The Outback Wedding Takeover

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Heat whooshed into her cheeks, a sure sign that he’d hit a nerve that was pulsing with vulnerability. He smiled, wondering how tempted she was, though he spoke to dispel her unease.

‘You’re wearing a ring, Kathryn. You can count on my respecting it. Okay?’

The light mockery goaded her into accepting safe refuge with him. ‘Okay,’ she echoed on a long expulsion of obviously held breath. ‘If you don’t mind, I think it will be less fuss all around if I simply stay with you overnight.’

‘Best if you remain in my house tomorrow, as well,’ he pressed. ‘Take a sick day from work. By tomorrow night there should be safeguards in place so you can resume your normal life.’

‘All right,’ she agreed, her beautiful green eyes glittering brightly above the scarlet cheeks.

He’d won, Mitch thought exultantly. She’d moved onto his ground. And she wasn’t married yet. Her agreement could very well mean she was interested in finding out more about him, exploring the territory. Within limitations, Mitch forcefully reminded himself. The ring was still on her finger.

Still, his zest for life and all its challenges zoomed into overdrive. While he was waiting for Ric to call from Gundamurra, he took Kathryn through the scene Gary Chappel had made at the office, learning more about her and how she conducted herself in a crisis situation. Very cool and collected. Definitely not someone to be rolled over in a hurry. Yet she wasn’t so cool with him, Mitch happily reflected.

Was her relationship with Jeremy rock-solid, or could he give it a shake? Was it her own pride insisting on not making a fuss, or couldn’t she count on her fiancé to respond as he should? As much as Mitch wanted to believe the latter, it was clear that Kathryn Ledger was not a panic merchant and might simply be taking what she saw as a pragmatic course. Security was at hand in the person of Mitch Tyler. There was no need to bother her fiancé. The danger would be over by the time Jeremy walked back into her life.

All the same, Mitch couldn’t help feeling elated that she had chosen to spend tonight with him. The thought struck him—If I were her lover, I wouldn’t like this choice one bit. Yes, she was definitely playing with fire, and Mitch privately determined to stir the embers every which way he could, watching how the wind blew.

I’m playing with fire, Kathryn thought, feeling more and more unsettled by her decision to bypass Jeremy tonight and go with Mitch Tyler. It might have seemed a safe and sensible option but it wasn’t. Somehow he was making her question where she was in her life and why, and the answers didn’t feel so right anymore.

When the call came through from Ric Donato, diverting Mitch’s attention from her, she told herself she could still change her mind. Yet as she sat listening to the one-sided conversation, she found herself totally captivated by his handling of the situation.

There was no criticism of Ric’s actions. Mitch projected both sympathy and understanding for what had been done, and the strategy he outlined for involving Victor Chappel as a powerful restraining force on his son sounded good to Kathryn, as did the threat of negative publicity which would automatically accompany legal action if the restraint didn’t hold.

She was particularly touched by the gentle tone he used when he rather hesitantly remarked, ‘Patrick said…this is your Lara…from the old days.’

The old days… Kathryn wondered what the history was—how these men and Lara Chappel were connected, Ric Donato’s enduring caring for her and their empathy for what he felt.

The conversation moved on to Kathryn’s safety with Mitch, relating that her fiancé was away and she’d be spending the night with him. Ric asked to speak with her and she ended up promising him she’d do precisely what was planned. Too late to change her mind now. She felt caught up in a juggernaut of action that had to be followed.

Listening to Mitch elicit the information he needed from Lara Chappel was another fascinating experience—a sharp legal mind at work, yet the cross-examination was done sympathetically. Kathryn wasn’t sure if this manner of his was simply clever or genuinely sincere, but she couldn’t help being impressed by Mitch Tyler’s sensitivity to others’ feelings—his humanity in a field she would have thought was driven by ego.

On the other hand, she was sure he played to win. It was unimaginable that he wouldn’t be a winner—the force of his energy overriding any opposition. If he was representing her in court, she’d have every confidence in his ability to gain whatever outcome was needed. But that was his professional life. What of his private one?

Clearly he couldn’t be living with a woman or he wouldn’t have offered her a room for the night in his home. He had a married sister and was obviously on good terms with her. No friction in his family as there was in Jeremy’s where everyone was hitting off each other, intensely competitive.

She didn’t like their habit of putting each other down. Winning meant too much to them. Though it certainly made them top performers in their fields, which was admirable. And as her mother had said, no doubt Jeremy would make a good provider as a husband.

He’d been very successful as a dealer in a merchant bank, drove a BMW Roadster, wore designer clothes, and his penthouse apartment at Pyrmont was very classy. If this next career step—becoming a partner in a very high profile financial services company—came off, he’d assured Kathryn they’d be set for life, riding high, nothing to worry about.

Except… Mitch Tyler had made her question how much Jeremy really cared about her. She’d justified his priorities in her mind, yet her heart felt oddly torn right now. Looking back over their relationship, hadn’t she been the one to make all the adjustments, all the compromises?

She came from a caring family and it was natural to her to give what was needed, to create and maintain a happy atmosphere. But if something she needed clashed with Jeremy’s ambition, his drive to be number one…would he drop everything to rescue her from a bad situation, as Ric Donato had done for Lara Chappel?

Here she was, staying with Mitch Tyler because she didn’t want to put Jeremy to that test. Because…didn’t she know in her heart he would fail it? Whereas all her instincts were telling her Mitch Tyler wouldn’t. He was like Ric in that sense. Caring with passion. Caring that knew no limits. And Kathryn found herself fiercely wanting to be the object of such caring.

‘Hungry?’ Mitch shot at her from where he stood by the fax machine, waiting for Lara Chappel’s written authorisation to act for her.

She glanced at her watch. Almost seven o’clock. Where had the time gone? ‘I’m fine,’ she said. ‘What are we going to do about dinner?’

‘I’ve got beef strips in the fridge, ready for a stir-fry. Won’t take long to cook.’

‘You cook?’

‘Don’t you?’ he asked.

‘Yes, but…obviously you work long hours. I thought…’ He’d be like Jeremy, preferring to eat out. Though, of course, in these circumstances, going to a public restaurant was not a good idea. It wasn’t as safe as having a private dinner…just the two of them…alone together.

Kathryn took a deep breath, trying to quell the uncomfortable sense of being disloyal to Jeremy. There was no denying Mitch Tyler was different but she shouldn’t be comparing, shouldn’t feel excited by the prospect of spending an evening with this incredibly mesmerising man.

‘I like to cook,’ he went on. ‘It’s relaxing. And I like to go home after a long day at work.’ He threw a grin at her. ‘Trust me. I’m a good cook. Though I’ll let you help if you want to.’

‘Okay.’ She smiled back, quite charmed by the idea of preparing a meal together. A harmless activity, she decided. Nothing Jeremy could criticise.

The fax came through. Mitch filed it, then arranged for a courier to take the photograph with an accompanying request for a meeting to Victor Chappel. Satisfied that he’d set the ball rolling for a successful outcome, he called a taxi and by the time he and Kathryn emerged from his chambers, the car was waiting for them.

He held the passenger door open for her and waited until she was settled in her seat before getting in beside her. Sharing the suddenly enclosed space with him instantly set Kathryn’s pulse racing. He was a big man with a heart-joltingly powerful presence, and far too attractive for her peace of mind. Feeling absurdly nervous about being with him, she fumbled with her seat belt, unable to fit it correctly into its locking slot.

‘Let me,’ he murmured, leaning over to help.

Rather than appear hopelessly inept she surrendered the task to him and instantly caught a whiff of some seductive male cologne as his face came closer to hers. She stared at his jawline, noting he had a five o’clock shadow and thinking he probably had hair on his chest, too. Would it be thick like the hair on his head, like his eyelashes?

‘There. All fastened,’ he said, the thick lashes lifting, his eyes locking onto hers, smiling eyes that simmered with warm pleasure in this simple act of looking after her, ensuring her safety.

Or was it more than that?

Her heart was galloping.

‘Thank you.’ She had to push out the words. They were barely a whisper.

‘You’re welcome,’ he answered—a reply that anyone could have made. Yet somehow it seemed to encompass the sense that she was welcome in his life. He wanted her there. And it stirred in Kathryn a disturbingly strong desire to be there, too. Which she tried to dismiss as crazy. They’d only just met today. And she was committed to spending the rest of her life with Jeremy Haynes!

Mitch forced himself to settle back in his seat before he did the unforgiveable and kissed those very kissable lips. He’d given his word that she could trust him to act honourably, so any kind of sexual contact was out. Best not to touch her. Or even get too close. He had to keep temptation at bay, concentrate on mind games. Though he didn’t want to play games with her, either. He wanted…to immerse himself in Kathryn Ledger and all that she was.

‘What’s your fiancé’s name?’ he asked, a streak of jealousy provoking him into finding out more about his rival. ‘Jeremy…?’

‘Haynes.’

Mitch had never heard of him. ‘Where do you live with him?’

‘Pyrmont. An apartment overlooking the harbour.’

The guy had money then. Which was to be expected. Kathryn was quite a high flyer herself, running Ric’s company in Sydney when he was overseas.

‘Actually, the block of apartments does have security,’ she added. ‘You need a card to get into the elevator. If you just took me home…’

‘No.’ He flashed her a commanding look. ‘Being alone is not a good idea.’

She was fiddling with her ring again, not looking at him.

Mitch cursed himself for reminding her of the man she planned to marry. ‘I promised Ric I’d take care of you, Kathryn,’ he quickly pressed.

She shook her head slightly, heaved a sigh, then ruefully conceded, ‘And I promised him I’d go with you.’

‘Is that such a hardship?’ he half-mocked.

She grimaced. ‘I’m sorry. I guess I sound ungracious. It’s very kind of you to offer me the hospitality of your home.’

‘It’s not about kindness, Kathryn,’ he whipped in, hating the remote politeness of her words.

‘I know.’ She flashed a wry glance at him. ‘It would be easier if you were more…’

‘More what? I’ll try to oblige,’ he promised, attempting to tease her out of her withdrawal.

‘Older, fatherly, ugly, or just plain obnoxious,’ she threw at him in an exasperated rush.

His heart danced with sheer joy. She was admitting an attraction. Beyond any doubt now. A wicked grin broke out. ‘I can certainly be obnoxious if it will make you feel more comfortable.’

She laughed, a nervous little gurgle. ‘I don’t think play-acting will do it. In fact…’ Her eyes were seriously curious. ‘…I’d like you to tell me about yourself. Your family. You mentioned a married sister.’

She wants to know me.

Normally Mitch didn’t talk about his personal background. Who he was now—a barrister building a formidable reputation with every court appearance—seemed sufficient in itself for most people. If it wasn’t, he simply declined to give out information that was none of their business. Yet it was different with Kathryn. He only had this one night to forge a bond that would hopefully overshadow whatever she had with her fiancé.

So he told her about Jenny, how she’d taken on the responsibility of caring for their disabled mother after their father had deserted them, how they’d managed on a social services pension, supplemented by handcrafts done by his mother and whatever Mitch could earn from a paper-boy run and cleaning cars—any jobs he could get after school hours. Tutoring had paid well, when he’d got older.

They’d been a tight-knit little family. Jenny had eventually trained as a nurse and married a doctor who currently had a practice at Gosford, on the Central Coast. Their mother had died of a stroke soon after the wedding, six years ago. Jenny now had a son and a daughter, both beautiful children.

He didn’t mention the rape or the assault that had taken him to Gundamurra. That was deeply private, both to him and Jenny. Neither of them ever spoke of it. She’d moved past it, was happy in her life, and Mitch was content with that. Though he’d never forget it himself. One day he might tell Kathryn…if they ever reached that point of intimacy.

The taxi pulled up in front of his house. Woollahra was an old suburb of Sydney, fashionable now because of its proximity to the city centre, but most of the houses were of terrace construction, as they were in Surry Hills which had been considered almost a slum area with very cheap rentals in his boyhood. Though that had changed, too, for the same reason—close to the CBD, renovations upgrading the real estate.