Burning with Passion

‘Mr Ross?’

Caitlin’s heart stopped dead. There was no mistaking that voice...the deep, penetrating timbre, the confident authority in it. But what was the owner of the voice doing outside her father’s room at The Last Retreat?

‘Yes,’ her father responded automatically.

‘I’m David Hartley...’

No possible mistake!

‘...Caitlin’s employer.’

Caitlin clenched her teeth. Not any more!

‘Ex-employer,’ he self-corrected.

Exactly!

‘And friend.’

Since when?

‘Caitlin is very deeply distressed.’

With good reason!

‘I wish to do everything I can do to sort the problem out!’

As a statement of intention, it sounded good. Her father would probably be taken in by it.

‘That’s very good of you, Mr Hartley.’

Her father was taken in by it.

Caitlin wasn’t.

She started to burn. There could be only one reason David Hartley was here. He wanted to get his own way, and he would leave her quite breathless with the sheer pace and audacity with which he attacked.

CHAPTER SIX

CAITLIN’S mind whirled. What had happened to the German delegation? Why had David rushed after her like this? He couldn’t be burning up all that badly. There was more to this than met the eye. She tried to think of some plan of action which would put David firmly in the place where he belonged. In hell!

‘I’m sorry I’m causing so much commotion, Mr Hartley,’ her father was saying. ‘I was simply doing what I thought best.’

Caitlin’s mind whirled again. Her father had no idea what David was talking about and had jumped to the wrong conclusion. Similarly, David had no idea what her father was talking about. Therefore, to Caitlin’s way of thinking, the situation could only get worse.

‘We need to get together,’ David asserted vigorously. ‘Get our synchronisation right. Going separate paths leads to nowhere. Or worse.’

‘It’s good of you to come all this way to tell me that,’ her father responded, ‘but I’m not sure I agree.’

‘Mr Ross, there are times in every man’s life when he is not on the same wavelength as his...er...partner. Both are not in step to the same tune. When this happens, we have to find the underlying cause and get solutions. I want a solution. Right now.’

Spoken with forceful resolution and followed by silence. Her father was undoubtedly impressed. It wasn’t surprising. David was impressive when he unleashed the dynamo of his personality. The fact that he and her father were talking about two entirely different things left something to be desired as far as mutual understanding went.

‘I don’t know, I’m sure,’ her father said, uncertainly. ‘I’ll see what Caitlin says.’

‘She’s here, isn’t she?’

‘Oh, yes, she’s here.’