Burning With Passion

Her hair was freshly washed and blow-dried into a gleaming cascade of waves. It brought out the gold streaks in the darker tawny mass. It also provided a strikingly sensual frame for what was an essentially feminine face, oval in shape and set on a long Nefertiti neck. Her eyes were large, deeply lidded and emphasised with finely arched brows. Her nose was small and straight, the slight flare of her nostrils balancing a generous mouth.

Caitlin had applied a soft and subtle make-up; only a fine touch of shadow and eyeliner to emphasise the green of her thickly lashed eyes, a barely discernible brush of colour to highlight her cheekbones, and a dusting of very expensive powder to give her skin a smooth lustre. The curves of her mouth were perfectly outlined with a tan lip-pencil and filled in with peach gloss.

She wore an elegant long-sleeved blouse in a soft cream voile with lace inserts running down the bodice. Her long button-through crêpe skirt was of a darker cream, slim-lined and fitted snugly to her small waist. Her stockings were of fine quality, her court shoes taupe suede to match her shoulder-bag.

She looked a picture of style, which was what David Hartley expected of her. As Caitlin walked up the steps to the main entrance of the Hartley building, the showroom manager hurried forward to open the door for her, casting an appreciative eye over her appearance and giving her a welcoming smile. ‘Good morning, Miss Ross,’ he said cheerfully.

She dredged up a smile. ‘Good morning, Mr Jordan.’ He was a slickly handsome man in his early forties, always a bit too effusive for Caitlin’s liking, but that probably went with being a top salesman. David did not employ second-rate staff.

He grinned. ‘May I wish you a very happy St Valentine’s Day. And lots of lovers!’

Caitlin barely stopped herself from wincing. The greeting was undoubtedly meant as today’s variation of ‘Have a nice day.’ Paul Jordan made it sound offensive.

‘Thank you,’ she said, and hurried past him into the foyer.

She didn’t so much as glance at the vast showroom that took up most of the ground floor. It was packed with state-of-the-art office furniture, all designed to accord with David Hartley’s specialised standards. These were directly related to his study of the engineering aspects of the relationship between workers and their environment. When it came to ergonomics, no one knew more about it, or had cornered the market more effectively.

Caitlin headed straight for the elevator that would take her to the administrative offices on the first floor. Jenny Ashton, the telephonist and receptionist, looked up from her desk. She was two years younger than Caitlin, a pretty blonde with an infectious smile. The smile broadened to full beam as though she was bursting with good news.

‘Hi, Jenny!’ Caitlin greeted her briefly and quickened her step. She didn’t have the time or the inclination for chat this morning.

‘Great day!’ Jenny returned, her brown eyes sparkling.

‘Sure,’ Caitlin agreed. She forced another smile. ‘Did your boyfriend give you something special?’ she asked in passing, trying to look pleased for her.

Jenny rolled her eyes expressively. ‘I’d certainly call it special.’

‘Good for you!’ Caitlin called back to her as she pressed the elevator button.

The door opened immediately. It was a relief to relax her facial muscles as she stepped into the compartment. Common sense argued that she should break with David right now. He was never going to give her what she wanted. To stay on as his assistant could only be a torment to her. She told herself he had dazzled her into a love-affair. Her eyes were now well and truly open, and she knew where it was all leading to. Nowhere!

The problem was, she was addicted to him. The thought of never again experiencing the wild passion they shared together sent a wave of empty desolation through her body. Nor were there jobs of this quality lurking around every corner. Would she ever get another that would match this one?

David emitted a charge of electricity that made even the most mundane work appear exciting and fulfilling. She felt his intensity and responded to it. Would she ever meet another man to match him?

Was she prepared to end the addiction...cold turkey?

The thought was depressing.

Feeling emotionally torn by the prospect, Caitlin stepped out of the elevator and walked to her office on automatic pilot. She checked her watch as she opened the door. It was precisely nine o’clock.

Her timing was perfect, not a minute early, not a minute late.

She sniffed in puzzlement. A sweet, rich scent seemed to permeate the room. She looked up, then stared in astonishment at the magnificent arrangement of red roses sitting on her desk. There had to be dozens of dark velvety buds beginning to unfurl into full bloom. Incredibly beautiful, marvellous, heart-kicking extravagance!

Warmth flooded through her veins. Red roses were for love. Red roses were for eternity.

David must have relented. He had seen the errors of his ways. He didn’t want to lose her. Maybe he did love her.

Or perhaps he had ordered the roses yesterday. Which was why he wouldn’t consider any change in his schedule today. He knew what was to be delivered this morning. He wanted her to be surprised by his gift of love.

Caitlin moved forward like a sleepwalker. Her mind was abuzz with exciting possibilities. Attached to the decorative basket from which the roses sprayed in luxurious splendour was a large and fabulously elaborate St Valentine’s Day card.

A red satin heart was outlined in lace and seed pearls. The card itself had a mother-of-pearl sheen and above the heart was a fat little cupid set in gold, shooting an arrow at a heart. Her heart!

Caitlin’s fingers trembled as she opened it. Her pulse raced with the hope that David had written something personal and meaningful, something that might indicate his real commitment to her.

The hope was somewhat deflated. Within a wreath of roses was printed ‘Be My Valentine’. No address to her. No signature. Only the single message of the card.

But that was something. It was an advance on what had gone before. A lilt of happiness dispelled the disappointment. It was certainly more than she had ever expected from David. He was not given to sentimentality. He did not celebrate anniversaries.

She grinned as the realisation struck her that Jenny and Mr Jordan had both seen the roses arrive. Jenny had probably shown the delivery person to her office. Did they realise that David would not put his name on the card? Did they even suspect what was going on between them?

He certainly wouldn’t hand-write anything on such a public gift. Other employees would see he was flagrantly breaking his own rules. That would not be good for morale. But she knew, and she was the only one who was meant to know. Their love-affair was a private thing. She would make certain it was kept that way.

Caitlin breathed in the wonderfully intoxicating scent, then with a happy sigh set about preparing for work. She hung her shoulder-bag on the coat-stand, grabbed her shorthand pad and pen from the top desk drawer, and headed for the door that led into David’s office.

It was amazing. Five minutes ago she would have approached this door with every muscle in her body twanging and twitching with tension. Now she was eager to face David again, delighted he had unbent so far for her sake. He understood. He had given her a pleasure that he wouldn’t care about for himself. It was a turning point, a concession, a gesture that proved he cared about her feelings.

She opened the door and breezed in, bubbling with new confidence. David’s eyes snapped up from the papers on his desk. There was a fractional tightening of his jaw. He had the gritty look of a man who had been placed in the front line of battle, determined not to be seen shirking his duty, but hating the position of vulnerability. His eyes bored into Caitlin; angry, distrustful, broodingly belligerent.

‘You’re late,’ he accused bitingly.

Caitlin barely repressed what was almost an irrepressible smile. Then it burst on to her lips like irradiating sunshine. ‘I was thinking of you.’

David looked taken aback by her response. He was uncertain of her. That was the problem. He didn’t like being uncertain of her, but he was. She had acted in an unpredictable manner this morning. He wasn’t sure which way she would jump now. His applecart had been upset, his sense of purpose and direction severely changed.

To Caitlin this was proof enough that she was important to him. She did have some influence over his thinking. This was not the time, however, to break any more of his rules. She was not supposed to be a recipient of roses from him, so it would be unwise to thank him openly for them until they were out of the office and away from work. Nevertheless, she could let him know her feelings without being direct.

‘I didn’t mean to hold you up, David,’ she said in quick apology, ‘but you’re full of surprises today.’ She looked at him meaningfully.

‘So, too, are you,’ came the somewhat uncertain reply.

She gave him another brilliant smile as she walked briskly forward and sat in the chair she used for taking dictation. Even looking as stern as he did, David was devastatingly handsome. He was wearing a navy-blue suit. It was the fashionable colour in the corporate world. It looked superb on David. A silk tie diagonally striped in red and navy and silvery grey was perfectly aligned on his white shirt. Very impressive. As he always was with business.

‘Ready when you are,’ she prompted.

He stared at her for ever so long, as though weighing her present mood against the crackling hostility that had burst upon him earlier. He did not relax and smile, but his expression softened.

‘The German delegation will be here in less than an hour,’ he stated, perhaps as a reminder of how unreasonable she had been in asking him to take the day off.

‘I’m sorry about this morning,’ she said, letting him know she was in a far more reasonable frame of mind now.

‘So am I,’ he murmured reasonably, and immediately came back to business. ‘The delegation desperately want the licence to manufacture, but they’ll try to work the price down by finding faults in our design.’

‘I know this deal is important to you,’ Caitlin added, reassuring him of her complete co-operation. It made her happy to think he was genuinely sorry for their earlier contretemps.

His brows lowered. His eyes sharply probed hers. ‘Are you concentrating on what I’m saying?’

‘Every word. All the unsaid ones, too.’ She smiled again to show there were absolutely no hard feelings left on her side.

His face took on a wary expression. He rapped out his instructions as though testing her shorthand speed. ‘Arrange for Paul Jordan to come in and announce that we have the Sutherland contract. That’s to be half an hour after we start. Make sure his timing is perfect. When I want you to come and sit in on the meeting and take notes, I’ll buzz you on the phone.’

‘Fine,’ she said, her pen flashing over her notepad.

He seemed bemused momentarily. ‘Is the boardroom fully prepared?’

‘I haven’t checked it yet. I’ll do that immediately.’

Caitlin rose to her feet with crisp efficiency. She was in such buoyant spirits that her walk to the door was unconsciously jaunty.

‘Wait!’

She swung around, her eyes brightly expectant. Anything David asked her to do she would carry out to the very best of her ability. She would most certainly be an assistant he would be proud to present in front of the German del-egation.

He appeared to be wrestling with some private dilemma. She could feel tension flowing from him, swirling around her. His penetrating blue eyes were intensely concentrated on hers, as though trying to read her mind.

‘I want to say...’ He paused, cleared his throat. ‘How much I appreciate...’ Again he stopped, seeming lost for words.

‘Understood,’ Caitlin responded, realising he was trying to bridge the awkward gap left by their previous parting. ‘I do, too.’

‘What?’

‘Appreciate the...uh...what you’re trying to say.’

He weighed that for a moment, then looked relieved. ‘Well, as long as everything’s working out all right...’

‘Yes. I hope it is.’ A new dance was definitely in progress, although where it would lead was by no means settled yet.

‘Good!’ He nodded his approval. The apples were back on his cart.

Caitlin had a moment’s disquiet. She recollected his cynical taunt, ‘Barter-time, is it?’ Were the roses simply a timely gift to keep her sweet? Caitlin didn’t like the thought at all. She brushed it aside, not wanting to spoil her pleasure in the gift. Besides, David had returned his attention to the papers on his desk and it behoved her to get about her busi-ness immediately.

CHAPTER THREE

CAITLIN set out everything that might be required on the boardroom table, then zipped back to her office to put in a call to Paul Jordan before heading to the kitchen to load up a traymobile with the usual refreshments.

The call to Jordan was deferred by the arrival of a delivery boy with another gift basket for her.

Caitlin was stunned by the contents. Nestled in a froth of red ribbons were a heart-shaped box of hand-made Swiss chocolates, and an enormously expensive set of Beautiful toiletries by Estee Lauder. These included perfume, skin lotion, bath oil and talcum powder. Most amazingly and endearingly of all, there was also a soft toy puppy.

Of all the soft toy animals David might have chosen, that was the second-best. The perfect choice for her would have been a pony, but Caitlin couldn’t remember having ever talked about Dobbin to him. Therefore he wouldn’t, couldn’t, know any better.

Surprises were certainly coming thick and fast this morning! Caitlin’s head was spinning with them. It was the way David did things, turning situations around so quickly. He was leaving her breathless and utterly enthralled by what he could do when he set his mind to it.

She suddenly realised time was slipping by. She postponed the call to Paul Jordan and raced to the office kitchen. Coffee, tea, milk, cream, plain and fancy biscuits and mixed sandwiches from catering were mandatory. By five minutes to ten it was all in the boardroom, ready for her to serve when needed. She had barely returned to her office when Jenny called to announce the arrival of the German delegation. Caitlin buzzed David, then went to meet the visitors at reception and escort them to the boardroom.

She carried out her duties with the charm David expected of her. Once everyone was settled around the table, she was free to prime Paul Jordan with what was expected of him. She would drag the Sutherland contract out of the filing system. Paul might as well take that with him.

David smiled at her as she left the boardroom. She hugged the smile to her heart, drifting back to her office on a cloud of happiness.

She couldn’t resist dabbing some Beautiful on. It was wonderful perfume, well named. She hadn’t been in the mood to bother with perfume this morning. She was now. She hoped David would recognise and appreciate the scent when she sat near him to take notes of the meeting. This was turning out to be a lovely morning, a really beautiful morning.

The phone rang just as she reached for it. Caitlin lifted the receiver, intending to take a very quick message so she could call Paul Jordan straight afterwards.

‘Caitlin?’ Her mother’s voice.

‘Hi, Mum! Happy wedding anniversary! How’s everything going for the party? Anything you need?’

The sound of sobbing. ‘Mum, what’s wrong?’

More sobbing. ‘Mum, please, please, please tell me what’s happened.’

‘There isn’t going to be a party.’

Caitlin was staggered. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. ‘Why?’ she asked, then collected her wits sufficiently to enquire, ‘Why not?’

‘Your father...’ Her mother’s voice quavered. She burst into more tears.

Caitlin’s worst fears were aroused. Her father had a history of heart disease. ‘Tell me the worst,’ she said bravely.

‘He...he...he...’

‘Yes, yes, yes?’ Caitlin prompted.

‘He walked out on me!’

Caitlin’s head spun. This wasn’t making sense at all. ‘What do you mean—he walked out on you?’

‘I mean what I said!’ her mother replied, a touch of asperity in her voice. She didn’t like to be contradicted or have her communications misunderstood.

Caitlin used her most sympathetic voice. ‘He couldn’t do that to you.’

‘Thirty years of looking after him hand and foot,’ her mother wailed. ‘I’m disgusted at what he’s done. I’ll never forgive him. Never! Even if he is your father.’

‘There must be a reason,’ Caitlin soothed gently. ‘Perhaps if I talk to him.’

‘You can’t do that,’ her mother snapped peremptorily.

‘Why not?’

‘I don’t know where he’s gone to.’

‘He can’t go too far without money,’ Caitlin suggested.

‘Oh, he’s got money. Too much of it, if you ask me. He’s been secretly hoarding everything I gave him without telling me what he was doing.’

‘Mum, there has to be a way.’

‘Oh, there’s a way,’ her mother said grimly between sniffles. ‘He’s done this as a symbol. When I catch up with him, I’ll give him a symbol. I’ll kill him!’

‘Mum, let me think about this.’ Caitlin had the feeling that time was passing very rapidly. She still had to get in touch with Paul Jordan. ‘Can I get back to you?’

‘There’s no need, Caitlin. I’m on my own. After thirty years of suffering through your father’s moods, this is all the thanks I get. There isn’t going to be a wedding anniversary party tonight. There’s nothing for you to do. There’s nothing anyone can do.’

Caitlin had had no idea that her parents’ marriage had been cracking up. On her recent visits home, her father had occasionally been somewhat withdrawn about her mother’s current projects and plans, but there had been no indication of a serious falling out. After all the years they had spent together, surely there was some meeting ground left?

‘Mum...Mum...’ Caitlin tried to catch her mother’s attention.

‘Everything’s ruined. It’ll be the talk of the town!’ her mother cried.

And that, Caitlin thought, was probably the crux of the matter. Her mother had always worried too much about what others thought. ‘I’ll do my best to patch things up,’ Caitlin said on a rueful sigh.

‘My life is in tatters, Caitlin. Totally and irretrievably ruined.’

Caitlin tried to give a glow of hope. ‘Somehow it will turn out right.’

‘No, it won’t.’ Her mother gave another wail of absolute distress and despair, and hung up.

Caitlin ran through a mental list of places where her father might have stormed off to. Before she recollected the important business tactic she had to set in motion, the door to her office opened and in strode David Hartley, emitting enough sparks to start a conflagration.

Caitlin’s mind exploded in horror. Time had passed too quickly. It was now too late to call Paul Jordan!

David came to an abrupt halt. He glared at the splendid arrangement of red roses. He glared at the beribboned basket containing the puppy and the chocolates and the luxurious toiletries. His glare swung back to the roses, fastening even more fiercely on the elaborate Valentine Card. Finally, he fired bolts of blue fire straight at Caitlin.

‘What the hell is going on out here?’

Caitlin started guiltily from her chair. ‘Nothing.’

‘Well, something has been going on in there.’ David pointed to the boardroom. ‘The delegation is not only muttering about alleged design flaws, they’ve been talking to Crawley.’

Michael Crawley was David’s main rival. The mere mention of his name was enough to set David aflame. There was litigation pending between the two companies over patent infringements.

‘I’m sorry...’

‘I’ve been trying to contact you for the last twenty minutes,’ he grated. ‘Your line has been tied up. You’ve made me look like a first-class idiot.’

She flushed. ‘My mother called.’

He looked at her incredulously. ‘Where’s Jordan?’

Caitlin tried to think of an appropriate reply.

His gaze flashed savagely to the roses, then back to her fiery cheeks. ‘Did your mother send the roses?’

‘No. You did,’ she reminded him.

He looked at her as though she had gone stark raving mad. ‘I did no such thing. What do you mean...I gave them to you?’

A great bottomless pit formed in Caitlin’s stomach. She wanted the ground to open up and swallow her. She fought down the feeling of emotional panic. ‘If you didn’t send them, who did?’

‘Ask your mother.’ His voice dripped acid. His eyes raked hers with scathing disbelief at her dereliction of duty. ‘In the meantime, can we get back to running this business?’

Her chin came up in fighting mode. Everything had to be done to the beat of his drum. He didn’t listen to her. He didn’t understand that she had problems as well as he. He didn’t give her roses or consideration or caring. She had duped herself into thinking David had relented in his tyrannical attitude towards her. He had not bent one iota.

‘David, I think we’re finished,’ she said tightly.

‘Damned right!’ he agreed. ‘Get Jordan up here. He might do the job required of him.’

A stinging rebuff.

She watched him as though from a far distance as he swung on his heel and headed back to the boardroom.

Cold, hard and ruthless. As his competitors saw him. As Michael Crawley must see him. As the German delegation must see him. As Caitlin now saw him.

With a heavy hand, she lifted up the phone. There was no answer from Jordan’s office. She rang Jenny.

‘Where’s Paul Jordan?’ she asked bleakly.

‘He stepped out for half an hour. Call that the rest of the morning. He thinks he’s got a potential deal with the Kirrawee Business College.’

Caitlin’s hand was even heavier as she replaced the phone. She had done a thoroughly comprehensive job in stuffing up both her personal life and professional life.

She couldn’t rescue the former. That required the impossible to happen. As for the latter, there was only one thing left to do. She went to the filing cabinet and dragged out the Sutherland contract.

She would give the presentation herself.

Not Jordan’s way.

Not David’s way.

Her way.

CHAPTER FOUR

DAVID, of course, sat at the head of the table in the boardroom. The four men from Germany were spread on either side of him, two on his right, two on his left. Herr Schmidt, the leader of the delegation, was pointing out something in the documents in front of him when Caitlin entered. The attention of the five men swung to her.

David glowered at her. Herr Schmidt frowned at the interruption. The expressions on the other men’s faces ranged from interested spectator to a deadpan weighing of what her unheralded appearance meant. They all looked tough, experienced, executive businessmen. None had the magnetic charisma that David could exude so effortlessly.

To Caitlin he dominated the room, just as he had dominated her life for the last four months. The thought spurred her to renewed determination.

No more domination.

This was her swan-song. She would use David’s tactics and give them her own twist. She might not be special to him, but he wouldn’t forget her in a hurry. Not for what she was about to do. She hoped it would make him burn. In the right places.

She walked briskly to the end of the table, facing David down the length of it. ‘Mr Hartley, we have chaos in the office,’ she announced, showing no perturbation at all at dropping bombshells in the boardroom.

‘I know that.’ His voice had the low rumble of an incipient earthquake.

‘You’ll be pleased to hear that the Sutherland contract has arrived. All signed, sealed and delivered,’ she stated wearily, as though it was one more chore to deal with on top of everything else.