Cairo’s eyes widened. ‘You had a—? He was at the supermarket this morning!’ she breathed incredulously as she suddenly remembered why the other man had seemed so familiar to her a few minutes ago. She also remembered Rafe’s distraction earlier as he’d watched the reporter getting into his car!
Her mouth tightened. ‘How long have you known he was following us?’
‘Not now, Cairo!’ he snapped, a nerve pulsing in his tightly clenched jaw.
‘But—’
‘I said not now,’ he ordered harshly.
Cairo clamped her lips together as she continued to glare at him from behind her sunglasses.
Rafe had known that man was following them. He had known, dammit, and he hadn’t so much as warned her….
‘For God’s sake, calm down,’ Rafe told her impatiently an hour or so later as the two of them sat on the golden-white sand amongst the rocks in a relatively private cove, Daisy off building sandcastles nearer the water.
‘Calm down!’ Cairo repeated furiously as she turned to face him. ‘You knew that man was following us. You knew, Rafe, and yet you said nothing!’ She breathed agitatedly.
‘Because I knew you would react like this,’ he retorted. ‘Look, don’t worry about it, okay? I’ll make a couple of calls when I get back to the villa, and—’
‘Oh, you’ll make a couple of calls,’ Cairo repeated sarcastically. ‘That’s all right, then. The arrogant Rafe Montero will just “make a couple of calls” and everyone can once again sleep safely in their beds—’
‘Not everyone, Cairo,’ he cut in.
She scowled at him. ‘I’m really not in the mood for your innuendos just now, Rafe.’
‘Then what are you in the mood for?’ he challenged softly.
Her eyes widened as she saw the intent in his. ‘Don’t even think about—’ She broke off abruptly as Rafe reached out to remove her sunglasses and throw them down on the towel before his mouth came down fiercely on hers.
Cairo kissed him back just as fiercely.
Furiously.
All the emotions of the last couple of hours were in that kiss.
The absolute terror when she had seen that man talking to Daisy.
The relief when she’d reached Daisy’s side and was able to hold the little girl to her protectively.
Followed by this burning, almost uncontrollable rage towards Rafe for not even telling her he had thought they were being followed.
How dared he?
How dared he!
She wrenched her mouth free of his to put her hands against his chest and push him away from her. ‘I thought I told you there would be no repeat of—of this sort of thing!’ she snapped fierily.
‘What sort of thing would that be, Cairo?’ he jeered.
Cairo drew in a ragged breath. ‘I’m sure your lethal charm usually silences a woman, Rafe,’ she scorned, her cheeks flushed, eyes fever-bright. ‘But—’
‘Is my charm really lethal, Cairo?’ he interrupted.
‘Not to me!’ she denied, continuing to glare at him as she sat with her arms wrapped protectively about her knees.
His devilish smile said otherwise. ‘All evidence to the contrary, my dear Cairo.’
‘I’m not your “dear”, anything,’ she came back vehemently. ‘And I don’t care what promise you made Jeff yesterday.’ She shook her head. ‘Now that we know a reporter has tracked you down—’
‘Or you.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘It was you the reporter recognized—’
‘If that’s what he is.’ Rafe shrugged.
‘Whatever,’ Cairo snapped. ‘He’s following you, Rafe. Which means you’re the one who will have to leave—’
‘I’ve already told you I’m not going anywhere,’ Rafe retorted firmly.
He hadn’t meant to kiss Cairo again just now. Hadn’t meant to. But he had been unable to stop himself. She had looked so damned beautiful as she’d glared at him so fiercely. So achingly desirable.
Cairo was right; he should leave. He should get himself as far away as possible from the temptation she still— incredibly!—represented.
But after the incident at the restaurant Rafe knew he had even more reason to stay. If the man who had been following them this morning did turn out to be a member of the paparazzi, then a little thing like Rafe chasing him off earlier wasn’t going to shake him. The man knew exactly who Rafe was now, and, despite what Daisy might have told the man about her ‘mummy’, Rafe knew that if the other man was any good at his job, then it wouldn’t be long before he found out who Cairo really was, too.
But he was sure Cairo must already know that….
His mouth twisted wryly. ‘It’s just one reporter, Cairo—’
‘Who will no doubt quickly be followed by others!’ she pointed out, her voice rising with her agitation. ‘Daisy and I were doing just fine before you arrived.’
‘Sure you were,’ Rafe said sarcastically.
‘And just what is that supposed to mean?’
Rafe’s gaze ran over her with slow deliberation. ‘Daisy is a great kid, but you—you’re too thin, Cairo. You have dark circles under your eyes because you don’t sleep properly. You’re as nervy as hell.’ He heaved a disgusted sigh. ‘I wouldn’t call that “doing just fine”, would you?’
‘I believe I’ve already told you before that when I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it—’
‘No, Cairo, you’ll get it whether you want it or not,’ he told her forcefully as he dropped down onto the sand beside her to take her chin in his grasp and turn her face towards his. ‘What happened to the Cairo Vaughn I knew and loved?’
‘Loved, Rafe?’ She laughed incredulously. ‘You don’t even know the meaning of the word!’ Her gaze was challenging.
Rafe continued to look at her wordlessly for several seconds before abruptly releasing her, knowing he wasn’t going to reach her this way. If there was any of the old Cairo left to reach …
Cairo glared at him with frustrated anger. Rafe hadn’t loved her. If he had loved her, then she wouldn’t have gone to his hotel suite that day eight years ago and found a naked woman in his bed!
‘This beach is slightly different from the one we once walked on together at midnight, isn’t it?’ he said huskily now.
Cairo eyed him warily, not quite sure how to reply to that comment.
She knew exactly which beach Rafe was referring to, of course. Just as she clearly remembered what had happened at the end of that walk. She was just surprised that Rafe remembered it, too, after all this time….
‘I seem to remember I ruined a pair of perfectly good shoes walking across the pebbles and rocks,’ she said coolly.
‘It was worth it,’ Rafe murmured softly.
Yes, it had been, but—
‘Have you ever been back there?’ Rafe asked, quirking up one eyebrow to signal his interest.
‘To the Isle of Man?’
She had only vaguely even heard of the Isle of Man, a small island located between England and Ireland, before she had been there on location during