Page 32 of Bound By Her Shocking Secret

Mia’s mouth closed. Then opened it again. ‘So by the time we return Lexi and I can return to our apartment?’

For a moment Daniel said nothing, and then, ‘It’ll certainly make it much more likely.’

She knew he was right. If they weren’t here, there was no story. She’d noticed paparazzi in the park these last few days, even though the security presence had kept them back. But she didn’t like exposing Lexi to their lenses. So any method of minimising that had to be a good thing.

She said, ‘Okay, then.’

Daniel was brisk. ‘Good. I’ll have my assistant come and help you pack in the morning. She’ll arrange transport to the airport, and anything else you might require for Lexi. Odile will meet you at the plane. See you in Costa Rica, Mia.’

Mia was tempted to change her mind at the last minute, but Daniel had terminated the connection.

Too late.

She wondered if she was completely delusional for thinking for a second that it was a good idea to go to a tropical paradise with the most disturbing man she’d ever met.

The following day, after a twelve-hour flight and then a shorter hop from San José to Santa Teresa on the Nicoya Peninsula, Mia and Lexi and Odile were in...paradise. That was the only way to describe it.

The air was warm, inviting Mia to melt and relax and forget all her worries and concerns. Like a siren call. The sun was setting over the Pacific Ocean in a glorious cascade of pinks and oranges and reds.

In front of where she stood, stupefied with awe, Mia could see people on a beach in the near distance, strolling, surfing... Dogs running alongside owners. Children playing. All against the backdrop of majestic surf. Behind them lay the lushest forest she’d ever seen. And in between these two things was this villa.

It was modern, but it sat in the tropical forest seamlessly. On several levels, it flowed down through the forest to a path which led to the beach, and it was truly breathtaking. Each level held a range of rooms, and at the top was a lounging/dining area, with an infinity pool that looked out over a canopy of trees to the ocean and the vast sky.

The lower levels held bedrooms and a gym and media centre. Also a room that looked like an office. From all these rooms the ocean was visible through a lush tangle of forest. And from this lowest level there was a private path to the beach.

But even in spite of all these distractions the back of her neck prickled just before she heard Daniel say from behind them, ‘Sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived. The preparation meeting for the shoot ran over.’

Mia braced herself before turning around. Lexi was sleepy in her arms. She hadn’t slept much on the plane and now she was exhausted. But even bracing herself couldn’t prepare Mia for the sight of a far more relaxed Daniel.

He was wearing a dark blue short-sleeved polo-shirt and linen trousers. His skin looked darker already. Shades covered his eyes. He looked cool and unbelievably suave. And masculine. The musculature of his chest was all too evident under the thin material of his top.

Mia immediately felt creased and gritty, in her long broderie anglaise dress and cream blazer.

Odile greeted Daniel and reached for Lexi, saying to Mia, ‘I’ll take Lexi up to the house and get her fed and ready to put down.’

Mia wanted to object, but Lexi was perfectly happy to be transferred to her new best friend Odile, and Mia knew she needed to go down before she tipped over into extreme over-tiredness.

She handed Lexi over as Daniel said thank you to Odile, and then, as Odile and Lexi made their way back up to the main part of the house, he pushed his shades onto his head and said to her, ‘You met Gabriela?’

Mia nodded. ‘She greeted us when we arrived and showed us around. She seems very nice.’

Daniel came and stood beside her. Mia tried not to feel self-conscious under that cool grey gaze. ‘She is. She lives locally and her son maintains the property for me.’

Mia looked at him. ‘You own this? It’s not a rental?’

Daniel nodded. ‘It’s part of my portfolio, yes.’

Along with the family chateau outside Paris, and the apartment in New York, another in London, and undoubtedly more properties dotted around the world...

‘How was Lexi on the journey?’ Daniel asked.

Mia made a face. ‘Okay...not great. Fractious. Her ears were sore.’

Daniel frowned. ‘I never considered that.’

‘People don’t until they have children. That’s why there are so many screeching babies on planes.’

‘Will she be okay?’

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