Nick has promised to spend the whole weekend in Spain with his mother to attend a series of parties arranged to celebrate the golden - wedding anniversary of her brother, Uncle Thomas. That plan was seriously curtailed when he'd decided to take the place of his top investigator, and make a flying visit to Lanzarote. If anyone was going to question Liza it was going to be him. It was six years since he had seen her, but whatever else she had become he found it hard to believe she could be involved in these thefts as the report suggested.
Which was why it was now almost eleven and he was stuck at the crossing to the drawbridge in Arrecife as a group of tourists, obviously from the cruise ship in the harbour, made their way over the road. Usually he loved visiting Lanzarote, also known as Isla - De - Las - Volcanoes. The landscape was surreal, completely covered by a hundred and thirty Volcanoes, with craters and fields of petrified lava. He had owned a villa here for years on the edge of the Timanfaya National Park, as did the king of Spain and the crowned heads of a few Arab countries. It was a place that allowed him to relax out of the public eye and do his own thing. But not today, he thought of what lay ahead.
The information that had bought Nick dashing to the island caused deep frown lines in his austere but strikingly handsome face as his gaze swept over the scene before him. His hard glance flickered over the kiosk café on the promenade to the taxi rank, where another hold - up was causing chaos. Then abruptly returned to the café, his dark eyes flaring then narrowing on the single female seated at one of the tables.
Long blonde hair tied back with a scarf revealed an exquisite profile, a slender throat and the soft curves of high, firm breasts exposed by a body - hugging blue cotton top. A glimpse of bare midriff, then white cotton trousers moulded long legs that were stretched out before her and crossed at the ankles in casual ease.
His great body tensed. Well! Well! His information was correct, he thought with girm satisfaction.
Carl and the South African police had managed to trail the diamond thieves up through Africa to the Sahara Desert and discovered they then made the short sea - crossing to the island of Lanzarote, where they had disappeared either at sea or on the island. Dalk could have picked up the African thieves, but that was not what he wanted. He wanted the top man in Europe to stop it completely.
The report Nick had read last night from his agency had stated after they had done some digging on the continent, the trail led to one Henry Brown, a director of Stubbs and Company of London, a well - respected investment house. The top investigator had trailed Henry Brown and discovered he had flown into Lanzarote that day with his PA.
Grinding his teeth in exasperation at the hold - up, Nick still couldn't get over the fact the man's PA was none other than than Liza Summers. The girl he had known since the age of eight had become the women now reclining in the chair at the promenade café looking as if she did not have a care in the world... That was about to alter if she did but know it.
Carl Dalk had received a copy of the same report and had been on the telephone to Nick late last night, jubilant as they had almost all the information to spring the trap. The middle man in Lanzarote was the only missing link. Still reeling from the shock at the sight of Liza's name, Nick had to do some very fast talking to persuade Carl to let him get personally involved and quiz her himself. Laying it on thick about his connection with the island's police and telling Carl that he had to go anyway to check out a business venture, Nick had made arrangements to travel here to once on his private jet.
It was a conflict of interest Nick could do without. He supported Carl a hundred per cent. It was stealing, blackmail, call it what one liked. But he did not want to believe Liza Summers was involved, and if the worst happened and she was, though he could never condone dishonesty, he had to try and keep her part in the theft low - key and out of the Press. He owned it to the family friendship and the delightful child she had once been.
Eyes black as night raked over her once again, his firm lips curling in a wolfish grin, there was nothing childish about her now. Nick was something of a connoisseur of beautiful women and this one certainly fitted the bill. Things were certainly looking up, he decided ; the idea of quizzing the lovely Liza was suddenly very tempting.
Nick watched as the women removed her sunglasses and looked towards him. No, not him but the drawbridge, he realised and his hands tightened on the steering wheel at the same time as he felt a sudden tightening in his groin. There was no doubt about it. It was Liza Summers...
His body's instant reaction surprised him. He had not responded so spontaneously to a female in a long time. He was famed for his cool control and he rather resented his body's betrayal, but finding Liza so quickly was the first bit of luck he had all morning. An accident meeting was much more convenient than calling at her hotel. He had not seen the women in six years, and if anything she was even more beautiful then he remembered, on the outside at least, he qualified cynically, remembering the task at hand.
Damn the law ! He parked the Jeep at the side of the road and leapt out.
'Liza...Liza Summers...'