“Yeah, but come on,” he pleaded. “I saved your life.”
“That man didn’t attack me,” she snapped. “He tried to steal my money, that’s all.”
“But you fell over.”
“I slipped over, all by myself, when I was chasing him.”
“Yeah, and I tackled him and got your money back.”
“And I was—Iamappreciative—but I thought you trying to help was simply what a decent human being would do. I didn’t realise it came with strings attached.”
He muttered something under his breath, but she was growing angry.
Her eyes tapered. “You really think that your actions—which should be what any good person would do—means that I need to repay you?”
Again he muttered something she could not quite hear.
“You’re entirely mistaken to suppose I’ve given you any thought except as an acquaintance and as a potential investor.”
His jaw swung. “Are you serious?”
“Completely,” she snapped, her arms folded as she glanced out the windscreen.
Relief filled her as she recognised some of the surrounding buildings. Good. She could easily make her way home.
“Please unlock the door. I want to get out.” No way did she want this man knowing exactly where she lived.
“But it’s dark.”
“I’ll take my chances.” Better the unknown than this man she had no wish to further know.
He unlocked the doors, and she hastily unclipped her seat belt, grasping her bag and materials.
“Don’t think I’m ever going to invest in your app,” he snarked.
“Don’t think I would ever want you to.” It might be a petty thing to say, but it was clear that they had very different ideas about what was right and wrong. “Goodbye, Neil.”
He muttered something else that made her slam the door shut, startling the security guard who stood nearby, outside the gate to Admiralty House.
“Everything okay there, miss?” he called, as Neil gunned the engine and exited with squealing tyres.
“Yes, thanks.”
It was now. But oh, how embarrassing. Had she really given Neil some kind of indication that she wanted his attention like that? If so, she really needed to work on what her face was saying. Clearly it was talking without her permission.
Her high heels bit into her toes, pinching her feet, and soon she was limping as she hurried past house after expensive harbourside house, most of which these days had been renovated and divided into apartments and flats just like hers. Light from uncurtained windows splashed colour on the road.
Her phone rang, and she saw it was Jordan. Thank goodness. She couldn’t take another horrible man tonight. “Jordan?”
“EJ? Why do you sound like you’re panting?”
Clearly she really needed to rejoin the gym and work on her cardio exercise if that was the case. “I’m fine.”
“Are you home?”
“Almost.” She could see her apartment’s lights from here.
“So why are you panting?”
