of the gondola and almost gotten used to the sudden noise when the burners were engaged.
She had not gotten used to Rafael, however. Still, she could do this, what choice did she have?
She looked up and saw the other hot air balloon almost overhead.
“They’ll get ahead of us,” she said as she grabbed the jacket she’d discarded and hurried to the gondola. By the time they rose enough to catch the current, Vicente’s balloon would have a slight lead.
Rafael turned his head to smile at her. “We’ll catch them if they get ahead. Fire up the fans,” he called as he opened the burners and the roaring filled their ears. In only seconds the balloon began to rise rapidly.
Amalia watched, her attention torn between their own efforts and the balloon sailing silently overhead.
“They’re getting ahead,” she said. If her boss outdistanced Rafael the first day, would that settle the race? Glancing at the charged energy Rafael showed, she doubted it. He’d fight to the last second to gain even an inch of distance.
“You come and take the controls,” Rafael said. “I need to consult the weather maps of the area. Keep the burners going until the temperature gets near the limit.”
Amalia stepped closer to the center. She grabbed the lever and pulled down, feeling almost like a pro. They were gaining altitude rapidly now. Soon they were level with Stefano’s balloon, though some distance behind.
Rafael glanced up from the charts and maps he was perusing and looked around. He jotted a note on the margin of the paper.
The trees had dropped away, the surrounding hills were left behind. The burners roared and Amalia laughed in sheer delight. She’d done it! She wasn’t about to go near the edge of the basket, but she’d lifted the balloon from the ground. Looking at the other balloon, she saw they were rapidly passing it in elevation. Would a different air current sweep them past?
She glanced at Rafael and found him grinning at her. “Told you it would get better,” he said.
The euphoria she experienced allowed her to incline her head regally and agree. “So you did. How long do we have to keep the burners on?”
“You judge. Keep an eye on the gauge.”
Amalia watched, and when it got close to the high temperature, she closed the controls. The silence echoed in her ears, ringing from the sound of the burners.
She kept her hand on the lever for balance and looked triumphantly at Rafael.
“We’re higher than Stefano’s balloon.”
“Well done. Come here and I’ll show you the route I think the currents will take us.”
She hesitated a moment, glancing straight out over the side of the basket. But they were so high, she could see little. Her heart lurched and she quickly sat down beside Rafael. He held out the edge of the paper and she drew it closer. Leaning near, Rafael pointed out the topography and explained how air currents rose and fell, some on different currents, some impacted by the terrain and the heat of the day. His shoulder brushed hers and Amalia caught her breath, forcing herself to concentrate on his words and following where his finger pointed.
Turning her head slightly, she saw the faint lines radiating from the outer edges of his eyes, as if he squinted in the sunlight a lot. His skin was tanned and taut, covering high cheekbones. His dark eyes sparkled with the excitement of planning where he’d try to take their balloon.
He glanced at her, and Amalia quickly turned back to the map, trying to quell her rapid heart rate. Surely he could hear her blood pounding through her veins? Better if he thought she was suffering from fright than the true nature of her feelings. She was too much attracted to the man!
“Any questions?” he asked.
“How did you get involved in this?” she asked, daring to look at him again.
“This race or hot air ballooning?” he asked, standing and doing a 360-degree scan.
“I know how you got into this race, I meant the entire sport.”
“It was something new to try and I liked it once I did.”
“Flying airplanes and scuba diving isn’t enough?” she asked.
He raised one eyebrow in silent question.
She refused to admit she’d been interested enough in him to look him up and find out about him before the race.
“I like challenging myself,” he said at last. “And exploring unusual things. I’m thinking of taking part in an archaeological dig in the Holy Land next spring.”
“At least that would be safer than depending on hot air to keep you above ground,” she said. “Doesn’t your family worry about your recklessness?”
He laughed. “No one worries about me,” he said. “And I’m not sure they’d consider what I do reckless, anyway. I’m not, you know.”
“Now, how would I know that? I scarcely know you.”
“I’ve been doing business for Vicente since before you were hired.”
“Maybe, maybe not. I’ve worked for the firm for more than seven years. It’s only the last three I’ve been Stefano’s PA.”
“And before that?”
“I worked for another company. It didn’t offer the chances for advancement that I needed. I do have my brother to care for, remember.”
He nodded, his expression becoming thoughtful.
“What?” she asked as he kept quiet.
“I was wondering if my brother would have put his life on hold to watch out for me if we had been in your situation.”
“Why wouldn’t he?” she asked. “It’s what families do.”
“Not all families. Some families don’t stick together.”
“I know your parents are divorced,” she said. “Your father’s mentioned enough in the papers.”
Rafael laughed. “And you don’t approve.” He knew that for a fact from her tone of voice. Her expression supported it, as well.
“His life has no bearing on mine. But don’t you think it’s not in good form for him to be dating women younger than you are?”
“As long as we don’t get our wires crossed and date the same woman, then, no, I don’t care.”
“I would. Parents are supposed to be a good example to their children.”
“I’m hardly a child,” he said.
“You were at some point.”
Not liking the trend of the conversation, Rafael rose and looked over the side of the basket. They were gradually losing altitude. Vicente’s balloon was farther to the west, and it was difficult to gauge if he was ahead or behind, since Rafael had lost track of where they were by talking to Amalia.
“Bring the map and let’s figure out where we are,” he said, opening the burners and heating the air above them.
Amalia slowly got to her feet and stepped closer, holding it out for him.
“Can you check the terrain and see what you think?” he asked.
“No.” She thrust the map at him and reached for the controls. “You figure that out, I’ll keep us afloat.”
She didn’t trust the amusement in his eyes, but didn’t try to figure out what she’d done. Reaching for the knob, her hand brushed his and she felt the touch as if it had been a caress. Oh, oh, bad, bad, bad. She drew a deep breath and looked everywhere but at Rafael. She was not going to get some stupid crush on the playboy. That would be the dumbest thing she could do. Her immediate goal was to get back to