Trapped by Isla Whitcroft

had the sort of bland face that was hard to remember, a face that would blend easily into a crowd and be hard to describe after he had gone. ‘And my mate ’ere is Ahmed. He don’t speak much English but he’s good wiv a gun.’
    Ahmed turned a pair of very pale green eyes on Cate and then passed over her dismissively.
    â€˜Nice to meet you, Cate, and fanks for the welcome,’ continued Mikey. ‘But don’t worry, luv, we’ve been ’ere before.We know where everyfing is and we’ll make ourselves comfortable. Now if you don’t mind, we’ll just check out the boat for anything untoward. In our own time.’
    Cate looked uncertainly towards Wendy who was at the bottom of the gangplank exchanging kisses with Tass then nodded at her. ‘Whatever, Cate,’ she said. ‘Just let them get on with it. They’ve got a job to do protecting their boss.’
    Suddenly Cate felt a lurch of panic. The gun was still tucked carefully under her bed, a place that no doubt the men would look first. She had a sickening feeling that she had been terribly, stupidly, careless not to have dealt with this problem before.
    Cate turned to the men and in desperation she watched them as they set off to the top deck.
    Cate had to get to her cabin now, but as she tried to make her escape she heard Wendy calling her back.
    â€˜Cate. Cate, this is Tass Taplinski.’
    Reluctantly, Cate turned back and then had to stop her jaw from dropping. She had seen pictures of Tass over the years, coming out of nightclubs with a gorgeous woman on his arm, at Ascot, Wimbledon and the Stowe Ball, and of course the latest shots of him at various social events with Nancy Kyle. But, Cate realised, those pictures which had shown him to be a good-looking guy had hardly done him justice. Standing in front of her, gazing into her face with his extraordinary almond-shaped blue-black eyes was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen in her life.
    Strong wavy hair curled over olive-tinted skin and, despite the fact that he had not played on the tennis circuit for almostfive years, he still had the physical tautness and toned hardness of a professional athlete. He was around five foot ten, Cate guessed, but his broad shoulders and narrow hips made him look much taller.
    There was, thought Cate, something almost fake in his perfection, as if he had been airbrushed into looking that good. He belonged on the pages of magazines and in the movies – not here standing in front of her. She sighed inwardly.
    To her annoyance, Cate felt almost breathless as she shook his hand and she guessed he knew the effect he was having on her.
    â€˜Well hello, Cate,’ he drawled in an accent that was an attractive mix between his native Russian and North American. ‘It’s very good to meet you. It’s always great to have new people around and if Wendy recommends you – well, any friend of hers is a friend of mine!’
    He turned to Wendy and anyone could see the effect his words were having on her – she smiled adoringly at him. That made Cate want to giggle.
    Get a grip girl
, she thought.
He’s a smug poser who loves himself far too much
.
    â€˜I know where to come if I need anything,’ said Tass, turning back to Cate. ‘And now, if you two ladies will excuse me, I must go to see the gorgeous Nancy.
Ciao, ciao
for now.’
    He headed through the glass doors and towards the master suite. But before he could take more than a few steps, there was a huge scream as a whirl of energy flung herself into his arms.
    â€˜Darling, Tass!’ It was Nancy, immaculately dishevelled andsmelling of Chanel No 5. ‘What kept you so long, you naughty boy?’
    Taking his hand she led him back into the salon of the boat. Wendy heaved an audible sigh and Cate shot her a sympathetic glance.
    But she had more pressing concerns on her mind. The gun had to be hidden and hidden