"Trixie?" Her father spoke with a warning tone in his voice. "Take a seat Mr. Armitage. We'll see if we can work this out."
The man, Sebastian, sat easily into the seat alongside hers. Amy tried not to gawp at him. He was relaxed, damn him. He was comfortable with this. She was startled and confused and he didn't seem the least bit surprised. How could that be?
Flustered, she stared at her dad. "This is a really bad idea."
Her father frowned at her.
"Ms. Norton," Sebastian interrupted. "I assure you I won't cramp your style." He paused and smiled at her.
What the hell was that supposed to mean? She flashed him a warning glance.
"Your father has told me about the feature you’re working on. I’ll be in the background in case you need any assistance."
Her stomach flipped and a heady rush of nerves coursed over her as she considered having him with her, for the duration of the case. Laughing at her. "I don’t need a minder," she snapped.
"I'm sure you don't," he drawled, looking at her with amusement.
She tried to focus on the conversation. It was hard with those gray-green eyes teasing her, and that sensuous mouth so near and looking oh-so-ready to kiss. "Besides, I have to leave London immediately to pick up the trail."
"That's fine by me." His eyes twinkled.
God, he was gorgeous. Amy felt increasingly light-headed as she began to consider what it would be like being alone with him, out on the road for the next few days with the sexy stranger she'd spent the past night fantasizing about. One look at the nonchalant posture of that attractive masculine body had her senses keen and honed. She tore her gaze away, focusing on her dad. "I'm sure Mr. Armitage has other commitments that are more important than trailing along with me."
"I am single and independent, if that is what you wanted to know, Ms. Norton."
She glared at him. That wasn't what she meant and he knew it. He was ruffling her feathers deliberately. Not only that, but there was a brooding expression in his eyes and it made her doubt her ability to remain professional in his company. This job was impo
rtant to her—vital, if she was to spread her wings as a journalist.
"Trixie, love," her father interrupted. "I know you want to do this job on your own, but that's no reason to be cautious about Mr. Armitage."
"I can understand Ms. Norton being cautious," Sebastian interjected. "After all, she doesn't know me from Adam."
Amy's hands clutched at the arm of her chair. Was that some sort of reference to her behavior the evening before and the mix up?
He watched her reaction then broke into a warm smile. It was friendly and intimate. Yes, he had meant the remark as a joke, but a joke between the two of them. Face it, she told herself, he was bound to be amused by the situation. If things had been reversed, she would have been pretty darn amused too.
While he waited for her to respond, he gently shifted his cuff with his fingers, drawing her gaze to his hands. She recalled the strong arm steadying her at the bar. What would those hands feel like, touching her, holding her? She smoothed her outfit and crossed her legs high on the thigh in an attempt to quell the surge of restless need that began to rise when she allowed her mind to wander.
His gaze followed the movement of her legs, and his mouth gave a gentle twitch, as if he was restraining an idle remark. When he looked back up and their eyes met, molten heat traversed the space between them. Amy remembered the kiss he had given her on the back of her hand and the suggestive look he'd had in his eyes then. He’d been interested. She'd sensed it then and the way he was looking at her now only served to confirm it. Her pulse raced, her mind tumbling with images of them together, naked and alone.
But this was about her scoop.
It was vital she remember that, and not let some cheeky bloke distract her from her goal, no matter how attractive he was. She cleared her throat. "Right. Could you be ready to leave by seven this evening?"
"Absolutely."
"In that case, Mr. Armitage, you'd better pack your overnight bag."
His eyebrows lifted, his handsome mouth sloping into an insinuating smile.
That was the last straw. Heat flared in her face. This had turned into the biggest embarrassment of all time. She nodded at her dad then stood up and quickly headed for the door.
By the time she reached for the door handle, Sebastian's hand was on it.
She glared at him. He opened the door for her. She attempted to dart off down the corridor but after he closed the door he was hot on her heels.
He stopped before she reached the reception area where Alison's desk was located. "We're not done yet, Ms. Norton."