page34 (1/2)

Everything receded Went black

She had no idea how long she stood there but when she carateful that Rafe was too busyto have turned around to look at her

There see heart but she made a valiant effort nonetheless

‘Myles’

As if, perhaps, it could possibly be a different Myles

‘That’s right, Major Myles Garrington’ She could practically hear Rafe’s eye-roll ‘I mentioned it was him before Keep up, Rae’

‘You didn’t,’ she ed feebly

Myles Nuether Especially in front of Rafe Her half-brother’s opinion was the only one that mattered to her these days; she certainly couldn’t let him kno she’d thrown herself at his best friend all those years ago

She ed to stumble after him

‘Oh, well, no matter’ Rafe was oblivious ‘Myles is a decent bloke—you’ll like hiht not remember but you even met him once He came with me the one and only Christmas holiday I spent with your fao now’

Actually, fifteen years and twoMuch

It was the only Christmas that Rafe had come to his half-family’s hoh the shocking death of his first wife had made Ronald Rawlstone suddenly re monthly financial support—for the best part of two decades

She still didn’t knohy Rafe had agreed—duty, probably, her half-brother had a strong sense of duty—she only knew that he’d brought his best friend, a fellow junior army officer, with him

Myles Garrington

He had changed her life in so ood

And how hu to recede because her traitorous body was already tingling at the an to lace their way into her brain Me to bury

The attraction between her and Myles when he’d walked into the Rawlstone family home with Rafe had been instantaneous Its intensity had side-swiped her, and at seventeen—barely a fewoverdue Myles had just turned twenty-one, a medical student at uni, and already a junior officer in the British army He’d seemed so h school, and she’d fallen so very hard, so very fast She’d genuinely believed hiht, of course, she recognised it for what it had really beenher first intense crush Nothing more

But still, when she looked back over that Christain, he hadn’t exactly beaten her off him

Except for that last night

‘Anyway,’ the usually astute Rafe continued, his pace unrelenting, ‘Myles was one of the best officers the British army had’

‘Had?’

A sense of foreboding crept over her Being an army trauma doctor had been Myles’ sole focus in life She couldn’t i of his own volition

‘He left six o’

‘Why?’

To most other people it would have been indiscernible, but Rae didn’t miss Rafe’s uncharacteristic beat of hesitation

‘There was a village A fire One of the rifle Myles’ medical teamdied Myles was injured badly, too His hand He couldn’t operate for a while but he couldn’t stand the idea of getting stuck behind a desk Possibly there was a degree of survivor’s guilt, too He’d been going through the process of co a clinical observation post under your supervisionyou around the clock’

‘Round the clock?’ She gasped ‘He can’t live with me’

‘Do you want to stay safe, or would you prefer to pander to your sensibilities?’

‘Rafe—’

‘Relax’ He cut her off with a half-smile ‘I don’t mean to needle you For the moment it seems this threat is UK-based, so he’ll accoht and on the private jet back to the States tomorrow But he won’t need to live with you I’ve purchased the property next door’

There was no reason for her to feel so panicked No reason at all And if there was, she told herself firmly, it was at the idea that people had been hurt Not at the thought of being in Myles’ company twenty-four seven

‘Wait, you said Myles was hurt?’

Clearly there was more to it than that but it was little comfort to know her instincts had been correct Still, since Rafe hadn’t stopped pounding along the corridors leaving Rae’s legs burning as she tried to keep up, this wasn’t going to be the ideal time to press him on it

‘Wind your neck in, Rae I didn’t say that’