.’ She made to rise, only to find a large restraining hand on her forearm.

‘Please join me in a brandy at least,’ Nick said softly, and placed his cup on the table, his dark gaze holding her own, and his thumb caressing the underside of her arm to devastating effect.

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