Kissed By a Stranger. Valerie Parv

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СКАЧАТЬ nodded sagely. ‘You were so much in shock you made a beeline for my office to find out who he was.’

      ‘All right, he made an impact. But he hasn’t called me since I went to his place to thank him.’

      Cradling her cup in both hands, Kitty met Sarah’s eyes. ‘Do you want him to call?’

      ‘Of course not . . . Well, maybe.’ Yes, definitely, sang an inner voice so loudly that it was a wonder Kitty didn’t hear it. Sarah had hoped that Luke would contact her. She hadn’t misread the sparks which had charged the air between them. It was a stronger feeling than anything she’d ever know. His role in rescuing her didn’t begin to account for it.

      He didn’t have her telephone number but he could easily have reached her at the studio. His silence rankled more than she cared to admit, even to her best friend.

      Kitty startled her by slamming the cup down hard on the mesh tabletop. ‘For goodness’ sake, woman. Move into the present. You don’t have to wait by the phone any more. What’s stopping you from calling him?’

      Kitty was right, and Sarah had asked men out on occasion. But with Luke it was different. It wasn’t that she thought he would object to her calling so much as fear that he didn’t want to hear from her at all. As long as she did nothing, there was still a chance he would get in touch.

      She was interrupted by a middle-aged couple, tourists judging by their cameras and travel company hand luggage, asking for her autograph.

      She gave it with a smile, earning their gratitude. ‘Wait till we tell our daughter. She lives up here,’ the woman explained.

      They left and Sarah released a pent-up breath. ‘I still don’t understand why Luke hides away in the Hinterland. I know that public attention can be difficult, but there must be more to his decision.’

      Kitty shrugged. ‘I only know there was something in his past which made him want to escape the limelight. Maybe he just got tired of the adulation.’ She grinned. ‘You must be the only woman for miles who wouldn’t recognise him on sight.’

      ‘Motor racing was never my sport,’ Sarah said. ‘He looked familiar, but I was too groggy from the accident to wonder why. So many people look familiar to me in my job; it didn’t strike me as unusual.’

      ‘But they don’t all knock you for a loop,’ Kitty said with a smile. ‘Admit it, Sarah, he got to you.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Not surprisingly. Having the kiss of life performed on you by Luke Ansfield would bowl any woman over.’

      ‘He did not bowl me over,’ Sarah insisted with less than total honesty. ‘Why are we having this conversation anyway? I’ll probably never hear from the man again.’

      She should have known better than to tempt fate when a low voice said close beside her, ‘Good morning, Sarah.’

      Her throat dried and it was all she could do to summon the one word. ‘Luke.’

      ‘We were just talking about you,’ her friend said, earning a sharp kick under the table.

      ‘Luke Ansfield, this is Kitty Sale. Kitty runs a photo library,’ Sarah explained.

      He regarded Kitty with interest. ‘Haven’t we met before?’

      Kitty nodded. ‘I’m amazed you remember. I used to date Gavin Corcoran who was . . . ’

      ‘One of the pit crew when I raced with Team Branxton,’ he supplied. ‘Do you still see Gavin?’

      ‘We broke up a couple of years ago. I’m kind of available right now.’

      Sarah wanted to kill her friend there and then, until she saw what Kitty was up to. Well, it wasn’t going to work. She didn’t know Luke well enough to care whom he dated. Nor was she likely to reach that exalted state. He was already making restless moves. ‘Nice seeing you again, Sarah—Kitty.’

      ‘Join us for coffee,’ Kitty invited. He seemed about to refuse until she added, ‘I have to go, but Sarah would be glad of the company.’

      Yes, she would definitely have to kill Kitty later. What was the matter with the woman? Matchmaking wasn’t usually her style, unless it was on her own account. ‘You said you weren’t busy this morning,’ she hissed.

      ‘Just remembered an urgent job,’ Kitty said cheerfully, picking up her satchel. ‘See you two later. Have fun.’

      Have fun, indeed. A panicky sensation gripped Sarah as Luke slid into Kitty’s vacant chair and signalled the waiter to bring more coffee. He ordered his long and black, she noticed, with the odd awareness she seemed to be developing about him. Small things, such as the way his dark chest hair curled invitingly around the open neck of his polo shirt, seemed to leap out at her unbidden.

      ‘You don’t have to keep me company if you have other things you’d rather be doing,’ she offered around the tightness constricting her throat.

      ‘If I had other things to do, rest assured I’d be doing them,’ he stated. ‘Right now, this has a lot of appeal.’

      ‘It is a lovely day,’ she agreed, choosing to misunderstand. He was only being polite, she assumed.

      His eyes rested on her, their sea-depths compelling in the sparkling Broadbeach sunshine. ‘Beautiful,’ he said, in a deep voice redolent with double meanings. He took a sip of coffee, and the way the steam curled around his sensuously full upper lip hammered through that strange awareness.

      ‘What are you doing in Broadbeach?’ she asked, finding her tongue at last.

      ‘I had business in town,’ he said dismissively. ‘Are you fully recovered from the accident?’

      She frowned. Was she ever going to get a direct answer from this man? ‘I’m fine, thanks,’ she said tautly. ‘The studio wasn’t thrilled about their car, though, and I’m stuck using cabs until they get around to giving me a new one.’ Thinking of the accident reminded her of her amazingly lucky escape. If Luke hadn’t pulled her clear . . .

      ‘You’re alive, that’s the main thing,’ he said, as if reading her thoughts.

      ‘Thanks to you. Of all people, you knew the risk of the car exploding, but you didn’t hesitate.’ It was the first time anyone had risked their life for her.

      ‘Anyone would have done the same,’ he insisted.

      ‘But they didn’t.’ She gathered her courage in both hands. ‘Why didn’t you want your face seen on television? Was it something to do with why you gave up racing?’

      ‘Maybe I’ve had enough of celebrity,’ he said, although she felt certain it wasn’t the whole answer. The feeling nagged at her, but he deflected it by asking, ‘Doesn’t it bother you to have people stare at you wherever you go?’

      She glanced down at the table. ‘It’s part of the job,’ she said, disliking the defensive note which had crept into her tone.

      He gave her a studied look. ‘You enjoy it, don’t you?’

      She tossed her hair back, meeting his gaze defiantly. ‘I worked damned СКАЧАТЬ