to her. All the money in the world isn’t worth having to scr—’
The stranger’s left hand shot out and closed over Russell’s left wrist, drawing Audrey’s gaze to the long, strong fingers. Russell winced visibly as they closed tightly.
‘I wouldn’t say another word if I were you,’ their owner warned in a quiet voice that was even more threatening than the loudest roar. ‘I also suggest you take yourself far away from here very quickly, before I forget I’m a gentleman in the presence of a lady.’
Russell began to open his mouth, thought better of it, then snapped it shut. Giving Audrey a savage glance, he extricated himself from the booth and stormed out.
The stranger watched him go, a hard though satisfied smile pulling at his mouth.
‘Who...who are you?’ Audrey blurted out, relieved to at last be able to voice her inner turmoil and confusion. Only satisfaction at seeing Russell so rattled had kept her silent.
His smile softened as he slid into the U-shaped booth opposite her. ‘A friend.’
She leant back against the green leather seat and stared at him. Had they met before? Could he be some business acquaintance of her father’s? No, no, she dismissed immediately. She would never have forgotten this man. ‘I don’t know you,’ she stated firmly, though there was a slight tremor in her voice.
‘Ah, yes. Perfectly true.’ He frowned and stroked his chin for a few seconds, before his face cleared to an expression of dry amusement. ‘Would you believe it if I said I was your guardian angel come to life to save you from a dastardly villain?’
‘You...don’t look at all like an angel,’ she said, smiling at the thought that, dressed all in black, her rescuer looked more like a visitor from the opposite region.
His answering smile was devastatingly attractive and Audrey’s stomach actually fluttered. ‘What about a knight rescuing a fair damsel in distress?’ he suggested, then chuckled.
‘Why is that so funny?’ she asked ingenuously before the penny dropped. Her smile faded immediately. ‘Oh, I see...it’s because I’m hardly a fair damsel...’
‘Good God, Audrey,’ he sighed, clearly exasperated with her. ‘That’s not it at all! It was because my name is Knight. Elliot Knight. Why wouldn’t you qualify as a fair damsel? Hell, you have the most exquisite fair skin, the loveliest big brown eyes and an extremely kissable mouth.’
A startled shock sent her fingers fluttering up to cover her mouth. What did this man want from her, to make him use blatant flattery? Her confusion became total, and it brought bewilderment and panic. ‘I...I don’t know who or what you are, or how you came to know my name and everything, but I...I think I should be getting back to work!’ Audrey picked up her bag and went to stand up.
‘Don’t be such a silly little fool!’ he snapped, his harsh words making her slump back down on the seat, staring at him with wounded eyes.
His sigh was weary. ‘I’m sorry...I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. But damn it all, why go back to that office to a sniggering Diane? It’s nearly four on a Friday afternoon. You’re the boss’s daughter. Give it a miss for the rest of the day. By Monday, your and Russell’s break-up will be last week’s news. Come back to my place for a drink and a sit by the fire, then later I’ll drive you home. Come on, what do you say?’
She blinked over at him. ‘How do you know all those things about me? About Russell? And Diane?’
Quite a few emotions flickered through those fine grey eyes. Frustration. Irritation. Then finally...a weary resignation.
‘I was sitting in the next booth a while back,’ he confessed with reluctance. ‘I overheard your—er—conversation with your boyfriend. He infuriated me so much I decided to teach him a lesson.’
So that was why he’d seemed familiar! Audrey was almost relieved to find a logical explanation for the man’s extraordinary knowledge. But then she realised all he had overheard, and an embarrassed heat flooded her cheeks. ‘Oh, God,’ she cried, and shook her head in shame.
‘You didn’t do anything to be ashamed of, Audrey,’ he said softly. ‘Clearly, you were in love with the man and thought he loved you back. The blame is all his, not yours.’
‘Perhaps,’ she murmured, thinking that such naïveté in a girl who would be twenty-one next week was inexcusable. Hadn’t she long known she was unattractive to men? Why hadn’t she stopped to wonder why Russell would single her out?
‘You’re well rid of him, Audrey,’ her companion continued in the same gentle tone.
‘I dare say,’ she murmured, ‘but it still hurts.’
‘Yes,’ he nodded. ‘I know...’
The essence of real understanding in her rescuer’s voice drew her thoughts away from Russell to consider exactly what Elliot Knight had just done for her. And she was deeply moved. Most men would have silently borne witness to her shame and even sniggered in contempt at her gullibility. But compassion had stirred this stranger to come to her aid. And oh, how gallantly he had done that, routing the enemy without her losing face and even trying to make her feel better with his flattery about her looks.
‘You really are a knight in shining armour, aren’t you?’ she said, a tender light shining in her eyes as she gazed at him.
The compliment clearly rattled him for a moment.
‘But you don’t have to keep on rescuing me, Mr Knight,’ she went on shakily. ‘You’ve already done enough. I’m...very grateful to you.’ She bit her bottom lip when tears suddenly pricked at her eyes.
‘Come on...’ He took her hand and slid out of the booth, pulling her with him. ‘You’re coming home with me for a while and that’s final. I don’t live far.’
‘Oh, but I can’t, Mr Knight. I...I...’
‘Don’t argue with me, Audrey. This is for your own good. And for pity’s sake, call me Elliot! And before you ask, no, I’m not married. Neither do I have a girlfriend who might get the wrong idea. Does that settle all your doubts?’
Audrey might have resisted but in all truth she didn’t want to go back to the office. Neither did she think Elliot had any dark sexual motive for taking her home. Not with her!
It wasn’t till she was led over to the black Saab Cabriolet parked outside that she ground to a halt, wrenching her hand away from Elliot’s solid grasp. ‘This is your car?’ she asked, an instant quavering in her voice.
He frowned first at her, then at the car. ‘Yes? Something wrong with it?’
‘No...no, I suppose not,’ she agreed stiffly, and with grim determination climbed into the sporty car. Nevertheless, an automatic tension took hold of her once the car started round the narrow winding cliff road that led from Newport to Avalon Beach, and Audrey wondered grimly if she’d ever get over this phobia.
She thought she managed to hide it quite well for the short trip, though she felt real relief when Elliot directed the car from the main road up a steep driveway. When he zoomed into an electronically operated garage underneath an impressively
