you are man enough to accept the challenge.’
The air bristled with tension for all of ten seconds. Then Sam took two powerful steps forward, his brows low and dark-eyed, his legs moving from the hips in one smooth movement. Driven. Powerful.
And, before Amber had a chance to complain or slip away, Sam splayed one hand onto her hip and drew her closer to him. Hip to hip.
Amber’s breath caught in her throat as his long clever fingers pressed against the thin silk of her dress as though it was not there. She could feel his hot breath on her face as she inhaled a scent that more than anything else she had seen or experienced today whipped her right back to being held in Sam’s arms. It was car oil, polish, man sweat, dust and ambition and all Sam. And it was totally, totally intoxicating.
His gaze locked onto her eyes. Holding her transfixed.
‘Bambi, I am man enough for anything that you have to offer me,’ Sam whispered in a voice which was almost trembling with intensity, one corner of his mouth turned up into a cheeky grin as though he knew precisely what effect he was having on her blood pressure. And there was not one thing she could do about it.
Then, just like that, he stepped back and released her, and it took a lot to stay upright.
And then he winked at her.
‘See ya tomorrow—’ he smiled with a casual lilt in his voice ‘—looking forward to it.’
‘No Mother. Seriously. I don’t need another expert medical opinion. Every specialist I have seen recommends six months’ recovery time. Yes, I am sure your friend in Miami is excellent but I am not pushing my wrist by trying to practice before it is ready.’
Amber closed her eyes and gave her virtuoso violinist mother two more minutes of ranting about how foolish she was to throw away her career before interrupting. ‘Mum, I love you but I have to go. Have a great cruise. Bye.’
Amber closed the call, strolled over to the railing of her penthouse apartment and looked out over London. The silvery River Thames cut a wide ribbon of glistening water through the towering office blocks of glass and exposed metal that clung to the riverbanks. Peeking out between the modern architectural wonders were the spires and domes of ancient churches and imposing carved stone buildings that had once been the highlights of the London landscape.
Even five storeys up, the hustle and bustle of traffic noise and building work drifted up to the penthouse, creating the background soundtrack to her view of modern city life.
Everywhere she looked she saw life and energy and the relentless drive for prosperity and wealth. Investment bankers, city traders and financial analysts jostled on the streets below her on the way to their computer trading desks. Time was money.
The contrast to the tiny beachside orphanage in Kerala where Parvita was celebrating her wedding could not be greater.
The seaside village where the girls’ orphanage was based had running water and electricity—most of the time.
She would love to go back and see them again. One day. When she was not so terrified of catching another life-threatening infection.
A cold shiver ran across Amber’s shoulders and she pulled her cashmere tighter across the front of her chest.
Heath and her mother were right about one thing. As always. Even if she wasn’t scared, she could raise more income for the orphanage by staying in London or Boston or Miami and fund-raising than risk returning to Kerala, where she had caught meningitis only a few months earlier.
Now all she had to do was come up with a way of doing precisely that.
Not by playing the piano. That was for sure.
No matter how much her mother nagged her to reconsider and plan a comeback concert tour. A year ago she might have gone along with it and started rigorous training but that part of her life was over now.
Wiped away by meningitis and a few months of enforced bed rest when she had to ask some hard questions about the life she was living and how she intended to spend it in the future.
Amber closed her eyes and inhaled and exhaled slowly a couple of times. No going back, girl. No going back. Only forward. This was her new start. Her new beginning.
The sun was warm on her face and when she opened her eyes the first thing she saw was the braided cord bracelet that Parvita had made and woven onto her right wrist that last day she was at the orphanage.
She was so lucky.
Heath and her mother loved her and that was what she had to focus on. Not their nagging. She would go back to Boston and start work with the fund-raising committee for Parvita. Benefit concerts were always popular and between her mother and their network of professional musicians they could pull together some top name soloists who could raise thousands for the charity.
This was her chance to do something remarkable. And she was going to grab hold of it with both hands and cling on tight, no matter how bumpy the road ahead was.
First hurdle? Talking to Sam.
Amber glanced at her wristwatch and a fluttering sensation of apprehension blended with excitement bubbled up from deep inside. In another place and time she might have said that the thought of seeing him again face to face was making her nervous. That was totally ridiculous. This was her space and he was here to help her out, as he had promised.
This was not the time to get stage fright.
She was an idiot.
They had agreed to make a trade. His time in exchange for one interview. Nothing more. What else could there be?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a petite bundle of energy.
‘One good thing came out of that whole school reunion fiasco.’ Kate laughed and threw her arms around Amber’s waist. ‘The three of us haven’t been in the same city at the same time for far too many years. And that is a disgrace. So all hail school reunions.’
Amber laughed out loud and stepped back to clink her mug of coffee against Kate’s. ‘With you on that. I still cannot believe that it’s the middle of May already. April was just a blur.’
Kate groaned and slumped into the patio chair facing Amber. ‘Tell me about it. London might be suffering from the economic recession but bespoke tailoring is booming and I have never been so busy. It’s great. Really great. But wow, is it exhausting.’
‘Well, here is something to keep you going.’ Saskia Elwood came out from Amber’s penthouse apartment with a tray of the most delicious-looking bite-sized snacks, which she wafted in front of Amber. ‘Test samples for your birthday party. I need you to taste them all and tell me which ones you like best.’
Kate half rose out of her chair. ‘Hey, don’t I get to try them too? I could scoff the lot. And breakfast was hours ago.’
‘You’re next but the birthday girl has first pick. Besides, she needs fattening up a bit. What did they feed you in that hospital, anyway? I can’t have you coming to my dining room looking all pale and scrawny.’
Amber munched away on a mini disc of bacon and herb pizza and made humming sounds of appreciation before speaking between bites. ‘No appetite. It was so hot and I was asleep most of the time. And the food certainly wasn’t as good as this. These are fantastic.’
‘Thought you would like it and there are lots more to come. So tuck in.’
Kate snatched a tiny prawn mayo sandwich and chewed it down in one huge bite before sighing in pleasure. ‘Oh, that is so good. Amber DuBois, it was a genius idea to have your birthday party at Saskia’s house.’
‘It was the very least I could do. Ten years is a long time and all three of us have come a long way,’ Amber replied and raised her coffee as a toast. ‘I