The Outback Wedding Takeover

‘I wouldn’t be happy,’ she cut in emphatically.

‘So you want to keep your job, regardless of any threat Gary Chappel might pose?’

She glared at him. ‘You’re supposed to take care of that.’

‘Ah yes, the miracle worker,’ he drawled. ‘Ric plays knight to the rescue of his fair Lara, and I’m handed the job of slaying the dragon and keeping you safe.’ His eyes beamed hard relentless purpose at her. ‘And I will. I will keep you safe, Kathryn. But the legal moves will take a day or two and I’m just wondering how much your fiancé cares about you and your safety.’ One eyebrow lifted in challenge. ‘As much as Ric, taking his woman right out of reach?’

‘I’m not stupid. I can take care of myself,’ she protested.

‘Not against a man like Gary Chappel,’ came the flat retort. Then more softly, insidiously touching a raw memory, ‘How did you feel when he confronted you in your office?’

She shuddered.

Mitch Tyler instantly pounced on the response. ‘You were frightened.’

‘He was in a rage.’

‘Breathing fire. He not only has a lot of fire-power, Kathryn, but he has no conscience about using it. If Gary Chappel thinks you’re standing in his way…’

The telephone rang. Mitch Tyler snatched up the receiver and listened to the person on the other end of the line.

It was a relief to have his attention withdrawn from her, focused on something else. Kathryn reflected on what he’d said about Gary Chappel, whom she’d found a very scary man, having no regard whatsoever for appropriate or even reasonable behaviour. She’d managed to get rid of him once, but if he stormed into the office again…or came to her home…

A man who had his wife watched and followed…a battered wife…violence toward women…it was beginning to look very ugly to Kathryn. She remembered how he’d repeated her name, committing it to memory for further reference, his contemptuous manner toward her, the sense of threat.

‘Okay. So you’ve agreed to let Lara stay with you. That’s fine but Ric can’t stay, too.’

Mitch’s curt words broke Kathryn’s train of concern, alerting her to a new development.

‘There have already been aggressive moves made by Gary Chappel to recover his wife,’ he continued. ‘I have Ric’s executive assistant, Kathryn Ledger, here in my chambers, a protective move against further harassment in her office. In all fairness, Ric must become an open target for Chappel to pursue. Best if he flies out of the country as soon as possible—I mean tomorrow—get the heat off his Sydney office.’

Yes, Kathryn thought. She certainly didn’t want another encounter with Gary Chappel.

A pause for listening, then, ‘Get them both to call me when they arrive. I’ll talk to Ric first but I also need ammunition from Lara Chappel to make legal moves stick. I have a plan of action in mind but it will only work with Lara’s full co-operation.’

A plan of action… Kathryn breathed more easily. She instinctively had faith in Mitch Tyler’s ability to counter-punch anything. If anyone had the power to take on a problem and beat it, he did. Ric had trusted him with it. She did, too. And now that communication with the escaping couple could be reestablished, everything should be quickly settled.

Mitch put the receiver down. Kathryn tensed as his riveting gaze zeroed in on her again. ‘Do you live with your fiancé?’ he asked point-blank.

‘Yes.’

‘He’ll be at home with you tonight?’

She shook her head. ‘He’s in Melbourne on business. He won’t be home until tomorrow evening.’

‘You can’t be on your own, Kathryn. Not with Gary Chappel in a state of raging frustration. Believe me, I know what that man is capable of. Without some restraining force—and I can’t even begin to apply that until tomorrow—he’s a loose cannon.’ He gestured to the phone. ‘Want to call your fiancé? Ask him to fly back to Sydney this evening?’

While he was in the middle of negotiations for his future career in financial services? Calling him away from critical meetings to nurse-maid her? Because of something that had happened through her job? Which didn’t matter as much as his, given that he’d be the main source of financial support when they had children.

‘I don’t want to do that,’ she quickly decided. Jeremy would consider it totally unreasonable.

The blue eyes bored in. ‘Aren’t you more important to him than business?’

‘I can take care of myself,’ she asserted again.

‘You’re a woman…against a man with resources he’ll have no compunction in using to get his own way.’

Jeremy would blame her for getting involved with something that was not really her job, bringing trouble upon herself, messing everything up for him. ‘I can go to a hotel,’ she said, desperately seeking an alternative course.

Mitch Tyler shook his head. ‘If you won’t call your fiancé to come home and stand between you and any threat from Gary Chappel…you stay with me.’

Her heart skipped a beat. ‘Stay…with you?’ She could barely get the words out, her mouth had gone so dry.

‘Ric made me responsible for you. I take that responsibility very seriously.’

‘But…’

‘I have a house in Woollahra. It has a guest suite which my sister and her husband use when they come to Sydney. You will be safe with me, Kathryn.’

He wouldn’t allow anyone to get to her. She was sure of that. But safe with him? When he seemed to be driving stakes through her relationship with Jeremy with everything he said, everything he was?

I need to call Jeremy, she thought. Stop this now.

Yet she knew it would only cause an argument…in Mitch Tyler’s hearing…and he’d be making silent judgements…stirring her up even more…making her wish…

No.

Better that she did stay with him. If she was so strongly attracted to this man, and the attraction remained strong throughout the evening, maybe she shouldn’t be marrying Jeremy Haynes.

Kathryn looked down at the ring on her hand.

And the most troubling thing of all was…she wished she wasn’t wearing it.

CHAPTER THREE

MITCH’S whole body was buzzing with adrenaline. He’d thrown down the challenge and every nerve was keyed to piano-wire tension, waiting for which way Kathryn would jump. Her gaze had dropped to the ring on her finger.

Take it off, Mitch fiercely willed. If the guy won’t drop everything to look after you at a time of need, he’s not worthy of you.

He was tempted to screw the challenge up another notch, offer to speak to the man himself, make him aware that Kathryn was in serious danger. But that might be tipping the scales which were delicately balanced at the moment. She was not stupid. He’d spelled out what the situation was. The ball was in her court. If she chose to stay with him…well, that choice would be very telling, indeed.

‘I don’t want to interfere with Jeremy’s business,’ she said slowly.

His heart kicked with excitement as she lifted her gaze to his, her eyes returning a challenge that demanded he measure up to his own promises.

‘You claim I’ll be safe with you…’

His groin tingled. It was definitely a sexual challenge. Did she feel the attraction, too? He cocked an eyebrow at her. ‘Are you asking me if I’m a man of honour? If you can spend a night under my roof without my coming onto you?’