In bed with the boss

low over the trees an

o

nd acres of lush tropic

mbrella that sheltered

t floor. At any other

breathtaking beauty of h

ink about anything exce

. The meetin

oing dressed in this ri

of the Brazilian rainfor

arently didn’t know th

l Cor

, damaged. So many w

f them tame or soothing

an kings and president

the financial press had

t bode well, Grace th

at, given her alle

parted and a swollen

ion of white froth. ‘He has properties all ove

s bubbling in her mind

y out

on the treetops. ‘Beca

e. He likes

she’d heard about him

t of unflattering adj

ver gave interviews, t

on him. ‘H

y call him soft and cudd

n seem to mind. Being

cking. That and the pow

aces. Power and money.

ed towards her. ‘You do

pe

sual

ould possibly mistake

t laughed. ‘I have a me

original investment for

r life. ‘He’s what they c

that, given that

ulsed with laughter and

the treetops. ‘Raf

means that he invests

been interested in hers.

race lifted her briefcase onto her lap and str

fid

ughing. ‘Angel. I don’

n tell you one thing,’

with the controls, ‘

ighten her, Grace stra

verything I rea

ed towards her and th

tly pitying ‘—or you wo

a mind of your own and

y out here in

tsy about attending

on who you’re doing

ed and the helicopter s

. Not many people have

n his

ion to keep an open mi

call him

ryone else calls him. I

the controls and the

her nerve, Grace clos

her lunch. She’d never

Mr Cordeiro is a v

s eyes on a spot far b

e going down.’ ‘Going down?’ Grace sta

rs of Rafael Cordeiro

g statement. ‘Do you mea

shi

answer. His eyes were

with the controls. For

to plunge into the tree

pad revealed itself an

iant insect in what se

between

race gave a wobbly smil

. ‘I had a mental

Cordeiro then there’s

front of him. ‘I’ve seen

Take my advice and figh

, it’s wimps. Welcome to

the most endangered l

an

ere? In the middle of

t of the window and on

eemed to consist of not

it blended into the fo

grown naturally amongs

suspended high above

ng. Am

rdeiro—angel.’ Still chortling, he wiped a ha

keep your head down un

to Rio to pick up a pack

ul

seat, unwilling to ab

t waiting? He said I cou

diculous to have travell

hoice did she have? It

as giving up. Her one

because she knew tha

to dig herself out of th

ft of you when he’s fin

ake the walkway over

tray off the path. This

out for th

too busy worrying abo

he glanced dubiously in

arts were in total shad

ck canopy of trees and

ghts. Was it her imagina

ean in

. ‘Over two thousand d

d they’re just the

ut all those legs scurr

r knees and wished she’d w

akes—’ his grin widene

quate shoes ‘—and th

, jaguars

enough,’ she said breath

y moment now she’d be

me. ‘I’m sure Mr Cordeiro

at dang

is head and laughed. ‘

m. He lives here because

m threshold. Likes to liv

ea

s way he’d diminished

er to forget her nerves.

timated. All her life

d proved them wrong, ov

the odds and

il

r of losing everythi

t going to le

most important fight o

o win. And to win she h

n in the world to be giv

e Brazilian billionaire

ces of losing. And the people depending on her. I

e as

alled in his loan, t

heat wrapped itself ar

she pushed a damp stra

wards, following the st

ive heights. It was like

d to remember that citi

d. ‘Isn’t he afraid

hewed on a piece of gum

afraid of

ard any more about the

let alone fight her cor

vered that her legs were

been hard pressed to s

jungle or Ra

h celebrity and image,

roaching contempt, reje

he didn’t need to, becau

pers were full of curva

for the right amount o

entless pursuit of his b

ed refusal to indulge

that and the news o

after less than three mo

h stories that had lasted

mpossible t

eir relations

sted in making mon

en endless but if any

s little more than a ma

she had to fight for he

ort of man that brough

, she promised herself.

gue-tied or stammer. Sh

ng room at home, talki

had an important pre

urch again and this time

nothing to do with the

times like this—times

nd her like a giant wav

ltimate test. And she

ldn

h was a

o be afraid of Rafael

hand over her straight,

d onto the wooden walk

he fore

matter how dark, was

k hovered around the man, he was a businessm

iness into profit, he’d

in the loan. She would

me and leave the jagu

an businessman to t

her suit stick to her

lly ill-prepared she wa

in her clothes. Stooping

eless bite of the wooden

efcase in her hand and

res one more time

would that have made

ed them to memory. Th

asn’t already fi

the jaws of the walk

and stra

saw

ront of her, as dark a

out of the jungle, his b

wat

as watch

r the physical impact

pter, the rainforest a

background and she was

to conjure up physical images that were so fa

g except stare, as

y stared b

s with the lethal accu

r body and every thoug

ettling moment she cou

uldn’t remember what

thargic and warmth as

hrough h

hard bite of his dee

r from her dreamy con

a little start, desperat

embarrassi

and businesslike, she t

him. His physical presen

she stood there gapin

s man was said to be ru

a winning combination

set, cynical eyes, she

ool scrutiny that mad

he jungle predators put

t had been telling the t

as no

ve, she walked towards

king the reassurance of

s, Rafael Cordeiro would have attracted women.

as it was handsome.

is Brazilian heritage a

o shoulders that wer

action to her arrival

into a smile and his ey

ome. It seemed that he

way he was looking at

kway and leap into the

tter she would have th

that wasn’t possible.

ever even met her befo

lity, rather than their r

early he wasn’t about t

e

atter, she told

like her. She just ne

eeping that in mind, sh

irectly in front of him.

r Cord

his eyes gleamed with

dren’s party, Miss Thack

l talk or pleasantries.

of your journey. If yo

ing, then you’d b

, too, she thought, trying

o do precisely as he

s, she really, really

far above them and the

in her briefcase. She c

to

epending

ures,’ she said quickly

haking. ‘I have all the

need to help you

decision. My answer

le and she watched as a

n c

ision before you had a

ver her skirt, refusing

‘I’m hoping that onc

ght rethink.’ ‘Wh

e inside her. ‘Once you

I thought you might

.’ She watched his face

at might indicate tha

the topic. Anything tha

ed her time

He gave her no reassur

t watched her and from

lowed by what sounded