CHAPTER SEVEN

‘YOU’RE insatiable. It’s been more than a week—you should be bored with me by now. ’ Laughing, Evie rolled onto her stomach and leaned on Rio’s chest. ‘Aren’t you ever tired? ’

He watched her from beneath lowered lids, his gaze slumberous and unmistakably sexual. ‘No. I find sex with you incredibly energizing. ’

‘So that’s how you manage to work such long hours—’

‘You should be grateful for that, ’ he said huskily. ‘Otherwise, you wouldn’t be getting any sleep at all, tesoro. ’

‘It’s only two days until Christmas. You shouldn’t be working. ’ Sometimes, when she woke in the dark, she discovered that he wasn’t in bed with her. On one occasion she’d tiptoed sleepily from the bed to find him and discovered him working on the laptop, his gaze fixed intently on the ghostly green glow of the screen.

‘I don’t need much sleep. I had a few hours. ’ He slid his hand into her hair, pulled her head down and kissed her. ‘Ready for breakfast? ’

Evie felt a flutter of nerves in her stomach. Breakfast and mornings meant one thing to her. ‘Have the newspapers arrived yet? ’

He frowned. ‘I have no idea and I don’t care. ’

‘I care—I keep thinking about that stupid, horrid photo graph. ’ The mood punctured, she rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling.

‘Forget it. ’ Rio shifted over her in a smooth movement, his weight pressing her into the mattress. ‘Yesterday they took photographs of you in the front row of the charity fashion show—they’ll use one of those. Not one of you naked. ’

‘But you don’t know that for sure—’ She felt the sudden tension emanating from his powerful frame.

‘I do. You need to trust me. ’

Reasoning that he knew a great deal more about the media than she did, Evie forced herself to relax. ‘OK. I trust you. But you do care, you know you do. That’s why we’re doing all this. You’re worried about your deal going through. Is that still all right? I mean—’ Suddenly she felt awkward asking. He didn’t talk about stuff, did he? ‘I know you don’t talk about it but you’re always on the phone and I can tell you’re stressed about it. ’

‘I’m not stressed. ’ Only moments before he’d been relaxed. Now he was frighteningly detached, his handsome face an expressionless mask. ‘And everything is fine. ’

She shouldn’t have asked. ‘Good. Whatever it is must be worth a lot for you to care about it so much. ’

‘Yes. It’s worth a lot. ’ Without warning, he sprang from the bed and prowled towards the bathroom. ‘I’m going to take a shower. Order yourself some breakfast. ’

His casual dismissal chilled her and Evie pulled the duvet over her naked body, feeling vulnerable and exposed. One minute they were incredibly close—the next, he shut her out.

Listening to the sound of the shower, she wondered what it was about this particular deal that was so important to him. She wished again she’d never raised the subject. Why was he so touchy? Was he worrying about it, or was it just that he didn’t like talking about it?

She used the second bathroom to shower and change and was relieved when he joined her for breakfast.

Watching him cautiously, gauging his mood, Evie helped herself to a bowl of fruit. ‘I checked the papers. You were right—they printed the photo from the fashion show. ’

He poured himself a coffee. ‘And what was the headline? ’

Evie blushed. ‘Something stupid. ’ She wondered if he minded the media preoccupation with his love life but Rio simply smiled.

‘The world appears to be revelling in my rapid and extremely public conversion from never to forever. We’re obviously very convincing, tesoro. ’

Captivated by that smile, Evie felt her breath catch and her heart gave a dangerous lurch. They were so convincing that she was starting to believe it herself. If it weren’t for his occasional moments of icy detachment, it would have been frighteningly easy to forget that this wasn’t real. That some day soon he was going to expect her to dump him.

Reminding herself to live in the moment, she ate a spoonful of fruit. ‘We’d better make sure we give them something even more interesting to photograph today then. What are we doing tonight? ’

‘We have been invited by the Russians to watch a performance of the Bolshoi Ballet at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. ’

‘Wow. ’ Evie licked her spoon. ‘I’ve never been to the ballet. That’s really exciting! ’

‘Is it? I confess that men in tights don’t excite me one little bit. ’ Rio rose to his feet as his phone rang. ‘But, given that you’re their new best friend and you speak fluent Russian, I’m sure we can make some use of the evening. Excuse me—I need to take this. ’

‘Of course. ’ Basking in the heady knowledge that she was useful to him, Evie felt a rush of pleasure that lasted through the day and the evening. She adored the ballet, was in awe of the elegant grandeur of the world famous Opera House and enjoyed acting as interpreter.

Vladimir was as charming to her as ever, but it was Rio who drew her attention. Cocooned in the private box, under the protection of darkness, she found herself looking at him every other second, her eyes drawn to the perfect symmetry of his arrogant features, fatally fascinated by the breathtaking power and masculinity stamped in every angle of his body.

Once, he caught her looking and raised an eyebrow in silent question. Evie simply smiled, relieved to be able to hide her fascination behind the charade of their ‘relationship’. That was what she was supposed to do, wasn’t it? She was supposed to look.

Again, the photographers were out in force, stealing photographs at every opportunity, but Evie felt nothing but relief because she knew by now that, providing they managed to get an interesting shot, they were unlikely to use the one she dreaded appearing.

They went from the ballet to another ball and this time Rio needed no persuasion to dance with her. His hand was warm on her bare back as they moved together, the rhythm of their bodies perfectly in tune after so many hours spent locked in intimacy.

‘You’re not singing tonight? ’ He murmured the words against her lips and Evie reminded herself that it was essential to breathe or she’d fall over. But, when he held her like this, she felt as though everything inside her was suspended.

No wonder no woman had ever dumped him.

He was so insanely gorgeous, who in their right mind would not want to be with him?

‘No singing. They’ve already had that picture. ’ Her arms were locked around his neck and she could feel the heat of his body against hers. ‘Grandpa liked it, by the way—he said it reminded him of last year when I did the same thing at the village hall. ’

‘You danced on the table? ’

‘No—fortunately, they didn’t have champagne. ’ She smiled up at him. ‘I’d love to do something really Christmassy. Can we go ice skating? I really envied those people skating when we were at the ball. Or maybe we could go and sing Christmas carols. I noticed an invitation for a celebrity carol concert at St Paul’s Cathedral—are we going to that? I know you see Christmas as nothing more than an interruption in your working day, but I love this time of year. ’

He didn’t answer. At first, she thought he hadn’t heard her question and Evie was about to open her mouth and ask again when she saw his eyes. It was like staring into a dark pool, knowing that beneath the still, glassy surface lay nothing but danger.

She shivered.

They’d stopped dancing. Stopped moving. Among the streamers and balloons, the people laughing, dancing and singing, they alone stood still, locked in the small private bubble they’d formed for themselves. Evie felt frozen and she thought absently that there was no reason to be cold when the room was so warm, but then she realised that the chill came from him. His skin was cold to touch, his eyes reflecting not celebration but an acute and bitter pain.

‘Rio? ’ She spoke his name softly. She had no idea what was wrong, but she wanted to help and not just because of what they’d shared. She would have felt the same way about anyone who was suffering as much as he clearly was. ‘Are you—’ She broke off, frustrated with herself. What was she planning to say? Are you all right? Well, obviously, the answer to that was a resounding no, but he was hardly likely to tell her that, was he? He was the most fiercely private man she’d ever met.

And yet they must be conspicuous, standing there locked together but not moving, like some elaborate sculpture of lovers.

Evie placed her hand on his cheek, alarmed by how cold he was. ‘Shall we go? ’

Finally, he seemed to hear her and he stared down at her blankly, as if he’d forgotten she was there. ‘Yes, ’ he said at last. ‘I think that would be a good idea. ’

Aware that their behaviour was starting to draw curious glances, Evie stood on tiptoe and kissed him gently on the mouth. Tomorrow’s photograph, she thought as a camera flashed and a woman sighed with envy.

It was snowing again outside and Evie sat quietly in the limousine as it moved silently through the white streets. Normally snow soothed her, but tonight nothing could ease the tension in the car.

She wanted to know what was going on in his head, but she also knew that he wouldn’t want to tell her.

After a moment’s hesitation, she reached across and took his hand in hers, oddly pleased when he didn’t immediately withdraw his.

Once, during the silent journey, she sneaked a glance at his taut profile but he stared sightlessly into the winter night, apparently oblivious to everything except his own thoughts.

After a silent ride in the elevator, they stepped into the Penthouse and immediately the phone calls started.

So that was it?

Whatever menace lurked beneath the surface had apparently been ruthlessly repressed once more.

Evie stood awkwardly, hovering, while he took one phone call and then another before eventually deciding that she might as well go to bed and wait for him there. She had no expectation that he’d join her this time, but he did—at three in the morning, long after she’d ended her silent vigil.

This time there was no gentle seduction, no talking—just wild, out of control sex that blew her mind.

It was only afterwards, when his side of the bed had long grown cold, that she wondered what he’d been trying to escape. Because he had been trying to escape, of that she was sure. The raw, ruthless passion they’d shared hadn’t been energizing sex, it had been oblivion sex.

She had to talk to him.

No one who felt that bad should suffer alone.

Feeling distinctly strange, Evie moved quietly into the living room. How did you approach a man you had wild, crazy sex with but no relationship? What were you supposed to say? Technically, were they friends now?

He had his back to her and he was talking in a low voice, his long fingers toying with a sleek, expensive pen.

She was so busy working out what she was going to say when he finished on the phone that it was a moment or two before she actually paid attention to his conversation.

It was his tone that made her listen. The hardness was tempered by something she hadn’t heard in his voice before. There was no hint of the ruthless businessman, or the primitive lover. He was infinitely gentle and it was obvious that the person on the other end of the phone meant a lot to him.

More than a lot.

‘Sì tesoro—ti amo. ’ Evie froze. Ti amo. She didn’t speak much Italian but she knew that meant I love you. Unable to help herself, she listened to the rest of the conversation and picked up a few more words. This man, who claimed not to believe in happy endings, was telling someone that he loved her. That he hoped to see her soon.

The scent of him still clung to her skin, as did hers to him, no doubt, and yet he was already making plans to see another woman.

Her skin felt icy-cold.

She’d slept with another woman’s man.

Was this the secret that simmered beneath the surface? Was this the reason for his pain?

Nausea rose in her stomach and her legs felt as though they’d been turned to water.

She’d had sex with a man who was deeply involved with someone else.

Angry with him but even more angry with herself, Evie was about to move when he turned his head and saw her.

‘Evie? ’ His voice was deep and male, surprisingly normal after the emotional tightrope they’d walked the previous night. ‘You’re awake early. I didn’t see you there. ’

‘Don’t worry about it. ’ She stood stiff, shivering slightly, feeling slightly detached from her surroundings. ‘I’m going to get dressed. Then I’m going. ’

He frowned. ‘Going where? ’

‘I don’t know. ’ Her shocked mind was paralysed. It refused to provide her with the words and the thoughts she needed to move forward. ‘Anywhere but here. ’

His eyes hardened. ‘We made a deal. It would be catastrophic if you left now. I need you to stay. ’

‘Why? What’s the point of this charade when you’re already involved with someone else? ’ Emotion thickened her voice and she hated herself for not being the cool, rational person she wanted to be. She wanted to be sophisticated enough to thank him for a perfect no-strings-attached relationship and walk away. Instead, she wanted to claw his flawless features and thump him. She wanted him to hurt the way she was hurting. ‘Does she know? Does she know about me? ’

A muscle flickered in his cheek and he put his pen down, the movement slow and deliberate. ‘You were listening to my phone call. ’

‘Not intentionally. And if you’re expecting me to apologise for eavesdropping on a private conversation then forget it. There are some things that shouldn’t be private. ’

‘Calma. Calm down. ’

‘No, I will not calma or calm down! I don’t speak much Italian, Rio, but I speak enough to understand the gist of what you just said to her! I’m really astonished you’ve never been dumped if that’s the way you treat women. You’re right—you are a complete and utter bastard. This whole week we…you…’ She broke off, trying to control herself. ‘How could you do that? How could you do those things when you’re in love with someone else? I thought you were a free agent—single. You should have told me you were involved with someone. ’

‘I’m not involved. ’

Her breathing was shallow. ‘When you warned me that you’d break my heart, I didn’t expect it to happen quite this quickly. ’

‘Evie—’

‘No! Just don’t make pathetic excuses, OK? I don’t want to hear them. I heard you! I heard you talking to your girlfriend. ’

He swore softly in Italian and turned away from her.

For a moment, staring at the rigid tension in those broad shoulders, she thought he wasn’t even going to bother defending himself.

And then he turned, a savage look on his face. ‘You did not hear me talking to my girlfriend. It wasn’t a woman. ’ His voice was raw and Evie stood still, frozen to the spot by the look in his eyes.

‘But—’

‘You heard me talking to a child. She’s four years old. A child, not a woman. My daughter. ’ He let out a long breath. ‘You heard me talking to my daughter. ’

‘All right. Keep me informed. ’ Rio terminated the conversation with his lawyer and looked up to see Evie standing there. She’d changed into a pair of jeans and a blue cashmere jumper. Her hair, still damp from the shower, accentuated the extreme pallor of her face.

‘Why didn’t you tell me you have a child? ’ Her voice was flat. ‘Why didn’t you mention it? ’

Programmed to keep women at a distance, Rio kept his response cool. ‘It isn’t any of your business. ’ Seeing the hurt in her eyes, he wished he hadn’t been quite so blunt. ‘I don’t talk about my private life. To anyone. ’

‘I’m not some journalist, Rio! ’ She swept her hand through her hair, her confusion evident in every movement she made. ‘We slept together, for God’s sake. We shared—’

‘Sex, ’ Rio drawled. ‘We shared sex. A physical relationship, however satisfying, doesn’t give you access to the rest of my life. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that it does. ’

Her head jerked as if he’d slapped her and for a moment he thought she was going to do exactly that to him. Instead, she lost still more colour from her cheeks and nodded stiffly. ‘Of course it doesn’t. My mistake. You have a child. Forgive me for thinking that’s something you might have mentioned. ’ She turned away from him and stalked towards the table that had already been laid for breakfast. ‘Are those today’s papers? ’ Her hands shook as she lifted one and flicked through it. ‘Have they used the photograph? Or haven’t you bothered to check? I’m worried we didn’t give them much of interest last night. ’

She was rigidly polite and Rio watched her in silence, knowing that he was going to have to tell her the truth and wondering why that felt like a difficult conversation. He’d done what needed to be done. In the same circumstances, he’d make all the same decisions. So why did he feel so uncomfortable? ‘They haven’t used it. They have, however, printed the one they took when you kissed me. ’ He watched her face as she picked up a tabloid paper and scanned the headline.

Her face was expressionless as she scanned the photograph. Truly a time for miracles—Rio in love. Some of the tension left her. ‘Well, it seems we’re off the hook for another day. ’

Rio’s jaw tightened. ‘Evie—’

‘Sorry—it’s just that I’m finding this whole thing quite stressful, in case you hadn’t noticed. Every morning we go through the same thing. And the worst thing is, there is never going to come a point when it goes away—they have that photo for ever, don’t they? They can use it this year or next year—it never ends. ’

Wondering exactly when he’d developed a conscience, Rio forced a reluctant confession past his lips. ‘Evie, they won’t use that photo. ’

She looked up from the newspaper. ‘It’s all very well to say that while you’re giving them something more interesting to print, but sooner or later they’re going to get bored with our “romance” and then they’ll be on the lookout for something more juicy. ’

‘I can guarantee they’re not going to print that photograph. ’

‘How? Has your security team managed to track the man down? ’ With a soft gasp, she dropped the newspaper on the table. ‘They found him? ’

He had to tell her now. ‘Yes. We found him. ’

Relief crossed her face, to be followed quickly by consternation. ‘But that doesn’t mean you can stop the photograph. I mean, he’s had loads of time to have sent it all over the place. It’s probably too late. ’

‘He hasn’t sent it anywhere. My security team confiscated his camera. ’

‘But how—’

‘They confiscated his camera less than fifteen seconds after he took the offending photograph, ’ Rio confessed in a raw tone, telling himself firmly that he’d do exactly the same thing again in the same circumstances. ‘That’s how I know for a fact that he didn’t send it anywhere. Antonio was outside the door of the Penthouse. He apprehended the guy before he’d taken two steps. ’

A heavy silence descended on the room. Evie stared at him, digesting the enormity of his confession and Rio felt the tension inside himself double.

‘You’re saying—’ she swallowed hard ‘—you’re telling me—oh, my God. ’ She sank down hard on the nearest sofa, her breathing rapid. ‘There was never a risk that the photograph would be published. You told me…you let me think…’ She lifted her head to look at him and her eyes were huge and shocked. ‘How could you do that? ’

‘Because it was necessary. It was the right thing to do. ’

‘The right thing? ’ She lifted her hands to her face and then let them drop again, clearly struggling to find the words to express herself. ‘I was almost out of my mind with worry! My grandfather is eighty-six years old and I thought…I thought…’ Her face was contorted with pain. ‘I thought it would crucify him to see that photo. I was so worried—’

‘Which is why I assured you that they wouldn’t use the pictures. ’

‘But you didn’t tell me why you were so sure! ’ She stood up, shock giving way to anger. ‘You arranged the photographer! You were in league with creepy Carlos! ’

‘No—’ Rio interrupted her hastily ‘—that isn’t true. It was a set-up. ’ He raked his fingers through his hair, wondering how, of all the difficult negotiations he’d ever made, this one seemed the most challenging. ‘But I admit that I turned it to my advantage. I had no choice. ’

‘You did have a choice. There is always a choice. You could have told me the truth. ’

‘I didn’t know if you were involved or not. ’

‘I told you I wasn’t. ’

He decided not to waste time pointing out that plenty of her sex lied for a living. In the short time he’d known her, he’d started to realise that Evie didn’t seem to think the same way as other women. ‘By the time I realised that you were telling the truth, we were already deeply involved in the pretence. I was afraid you’d walk out on me. ’

‘So you used me. Is that what you’re trying to tell me? ’

Unable to find an alternative take on the situation, Rio felt sweat prickle his brow. ‘Yes. ’

‘But you…’ She jabbed her fingers into her hair, an expression of shocked disbelief on her face. ‘But we had sex—what was your justification for that? Were there cameras in the room? ’

‘You initiated the sex. ’

She gave a painful laugh. ‘Well, that’s you off the hook, then. ’ Her eyes were glazed with tears. ‘You warned me you were ruthless and you told me that I’d find it easy to dump you—well, you were right. I’m dumping you. We now have the shortest engagement on record. ’

‘I accept that I was wrong not to tell you, ’ Rio breathed, ‘but don’t walk out. ’

‘Why? Because you haven’t closed your precious deal yet? What is wrong with you? You don’t need more money but you’re so desperate to win you’re willing to do whatever it takes. ’ A toss of her head sent her hair flaming down her back and she stalked back into the bedroom without glancing in his direction, flinging words over her shoulder like missiles. ‘There are some things in life that are more important than money, Rio. People’s feelings are more important. Integrity. Honesty. And if you don’t know what any of those words mean then use some of that money of yours to buy a dictionary. ’

Rio searched his brain for slick words that would extricate him from this hole, but found none. His instinct was to leave her alone, but his legs had different ideas and, moments later, he found himself standing in the doorway of the bedroom, watching her.

‘I understood that you were worried, which is why I constantly reassured you that the photograph would not be published. You should have trusted me. ’

‘Trusted you! ’ She turned on him, her eyes flashing. ‘Why would I trust you? You’re impossibly arrogant. You think you’re right about everything. How was I to know that in this case the reason you knew the photograph wouldn’t be published was because you had it in your possession all the time? I don’t believe this is happening—’ Her breathing was shallow and rapid. ‘You were so angry with Carlos. I thought you were going to finish him off—but why would he have arranged that photograph? ’

‘Because Carlos is the brother of a woman I once had a relationship with, ’ Rio said savagely. ‘It was a difficult relationship. She wanted more—’

‘Then she was looking in the wrong place, wasn’t she? ’ Her tone acid, Evie scraped her make-up from the top of the dressing table into her bag. ‘Didn’t she read the newspapers? Didn’t she know that you don’t do “more”? ’

Telling himself that her anger was only to be expected, Rio ploughed ahead. ‘She wanted me to marry her. ’

‘She wanted to spend the rest of her life with you? Clearly she was deranged. ’

Knowing that he deserved that, Rio took it on the chin. ‘She stopped taking contraception. ’

Evie paused, a tube of lipgloss in her hand. ‘She became pregnant? On purpose? ’ The shock in her voice almost made him smile.

‘Yes, on purpose. On purpose, Evie. ’ He said the word twice, each time with emphasis, knowing that she had absolutely no idea what people could be like. She was such a crazy idealist, wasn’t she? ‘Are you going to ask me why? ’

‘I’m not stupid. I presume she thought you’d marry her. ’ She stuffed the lipgloss into her bag. ‘Which, of course, you wouldn’t. ’

‘No, because it never would have worked. ’ Rio growled the words angrily. ‘I offered her everything but that. I offered to buy her a house near me—I offered her financial support. But all she wanted was marriage and I’d made the mistake of being honest about how much I wanted to see my child. She used that knowledge to carry on blackmailing me. Only this time, instead of “I’m pregnant, marry me”, it was “if you want to see your child, marry me”. ’

Evie stood still. Some of the anger in her face was replaced by uncertainty.

‘She used my child as currency, ’ Rio said thickly. ‘An object to be bartered with. I gave her sufficient funds to live in luxury for the rest of her life but she frittered it away on unsuitable friends and people I would not have allowed anywhere near my daughter. Because she had my child, I carried on trying to help. I even gave her useless brother Carlos a job in my hotel, under close supervision. But I was working behind the scenes to get custody of my daughter. ’

‘Custody? ’ Her eyes widened in shock and he gave a bitter smile because he’d seen exactly that same look on the faces of others.

‘Yes, custody. And, yes, I know I’m a single man. A single man with a self-confessed relationship phobia. I am no one’s image of ideal father material. It was easy for her to build a case, making me look unsuitable. I work inhuman hours, I have no history of commitment—’ he breathed deeply ‘—it’s possible I would never even have had a chance if it weren’t for the fact that Jeanette left Elyssa unattended. ’

‘She left her child alone? ’

Rio wanted to tell her not to be so naive, but realised that would be unfair. It wasn’t naivety that prevented her from understanding why another woman might leave a child alone; it was her nature. He’d seen the way she cared about her grandfather. She was warm and loving—a nurturer who believed that families stuck together and supported each other through thick and thin.

‘Jeanette didn’t ever want a child. All she wanted was a tool to manipulate me. She doesn’t have a maternal bone in her body. ’ He watched Evie flinch as he took a hatchet to her illusions. ‘I imagine someone like you would find that almost impossible to believe, so let me tell you just how unhappy my daughter’s life has been so far and maybe then you’ll understand that there are times when “ruthless” is justified. ’

‘Rio—’

‘She was left on her own in the house because there was no way Jeanette was wasting any of the money I gave her caring for a child she never wanted. I sent her staff; she fired them. I interviewed eight nannies personally. None of them lasted a day. Jeanette said she’d care for Elyssa herself, but she didn’t. I’ve been fighting for custody since before my daughter was born but it was only six months ago, after she had a nasty fall in the house while she was on her own, that the tide turned in my favour. The police were called. Elyssa was taken into foster care while they reviewed the case. It’s been a long, hard slog but we were almost there. ’

‘Were? ’

‘Elyssa is Jeanette’s meal ticket, ’ Rio said, struggling to keep the emotion out of his voice. ‘She doesn’t want me to have custody. She reinvented herself as a model mother. She’s been volunteering at the church, visiting the sick and the elderly, generally behaving like a perfect citizen. ’

‘And at the same time she’s been trying to destroy your reputation? Make you look like an unsuitable carer for a child? ’

‘Unfortunately, over the years, I’ve managed to do that for myself. I’ve made no apology for the fact that I don’t want commitment, never realising that the time would come when I’d regret expressing those sentiments in such a public fashion. ’

‘So that’s why Carlos wanted me to spend the night. That’s why he arranged the photographer. That’s what the deal is. ’ Her breathing quickened and her eyes held his. ‘This deal isn’t about money, is it? It isn’t business. It’s your daughter. The reason you didn’t want those photographs published was because of your daughter. They were trying to make you look bad. ’

Rio stood still, watching her. So much was riding on this conversation and yet, for once, his slick way with words had abandoned him. ‘I’ve worked for years to reach this point. ’

‘But if your security team caught the man immediately—if you knew there was no danger of that photograph being exposed—why go through with that farce? ’

‘Because I thought you could help my case. ’ He didn’t flinch from the truth. ‘My lawyer told me to stay whiter than white or find a wholesome-looking woman. Until Carlos intervened, I’d settled on the first option. Then I saw you lying on the bed. ’

‘I was naked, ’ she said dryly. ‘Not exactly wholesome. ’

‘No one looking at you could ever believe you were anything other than a thoroughly decent person, ’ Rio said roughly. And he’d used her. ‘I’m a man who has said I’d never settle down—to convince people I’d changed my mind, it would have to be with someone completely different from the usual women I date. You fitted that description. ’

She stood for a moment. ‘And it didn’t occur to you to just tell me the truth? You could have just asked for my help. You could have trusted me. ’

‘No, I couldn’t. ’

‘Have you ever trusted a woman? ’

Rio didn’t even hesitate. ‘I’ve never had reason to. ’

Pain flickered across her face and he knew she was thinking about everything they’d shared. ‘So what happens now? ’

He clenched his fists by his sides, wondering why it suddenly felt so hard to remain detached when that was his normal default mode. ‘That’s your decision, ’ he said flatly. ‘If you want to go home to your grandfather for Christmas, then I can arrange that. And of course you have a job as receptionist. You’re overqualified for the position, but if that’s what you want then that’s fine by me. The one thing I ask is that you dump me, as we agreed, rather than telling the media the truth. ’

‘How have you kept your daughter’s name out of the press? ’

‘That was part of my deal with Jeanette. And I admit we’ve been lucky. I suppose because I’m the last man in the world to want a child, they didn’t look. ’

‘So you want me to dump you—’ She rubbed her fingers across her forehead. ‘But you haven’t won your case yet, have you? I could make things difficult for you. ’

‘Yes. ’ The thought brought a bitter taste to his mouth. ‘But I’ll have to take that chance. ’

‘What makes you think you’re the right home for a little girl, Rio? What can you offer a child? ’

He didn’t hesitate. ‘Security. The absolute certainty that I’ll always be there for her. ’ He’d never felt the need to explain or defend his decision to anyone before, but suddenly he had a burning need to defend himself to Evie. ‘I’m not planning to nominate myself for super-dad any time soon, but I can offer her a stability that has never been present in her life. ’

‘That’s quite a promise, coming from a man who doesn’t believe in commitment. ’

‘This is one commitment I’m prepared to make. ’ He didn’t expect her to believe him. How could he when he was well aware he’d given her no reason on which to base that belief?

And already his mind was computing the options because he knew she was going to walk out. Why wouldn’t she? He’d deceived her. He’d used her. He’d hurt her. He’d had sex with her—

And now she was going to make him pay.

He needed to ring the lawyers and warn them, although what they would be able to do, he had no idea.

Reaching into his pocket for his phone, his fingers encountered his wallet. He paused and then pulled it out and retrieved the photograph from behind a stack of dollars. Hesitating for only a fraction of a second, he handed it to her. ‘This is Elyssa. It’s not a brilliant one—I took it with my phone in the summer. Her hair is darker than it looks in the photograph. ’ He watched as she stared down at the photograph.

‘Please leave me alone, ’ she said hoarsely. ‘I need a minute to myself. ’

Rio hesitated, and then turned and walked back into the living room. Conscious of how much he’d hurt her, he retrieved his BlackBerry from his jacket pocket. The only option open to him now was damage limitation.

He was in the process of dialling his lawyer when her voice came from behind him.

‘Put the phone down. ’ She stood in the doorway, stiff and unsmiling, the photograph still in her hand. ‘I’ll stay and finish this charade if you think it will help you. Not because you shoved a photograph of a vulnerable little girl into my hand and made me feel guilty which, by the way, was yet another example of ruthless manipulation on your part, but because you took that photograph in the first place. It’s the first time I’ve ever known you to use your BlackBerry for anything other than work. If you carry a picture of your daughter around, there must be some good in you somewhere. I have yet to see it, but I live in hope. Unlike you, I’m prepared to take some things on trust. Given that Elyssa seems to have drawn the short straw with her mother, she needs someone who is prepared to stand up and fight for her, not that I think that excuses your appalling behaviour. ’

Stunned by her words, Rio inhaled deeply. ‘Evie—’

‘And you need to learn to take some things on trust, too. You need to show some faith in people. ’ She walked across the room and placed the photograph carefully in his hand. ‘A little girl’s future is at stake—you should have known I’d do the right thing. I didn’t need a guilt trip to set me on the right path. If you’d told me the truth in the first place—’ there were tears in her eyes ‘—I just wish you had told me the truth, Rio. ’

‘My daughter’s future was all that mattered to me. ’

‘If you’d told me, I would have helped you. ’ Her lashes sparkled with moisture. ‘You need to stop being such a cynic because the last thing a little girl needs is a father who is a cynic. When you’re reading her fairy stories, maybe it’s right to adapt the ending—maybe it isn’t right to tell children that they all lived happily ever after, I don’t know—but neither is it right to bring her up believing that everyone is guilty until proven innocent. That there is no good in anyone. That all people are out to get what they can out of everyone else. If you’re going to apply corporate principles to parenting, then it’s never going to work. ’ Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders. ‘Now, get your coat and phone that driver of yours. We’re going shopping. ’

Still braced for catastrophe, it took Rio a few moments to assimilate the fact that she wasn’t leaving. She was offering to stay. Her generosity floored him. ‘Of course I’ll take you shopping. ’ His voice was husky with an emotion he didn’t recognise and he lifted his hand and brushed a strand of hair away from her moist cheek. Gratitude, he thought. And admiration. He realised that he’d been wrong about her again. She was far, far stronger than she looked. ‘I’ll buy you the biggest diamond you’ve ever seen as long as you tell me I’m forgiven. ’

‘I didn’t say anything about diamonds and I didn’t say anything about forgiveness. We’re going to a toy shop. If you truly intend to be a father to Elyssa, then you need to start learning what little girls like for Christmas. ’ Despite everything, there was humour in her gaze. ‘I probably ought to warn you that I’m something of an expert. Fasten your seat belt because I have a feeling this is going to be a steep learning curve. ’

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