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He flung himself back, somehow not tempted to do what he normally did, which was to climb out of the bed, head to the bathroom and away from any temptation to indulge in postcoital chat.

She reached out her hand and clasped her fingers through his although, like him, she stayed on her back looking up at the ceiling.

‘It was amazing. The earth did a huge amount of moving,’ she murmured, still slightly out of breath.

Javier felt a rush of dizzying satisfaction. Would it be really gauche of him to ask her to elaborate?

He was grinning from ear to ear.

Work was definitely not going to be on the agenda any time soon.

‘We should talk about what happens next.’

His voice sounded as controlled and composed as he could have hoped but inside, some crazy response was still keeping the satisfied grin plastered to his face.

* * *

Of course, Hope thought, reality wasn’t something to be ignored and especially not by a man like Javier, who was probably beginning to worry he’d made a huge mistake in sleeping with her.

She hoped he wasn’t going to give her another bracing talk about the importance of not getting involved.

‘The quest for your brother continues,’ she said brightly, rolling onto her side in preparation for making herself scarce.

The thought of not being able to ever touch him again made her go cold, but she shut that unwelcome feeling down before it could take root.

‘Where are you going?’

‘To have a shower? Get changed? Head to my room and have a look at the photos I took? I might actually try and do something with them, aside from showing them to my mother as a phoney reason for being out of the country.’

‘But I’m not finished with you,’ he protested in such a sexy undertone that she shivered and had to resist the urge to instantly leap back next to him and start touching his gorgeous body all over again.

Instead, she looked at him coolly, eyebrows raised. Her body language indicated complete control over her emotions and a casual acceptance that they’d done something they’d both wanted to do but now it was time to move on.

Her brain, feverishly remembering the way he’d made her feel, couldn’t have been on a more different wavelength.

‘Now, that has to be the most chauvinistic thing I’ve ever heard any man say.’

‘I still want you. How is that chauvinistic?’ he asked, patting the space next to him, which she chose to ignore. ‘I want to have more amazing, earthshattering sex with you. I couldn’t be any less chauvinistic right now.’

‘I’m very flattered…’ Hope said, holding on tightly to her self-control, ‘…but I’m not sure a follow up would be a good idea.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because…’

‘Are you scared?’

‘Why would I be scared?’

‘Because you’re not someone who enters into a sexual relationship unless there are a lot of strings attached?’

‘What did I just do?’

She was beginning to feel exposed. She told herself that was the only reason she crept back into bed next to him. She propped herself up on one elbow and did her best to marshal her thoughts, which involved trying to ignore the warm, naked body right next to her.

‘I just had a one-night stand with no strings attached. You’re right, I might not be the sort of girl who goes in for those but it was totally worth it. That doesn’t mean a follow up is a good idea.’

‘You’re telling me there’s no encore?’