"Please." Touched that she would offer him pills of her own, Daniel accepted the plastic cup she poured him from the water cooler in the corner and swallowed two. He closed his eyes a moment, then handed the package back to her. "Thanks. I hope I haven't depleted your supplies too much."
"I can always get some more."
"You might need them by the time I've finished here." He cast her a rueful smile. Turn the charm up a notch, Daniel, he told himself. You need her cooperation.
"Oh?" Her tone was distinctly cautious. He supposed he couldn't blame her.
"I need you to phone around the hotels in town, preferably ones you could personally recommend, and find a room. Probably just for a few days, I don't know yet."
Her eyebrows shot up. "You're leaving us already?"
He shook his head, wincing at the movement. "Not me. Miss Hartman."
"Ah. I see."
Daniel scowled. The idea was to keep a low profile here, not to make himself as noticeable as possible by playing out an entertaining soap drama for this temporary employee.
"I'm sure you don't see, Miss Matheson. My private life is none of your concern, and I'd prefer not to go into details, if you don't mind." There it was again, that terse tone. He closed his eyes in exasperation.
"I didn't ask you to," she replied stiffly, pulling a street map from the shelf behind her. "Are you sure you want a hotel in Viana? It's a good few miles away."
"More than a few would be better," he muttered, then shook his head. "It'll be fine for now. What do you suggest?"
Laura made her recommendations and got started on the phone, speaking rapidly and confidently in Portuguese, then translating the hotels' responses almost simultaneously to him. Daniel's mouth dropped open, and he had to make a conscious effort to close it. Who would have thought?
Ten minutes later, with his approval, she'd booked a room for Natalie in one of the central hotels. "It will be ready any time after two o'clock," she told him. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
He glanced at his watch. "Quite a few things, I'm afraid, but I haven't time now. When will you be here this evening?"
"Six o'clock 'til eight."
Daniel hoisted himself out of the chair he'd settled in while she made the calls, and winced. His hand shot to his back.
"Are you alright?" she asked him solicitously.
"Fine," he grumbled. "Just a little backache. Too much driving. Thanks for your help."
He sincerely hoped he was only imagining the knowing look she gave him as he left.
Chapter Four
Laura watched him clutch his lower back as he strode away. Remembering the heap of sheets and bedcovers in his room, she grinned as she and put two and two together. From the look of it, Daniel Stone had slept on the floor last night. No wonder Natalie was so bad-tempered this morning!
Still smiling, she locked up and headed back down to her room. At least she hadn't behaved like a complete idiot today. No doubt he'd been expecting her to set fire to the desk or blow up the photocopier or something. Instead, she thought she'd made quite an impression with her fluent phone calls to all those hotels—she'd noted his startled expression with more than a little satisfaction.
Changing into her swimsuit, she went down to the pool to lie in the shade, book in hand. Everything was peacefully deserted and she sighed with pleasure. No doubt the new arrivals were eagerly exploring. Experience told her the pool would get busier in the late afternoon, when people came to relax and cool off after sightseeing.
She dozed off halfway through the first chapter, only waking when Teresa came to invite her to lunch. Stopping off at her room to change back into her trousers and top, she went up to the house to spend a pleasant couple of hours listening to Teresa's tales of school and her plans for university next year. Maria also brought Laura up to speed on the thousand and one details for a wedding reception to be held at the Quinta the following weekend.
Yet beneath the warm chatter, Laura sensed the same unease she'd felt at dinner last night. Maria, usually so animated with the local gossip she loved to indulge in, seemed subdued, and there was a constant crease across her forehead that spoke of worry. Laura wondered whether to risk broaching it but couldn't find an appropriate point in the conversation.
Over coffee, they were telling her what a nice bunch of guests they'd had this year when Teresa asked with youthful exuberance, "Don't you think he's gorgeous?"
"Who?" Laura played for time, suspecting she knew very well who.
"Mr. Stone, of course! I served him coffee in the breakfast bar this morning. Don't you think so, Laura?"
"Yes, I suppose he is," she answered truthfully. Tall, broad-shouldered, eyes so blue you could drown in them…There was no point denying it. Any female with breath in her body would find Daniel Stone attractive.
"Now, Teresa, that's enough of that. Go and do the dishes," Maria admonished gently, making Laura laugh and forget for now that she wanted to know what was worrying the older woman.
With her offer of help firmly declined, she walked back across the lawns to her room, noticing too late that Daniel was standing with Natalie in the car park. Unable to alter her course without being obvious, all she could do was stare at her feet and keep going.
"I've booked you a room in town for a few days for now," Daniel was saying, "but if you have any sense, you'll go back to where you are wanted and leave me alone."
"But now I'm out here,
