‘Tell me about your mother,’ she blurted.
‘My mother? Her name is Agathe and she is a very strong and gracious woman. I admire her very much.’
‘She sounds completely intimidating.’
Mateo frowned. ‘She isn’t.’
‘I don’t believe you. You’re intimidating.’ Rachel gave him a teasing smile, but Mateo knew she was serious—and scared. He could see it in her eyes, in the way she blinked rapidly, her lush lashes fanning downwards again and again as she moistened her lips with the tip of a delectably pink tongue.
‘You’ve known me for ten years, Rachel,’ he pointed out reasonably. ‘How can I be intimidating?’
‘You’re different now,’ she answered with a shrug. ‘Until yesterday, I never saw you snap your fingers at someone before.’
Mateo acknowledged the point with a rueful nod. ‘I don’t think I had, at least not while at Cambridge.’
‘You seem so used to all this luxury and wealth. I mean, I suppose you grew up with it, and I knew you had a fancy house in Cambridge because of some investments or something...’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘Is that courtesy of the university gossips?’
Rachel smiled, unabashed. ‘Yes.’
‘Well, it wasn’t investments. It was a company I founded. Lyric Tech.’
‘What, you just founded a company in your spare time?’
He shrugged. ‘I had an idea for a music app and it went from there.’
‘As it does.’ Rachel pursed her lips, looking troubled. ‘See, when you say stuff like that, I feel as if I really don’t know you at all.’
‘You know me, Rachel.’ He hadn’t meant his voice to sound so low and meaningful, or to caress the syllables of her name quite so much, but they did. Her eyes widened and a faint blush touched her cheeks as she stared at him for a second before looking away.
‘Maybe we should talk about molecular electrocatalysis or something?’ she suggested shakily. ‘Just to feel like our old selves again.’
‘If you like.’ Mateo relaxed back into his seat. He was always happy to talk shop. ‘What are your thoughts on the metal-to-metal hydrogen atom transfer?’
Rachel looked surprised that he was playing along, but then a little smile curved her mouth and she considered the question properly. ‘I suppose you’re talking about iron and chromium?’
‘Indeed.’
‘There are some limitations, of course.’ They spent the next fifteen minutes discussing the potential benefits of the new research on various forms of renewable energy, and she became so engrossed in the discussion that Rachel didn’t even notice the plane landing, or taxiing along the private airstrip. It was only when she glanced out of the window and saw several blacked-out sedans with a small army of people in front of them that her face paled and she gulped audibly.
‘Mateo, I don’t know if I can do this.’
‘Of course you can,’ he answered calmly. He meant it; he’d seen her handle a dozen more demanding situations back at Cambridge. All she had to do now was walk out of the plane and into a waiting car. ‘You are going to be my queen, Rachel. The only one who doubts whether you are up for the role is you.’
She gave him a wry look. ‘Are you sure about that?’
‘Positive.’ If anyone else doubted it, he would make sure they stopped immediately. He would not allow for anyone to doubt or deride his chosen queen.
Rachel glanced back out at the sedans, and the flank of waiting security, all looking suitably blank-faced, and Mateo watched with pride as the iron entered her soul. She nodded slowly as she straightened her shoulders, her chin tilting upward as her eyes blazed briefly with gold.
‘All right,’ she said. ‘Let’s do this.’
Moments later the security team were opening the door to the plane, and Mateo reached for Rachel’s hand. Hers was icy-cold and he twined his fingers through hers and gently drew her closer to his side. Her smile trembled on her lips as she shot him a questioning look. This closeness was new to both of them, but Mateo didn’t mind it.
‘Ready?’ he asked softly, and, setting her jaw, she nodded.
Then together they stepped out of the plane, onto the stairs. They walked side by side down the rather rickety stairs to the waiting car, and Mateo nodded at the security team, who all bowed in response, their faces remaining impressively impassive. Mateo did not explain who Rachel was; they would find out soon enough. They could almost certainly guess.