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Assuming he had all the answers he needed to figure out the rest, she was surprised when he did not leave the apartment but came to stand in the doorway and watch her. ‘Won’t Monica be missing you?’ she frowned.
    ‘Monica has a house full of guests. If she asks, I’ll simply explain that you were a bit shaken up and I saw you home.'
    ‘And what if she asks you where home was?'
    ‘You’re good at games,’ he mused cynically. ‘I suppose it would be more prudent to tell her that I saw you to your car and then went for a walk on the Sea Wall and stopped for a smoke.’
    ‘It’s turning into a very long walk and a whole pack of cigarettes,’ she commented pointedly.
    ‘Aren’t you going to offer me a cup of tea?’ he questioned drily, refusing to take the hint.
    ‘No.’ Her response was firm. ‘I want you to leave.’ She was finding the man’s presence increasingly disturbing and wanted very much to be rid of him.
    ‘Not yet.’ It was as if he was waiting for something to happen.
    Sara stood watching him in a frosty silence, uncertain how to proceed, when a second loud knocking startled her, causing her to spill her tea.
    Brad, on the other hand, did not seem the least bit surprised and while she mopped up the counter with a towel, he answered the door. ‘I’ve been here half an hour,’ she heard him growl, ‘I expected you much sooner.’
    ‘I was in bed when Sam called,’ Steve’s familiar tones drifted into the kitchen.
    ‘You had Sam call Steve?’ she questioned, staring at Brad incredulously as she joined the men in the hall.
    ‘No. I simply assumed Sam would call him after he followed me here,’ he replied matter-of-factly, keeping his attention focused on Steve. ‘And now I want a complete explanation of this evening’s fiasco.’
    ‘I could use a cup of coffee,’ Steve smiled encouragingly towards Sara as he led Brad into the living room.
    ‘Then you can make it yourself,’ she snapped back, refusing to be eased out of the way while the men talked.
    Throwing her an exasperated glance, Steve motioned for Brad to be seated. When the man refused, he too remained standing. ‘Ever since you decided to purchase the Cyprus Point Plantation I haven’t been able to rest easy,’ he explained in a calm tone. ‘I felt you needed someone to keep an eye on you, and since I knew you wouldn’t tolerate the idea, I decided to do it covertly.’
    ‘So you sent your sister?’ Brad’s voice was liquid ice. ‘You know all of my other operatives and I didn’t want to go outside my present organisation,’ Steve continued in the same unruffled manner, obviously used to Brad's intimidating manner.
    ‘And what if she'd got caught sneaking in? Monica’s not above calling the police and having her arrested,’ Brad demanded. ‘In fact it’s common knowledge that she always insists on having trespassers prosecuted. That’s why she has so little trouble with uninvited guests.’
    ‘I admit it was a calculated risk, but I was relying on Sara’s good judgment.’
    Over Steve’s shoulder, Brad threw Sara a look that said he questioned if she had any judgment at all, and her chin shot up defiantly.
    ‘Besides, she didn't sneak in,’ Steve continued, ignoring the wordless interaction. ‘According to Sam, she was escorted in by Marc Fallon.’
    Again Brad’s attention turned to Sara. ‘Does he know why you were there?’
    ‘No.’ She met his gaze squarely. ‘He thought I was a reporter for one of these scandal sheets. Apparently his sister had got on his nerves lately and he decided it would be a great joke to foist me upon her.’
    ‘I guess I should be grateful for that,’ he growled, then returned his attention to Steve. ‘Do you realise the damage you could have caused if anyone had got wind that my Chief of Security was worried about my personal safety? If the suspicion arose that I might not be around to fulfil my commitments, my business could be in serious trouble.’
    ‘I