His smile faltered and he looked back over his shoulder. ‘Ah, duty calls. I must go. No doubt I’ll see you around.’ He stood up and looked down at her and she was suddenly conscious of her skimpy bikini, which left nothing to the imagination. Not her usual swimming attire. Unfortunately, she’d been too impatient to get into the water this morning to go through her case properly. Now she regretted it, although to give Felipe credit he kept his gaze above her neck and maintained eye contact. Hardly surprising since she wasn’t exactly a femme fatale– too much of a tomboy to attract the attention of men. Rebecca’s broad-shouldered build served her well and she was proud of her body but she knew it wasn’t the desirable type.
‘I need to go too,’ she said, glancing down at her watch. She had a meeting at 10 am with her new boss.
Felipe rose and walked across the stone patio to a door at the far end of the farmhouse where he disappeared. And who would blame her if she didn’t admire the view just a little? She was only human after all. She had yet to get her bearings, having only arrived last night, but she thought that might be where the hotel bedrooms were. He must be a guest.
Allowing herself another few minutes, she leaned back, tipped her face up to the sun, letting its rays warm her cooled skin. Her meeting today was an induction during which she’d find out about her daily routines. When she’d arrived at the beautiful farmhouse that comprised the main part of the hotel, during dinner, she’d met quite a few of the Rebelo family and her name had spun trying to keep up with all the names. Her induction meeting today, in the beautiful farmhouse that made up the main part of the hotel, was where she’d learn more about her daily routines. During dinner last night she’d met quite a few of the Rebelo family and her head had spun trying to keep up with all their names. They had all been talking so much, she hadn’t really got a handle on who was who, but it was clear they all worked in some capacity in the family-run business.
Enough musing. She needed to make herself presentable and go and meet the person who would be her boss for the next five months.
Chapter Two
‘Give it back to me!’ Katerina darted around Felipe, chasing her younger sister, who held an eye pencil above her head. Cristina doubled back, using him as a barrier, while Katerina yelled at her again, ‘Give it back!’
Welcome to bedlam, he thought and plucked the pencil out of Cristina’s hand with what he knew was an annoying grin. He held it above his head, far out of reach of the younger girl and her sister.
‘Felipe,’ muttered twelve-year-old Cristina with a pout. ‘Why are you here?’ He paused and put a finger on his chin with a mock frown. ‘I live here. Yes, that must be it.’ He grinned at the diminutive frame standing in front of him. Of all the Rebelo girls she was, to her disgust, the smallest– although she certainly made up for it in strength of personality. She was no runt of the litter. Being the youngest, barely two years old when her father had died, she’d had to fight hard above the grief that had swamped the family when both Eduardo Rebelo and his brother, Emilio, were wiped out in a road traffic accident. A carelessdriver rounded a bend too quickly and mowed down both men in front of Felipe when he was just twenty.
With a grieving widow, two distraught siblings and three distressed cousins, Felipe’s life had changed beyond all recognition: his pro-cycling dream snuffed out overnight.
He looked at the make-up in his hand. ‘Hmmm, I think I’ll keep this. It’s just my colour.’
‘No,’ wailed fourteen-year-old Katerina, ‘it’s mine,’ she said with venom, pointing to her sister, her eyes flashing with promised retribution. ‘She stole it!’
‘Did not,’ said Cristina in sing-song denial. ‘It was in the bathroom. Finders, keepers.’
‘You must have taken it out of my room!’ screeched Katerina, lunging with intent at her sister, who squealed and ran around the other side of the sofa.
‘Or maybe it was Ana,’ suggested Felipe, a wicked twinkle in his eye, referring to their older sister. Both girls looked at him indignantly. ‘No,’ they said in unison, coming to a rapid halt just as he’d known they would. Unified by shock and sudden sisterly loyalty, they both glared at him.
‘Ana would never do that,’ said Katerina.
‘No, she wouldn’t,’ said Cristina. ‘That’s mean, Felipe.’
‘So now I’m the bad guy,’ he said, shaking his head sorrowfully. They both burst into giggles, realising he’d been teasing them, and they followed him into the big family kitchen where his mother sat at a large pine table, a pot of coffee and a plate of pastries in front of her.
‘Morning,Mãe,’ said Felipe, stooping to drop a kiss on her slightly greying hair.
‘Felipe, you’re home. When did you get back? I didn’t hear you.’
‘Late last night.’
‘Aw, didn’t your girlfriend want to put out?’ said Cristina, the little minx.
‘Cristina!’ snapped Felipe’s mother, although her eyes sparkled with quick mischief. It was always a relief to see her smile so readily and easily these days. It had taken some time for the whole family to climb their way back out of grief.
‘I have a meeting this morning. I decided it would be easier to drive back last night rather than risk the traffic this morning.’
Cristina sat down at the table and propped her chin on her hand, studying him. ‘Booty call then.’
Katerina giggled.
His mother closed her mouth but didn’t reprimand the girl, probably because she was desperate for him to find a nice girl and settle down, which he had absolutely no intention of doing. He had enough women in his life on a permanent basis; he did not need another one to look after.
Ana walked into the room. Thank goodness. His older cousin was far more refined and thoughtful than her younger sisters.
‘Hey, Ana,’ he said as she acknowledged him with a slight nod.
‘He goes to Lisbon to escape from you, you menaces,’ said Ana, calmly patting her aunt’s shoulder as she rounded the table to sit opposite Felipe.
