Minding Amy

"Bastard!" She slapped his thigh. "Concentrate on the road and stop winding me up."

They bumped along the road in silence for a while. Amy smiled out at the rolling hills, amazed by the fact he was able to distract her and make her smile, even at the most difficult of times.

"Personally, I'm having one hell of an adventure," he said.

"Sure you are. Mr. Big Shot PI and the idiot journalist's silly adventure." She felt hot, dizzy, and kind of idiotic. Then she paused to consider what he'd said. "You are?"

He nodded.

"But you must have all sorts of adventures in your line of work." It was the first time she had made direct reference to the real nature his job since the arguments in London, the day before.

"Being with you is quite the adventure in itself, Ms. Norton. I never know what's coming next. We've had haunted houses, a shooting and a walking corpse, a fainting incident, a string of ridiculous clues from a man who looks like a weasel, and—let's face it—the best sex I've ever had, with the sexiest, warmest woman I have ever met. What do you think? Am I having fun?"

"You're winding me up." Whether he was or not, there had been flattery in there, flattery that Amy wasn't used to getting and thoughts about her that she was unaware of him having.

"No, I meant every word."

She stared at him.

When he darted a glance across, there was indeed a grain of seriousness in his expression. "I'm enjoying my time with you and I really want this to work out for you, because I've grown to care about you, a lot, and I want us to enjoy every moment of our time together."

Could it be true, was he serious? Or was he laughing at her and her silly little case? She stared ahead. That's when they rounded a bend in the road and she saw it. "Stop the car," she exclaimed. "There's the shop."

Sebastian checked the mirrors, hit the horn and pulled a sharp u-turn in the middle of the road. The Land Rover screeched across the road and jolted up onto the parking bay in front of the low, rambling village shop that they had almost overshot.

"Well spotted," he said in a perfectly calm voice.

She put her hand to her chest, her heart racing.

"Go for it."

She climbed out of the Land Rover and threw him a bemused glance as she strode past the front of the vehicle, still wondering about what he'd said. Sebastian grinned at her, which made her want to tousle with him. That was exactly his intention, she realized. How had he come to know her, inside out, so quickly? Her body ran hot and cold as she realized the implication—Sebastian meant it, he did care.

Concentrate. Time was running out, fast. She tossed her head back and with as much calm as she could muster, walked toward the door of the shop, looking at her watch and cursing under her breath. There was a light on in the fridge cabinet inside the door, which was a good sign.

"Mornin'."

Amy jumped, but managed to mumble a suitable acknowledgement to the man who stood inside the shop window, staring out. He'd obviously been observing their rather

spectacular arrival in the Land Rover.

The man stood with his legs astride, arms folded over his chest, wearing an outfit that looked as if he was about to go fishing—hat, decorated with multi-colored lures, a utility jacket, Wellingtons, the lot. He didn't move, but as far as she could see he appeared to be the only person in the shop.

"Good morning. We're staying up at the hotel and they have a power cut. They suggested I come here, I need to send a fax." She spoke to him, or to anyone who might be listening from behind the stacks of supplies cluttering her view of the shop counter.

"Oh yes, we have power." He smiled smugly, but still made no move to assist.

Amy stepped past him into the maze-like shop, where goods were stacked precariously and with no logical order. As she moved she could make out what looked like a fax machine behind the counter, at the far end of the shop. The fisherman made no move to follow and there really wasn't anyone else on hand. Perhaps he'd been asked to look after the shop while the owner popped out for a moment. Amy ran an impatient hand across her forehead, pushing back her uncombed hair. Damn the countryside with its easygoing attitude and its lack of efficiency. She was a city girl and she couldn't cope with this complete nonchalance about everything. She paced up and down then paused by a stack of goods, waiting for the fisherman to show some initiative.

"You're just annoyed because you know I'm right."

Amy jumped.

Sebastian was peeking at her from the other side of the shelf, over a stack of cereal boxes, his eyes twinkling. She hadn't even heard him come into the shop. Glancing back she saw the fisherman had moved, marginally, his ear cocked as if to take in their actions, while still watching for anything that might be going on in the country lane outside.

"Admit it, you were having fun, it's not the end of the world now is it?"

He was carrying on the conversation, here, in public, in full view of the fisherman, regardless. He had the cheek of the devil himself. She stared at him. There was indeed a sort of devilishness about his expression. A naughty smile lifted one corner of his mouth. It made anticipation kick in, whenever she saw it. God, he was good. He turned her head every time.