She heard an impatient sigh beside her and a male hand, palm upwards, came into her vision. She didn’t stop to think that this was Adam Wild offering her comfort, that he was the man she had taken an instant dislike to; all that mattered right now was that he understood how she felt and was trying to help her.
Her hand crept into his much larger one, his long tapered fingers closing about hers. His thumb rubbed rhythmically over the back of her’ hand, soothing away some of her panic and making her feel secure when moments ago she had felt near to hysteria.
‘Thank you,’ she said huskily once they had come to a standstill outside the airport building. ‘I—Thank you,’ she repeated weakly.
‘Don’t mention it.’ Already he was standing up to depart. ‘I won’t ask any payment for it, so you can stop looking worried.’
Colour flooded her cheeks. ‘I didn’t think you would! And I wasn’t looking worried.’
‘Then perhaps you ought to,’ he remarked with humour. ‘Your sister and her boy-friend have just departed down the other aisle.’
Katy turned startled grey eyes to see he was in fact correct. Gemma and Gerald hadn’t even told her they were going, and now they were almost out of the plane. She scrambled to her feet, almost falling over in her panic.
A hand came out to grasp her elbow. ‘Calm down,’ Adam Wild advised her. ‘They won’t have got far. It usually takes some time to get through Customs. Come on,’ he pulled her out into the aisle beside him, ‘I’ll take you through.’
‘There’s no need——’
‘There’s every need,’ he insisted. ‘During our brief acquaintance I’ve come to realise that you’re incapable of doing anything without something going wrong.’
‘That isn’t true——’
‘I don’t have the time to argue, Katy. Nearly everyone else is off the plane. Now, come on.’
Katy let herself be led towards the exit, furious with her sister and Gerald for leaving her at the mercy of this sarcastic man.
The air hostess who had served them during their flight was standing at the doorway. ‘I hope you both enjoyed your flight,’ she smiled at them both, although the smile was brighter as her gaze rested on Adam Wild. ‘I hope you weren’t too uncomfortable, Mr Wild. I’m sorry there were no first class seats available.’
‘That’s all right,’ he returned the smile with lazy charm. ‘I just needed a seat, I didn’t care where.’ He manoeuvred Katy so that they departed together, striding along and pulling her with him.
‘So you did try to get in first class,’ she accused in a fierce whisper.
He shrugged. ‘I tried.’
‘You do realise that the hostess was one of those girls making an offer,’ Katy scorned, having trouble keeping up with his pace, but the hand on her arm not allowing her to lag behind.
‘Too flat-chested,’ he dismissed callously. ‘A beautiful face, charming manner, but no bust.’
Katy became angry for the other girl. ‘How would you like it if you were discarded because you had too little—too little———’ She couldn’t think of a male equivalent, at least, not one she could say to this man!
He looked down at her, one eyebrow arched mockingly. ‘Too little …?’ he prompted tauntingly.
‘If you were found lacking!’ she amended crossly.
He shrugged. ‘I’ve had no complaints so far,’ he told her calmly.
‘Well, really!’ Katy pulled away from him to join one of the queues of people waiting to pass through the Canadian passport control.
She was immediately pulled out of the queue to stand beside Adam Wild. ‘Not that one,’ he told her. ‘Not unless you have a Canadian passport. You don’t, do you?’
‘You know I don’t!’ She glared at him with angry grey eyes.
‘Then you won’t get very far standing there. It happens to be for Canadian citizens only.’
‘Well, I didn’t know that!’
‘You do now.’ He looked down at her. ‘What hotel are you staying at in Calgary?’
She eyed him suspiciously. ‘Why?’
‘So that I know which area to avoid on my way through.’ He gave a throaty chuckle at the indignation on her face. ‘You have to admit, you’re a bit of a disaster.’
‘I admit no such thing. Just because I’ve made a few mistakes——’
‘A few!’ he scorned. ‘You can’t seem to do anything without getting into trouble.’
‘I can,’ she defended. ‘But this is my first time on an aeroplane. I was nervous, frightened on occasion,’ she said with remembered embarrassment. ‘I think that’s ample excuse for those few mistakes I made.’
He shook his head impatiently. ‘Your first time in the air and you choose to fly to Canada!’ He gave her a scathing glance. ‘You could have been sick for the whole of the flight. I suppose I would have had to cope with that too,’ he finished disgustedly.
‘I didn’t ask for your help. I could have managed perfectly well on my own.’
‘Oh sure,’ he scorned. ‘You’re the epitome of cool efficiency.’
Hot colour entered her creamy cheeks. ‘And you’re the arrogant bighead I would have expected you to be! Just because I’m a little inexperienced about dealing with airport officials and——’
‘Inexperienced!’ he mocked. ‘You’re like a babe in arms. And it looks as if your sister has already gone through. Will she wait for you?’
‘Of course she will!’ Katy was still angered by her sister’s desertion of her. Some holiday this was going to be if Gemma and Gerald were going to keep leaving her out like this!
‘I hope so,’ the man at her side said grimly, ‘because I simply don’t have the time to help you out of another disaster. I’m being met.’
‘You have friends in Canada?’
‘A few,’ he nodded.
‘Female friends,’ she said knowingly.
‘Some,’ Adam Wild smiled.
‘Will she mind my being with you?’
‘She——? Oh, I’m not being met by a she, Katy. And I’m sure Jud won’t mind seeing you with me, in fact he’ll probably enjoy it.’
‘I see.’
‘Disappointed?’ he bent his head to whisper against her earlobe. ‘Would you have enjoyed being the cause of trouble between a girl-friend and myself?’
‘I might have done.’ Katy’s head was back challengingly.
He shook his head, smiling. ‘Why on earth you were blessed with such tranquil grey eyes I’ll never know. They’re at complete variance with your stormy nature.’
‘I don’t have a stormy nature,’ she snapped, immediately contradicting the statement. Blushing, she turned away.
Once they had shown their passports and collected their luggage, Katy’s brand new case, and Adam Wild’s battered holdall, they made their way outside to the curiously empty airport.
A tall man with deep red hair and laughing blue eyes detached himself