About the Author

JOANNA NEIL had her future planned. She enjoyed her work as an infant teacher and didn’t envisage any changes to her way of life. But then she discovered Mills & Boon. She was surprised to find how absorbing and interesting they were and read them on a regular basis. The more she read, the more she had the overwhelming desire to write one. Encouraged by her family, she persevered until her first book was accepted, and after several books were published, she decided to write full time.

His Bride in Paradise

Joanna Neil

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-408-97591-6

HIS BRIDE IN PARADISE

© 2012 Joanna Neil

Published in Great Britain 2020

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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Table of Contents

Cover

About the Author

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘It sounds heavenly.’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘And you.’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘Was he planning on staying here with you?’

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

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

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

His glance moved over her. ‘Really?’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘Thank you.’

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

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

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

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

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

‘It sounds idyllic.’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘Okay.’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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