Too fidgety to sit still, she jumped up and yanked off her dress, unceremoniously dumping her clothes on the floor in an untidy heap. In the bathroom, she took off her makeup and brushed her teeth, then flopped down on the bed, switched off the lamp, and lay staring into the darkness, waiting for her usually sensible self to come back and take charge. For goodness' sake, a near kiss was hardly a big deal. What was she making such a fuss about?
****
Broad daylight did little to make her feel any better about the whole thing, but Laura was practical above all else. Now that she knew how potentially seductive Daniel could be, she also knew that for professional and personal reasons, she needed to be more careful—and not just about getting too physically near him. Laura hadn't spoken to anyone about her father for a long time. It was something she'd steadfastly put to the back of her mind as she forged forward with her own life, in her own way. She wasn't sure she should have confided in Daniel—but she'd been caught off guard by the unexpected tenderness in his eyes, the soothing candlelight, his voice like velvet, the relaxing effect of the wine.
She told herself now that it hadn't done any harm. It wasn't as though it was a secret—merely a painful topic. She'd only just got him to realise she wasn't hopeless at her job—she hadn't wanted him to think she was an over-emotional bag of nerves as well. But he hadn't. He'd listened, expressed his sympathy, and neatly moved on to another topic. Whether that was because she'd made him uncomfortable, she wasn't sure – she didn't think so. She got the impression he'd sensed that was what she wanted, and he'd been right. Now she regretted the whole thing. It made her feel like she'd exposed a small chink in the armour she'd built up over the years.
As she glared at her hair in the mirror, the long waves tumbling around her face reminded her of the way Daniel had run his fingers through it last night—so she swept it up into a severe ponytail, unaware that this only served to emphasise the fine bone structure of her face and the colour of her eyes.
Laura sighed as she thought about the day ahead and the possibility of bumping into Daniel again. Her well-honed instinct to avoid complication was telling her to stay well away from him, but as the hotel's representative, she didn't have that luxury. She would have to settle for being polite and professional without encouraging anything more.
In need of company and an escape from her own thoughts, she headed up to the house for breakfast, where Teresa was more excitable than usual.
"My cousin Carlos runs boat trips on the river," Teresa explained, beaming. "His wife is ill today, so he asked me to go along and lend a hand. He's going to pay me!"
Laura laughed at the teenager's glee over someone else's misfortune. "Oh? What sort of trips?"
"They take people down the river Lima for a couple of hours and cook lunch on board for them." Teresa shrugged, youthfully unclear about any details other than her rate of pocket money.
"Carlos just started the trips this season," Maria explained, "but he hasn't been as quick at advertising as he should have been, if you ask me. Paulo told him to get some leaflets printed up so we could hand them out to our guests, but he's so been busy getting things off the ground, he hasn't had the time—or probably the money."
Laura sipped her coffee thoughtfully. "Couldn't Teresa help with that?" she asked, winking at the girl as she added, "For a little incentive, of course."
Teresa perked up. "What do you mean?"
"You're a whiz on the computer. I bet you could drum something up giving the times, the prices, where the boat leaves from, contact details, how to book. Add a photo or two to entice the customer. If you did it in your spare time, I'm sure Carlos would be grateful."
Teresa's eyes widened. "Financially grateful, you mean?"
Laura laughed. "Within reason, Teresa. Then all he'd have to do is get them printed." She spoke to Maria. "Unless he's already running at full capacity, the extra publicity couldn't do him any harm."
Maria nodded. "You're right, of course. He's doing quite well, but the boat isn't always full. Maybe Teresa could help him."
Laura nodded, then glanced at the clock. "I need to get to work. If I think anyone might be interested, I'll let them know about the boat trips. See you later."
****
Daniel made no appearance at reception that morning, and since her stomach tied itself in nervous knots every time she thought about the way their evening had ended, Laura could only be grateful.
Locking up at the end of her morning shift, she heard tyres on gravel. Daniel was parking up, and any last vestige of hope that her attraction to him last night had been a one-off aberration to be blamed on the wine or the stars was swept away as he climbed out and waved. Her heart thumped deafeningly in her chest as he strode towards her; the pale blue of his shirt, open at the neck, contrasted with his tanned face. Faded jeans clung familiarly to his lean waist and hips.
"Morning!" he called, frowning as he reached her. "Are you alright?"
She plastered a smile on her face. "I'm fine. Why shouldn't I be?"
"I thought after last night . . ."
"I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind." Knowing she sounded decidedly
