Minding Amy

He studied her. "You've got a lovely tone to your articles. I've read some of your stuff."

"You have?" That pleased her more than she might have imagined.

"Yes, I had to do something while I waited to get started, so I requested some back issues before I left The City News, then I went home and studied you good and proper." He flickered his eyebrows at her.

She flushed with pleasure. "I'm glad you approve, thanks."

"You must get to meet a lot of exciting people, celebrities and the like."

"Sometimes." None as interesting as you, she thought to herself, with a secret smile. "But often I don't have the scope to spend time interviewing the most interesting people I meet, and that always leaves me feeling a bit deflated. When you meet celebrities it's always better if you can encourage them to speak about themselves, and convey that well in your feature. That's the ideal."

He nodded, thoughtfully. "What really made you want to go into the same line of work as your father?"

She had to give it some thought. "Admiration for what he'd achieved, I suppose. When I was a little girl he always seemed to be traveling and having adventures."

She noticed that made him smile.

"You've certainly got an adventurous spirit, I'll warrant you that." He glanced over her, his expression smoldering.

Amy felt something warm and receptive flaring inside of her. He had that sort of immediate affect on her. "Now, why do I get the feeling that every so often you are going to remind me of our first meeting?"

He grinned. "Because it was great."

"It was?"

"Oh yeah. Many a man dreams of having a sexy woman fall into his lap and start talking as if she's known him

forever."

"Well, when you put it like that, I can see your point." Amy shook her head, laughing. "It was kind of funny wasn't it?"

"And it led on to even better things."

She stood up, doing so because she wanted to make contact with him. As she stepped over to him he put his arm around her back. She rested her hands up against his chest, enjoying the embrace, then pressed her hips against his. "Do I have to put up with you minding me when we're back in London?"

His eyes twinkled. "I'm afraid so. That's the rules, take it or leave it."

"I guess I'm going to have to take it." She tipped her head back, and as he move to kiss her, she could see he was every bit as happy about the arrangement as she was.

* * * *

The car spluttered to a halt. Sebastian pulled on the brake and switched the engine off. "I suggest we abandon the car and you allow me to deliver it back to the car pool, tomorrow."

"Okay," Amy replied. She looked out of the window at the unfamiliar London street with its pretty Victorian street lamps and terraced houses. "But where are we now? Is it far to the nearest tube station?"

"About five minutes walk, thataway." He pointed ahead. "However, this house here is Chez Armitage." He indicated the terrace property to his right.

"Oh." She broke into a smile. The man had ulterior motives and she liked them. "I see. So, are you going to ask a girl in for a drink?"

"That was the idea."

"Marvelous, I'd be delighted."

"I'm not being entirely altruistic, believe me. If you come inside it will give me some more time with you, alone."

He was full of surprises. All of them very nice, and Amy was certainly in no rush to get home to her little studio flat. She followed him from the car up the path to the house. The small front garden housed a pretty rockery.

"Self sufficient," he said, when he caught her looking over at it. "I like plants like that."