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Flushing slightly, Beth said, 'Right So you can't say I stood you up' Her chin lifted defiantly

'I didn't Sandra did' He s eyes 'It was her interpretation of events, not mine I was ninety-nine per cent sure you wouldn't be in e called, as it happens OK?'

She stared at him He meant it, she could tell 'So why call, then?' she asked bewilderedly 'Why did you bother?'

'In hope of the one per cent,' he said softly 'Good night, Beth' He turned on his heel and walked away

He had reached the car before she could force herself to say, 'Travis? I'm sorry Not that I didn't have lunch with you, because I don't want to have lunch with anyone, but that I've been so' She didn't kno to put it

He stood with his hand on the car door In the shadowed night his eyes looked black and there was a sested very softly

'Bitchy' She sed hard 'Because I'm not like that, not usually At least I don't think I aed since the divorce, so perhaps this is the real new ; she would have known even if his face hadn't told her so 'Anyway, I'm sorry,' she finished flatly And she really was

'How sorry?' he asked with silky intent

'What?' Her brorinkled

'How sorry are you?' he asked withbut a kind of ah to share the oddI've so you to bed? You see, the truth of the matter is that sexually you're notas a person And that's a compliment, incidentally,' he added pleasantly 'There's few people, '

She was so shocked that auto, absolutely char

'We're close neighbours and in these parts that ,' Travis con¬tinued cheerfully 'Get it? With you living such a solitary lifestyle I'd hate to think you were ill or had had an accident or any one of a nus and no one knew'