Yancie at that moment immediately recognised that she was about to drive past a service station. Lord knew when she might come across another one! There was no time to think, only to act. Quickly she spun the wheel and was already crossing into the next lane when a violently blasted car horn alerted her to the fact that she had very nearly rammed an Aston Martin.

Oh, grief. She'd noticed it earlier but, since the driver-with all that power under the bonnet-hadn't wanted to overtake, she'd stayed in the fast lane and had paid little more attention. But now she'd not time to apologize, only time to get out of trouble, and swiftly!

Fortunately, the driver of the Aston Martin reacted quickly and moved out of harm's way-and Yancie made it safely to the forecourt of the self-service petrol station.

She would have liked to blame her inattentive driving not only on the sudden realisation that she was driving on empty, but also on the fact that thinking of her mother and her two aunts was invariably upsetting. But she knew she had only herself to blame-she and she alone was at fault.

Yancie stepped out of the Mercedes, but had barely got the driver's door closed when the Aston Martin pulled in behind her and, breathing fire from every pore-if his expression was anything to go by-a tall, dark-haired man began heading her way. By the look of it, she was going to have to apologise!

And she might have done but-hold on a minute-her livelihood-not to mention this lovely job-was at stake here. She had no idea how these things worked, but if this immaculately suited man bearing down on her made a note of her registration number and reported her she could, ultimately, lose her job! In the wrong though she was, she just couldn't afford to admit it-to apologise.

'What the hell do you think you're playing at?' the man challenged aggressively the moment he was next to her, hard, unimpressed grey eyes flicking over her slender shape, taking in the brooch she wore-thank goodness she had covered up the firm's logo-you never knew who might recognise it!