The Sicilian's Virgin Bride (Harlequin Presents #2703)

She flew in at night, in a small private plane that she'd chartered using the last of her cash. The brim of her hat was pulled low over her eyes, concealing almost all of her features, and her hair was ruthlessly subdued and twisted out of sight. She wore a plain black coat over black trousers. No makeup. No jewellery. It was the outfit of a woman who didn't want to attract attention to herself. The outfit of a woman who was hiding.Had the pilot looked closely he might have remarked on the ashen colour of her skin, or the slight shake of her hands as she clutched her one small bag. Had he looked closer still he might have seen the fire in her blue eyes and the determined jut of her chin. But he wasn't looking. He'd taken one brief glance at her as she'd boarded the plane and immediately lost interest. He'd been paid an enormous sum of money to do exactly that, but all the same Chessie sat rigid in her seat, unable to relax as she stared through the small window into the darkness. She'd refused the offer of refreshment with a brief shake of her head, unable to contemplate placing any further strain on her already churning stomach.Any minute now they'd be landing in Sicily, and the thought made her feel physically sick.Trying to slow her galloping pulse, she closed her eyes, leaned her head back against the seat and breathed deeply. No one would stop her. No one was expecting her.It had been six months: six months during which she'd learned to live her life looking over her shoulder. No names. No identities. Everything paid in cash. She'd lived a completely anonymous life in order to protect herself.But now she was back.In Sicily.For many, the Mediterranean island was a paradise.For Chessie it was a prison.Soon, she thought to herself, shifting restlessly in her seat. Soon she'd do what had to be done. But for now she just wanted to see her mother. It had been six months...The co-pilot walked into the back of the plane.'We'll be landing in five minutes, Miss Berkeley. Keep your seat belt fastened. The car is waiting for you, as you requested.' He spoke in heavily accented English, and Chessie replied in the same language, careful to conceal the fact that she was fluent in Italian. For a brief moment she contemplated what the pilot would say if he knew her identity, but then she gave a mental shrug, reassuring herself that there was no way the pilot could identify her. There was nothing in any of her documents that would betray her.'Va bene.' The co-pilot nodded to her.'Have a safe journey.'A safe journey?Discovering that her mouth was dry with fear, Chessie tensed as the plane landed in a series of gentle bumps, and then fumbled with her seat belt, lifted her overnight bag and forced herself to walk to the front of the plane.It would be all right, she told herself firmly as she walked down the steps onto the tarmac, breathing in the scent of Sicily and feeling the warmth of the night air close around her. Her father was dead. The funeral had passed. No one was going to be expecting her home. She'd sneak in and see her mother, and then leave.And then she was going to sort out her life.No more running.No more hiding. If nothing else, the last six months had taught her that she was capable of so much more than she'd ever imagined.In her state of high anxiety, the powerful headlights of the approaching car reminded her of searchlights. Trying to control her galloping imagination and her racing pulse, Chessie tensed as the vehicle purred across the tarmac and gently came to a halt beside her.Anxious to avoid the attention of anyone who might be watching, she barely waited for the rear door to swing open before she slipped inside.Only as the door closed behind her, sealing her in, did she realise that there was someone else in the back of the car, and her stomach lurched in a wild panic.Oh, no, no, no!Frozen by shock, she was unable to move. Unable to look.Morgan, Sarah is the author of 'The Sicilian's Virgin Bride (Harlequin Presents #2703)', published 2008 under ISBN 9780373127030 and ISBN 0373127030.