She didn’t care about this man’s story. She couldn’t care that there might be valid reasons for him to wish to avoid the limelight. She had to make a decision now and she could only do that on the information she had.

He was gripping her hands with a strength that almost frightened her. How had that happened? With the linking of their hands he seemed almost an extension of herself-she was arguing with herself instead of him.

But…it was different. The feel of his hands on hers was doing strange things to her. It was feeding her strength, she thought obliquely. If he withdrew his hands she might falter. She might not have the strength to stand up to him.

She held on and his grip tightened still more, as if it were the same for him.

‘Kelly, you can do it,’ he said urgently and she shook her head.

‘Rafael, you can do it.’

‘I don’t…’

‘Neither do I. And my reasons are better than yours,’ she said. ‘As far as I know. Is there anything you’re not telling me?’ ‘No!’

‘There you are, then.’

‘It’s blackmail,’ he snapped and she shook her head.

‘It’s no such thing. It’s sense. You bring your toys and you come home.’

Home. The word drifted between them, strangely poignant.

Rafael stared down into her eyes, seemingly baffled. She met his gaze firmly, unflinching. Did he know he was feeding her strength with his hold? she thought. Why didn’t he pull away?

She didn’t want him to pull away. She had a feeling that if she did…Well, the world was a huge and scary place. To think about going back…to relive the terror…

She couldn’t do it alone. She had to have an ally.

And this man could be an ally. She’d grown up enormously over the last five years. Men like Kass…Well, he’d taught her a hard life lesson but she’d learned it well. Never again would she throw her heart in the ring but, as well as that, she’d also learned to judge. In these last few years she’d learned who her true friends were. And this man…