the charm.
‘Don’t worry, no one loves a party more than we do in Cazulas—isn’t that right, Maria?’ He looked at Zoë. ‘You’ll be calling in extra help, I imagine?’
There was something in Rico’s eyes Zoë didn’t like. Something that unnerved her. ‘There’s no need. I’m not alone at the castle, Rico. I have my team with me—and don’t forget that cooking is what I do for a living.’
Turning away from him, she said her goodbyes to Maria, all the time conscious of Rico’s gaze boring into her back. He might as well have gripped her arms, yanked her round, and demanded she give him her life history. She could only think that having a woman set both the rules and the timetable was something entirely new to him.
‘How are you going to get home tonight, Zoë?’ Maria said.
‘I’ll drive her back.’
‘I’ll walk.’
Maria frowned, looking from Rico to Zoë and back again. ‘Of course you will drive Zoë home, Rico.’ She put her arm around Zoë’s shoulder. ‘It is too dangerous for you to walk, Zoë, and you will be quite safe with Rico—I promise you.’
There was something in Maria’s eyes that made Zoë want to believe her. But as she walked away Zoë could have kicked herself. Why hadn’t she just asked if she could take a lift with Maria?
‘Are you ready to go?’ Rico said.
‘I thought we’d already been through this.’ Digging in her pocket, Zoë pulled out her flashlight again.
‘Oh, that’s right. I had forgotten you were an intrepid explorer.’
‘I’ll only be retracing my steps—’
‘In the dark.’
‘Well, I’d better get going, then.’
She moved away, and for one crazy moment hoped he would come after her. When he did she changed her mind. ‘I’ll be fine, Rico. Really.’
‘What are you afraid of, Zoë? Is there something at the castle you don’t want me to see?’
‘Is that what you think?’ She ran her hand through her hair as she looked at him. ‘I can assure you I have nothing to hide. Come around and check up on me if you don’t believe me.’
‘How about now?’
‘I’d rather walk.’
‘Well, I’m sorry, Maria’s right. I can’t let you do that. It’s far too dangerous.’
Maria hadn’t left yet. Her friend’s truck was still parked in the clearing. She might just catch them. But Maria moved as fast as she had on the stage. Climbing into the cab, she slammed the door and waved, leaving Zoë standing there as the truck swung onto the dirt road leading down to the village and accelerated away.
‘Don’t look so worried.’
Don’t look so worried? I’m stuck at the top of a mountain in the middle of the night with a flashlight and the local brigand—who happens to have a chip on his shoulder labelled ‘media-types/female’—and I shouldn’t worry?
‘Like I said, I’ll drive you back.’
‘No way!’
‘You can cut the bravado, Zoë—there’s no moon, hardly any path, and this stupid little light won’t save you when you’re plunging down a precipice.’
‘Give that back to me now.’ Zoë made a swipe for her flashlight, but Rico was too quick for her.
‘It’s no trouble for me to drop you at the castle.’
‘Thank you, I’ll walk.’
She got as far as the rock-strewn trail leading down to the valley before he caught hold of her arm and swung her around.
‘You are not going down there on your own.’
‘Oh, really?’
‘Yes, really.’
Their faces were too close. As their breath mingled Zoë closed her eyes. ‘Let go of me, Rico.’
‘So you can mess up a rock? So you can cause me a whole lot of trouble in the morning when I have to come looking for your mangled body? I don’t think so, lady.’
‘Your concern is overwhelming, but I really don’t need it! I know these mountains—’
‘Like the back of your hand? And you’ve been here how long?’
‘Nearly a month, as a matter of fact.’ That silenced him, Zoë noted with satisfaction.
As long as that? Rico ground his jaw. Another reason to curse the fact he had stayed away too long. He couldn’t let her go—he didn’t want to let her go—and he wanted to find out what she was hiding. ‘You don’t know these mountains at night. This path is dangerous. There’s a lot of loose stone, and plenty of sheer drops.’
‘I’ll take my chances.’
‘The road isn’t half bad.’
Somehow he managed to grace his last words with a smile.
She stopped struggling and looked at him, her bright green eyes full of suspicion.
‘Come on, Zoë, you know you don’t really want to walk.’ Charm again? New ground for him, admittedly, but well worth it if she agreed. If he took her back he could take a look around. He knew her name from somewhere—and not just from the television. But how did she affect him? Was she a threat? ‘It’s only a short drive in the Jeep.’
‘OK,’ Zoë said at last.
She was relieved she didn’t have to walk back in the dark. But as Rico dug for his keys in the back pocket of his jeans she wondered if she was quite sane. If it hadn’t been for Maria’s reassurances she would never have agreed to anything so foolish. She didn’t know a thing about Rico Cortes, and the day her divorce came through she had promised herself no more tough guys, no more being pushed around, mentally or physically.
‘Don’t look so worried. You’ll be a lot safer going down the mountain in the Jeep with me. Are you coming or not?’ he said when she still hesitated. ‘I’ve got work tomorrow.’
‘Tomorrow’s Sunday.’
‘That’s right—and I have things to get ready for Monday morning.’
‘What things?’ Maybe he was the local brigand, and Monday was his day for mustering the troops. And she had agreed to take a lift home with him…
Zoë frowned as he opened the passenger door for her. Rico Cortes was as much a mystery now as ever, and it wasn’t like her. She was an expert at winkling out information. It was the secret of her success—or had been in the past.
The
