'Sounds like she cared more about making him pay for his infidelity than she cared about you, Erin. Is that how it was?" Peter asked sympathetically.

She shrugged, her mind instinctively sheering away from the lonely steps of learning how to cope by herself, preferring not to ask anything of her parents than suffer more rejection from her father or a harangue from her mother about how difficult it was, being a single parent.


'I guess I learnt to detach myself from both of them. I think a lot of children become victims of the emotional crossfire that divorce invariably triggers." She heaved another sigh, which drifted into an appreciative smile for his concern.

'I hope Thomas gets to feel good with his father. And I hope his mother comes around to understanding that he needs both parents to love him."

'I hope so, too."


'So what about you, Peter ?"

The question caught him by surprise. She could see he was still sifting through her personal experience of divorce, perhaps applying it to his Good Samaritan act and wondering if it would lead to a better life for Thomas Harper. He looked quizzically at her as he repeated," What about me?"


'What's it like to have been born and raised as a prince, able to distribute largesse on a whim?"

She had tossed the question at him lightly but his face hardened as though she'd hit a raw nerve."Does anyone really care about a prince as a person, or do they simply work at getting close and staying close for what he can do for them? What they can get out of him? The largesse they might be able to tap?" One eyebrow lifted in sardonic challenge."You'd be surprised how lonely that life can be, Erin."

She stared at him, wondering if his trust in friendship had been totally tainted by the wealth at his disposal. It was a sad situation if that was his reality. She could see why he'd feel good about giving to Dave Harper because it hadn't been expected of him, hadn't been asked for.

Their meals arrived. Once their plates were set in front of them and the waitress gone, Erin leaned forward to say," I'll be paying for my dinner, Peter.

I didn't come for a free ride."

She'd come for something else entirely—an adventure with him.

'I did ask you to join me, Erin," he pointed out, amused by her independent stance.


'My choice," she reminded him."Let's eat."

The food was good; fresh vegetables lightly cooked, succulent king prawns, flavours enhanced by the spicy chilli jam."Enjoying it?" she asked, hoping that her choice was to his liking.

'Mmm…very tasty."

His eyes locked with hers for a moment, a bombardment of bright blue twinkles arousing the strong sensation he was once again applying the words to her, not the meal. She kept eating but the excitement racing around her mind made the action completely mechanical.

'Sure you wouldn't like a glass of wine?" he asked, lifting the bottle from the ice-bucket.

Erin shook her head, feeling she was intoxicated enough just being with

him.

When he replaced the bottle without refilling his glass, she said," Please

don't let me stop you from enjoying it."

'I have to keep a clear head, too. I'm driving." Away from this meeting place.

The thought delivered a shaft of cold sanity. Erin once more berated herself for being so foolish as to think he might want to extend this connection with her. Hadn't he just more or less rebuffed her attempt to delve into his life? He was now assured he'd done the right thing by Dave and Thomas Harper. Once this dinner was over…and it was…both of them setting their emptied plates aside for the waitress to collect…there was no reason for him to prolong this encounter.

Unless…

She couldn't suppress the hope for something more.

'Do you have far to drive?" she asked, trying to force herself to accept the inevitable.

'No. It's only a short distance to Bondi Beach." 'Is that where you live?"

'I have an apartment there." His mouth curved into a dry little smile."I live in many places, Erin."

'So do I," tripped off her tongue.

It caused him to look at her quizzically.

She didn't want to talk about herself anymore, didn't want him to stay on out of politeness, listening to the kind of footloose life she had adopted. Besides, most people considered her odd—those who had roots they cared about. Rather than be seen as odd by this man, she laughed and said," I can go anywhere in my


mind, Peter."

He smiled his understanding."You must have a vivid imagination to tell stories so well. Can your mind encompass going with me tonight?"

The question was slid out so smoothly, tapping straight into her own secret desire, Erin wasn't sure if it had really been spoken."I beg your pardon?" she rattled out, her heart thumping so hard her chest hurt.

He leaned forward, bringing the full power of his physical magnetism into play as he spread his hands out to her in open appeal across the table. His eyes engaged hers with almost hypnotic intensity as he said," You're not committed to meeting anyone in particular at your party."

'No." There was no party.

'So come with me instead." His mouth broke into a dazzling white grin."Think about it. It's only right for the prince to sweep Cinderella off to his castle.

We can't let the story end here, Erin."

Her mouth had gone completely dry. She swallowed hard to work some moisture into it as her dazed mind came to grips with a move she'd given up believing would happen. Peter Ramsey was attracted to her. He wanted her to go with him, be with him.

'No. Ending it here wouldn't feel good," she blurted out, throwing all sense of caution to the wind.

He laughed, delighted with her reply."Click!" he said, reminding her of their earlier conversation about finding someone who was tuned in on the same wavelength."My horse awaits," he added, rising to his feet and holding out his hand to draw her to hers.

'Is it a white charger?" she asked giddily, her hand shooting up to meet his, her body lifting from the chair in a surge of wild happiness.

'Blue," he replied with mock ruefulness."But it is charged with a lot of horsepower."

She laughed, deliriously aware of his fingers enclosing hers, forging a link that was not about to let her slip away from him. A brief separation came as they paused on their way out of the restaurant to pay for the dinner, but once that was done, Peter instantly recaptured her hand and maintained the connection while they walked along together.

It was Friday night and Oxford Street was thronged with people intent on having a good time at the end of their working week. Despite the boisterous crowd milling around them, they moved in a space of their own, as though the


big man beside her generated a force-field that kept others from touching them. They occupied a magic circle, Erin thought fancifully, refusing to think about where they were going, revelling in the exhilarating sense of not knowing what might come next.

They turned a corner."Parking stable in the next block," Peter informed her, still enjoying the fiction she had fallen in with.

Her feet wanted to dance. She did feel like Cinderella, miraculously going to the prince's ball."I wonder if we can stop the clock from striking twelve," she said whimsically.

'Are you planning on running away at midnight?"

'That's when this day ends," she reminded him, secretly hoping that the adventure they were embarking upon would keep its exciting fascination for both of them.

'I do have a glass slipper up my sleeve," he said with arch confidence. 'You do?"

He grinned."I know where you work so I can find you again."

She didn't work at the preschool, but he could find her through her aunt if he really wanted to. A fountain of joy was bubbling through her as they entered the parking station. She felt no trepidation whatsoever about accompanying him anywhere at all. It seemed to her that a fairy godmother had waved her wand, ordaining their coming together, because however unlikely it was, they were meant to meet.

This lovely sense of a benign Fate was abruptly shaken when Peter led her to a royal-blue BMW Z4 sports convertible. It was too coincidental for her to be personally confronted by two such cars on the same day. Her heart quivered with shock as her mind made the obvious connection. She turned to Peter, her eyes searching for the truth in his.

'It was you at the pedestrian crossing near the preschool." 'Yes, it was," he acknowledged without the slightest hesitation. 'And then…then you just happened to drop in at that park?" 'No. Your smile drew me there."

'My smile…"

Bright red danger flashes were popping in her mind. This was crazy. A man as powerful as Peter Ramsey stopping for a woman he thought was a preschool teacher? It was too far out…too…

His hand was suddenly cupping her cheek, its warmth arousing an instant pleasure in his touch. She automatically leaned into it. His fingers gently stroked


her temple, somehow soothing the tumult his words had triggered. He smiled, making it seem perfectly reasonable that a smile could have immense drawing power. Her throat had seized up. She was speechless, staring at the unmistakable glitter of desire in his eyes—desire for her, no longer hidden—desire intent on being satisfied.

His head was bending down, coming closer. He was going to kiss her.

A moment before his lips touched hers, one last panicky thought broke through the mesmerised state of acceptance—what kind of man would do all Peter Ramsey had done to get to this moment with her…just from seeing her in the street?