Free A Chance Encounter by Lindsay McKenna Page B

then shook his head. “They want to buy your exclusive story, Katie. If you take one of their offers, you’ll be expected to tell everything to one paper. No one else gets an interview.”
    Katie stared at the wall of journalists and trembled. In misery, she lifted her chin. “Mr. Grant has the exclusive rights to my story,” she said in firm, clear tones.
    “I won’t grant an interview to anyone else.”
    “But, Ms. Riordan!” a television newsman protested, stalking forward with his cameraman, “you’re an overnight sensation! Are you a witch? What are these powers you possess? The American public has a right to know!” He thrust the microphone into her face. Taylor promptly shoved it back at the reporter’s chest.
    “Ms. Riordan has a right to her privacy,” he snarled, “Now, get your camera out of here before—”
    “Please,” Katie begged, “no fighting!” She looked over at the crestfallen reporter. “Mr. Grant has an exclusive. I won’t talk to the rest of you. Please, just—”
    “But surely you owe us—”
    “She owes you nothing,” Grant shouted. “Now get out of here before I have the police remove you bodily from the premises.”
    Katie hung her head, unable to take the collective glares and mutterings of the disappointed press. Taylor stood beside her, discouraging them from coming closer. He kept a hand on her shoulder, gently massaging, trying to make her relax as the reporters grudgingly turned and left the store.
    “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I should have realized when the story went to the syndicate that half the world would be at your doorstep the next morning.” Damn, I should have thought about that and warned you.”
    Katie raised her head, dashing away two tears that were threatening to fall. “It’s all right. I started getting phone calls at five this morning. And when I opened the bookstore at ten they came inside in waves.” She wrapped her arms round herself, trembling. “They were like jackals, Taylor.”
    He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Listen to me, Katie. Did you mean it when you said you were giving me an exclusive?”
    She gazed up into his craggy face. “Is that what you want?” Her voice was quiet and searching in tone.
    Cursing softly, Taylor rested his hands on her shoulders. “No, dammit! But you had to tell them something or they would have dogged your heels until you finally gave in and talked to them. So it was a smart thing to do—but did you mean it?”
    She rubbed her eyes briefly. “Of course.”
    Taylor shook his head. “Look, I’ve done enough damage to you already, Katie. I wouldn’t deliberately do it again. I’ll be honored to take the exclusive on you. Like everybody else, I make mistakes, but I try not to repeat them.”
    Katie smiled. “I’m so glad you came, Taylor.”
    He gave her a tender look, then leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose. “Like a knight on a white horse riding to rescue the fair damsel in distress?”
    Katie managed a small smile, still too shaken to think clearly. “Yes.” She wanted to tell him that he stood head and shoulders above all the rest, that his strength had left her breathless. He had looked like a warrior, bursting through the doors, and she was grateful for his protection. “This is all such a shock, Taylor.”
    “Listen, Katie, we’ll have to go ahead with this. If you don’t give me that interview, the vultures will be back. They’ll make life miserable for you.” His eyes hardened as he watched her face drain of color. “They won’t leave you alone until you break. And then they’ll print only the sensational stuff. Half-truths padded with anything that will sell more copies of their papers or more hits at their website, at your expense.”
    She pushed herself away from the desk, and Taylor removed his hands from her shoulders. Walking aimlessly around the now quiet store, Katie tried to think. Finally, after stumbling over a pile of books that needed to be