towards the house. ‘But actually I came from around the side of the building.’
‘Oh, I see.’ She frowned. That would explain why she hadn’t seen him before this. He hadn’t been at the party until now. ‘Are you a neighbour?’ A sudden thought struck her. ‘Have you come to complain about the noise?’ The beach houses were some distance apart, but sound probably carried quite a way out here in the tropics. ‘I’m sorry if it’s been disturbing you.’
His expression was wry. ‘It certainly caught my attention.’
‘Oh … yes … of course. Well, I’m sure we can get them to turn it down a few notches, though I imagine things will be winding up here before too long.’ She made a face. ‘It’s very late and some of us have places to be in the morning.’
‘That’s very true.’ He looked at her thoughtfully, an appreciative glint sparking in his blue eyes. ‘Though I must say there are some things that are definitely worth staying up for.’ His glance drifted over her, making her hotly aware of the clothes she was wearing, party clothes, very different from what she might have worn back in London. Her strapless top clung to her curves like a second skin and her short sarong-style skirt wrapped itself lovingly around her hips and left a good deal of bare leg on show.
‘I … uh …’ Unsettled by his intent scrutiny, she stood up. ‘Perhaps I should go and see about quietening things down a bit?’
He shook his head. ‘Leave it to me—I’ll sort it out.’ There was a slight edge to his voice as he added, ‘There are certain people I need to see.’ But then he relaxed and said softly, ‘For the moment, I’d much sooner have you stay here and talk to me.’
He studied her once more, his gaze moving slowly over her as though he couldn’t quite tear himself away. His glance lingered for a moment or two on the burnished chestnut hair falling in silky waves below her shoulders, and then his gaze wandered over her slender figure, leaving a trail of heat in its wake.
Colour rose in her cheeks. ‘I suppose that would be all right.’
‘I’m glad.’ He moved a little closer to her and all her senses erupted and began to clamour for attention. Warning bells sounded dimly in her head, but she ignored them. After all, what could be the harm in talking to him? ‘I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,’ he said, ‘but I couldn’t help overhearing that you might be suffering from jet lag. Have you come far? Are you here for a holiday?’
‘Not a holiday, no … though I’ll admit I wouldn’t mind a few days soaking up the sun and exploring the island. I’m usually a hard worker, always on the go, but I have to say, as soon as I arrived here something made me want to give up on the idea of doing anything strenuous. Everyone’s so laid back … the pace is so relaxed.’ She smiled. ‘From the little I’ve seen, it’s beautiful here … very different from London, where I’ve been living.’
‘It is.’ He sent her a quizzical look. ‘So, if you’re not here for a holiday …?’
She shook her head, causing her silky chestnut curls to ripple and settle once more over her bare shoulders. ‘I managed to organise some temporary work—I’ll be over here for three months, working as a doctor in the paediatric emergency unit at the hospital. It isn’t a full-time position, so I might need to look for something else to keep me going, but it was too good an opportunity to miss.’ There would be some on-call work outside the hospital, as she understood it, and that suited her perfectly.
She shrugged lightly and his glance flicked to the creamy softness of her skin. ‘It … uh … it suited me to leave the UK right now,’ she went on. ‘I wanted to gain a bit more experience before I decide what specialty I want to follow.’
He raised a dark brow. ‘You’ve travelled a long way to do that.’
‘Yes, that’s true.’ Her mouth moved awkwardly. ‘Actually, I have family over here—my father has a stake in a rum distillery on the island. We haven’t seen a lot of each other over the years and I thought this would give me a chance to spend some time with him.’
He frowned. ‘And your mother? Is she not living here?’
She pulled in a quick breath before answering him. ‘No. My parents haven’t been together for quite some time. My mother died back in the UK a couple of years ago.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Again there was that deep Spanish inflection. His eyes darkened with compassion. ‘That must have been hard for you.’
She nodded and sought to change the subject before her emotions got the better of her. Her feelings about her mother’s death were still quite raw, and as for her father—their relationship was difficult, and somehow she had to sort out a way for them to get along better.
‘And you?’ she asked. ‘Do you live here on Saint Helene, or are you just visiting?’ She picked up her glass and began to sip the rum punch he’d poured for her. Perhaps it was all in her mind, but it seemed as though the kick from the alcohol was giving her confidence.
‘Oh, I live here,’ he said, his mouth curving. ‘My family made their home here several generations ago. Originally they were Spanish, but with a good deal of intermingling over the decades we’ve been left with a Spanish-American heritage.’
‘Ah … that would explain your accent. I couldn’t quite work it out at first. It’s faint, but definitely there.’ No matter how hard she tried to convince herself she was immune to any kind of male charm, his voice held a sexy, vibrant timbre that made her insides quiver. It was disturbing the way she responded to him, to say the least.
He inclined his head briefly, still holding Jessie’s gaze. She was mesmerised by those dark eyes, finding it hard to break away from the intoxicating heat glinting in their depths, until a sound broke the spell and she became aware of Ben walking towards them. She didn’t know whether to feel glad or let down by the interruption.
‘Sorry I’ve been gone for so long,’ Ben said, concentrating on placing a tray, laden with food, down on the table. ‘I was caught up, talking to a friend from the distillery.’
‘That’s okay.’ She put down her glass. ‘I’ve had someone to keep me company.’
Ben straightened and for the first time looked properly at the man standing beside her. He drew in a quick breath. ‘Dr Benitez …’ He seemed stunned. ‘I … We weren’t expecting you back here for a few days. I thought your business would keep you in Florida until the end of the week.’
‘I managed to complete it ahead of schedule.’ The doctor’s handsome sculpted features were rigid as he looked at Ben and it dawned on Jessie that something wasn’t quite right here.
So this was her brother’s new employer? ‘You already know each other,’ she said, looking from one to the other.
Ben was still caught in the searchlight of that unflinching stare. ‘We do.’ He gave himself a shake and made an effort to pull himself together. ‘Jessie, I should introduce you … This is Dr Benitez—like I said, I’ve been doing some work for him this last couple of weeks.’
Jessie nodded and looked back at the doctor. ‘Ben told me about the renovations he’s been doing for you.’ Her green eyes widened. ‘Am I right in thinking this is your house?’
He nodded. ‘You are.’
‘Ah.’
