Page 23 (1/2)

'I thought it would be nice to have dinner' He said it very casually, but both of them knew the invitation was far fro that this was so point in her life, in both their lives She had a dozen good reasons for turning hiht She knew that if she really wanted to she could end it now, ain She firmly told herself that that hat she must do

All she had to do was make him realise how utterly i a deep breath, she asked huskily, 'Did you see thepapers?'

She expected his face to darken, expected hiossip, but instead he laughed 'I did I inations'

Sian was incredulous She looked at hi his face for clues to this extraordinary cheerfulness It didn't add up when she ree over the other newspaper stories in the last few days

'But if we have dinner, if we're seen together again,' she said slowly, 'that will hit the gossip columns, too'

'I' on it,' he drawled, and that hen the truth dawned on her It wasn't Cass as slow on the uptake—it was her Of course he didn't ossip coluht he had a new ro on about Annette, about his hu jilted at the very altar Cass was indifferent about the gossip over himself and Sian— it was mention of Annette that hurt him

Sian's teeth ain, just as ruthlessly as when he had made love to her in her flat, and for exactly the sao needed it

'It doesn't bother you that I'ossiped about, too?' she asked bitterly 'I suppose I'm expected to be flattered to have my name linked with yours?'

'This is your profession,' he said 'Maybe it's ti end'

She looked at him with dislike 'I don't think I will have dinner, thank you Will you drop me at my flat, please?'

'No,' he said, putting his foot down on the accelerator and shooting past her flat a ry protests

'I won't have dinner with you!' she yelled above the roar of the engine 'Do you hear? I won't get out of the car; I won't have dinner'

He didn't anshich et restlessly 'Did you hear rin which sent her into positivedinner with you and I won't be used in any of your little games'

Cass laughed, which seeave up talking and concentrated on planning her escape She would juhts, and run like hell; he could hardly abandon his car in the street, holding up the rest of the traffic, while he chased her, could he? Could he? She slid a look at hi

They were approaching traffic lights now; he was slowing, the lights were red Sian tensed, ready to reen Cass picked up speed again and, baffled, she relaxed her muscles