Free Whirlwind by Charlotte Lamb

innocent, and she was perfect.'
    'I believe you,' Anna said wryly. 'But it looks like a hell of a coincidence.'
    'That's why I want you to keep your mouth shut!' he said. 'I'm surrounded by cynics.'
    She couldn't get out of dancing with Laird next, especially with Joey watching her. Finding herself in his arms again sent a wild tremor along her nerves, made her eyes darken. He danced well; his long- legged body instinctively graceful as he drew her closer, his hand pressing into the small of her back. His cheek brushed hers as he murmured, 'I thought of you all the time while I was away. Did you think of me?'
    'No,' Anna said icily, and his face drew back a little so that he could stare at her. She turned her head, showing him a rigid profile.
    'Did you get my roses?' he asked, frowning.
    'Yes.'
    'Didn't you like them?'
    'They were very beautiful, but you shouldn't have sent them.'
    'Why not? I wanted to thank you for a wonderful evening,' he said, a smile in his voice as if he was teasing her. Anna's teeth met. She knew why he had sent them; he didn't need to underline the message. If he thought he was ever getting her into bed again, he could think again!
    The music had stopped; Joey was clapping his hands for their attention and as all the cast turned their faces towards him, he said crisply, 'OK, kids—I'm calling rehearsal tomorrow at eleven- thirty. There are still one or two rough spots, I noticed. Off you all go, and thank you.'
    Anna yawned; collecting her jacket, and looked around for the assistant stage manager who had promised to give her a lift home. There wouldn't be a bus running at this time of night.
    She couldn't see him anywhere, but as she hurried after the rest of the cast, crowding out of the restaurant, talking and laughing, Laird blocked her path.
    'Looking for the young man with bushy hair? He's gone—r told him I'd give you a lift.'
    The cool, bland voice made the blood rush to her head. She stared at him, shaking with resentment.
    'You did what?' she snapped, and saw heads turn, eyes staring. 'What makes you think you have the right to calmly walk in and countermand my arrangements without so much as asking me?'
    'I was doing him a favour,' Laird informed her, eyes gleaming with mockery. 'Did you know he lives just a couple of miles from here and that to take you home he would have to drive six miles there and six miles back again? He was dead on his feet and only wanted to go home to bed, so I suggested I'd take you.'"''
    Anna saw Patti standing near the door, anxiously watching. Taking a deep breath, she forced down her anger. She shouldn't have erupted like that; he wasn't getting to her again, from now on she was going to be calm and distant every time Laird was within a mile of her.
    'Thank you,' she said frostily, handing him a polite, phoney smile, then swished past him and joined Patti without giving Laird another glance.
    The blue and silver Rolls made short work of the distance into central London from the riverside; the narrow, shabby dock streets vanishing past and in their place the wider thoroughfares of Piccadilly and then Mayfair. Patti made polite conversation for a few minutes, then fell asleep, her head lolling sideways on the cushions. Anna stared out of the windows, yawning. The heating in the limousine made her sleepier by the second, but she was afraid of shutting her eyes.
    Laird finally slowed at some traffic lights close to her home and glanced back at her. 'You'll have to direct me from here."
    'Straight on, the third turning on the left and then one to the right,' Anna told him flatly.
    He pulled up outside the house five minutes later, got out and came round to open the rear door for her, his hand resting under her elbow as she slid out. Anna freed herself as soon as she was standing upright on the pavement.
    Thanks for the lift, goodnight.' Her curt tone didn't deter him from following her towards the gate of the house, and she snapped over her shoulder, 'I can find my