Chapter 24.1

'Died…?' The shock of this news served to get her thoughts off Mitch Tyler and her reaction to him. 'Where did it happen? Was it a big plane?

Many casualties?'

'No. Small plane. Private charter. As far as I know, he was the only casualty. And probably his fault, not wanting the pilot to radio ahead to Gundamurra to inquire if the airstrip was fit for landing.'

'Gundamurra?' She'd never heard of the place.

'It's an outback sheep station. Where Ric took Lara, Kathryn.' The outback!

How on earth did Ric know a safe refuge in the outback? But that wasn't the point.

'Gary Chappel found out?' Her mind instantly spun to Jeremy. Had he told his client about Ric's flight from Bankstown Airport? Had Johnny Ellis's plane somehow been traced to its destination?

Mitch grimaced. 'I suspect an illegal tap on my home telephone. But that's irrelevant now.'

Irrelevant…yes, thank God! A surge of relief swept aside the awful sense that she might be responsible, betraying Ric's confidence to a man she'd thought she could trust with it.

'I thought you'd know where Ric is now,' Mitch went on. 'He'd want to know immediately. He's been moving around so much…'

'London. He e-mailed me from his London office last night.' She checked her watch, mentally calculating the time difference. 'Right now he should be asleep in his apartment at Knightsbridge. I have that number. I'll call it for you.'

She moved quickly around her desk, picked up the telephone receiver, flicked open her teledex and proceeded to press the long string of numbers for the international call.

Mitch had walked forward to take the receiver once contact was made. He stood on the other side of her desk, waiting, his gaze dropping to the hand tapping out the numbers.

No diamond ring on her third finger!

He sucked in a quick breath as hope rocketed through him, kicking his heart into a faster beat, blowing all thoughts of Ric out of his mind. Kathryn was free! Unattached!

Or was she? The ring might only have been taken off temporarily for some reason…leaving it accidentally in the washroom, having it cleaned, fixed by a jeweler…

'It's ringing,' she said, holding out the receiver.

So were his ears—ringing with the wild thump of his heart. Ric's voice on the other end of the line demanded his attention. Somehow Mitch managed to impart the critical information in a coherent manner, but the perimeter of his mind was whirling around how best to ascertain the status of Kathryn's engagement to Jeremy Haynes.

Nothing had changed for him. Kathryn Ledger still hit deep basic instincts that no other woman had even twanged before. One look and she'd floored him again. If there was any chance…

Kathryn listened to Mitch's side of the conversation, imagining how relieved her boss would be to know there was no longer any threat to Lara or himself.

No need to wait for a divorce, either.

He could come home and be with the woman he'd risked so much for, a woman he cared about beyond any cost to himself. Kathryn ruefully wondered how it would feel if a man cared for her like that.

Jeremy certainly hadn't.

But Mitch Tyler…no, what good would it do her to fit him into that frame, stirring herself into wishing for a chance with him? Bad enough that she was so susceptible to his exceptionally strong charisma. At least she wasn't feeling quite so shaken by it now and should be able to deal courteously with his departure.

The call ended. The receiver was put down. 'Ric will be on the first flight he can get from London to Sydney,' Mitch informed her. 'No doubt you'll hear from him when he arrives.'

It forced her to meet his gaze directly. The blue eyes were so piercing, she felt hopelessly rattled again. 'Yes,' she said inanely.

'You're not wearing your engagement ring.'

The words were shot at her so fast and hard, her reply tumbled out in a defensive rush. 'I changed my mind about marrying Jeremy.'

'What changed it?' he bored in.

There were so many reasons, yet the only one she could acknowledge to Mitch Tyler without totally embarrassing herself centred on loyalty. 'Jeremy is a partner in a financial services company and Gary Chappel is…was…his client. He wanted me to…to…'

'Betray Ric?'

'Yes. To actually help Gary Chappel find his wife.'

'Gaining an advantage for himself,' came the cynical comment.

'I didn't realise he would trade integrity for ambition. I couldn't live with it.'

'That must have been one hell of a disillusionment, Kathryn.' She grimaced. 'Better that I found out.'

'True.'

His forceful agreement reminded Kathryn of Mitch's disillusionment— Harriet bedding a judge to gain an advantage. It was on the tip of her tongue to make some quip about both of them suffering the same letdown from their partners, until she remembered three months had gone by. For all she knew, Mitch had patched up his relationship with the beautiful barrister.

One infidelity wasn't quite the same thing as selling integrity for money.

She heaved a sigh to loosen the tightness in her chest and ruefully remarked, 'You must be very effective at cross-examining people in court, Mitch. I haven't even told my parents what you've just drawn from me.'

His mouth curved into an ironic little smile. 'You knew I'd understand, Kathryn. Not only do I share the background with Ric, but you were also privy to my own experience of something similar with Harriet Lowell.'

'Yes.' She forced her stiff mouth to return his smile. 'I guess that's it.' There was an awkward silence—bad times swirling between them, ln

memories neither of them could easily dismiss. Kathryn was torn between wanting him to go and wanting him to make some approach to her on a personal level.

His hand lifted in a kind of apologetic appeal as his straight black brows lowered in a frown. 'I'm sorry this business with Ric resulted in…'

'Lateral damage?' she quickly supplied, hating his harking back to Jeremy. 'We've already established it would have been a bad mistake for me to marry Jeremy Haynes, so there's no point in referring back to it.' A rush of hot pride made her add, 'And I'd prefer you not to mention what I've just told you to Ric. It's over. Behind me.'

He nodded. 'No need for him to know. You can trust me to stay silent on that score, Kathryn.'

She did. 'Thank you.'

'Doesn't eliminate the hurt, though,' he said softly, sympathetically.

The heat in her cheeks grew more intense. Impossible to tell him he was far more attractive to her than Jeremy. In every sense. The hurt she was feeling now came from the futile yearning for Mitch Tyler to see her as a woman he could get attached to.

'I'm over it,' she stated insistently, fiercely rejecting his sympathy. 'Ready to move on,' he interpreted, his eyes challenging hers with an

odd trace of whimsy that had the weird effect of curling her stomach. 'Yes,' she snapped, wishing he'd let the whole thing with Jeremy go. 'Want to test that?'

The question confused her. 'I beg your pardon?'

'Well, I really enjoyed your company on the one evening we spent together, Kathryn. I'm thinking…why not have that pleasure again?

Providing you're up for it…with Jeremy planted firmly behind you.'

She stared at him in chaotic disbelief. Was he asking her out with him?

Challenging her to prove she was moving on?

He smiled. It was a slow warm smile, his eyes teasing her out of any resistance. 'Now that we've got Ric sorted out, why don't we stroll around the quay, drop into one of the bars near the opera house, have a drink together, choose a restaurant for dinner—plenty of them along the concourse—and generally relax.'

He was asking her out with him!

It might only be a sympathy/empathy thing. Maybe a reward for keeping faith with his friend. A celebration that Ric's problems were now over.

A bit of mutual relaxation because the danger they'd both known and faced was gone.

She didn't care. Her heart was tap-dancing, shooting excitement through her whole body. Happy tingles banished all sense of caution. It might only be one night out with him but no way was she going to refuse it.

'I'd like that,' she said.

'Good!' He positively grinned, pleasure sparkling in his eyes. 'So grab your bag. Let's go and enjoy the evening.'

Enjoy…yes, she would. Just forget everything else and enjoy being with him. There was no ring on her finger. She was free to follow her instincts and it was utterly impossible to repress the hope that they'd lead her somewhere good.