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