Kissed By a Stranger. Valerie Parv
other.’
She didn’t understand anything, least of all him. All she knew was that the closer he came the warmer the room suddenly became. When his arms slid around her, she held her breath. There was no camera, no reason to let him kiss her, yet she knew as surely as she knew her own name that she was going to allow it.
Her heart thudded as he lowered his mouth to hers. When his eyes locked with her startled gaze, the air seemed charged between them. Her thoughts rioted. What was it about Luke Ansfield that practically bewitched her in his presence?
Whatever it was, it was powerful. Though his kiss was light, almost teasing, daring her to pull away, she could no more have done that than she could have flown.
Instead, she felt an urge to rest her head against his chest and let his strong arms enfold her, shutting out the world as he had shut out the blast from her car yesterday.
He stepped away from her before she could do anything so betraying. She released the breath she had been unaware she was holding. ‘You drive a hard bargain, Mr Ansfield.’
If he heard the tremor in her voice, he ignored it. ‘Then you’ll do what I ask?’
‘Well, you did save my life,’ she said diffidently.
When their eyes met, she was surprised to see something very like appreciation in his sea-dark gaze. ‘It was worth saving.’
She looked quickly away. ‘Why is it so important to you not to be recognised?’
‘Isn’t it enough that it is?’
Her silence was a high price to pay for what he had done, but it was equally obvious that it was his price. How could she refuse? To her astonishment, she realised it was also what she wanted to do, which was against all her professional instincts and training. What was happening to her?
With a reluctance which didn’t bear close scrutiny, she stood up. ‘Very well, I’ll respect your privacy. I owe you at least that much.’
His gaze remained on her. ‘Do I have your word?’
It was her turn to bristle with annoyance. ‘I’ve said I’ll keep your secret and I will,’ she snapped. ‘So there’s no need to set your dogs onto me.’
He ignored the taunt. ‘I’ll show you to your car.’
Her nerves leapt. She told herself it was the prospect of encountering the guard dogs. It couldn’t have anything to do with Luke’s presence at her side, could it?
CHAPTER TWO
A WEEK later, Sarah joined Kitty for cappuccino at the Oasis on Broadbeach. Aware of the curious glances they were receiving, she tried to ignore them. It was part and parcel of having your face on television every other week.
Kitty leaned closer. ‘Have the powers-that-be decided on a permanent anchor for Coast to Coast yet?’
Sarah played with the froth on her coffee. ‘Richard seems to have the inside running, simply because he happens to be male. If only I could come up with a real attention-grabber of a story.’
Kitty grinned. ‘I can think of one.’
‘You mean Luke Ansfield?’ Sarah shook her head fiercely. ‘I gave him my word I wouldn’t mention that he was the man who rescued me.’
‘What if it comes down to Luke’s privacy or your job?’
Sarah shook her hair back. ‘I wish you wouldn’t ask awkward questions, Kit. Maybe I’m not much of a journalist if my word means more to me than a story, but I only know it does.’
A Ulysses butterfly hovered over the table and Kitty watched it before she said, ‘What about Luke himself? What does he mean to you?’
Sarah started so forcefully that the butterfly swooped away. ‘He doesn’t mean anything to me. We’ve only met twice, and one of those times I was in no condition to appreciate the experience.’
Kitty 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