Burning Obsession

Her violet eyes searched his face in questioning disbelief. ‘Are you suggesting we start again?’ she asked stiffly.

‘Yes,’ he confirmed huskily.

She flinched away from him, glaring her dislike. ‘You don’t need a wife, Jordan, you never did.’

There was a white ring of tension about his mouth. ‘I need you, Kelly,’ his voice was husky. ‘Only you.’

‘It’s a little late in the day to discover that,’ she told him coldly. ‘Now if you don’t mind I think I’ll go down and talk to my father. We aren’t being very good hosts. Are you coming down?’

‘In a minute.’ He didn’t look at her, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. ‘I’ll be down in a minute,’ he repeated jerkily.

‘Very well,’ Kelly left him.

If she had been weaker, if she didn’t have that conversation between Jordan and Angela Divine to remind her of his duplicity she might, almost, have been persuaded by his plea for a second chance. But if he could betray her once then he could do it again, and she wasn’t strong enough to leave him a second time.

Her father was drinking coffee when she entered the lounge, a weariness to him in repose that he made every effort to hide when with Jordan and herself. He looked older, with deep lines beside his nose and mouth; he had lost weight too, and Kelly’s heart went out to him.

He turned and saw her, and the ill look instantly disappeared. ‘I’m sorry, darling,’ he stood up to come over and put his arm about her shoulders. ‘Jordan explained to me that a baby is a sensitive subject to you right now, that he’d already been unreasonable about it by asking you to start a family straight away. I agree with you, darling, eighteen is far too young to be a mother.’

Anger blazed within her at Jordan’s excuse for her behaviour to her father. How dared he make it seem that she was the one who objected to having a family when he was the one—! ‘Much too young, Daddy,’ she agreed tightly.

Over lunch Kelly was brittlely gay, fooling her father, but not fooling Jordan for a moment. She ignored his studied glances, and talked happily to her father, leaving the house as soon as her father had gone to his room to rest.

‘Where are you going?’ Jordan caught up with her just as she was getting into her car.

‘Into town.’ She got in behind the wheel, fastening her seat-belt. ‘I told you I was going out.’

Jordan still held the car door open. ‘Where are you going? And don’t say into town again. I want to know exactly where in London you’re going.’

Kelly looked up at him with glittering violet eyes. ‘I’m going to see Maggie. I take it you do remember Maggie?’

His mouth twisted. ‘Very well.’

Kelly’s expression was one of taunting enjoyment. ‘I can see that you do.’

‘We always disliked each other intensely.’

‘Yes,’ she agreed with satisfaction.

‘I take it that’s why you choose to visit her. You can both sit and agree what a selfish bastard I am. I think that was what she called me the last time we met.’

Kelly frowned. ‘When was that? I don’t remember it ever coming to an exchange of abuse.’

‘That’s because you weren’t here. It was after you did your disappearing act. She didn’t realise you’d left me.’

‘I see. And she called you—that?’

‘Yes,’ Jordan confirmed. ‘So you should have an enjoyable afternoon.’

She smiled. ‘It would appear so. I’ll be back in time for dinner. She looked pointedly at his hand resting on the open door. ‘Would you mind?’

‘Certainly,’ and he stepped back.

Kelly’s mouth tightened as the familiar red Mini came down the driveway. ‘Your—secretary has arrived,’ she told Jordan tightly.

He smiled. ‘So she has.’

‘I’m so glad you won’t be lonely.’ Kelly’s sarcasm was unmistakable.