"I am not getting into that thing!"

       Bria Green glared at the chauffeur, who stared at her with amused detachment like he'd seen it all before, and pointed at the gleaming black limo parked at the curb. 

       "I didn't ask to be picked up.  Who sent you?"

       The chauffeur, simply known as Len from his name tag, removed his cap and rubbed at a shiny dome almost as highly polished as his car. 

       "Look, Miss.  I'm just doing my job.  Your name and flight details were on my list so here I am.  I don't know who makes the bookings, I just follow instructions."

       Bria's anger deflated a tad.  It wasn't this guy's fault that daddy dearest was up to his old tricks again.

       "Miss?"

       Len held open the door to the limo and she wavered slightly before a strong waft of spanking new leather and wood polish hit her like a frigid gust on an icy Melbourne day.

       She hated the smell: rich, pungent, nauseating.  The smell she'd grown to hate as a child when she was dropped off at the school gates every morning and faced the merciless teasing of the other kids for turning up to school in a chauffeured limo as daddy decreed.

       Shaking her head she backed away from the open door like an abseiler having second thoughts about jumping off a cliff. 

       "No.  I can't.  I'm sorry."

       Len frowned, staring at her with genuine confusion in his crinkly brown eyes. 

       "But Miss, I'm instructed to take you to The Mansion hotel.  It's my employer's orders."

       Taking a deep breath she clutched her suitcase handle, gripped by an irrational fear that if she released it for one second it would be whisked away and stuffed into the limo boot leaving her no choice but to enter the opulent confines of the car.

       "Excuse me, is there a problem here?  Do you need some help?"

       Great, just what she needed, some stranger with a toffy accent poking his nose into her business.

       With her temper rising by the minute she forced a tight smile and looked up at the stranger, determined to fob him off, ditch Len and find the nearest taxi to take her to the hotel.

       However, the first part of her plan faltered when her wary gaze met curious dark brown eyes, eyes she would've flicked past if they weren't part of a striking ensemble of high cheekbones, strong jaw, straight Roman nose, Mediterranean tan and black as coal hair which framed his face in highlighting perfection.

       Striking?  Who was she kidding?  The guy was gorgeous, imposing and staring at her with obvious concern.

       "I'm fine," she said, waving him away with one hand while maintaining a death grip on her suitcase. 

       She was a woman of the world and travelled extensively to promote Motive, her architectural business, therefore knew the dangers about landing in a strange city and being accosted by whackos no matter how incredible they looked.

       "You sure?"

       His deep voice rippled over her, the posh accent reminiscent of the time she'd spent in London.  The time she'd rather forget.

       "Positive."

       She nodded emphatically and turned away, only to be confronted by the burgundy leather seats of the limo and a bar tucked discreetly into the far door.

       Suddenly, the choice between getting into the limo and possibly being abducted by a whacko didn't seem so far apart after all.

       "I'm sorry for intruding but it appears you don't want to get into the limousine with this man?"

       Len puffed up like a jellyfish. 

       "Hey!  I resent what you're implying, Sir.  I'm only doing my job and right now that's taking Miss Green to her hotel."

       The stranger ignored Len and focussed that unnerving, steady gaze on her. 

       "Would you prefer to take a taxi?"

       "Yes please." 

       She nodded, grateful that someone had picked up on her distress and wasn't making a big deal about it.

       All she wanted to do was grab a cab to the hotel, take a long hot bath and prepare for her presentation.  She didn't need any more dramas.  She'd had enough of those to last a lifetime all ready.

       "Miss Green, are you sure?"

       Len didn't give up easily and she managed a weary smile to reassure him. 

       "I'm sure.  And don't worry about your employer.  If you have any problems get them to contact me direct."

       Shrugging, Len doffed his cap in her direction before closing the door and heading to the driver's side of the car, obviously washing his hands of the crazy lady who'd rather ride in a beat-up taxi than a stretch limo.

       "Thank you," she said, turning to the stranger but already looking past him, her eager gaze fixed on the last taxi standing at the rank.

       "My pleasure.  Would you care to share my taxi?"

       "Your taxi?"

       She knew it.  Mr. Nice Guy had an ulterior motive.  He'd helped her get rid of Len only to coerce her into goodness knows what during what could prove an interminable taxi ride to anywhere.

       An amused gleam lit his dark eyes as if he could read her suspicious mind. 

       "I took the liberty of snaring the last taxi for myself.  The driver said a major football match has just finished in the city so there won't be another taxi along for a while."

       "That's okay.  I'll take the shuttle bus."

       Though that would put her plans of having a bath and time to prepare her talk way behind considering the bus only went to the city centre hotels and she was staying at Werribee, miles out of town.

       He hesitated for a moment before shrugging. 

       "Suit yourself.  I'm staying at The Mansion hotel and you probably would've been out of my way."

       "You're staying at The Mansion?  Are you there for the architect's conference too?"

       "No, I'm not attending the conference.  I'm into property development and have other business to attend to while I'm there."

       Bria toyed with the leather handle on her case as she weighed up her options: take a ride with a handsome stranger to her hotel in the relative comfort of a taxi or spend an interminable few hours while the shuttle stopped at countless hotels before she battled to find another taxi in town.

       She may be stubborn as her father repeatedly told her but she wasn't stupid and the decision was a no-brainer.

       Sticking out her hand, she said, "Sorry for being a bit abrupt.  I'm Bria Green and if your offer for a ride still stands I'd like to take you up on it.  Strange coincidence but I'm staying at The Mansion too."

       He raised a dark eyebrow as he clasped her hand in his. 

       "Sam Wali.  And of course you can share the taxi with me."

       "Great."

       She smiled, a strange flutter of uncertainty causing her to leave her hand in his longer than necessary.  His hand was warm, his grip firm without crushing and though she didn't sense anything untoward from him a slight shiver skittered down her spine at the intensity of his dark stare.

       "Do you believe in fate, Miss Green?"

       Bria dropped her hand quickly, hoping she hadn't given him the wrong idea and wondering how she got herself into these situations.  For a strong, opinionated, career woman she had a habit of making the odd impulsive decision which had far-reaching repercussions.

       Clearing her throat, she said, "I believe we make our own fate, Mr. Wali."

       He smiled and all her misgivings disappeared in an instant, the genuine warmth lighting his face and capturing her with its animation. 

       "Please call me Sam.  After all, we're going to be sharing a taxi together."

       "Bria," she said, hating the flicker of awareness his simple words elicited, the flicker that told her no matter how strongly she'd sworn off men after Ellis-the-lowlife-Finley, this handsome stranger had the power to intrigue her in less than a taxi ride.  "And thanks once again."

       He barely acknowledged her gratitude. 

       "You are ready to depart?"

       She nodded, biting back a grin at his formal speech patterns.  Combined with a strong upper class English accent, a designer suit which appeared handmade to fit his imposing physique and the solid platinum and gold watch on his left wrist, Sam exuded everything in a guy that usually made her wary yet she found herself nodding anyway.

       "Come.  We will go."

       Before she could move he'd whisked her suitcase away and was heading to the waiting taxi, his long strides eating up the footpath.

       Hoping she was doing the right thing and too tired to care one way or the other she followed him, taking the time to admire the flattering fit of his charcoal grey pinstripe suit and the impressive way he held himself, with casual grace underlined by power. 

       She may be tired but she wasn't dead and when he reached the taxi and swivelled to face her, appearing surprised she hadn't kept up, she quickly raised her gaze from where it had been hovering around his butt and forced a smile, hoping he couldn't see the surge of uncharacteristic heat in her cheeks.

       From "THE DESERT PRINCE'S PROPSAL" by Nicola Marsh

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