Crime Of Passion. Lynne Graham

shaking her head as if to clear it and hurriedly fixing her attention elsewhere.

      Rafael added that she liked her coffee with both milk and sugar.

      Georgie tensed, childishly tempted to say she now took it black and unsweetened but biting her lip instead. Four years ago, Rafael had chosen her food for her, and had allowed her only the occasional glass of wine, refusing to allow her any other form of alcohol in his company.

      ‘He’s a flipping tyrant,’ Steve had sneered that final evening, witnessing Rafael’s unashamed domination in action. ‘I can’t believe the way you let him order you around. If you want a drink, I’ll get it for you!’

      And he had. He had got her several, just daring Rafael to interfere. Georgie did not want to recall where that foolishness had led. Her cup in an unsteady hand, she sipped at her coffee, badly shaken by the uncontrollable force of the memories washing over her.

      It had upset Georgie then that her stepbrother and Rafael should barely be able to tolerate each other. Nor had she ever been able to decide who was most at faultSteve for being a bossy, interfering big brother, who didn’t like to see his kid sister being bossed about by anyone else, or Rafael for never once utilising an ounce of his smooth diplomacy in Steve’s hot-headed direction.

      In those days she had been very proud of Steve’s success as a photo-journalist. He was four years her senior, her brother in all but blood ties, and she had relied heavily on Steve’s opinions, Steve’s advice… And then those ties had been almost completely severed the same night that she had lost Rafael. Truly the worst night of her life, she conceded painfully.

      ‘This is Rurrenabaque,’ Rafael informed her as the jet came in to land.

      Georgie concentrated on the fantastic views as the land dropped dramatically away below them to spread out into the thickly forested expanse of the Amazon basin. Less than half an hour after landing they were airborne again in a helicopter, from which she saw the very physical evidence of the logging operations in the area. Then the rough tracks forged by man-made machinery petered to a halt, leaving them flying over untouched wilderness, broken only by lonely mountain plateaus and dark winding rivers until the rainforest finally gave way to the vast savannah, cleared centuries earlier for cattle ranching.

      ‘You will want to rest.’ Rafael sprang down from the helicopter in her wake and something she caught in his voice made her turn her head.

      She met icy dark eyes, read the harsh line of his compressed mouth and the fierce tension in his strong features as he stared fulminatingly back at her. He doesn’t want me here. That reality hit her like a bucket of cold water on too-hot skin. Defensively she looked away again, wondering why on earth he had brought her to his home if he felt that strongly and cursing her own weakened, stressed condition earlier.

      ‘At the airport, you let me think you were going to put me on a flight home,’ she reminded him accusingly. ‘Why didn’t you tell me the truth?’

      ‘I was abducting you,’ Rafael delivered smoothly. ‘Why would I explain my intentions in advance?’

      Her bright head spun back, violet eyes wide, her brow furrowed. Then she laughed a little breathlessly. ‘I never could tell when you were joking and when you were serious!’

      ‘You will learn.’ Unreadable dark eyes glittered intently over her animated face. ‘I’m looking forward to teaching you.’