Free Rafael's Suitable Bride by Cathy Williams

who’d been seemingly over-keen to prove themselves on a football pitch never mind the sparkly shoes. Cristina had joined in when the team was in full flow and had taken over. She, unlike the remainder of her team, had dressed very appropriately in clothes that were designed for cold, damp, rain and mud.
    An hour later and she had more than her fair share of recruits signing up for the term, and as they left the field Cristina turned to Rafael with a grateful smile.
    â€˜You’re always rescuing me from tricky situations,’ she told him, generous as always in her honesty. ‘I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t turned up.’ She cast a critical eye at him. ‘You’re muddy.’
    â€˜Next time I’ll come better prepared.’ Rafael, never having seen himself as the sort of man who went around rescuing damsels in distress, felt quite pleased with himself.
    â€˜I’ll be fine next time. Really.’ They fell into step, leaving the grounds behind him.
    â€˜Where was the Martin character?’
    â€˜Oh, he introduced me to the girls, but then he had to rush off for a netball match. Not his fault.’
    â€˜You’re too generous,’ Rafael said shortly. ‘The very least the man could have done was to stick around and show you the ropes on your first day.’
    â€˜I know,’ Cristina said vaguely. ‘But his match had been arranged a long time before he knew that I would be coming here. I’m just happy that he gave me the chance to do this.’
    Rafael frowned, not caring for the way she immediately rushed into the man’s defence.
    â€˜You’ll be royally taken advantage of with an attitude like that,’ he told her darkly, and he felt her briefly touch his arm.
    â€˜You’re far too cynical, Rafael. Why would Martin take advantage of me? I’m volunteering to do this! It’s hardly as though he’s going to rope me in to do all manner of school activities. He knows I’ve got a full-time job with the flower shop.’
    â€˜You can never tell. You’re far too trusting.’
    â€˜Well, that’s not such a bad thing, is it?’
    Rafael laughed dryly. ‘I wouldn’t know. It’s not a trait I’m familiar with. In the cut-throat world of business, having a trusting nature is like loading a gun and pointing the barrel at your head.’
    Cristina shuddered. ‘Which is why I will never get involved in that world.’
    â€˜No. I can’t say I can see you there.’ Rafael, imagining her sitting in a board room discussing mergers and acquisitions, couldn’t resist a smile. It felt surprisingly good to be walking along the busy London streets with his shoes muddy, his suit fit for the bin and his trench coat whipping around him. ‘There’s no point my going back to the office,’ he told her suddenly. ‘I’ll take you out to dinner.’
    â€˜You don’t have to do that.’
    â€˜I realise that.’ He stuck out his hand and magically a taxiappeared. He pulled open the door, gave the cab driver her address and turned to her. ‘Well?’
    â€˜Yes!’ Cristina said breathlessly.
    This wasn’t any kind of date. She knew that. Rafael was not the sort of man to be attracted to her. But still…it felt like a date and she showered quickly and dressed accordingly, making it casual, but as sexy as she could given the restrictions of her figure. Instead of her usual oversized jumper, she wore a tightly fitted knitted long-sleeved top in a pale apricot colour. The jeans remained the same but with boots, and she finger-brushed her hair and left it loose.
    It took her less than forty-five minutes from start to finish and her eyes were bright when she rejoined him in the kitchen, where he had helped himself to some water while he waited.
    She looked good.
    Rafael gazed at her in astonishment because the figure only briefly glimpsed