thought as she pinned on a cordial smile, and crossed the space which separated them.
‘Doctor Martinez.’ Her voice was warm to match her smile. ‘I hope I haven’t kept you waiting.’
‘If you did,’ he said slowly, ‘you are undeniably worth waiting for, Miss Frazier. Is this solely in my honour, or are you expecting other company?’
‘But I don’t know anyone else in Lima.’ Leigh lowered darkened lashes demurely.
‘Of course,’ he drawled. ‘I was forgetting. May I get you a drink?’
She shrugged. ‘Whatever you’re having will be fine.’
His brows rose faintly. ‘I’m having a pisco sour, but I should warn you, they can be potent.’
‘When in Rome,’ Leigh said lightly. ‘Shall we sit down?’
It was working, she thought, as she reached into her bag for a tissue she didn’t need. The stark uncovered blackness of the dress against her pale skin was a surefire winner. He could hardly take his eyes off her. Obviously blondes in model gowns were in short supply in the wilds of Atayahuanco. Well, let him eat his heart out.
Although she had to admit, as he brought the drinks to their table, that he didn’t look like a man who would ever go short of female company, except through his own choice.
He was more formally dressed this evening, in a pale, lightweight suit with a dark blue silk shirt. And if she was the cynosure of all the masculine eyes in the bar, she could not deny that he was being surveyed with discreet avidity by the women.
Not that she could altogether blame them, she thought unwillingly. However much she might dislike him, she had to acknowledge that he was an attractive devil, and magnetically virile as well. And not lacking in charm either, she supposed, when he chose to exert it.
Smilingly, she lifted her glass to him. ‘To our better understanding, Doctor Martinez.’
His expression was enigmatic as he returned the toast. ‘Salud, Miss Frazier.’
Leigh tasted her drink with a certain amount of caution. There was a tang of lemon, she recognised, and underneath it all, a kick like a mule. One, she thought, would undoubtedly be enough.
‘So—how are you enjoying Lima?’ he asked.
Polite conversation, it seemed, was the order of the day, and Leigh obediently picked up her cue.
‘Interesting, but it has its drawbacks,’ she said lightly. ‘This constant mist, for one thing.’
‘Ah, the garua.’ He grinned slightly. ‘Legend has it that when the Spaniards asked the conquered Incas where was the best place to build their city, the Incas recommended Lima with deliberate malice.’
She laughed. ‘It wouldn’t surprise me. But, after all, it wasn’t Lima I came to see.’
‘I suppose not,’ he said smoothly, but across the table, the topaz eyes met hers in a clash like the ring of swords between two duellists. Leigh had to smother a slight gasp, but she forced herself to go on smiling.
‘I feel I haven’t had a chance to see the real Peru,’ she went on.
‘Lima is real enough,’ he said. ‘You’d be well advised to use your return ticket, Miss Frazier. Juanita at Peruvian Quest will help if there’s any problem over the flight.’
Leigh sipped her drink, smiling coolly. ‘Oh, I’m not ready to cut short my trip yet awhile. This dreadful mist can’t last for ever, and I haven’t seen Cuzco yet—or Machu Picchu. I hear that’s really spectacular.’
He finished his drink, and set down the glass. ‘Well, as long as you stick to the recognised tourist trails with an organised party, you won’t come to too much harm. Now, would you like another drink, or shall we have dinner? There’s a good place on the Carretera Central I thought I’d show you.’
Leigh put down her own empty glass. ‘It sounds fascinating, but I’ve already arranged dinner, here in my suite.’ She watched him digest this, then added sweetly, ‘After all, I invited you—remember?’
His eyes swept over her in a lingering, frankly disturbing appraisal. ‘I’m not likely to forget,’ he said. ‘And I’m still wondering why.’
‘To make amends—build bridges,’ Leigh said calmly. She gave him a brilliant smile. ‘After all, there’s no need for us to be bad friends, Doctor Martinez. We’re on the same side.’
‘Are we, Miss Frazier?’ he asked softly. ‘I think I might need some convincing of that.’
‘Well, the night is young.’ Leigh rose to her feet. ‘So—shall we go up and eat?’
Her face was serene as she led the way to the lift, but at the same time she was aware of a distinct frisson of uneasiness. Rourke Martinez, she thought, was still proving a formidable opponent, although she thought she might be ahead on points—just.
She shook herself. She couldn’t start losing her nerve now. He was a man, and capable of being manipulated like any other. And she had been adept at that kind of manipulation since her cradle.
There was no reason, no reason at all to think that this time she might have met her match.
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