Burning Obsession

by Carole Mortimer

  ‘Mr Lord said not to wait dinner, that he could be quite late.’

  ‘Thank you,’ she accepted jerkily, her hands twisting nervously together. ‘Serve dinner at the usual time, then, Mrs McLeod.’

  She turned on her heel and left the kitchen, going up to her bedroom. The double bed in there seemed to mock her. Only hours ago she and Jordan had shared that bed, and now he was making up the usual excuse to see one of his women. Well, he wouldn’t see her depressed and miserable as she used to be when he called to say he would be late. Tonight when he got home he would find her either already asleep or coolly polite, depending on how late it actually was when he got here.

  ‘No Jordan?’ her father seemed surprised by his absence.

  ‘Business,’ Kelly dismissed tersely. ‘So perhaps you would like to do the honours and pour the drinks?’

  He poured her a sherry and a whisky for himself. ‘Talking of business, I shall have to get back to work soon. There’s nothing wrong with me now, and I feel such a fraud lazing about here.’

  ‘There’s no hurry,’ she said smoothly. ‘Miles can cope admirably.’ Thank goodness her father had had the same assistant for the last twenty years! ‘A short holiday won’t do you any harm.’

  ‘But I was in the middle of buying out Landers,’ he complained.

  Landers was a retail company her father had bought out years ago. In fact, it brought him quite a nice yearly profit nowadays. ‘Miles is just as capable of dealing with it,’ she insisted. ‘And the doctor told you’re not to even attempt to go back to work just yet.’

  ‘It surely wouldn’t hurt for me just to go in one morning or afternoon? I could just check to make sure Miles is handling everything the way I would myself.’

  They went in to dinner, and Mrs McLeod served them the first course. ‘Miles handles everything the way you would,’ Kelly teased lightly. ‘He always has done.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘I really don’t think it’s a good idea,’ Kelly said firmly. ‘I know you, Daddy, it wouldn’t stop at Landers. I have a better idea. How about if Miles brings the work here? That way we can be sure you don’t get involved too much.’ They could also vet any work that he saw! She knew her father well enough to believe he wouldn’t just accept his inactivity. If they didn’t let him work here then he would merely find a way of getting to the office without them knowing about it. ‘What do you think?’ she asked him.

  ‘I’d rather go to the office—’

  ‘That’s definitely out. You either work here or nothing. I mean it, Daddy. The doctor only let you leave hospital at all because you promised to take things easy. Jordan and I could easily see that you’re readmitted,’ she threatened at his stubborn expression.

  ‘All right,’ he finally accepted with a sigh. ‘But I’ll get Miles out here first thing in the morning.’

  ‘Afternoon,’ Kelly insisted. ‘You had a hectic day today, I think you should rest in the morning.’

  ‘You’re very bossy all of a sudden,’ he scowled.

  ‘That comes of being your daughter and Jordan’s wife,’ she said cheekily.

  Her father laughed at her unrelenting attitude. ‘I guess it does at that. Okay, afternoon. Do you order Jordan about like this too?’

  Kelly quirked an eyebrow. ‘What do you think?’

  ‘I think no.’

  She grinned. ‘Right.’

  They listened to records after dinner, although after an hour or so Kelly could see her father’s eyes beginning to droop tiredly. She tactfully suggested they both have an early night, knowing he would refuse point blank if the suggestion was made only to him. Not that she had any intention of going to sleep herself, it was only ten o’clock, but she could always have a read in bed.

  She heard the car in the driveway just before eleven o’clock. Even for Jordan this was exceptionally late, and her mouth set angrily, although she quickly dampened this down as she heard Jordan’s firm tread on the stairs. He seemed to hesitate for a second or two before opening the bedroom door, his sharp gaze instantly swinging in Kelly’s direction as she lay in the bed making a show of reading a magazine.

  Kelly studied him beneath lowered lashes, noting how well the dark grey suit fitted across his wide shoulders, how the cut of his trousers emphasised the powerful length of his thighs. His tie was loosened at his throat, the top two buttons of his shirt undone. He looked lean and attractive, ruggedly so.

  He eyed Kelly warily as he closed the door behind him. ‘Did you have a nice day?’

  ‘Yes, thank you. Daddy and I went to the coast.’ She put her magazine to one side, giving him her full attention.

  Jordan nodded. ‘So Mrs McLeod informed me. Brighton, wasn’t it?’

  ‘Mm.’ Jordan was uncertain of her mood, she could see that. Well, he was in for a shock if he thought she was going to cause any sort of scene, about last night or this evening. Play it cool, she had decided, and she was going to keep to that. She gave him a bright smile. ‘We ate fish and chips out of newspaper and then covered ourselves in candyfloss,’ she told him.

  ‘I bet your father loved that,’ he said dryly.

  ‘Strangely enough he did. He was quite relaxed by the time we got home. Although he’s decided he wants to see Miles.’ Kelly went on to tell him of her suggestion, seeing his puzzlement about her calm behaviour increasing by the minute. ‘I couldn’t think what else to do,’ she added.

  ‘It’s a good idea, I wish I’d thought of it.’ He ran his hand through the dark thickness of his hair, an air of weariness to his movements.

  ‘Did you have a bad day?’ she asked softly.

  Jordan’s gaze sharpened, although he met only polite query on her face. ‘Well, it wasn’t good,’ he said heavily.

  ‘Why don’t you go and have a shower, and then I’ll massage your neck like I used to,’ Kelly offered. ‘You always said that relaxed you,’ she added with feigned innocence. Her caressing movements on his neck and back had relaxed him—before he made love to her! She could see Jordan’s puzzlement growing.

  He frowned darkly. ‘Kelly, yesterday I asked you to come back to me. Are you now offering to do just that?’ His eyes were narrowed.

  ‘I’m offering to massage your neck,’ she shrugged. ‘But if you don’t want me to…’ She snuggled down under the covers as if going to sleep, yawning tiredly for good measure.

  ‘Oh, I want you to,’ Jordan told her hurriedly. ‘I’ll be two minutes, don’t go to sleep.’

  ‘I’ll try not to,’ she yawned again.

  He must have broken all records showering. He was back within the two minutes, a towel wrapped about his waist, his hair slighly damp. Kelly had to hide a smile at the eagerness with which he lay face down on the bed. Her cool, calm attitude seemed to be working—even if she was a burning mass of jealousy inside. But none of that showed in her serene expression, and that was the way it was going to stay.

  ‘Mm,’ he groaned as her fingertips ran lightly down his spine. ‘You always did have the most sensuous hands I’ve ever known.’

  Kelly loved touching him like this, had always enjoyed these nightly rituals as much as he had. His skin was smooth and brown, firmly muscled, and she could feel the tension leaving him with each stroke of her fingertips. He lay with his eyes closed, his head resting on his arms, a look of utter contentment on his face.

  ‘You like?’ Kelly asked huskily, feeling the excitement coursing through her, a tingling sensation going up through her hands and down her body. And Jordan wasn’t unaffected, she could tell that by the high flush to his cheeks, his ragged breathing.

  ‘I more than like,’ he confirmed. ‘I’m sorry about this evening, Kelly. Normanson flew in from New York and I had to meet with him. You remember Normanson?’

  She did, vaguely. They had had him to dinner a couple of times. He was a business friend of Jordan’s. ‘Yes, I remember him.’ She massaged his nape, registering his moans of pleasure.

  ‘I would have got out of it if I co
uld,’ Jordan murmured.

  ‘It didn’t matter.’ Her hands were on his shoulders now. ‘Daddy and I were all right, and you have to do your work.’ She continued her caressing movements.

  ‘Yes,’ he sighed. ‘But after last night—’

  ‘Last night?’ Kelly repeated sharply, her cool momentarily deserting her.

  She got herself together with effort. ‘What was so special about last night?’ she asked lightly.

  He rolled over, more dangerous in this position, his gaze unashamedly lingering on the scantiness of her pale green silky nightgown, her breasts firm and uptilted beneath the revealing material. ‘You ask me that?’ he said huskily soft, his hands firm on her upper arms.

  ‘Yes,’ she smiled. ‘We’re married, Jordan. We’re perfectly entitled to last night.’

  ‘But you aren’t coming back to me?’ His eyes were narrowed to icy grey slits.

  ‘I couldn’t make a decision like that on the basis of one night together,’ she shrugged.

  ‘Kelly?’ he frowned. ‘What are you suggesting? That we carry on like this, sleeping together and yet making no commitment to each other?’

  She sat back on her heels. Yes, that was exactly what she was suggesting, until he could make her the kind of commitment she wanted, and that was total.

  She gave a casual shrug. ‘I’m not ready to make a commitment to anyone.’ She watched him as he swung off the bed, standing up to discard the towel and pull on his bathrobe. ‘Where are you going?’ she asked as he moved to the door.

  The look he gave her was savage, his eyes blazing, his mouth taut. ‘To get a drink,’ he snapped.

  ‘Like that?’ she indicated his state of undress.

  ‘Stark naked if I feel like it!’ he told her harshly.

  Kelly shrugged. ‘Shall I wait for you?’

  ‘No,’ he said grimly, slamming the door after him.

  Kelly took him at his word and didn’t stay awake for him, turning off all the lights except the lamp on Jordan’s side of the bed and snuggling down under the blankets. She hoped Jordan didn’t drink too much, his temper was foul when he had a hangover.

  He couldn’t have drunk much at all, he had only been gone five minutes. Kelly turned over to look at him, blinking to wake herself from the light doze she had drifted into.

  His savagery hadn’t left him as he came to sit on the side of the bed, lifting her roughly towards him. ‘I want you,’ he ground out fiercely. ‘Want you!’ he repeated with a groan.

  Kelly faced him unflinchingly. ‘I’m not saying no, Jordan,’ she told him softly.

  ‘Then why the hell aren’t you?’ He shook her hard. ‘I can’t believe this is you talking. You don’t love me, you aren’t willing to become my wife again, and yet you want to go to bed with me.’

  ‘You’re a good lover, Jordan. I’ve missed sleeping with you.’

  His eyes turned black. ‘And I’ve missed sleeping with you!’ he said raggedly. ‘Come here,’ he demanded.

  She wasn’t resisting. There was no gentleness in him as he possessed her, only hard demand and mind-shattering sensations. Wave after wave of pleasure washed over her, leaving her weak and clinging to him. If anything their lovemaking had been better than last night.

  ‘Have there been any other lovers for you, Kelly?’ Jordan asked her as he lit up a cheroot.

  ‘No.’ She wasn’t going to lie about something as important as that, not even if she did think it would make him jealous.

  ‘Why haven’t there?’ He watched her through a haze of smoke.

  She shrugged. ‘I’ve been kept busy travelling with my father.’

  ‘In other words you just didn’t have the time for lovers,’ he said dryly.

  Or the inclination. After Jordan she hadn’t believed herself capable of feeling attracted to any man. And yet she could feel, for Jordan, only for Jordan. ‘Something like that,’ she agreed huskily.

  ‘And now you have the time,’ he said bitterly.

  ‘Yes.’

  Jordan ground out the cheroot in the onyx ashtray on his side-table. ‘Then I’d better make sure you don’t waste a moment of it!’ His mouth came down viciously on hers, his thighs once more hardening with desire.

  Kelly was woken the next morning by a loud hammering noise, and emerged from under the bedclothes to realise that someone was banging on the bedroom door. Jordan was already out of bed, just tying the belt of his bathrobe.

  ‘What is it?’ Kelly blinked dazedly. ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘I have no idea,’ he snapped, moving towards the door. ‘But I mean to find out.’ He flung the door open. ‘Mrs McLeod,’ he frowned. ‘What is it?’

  ‘Oh, sir, sir!’ she was obviously very agitated. ‘I had no way of knowing, Mr Lord. I hadn’t read the newspapers myself, you see.’

  ‘Mrs McLeod,’ Jordan interrupted firmly, ‘you aren’t making much sense.’

  ‘No, I’m not, am I?’ She sighed. ‘Here,’ she held out a newspaper, ‘this should explain it all.’

  He took the newspaper from her. ‘Oh, hell!’ he groaned, looking up. ‘Mr Darrow has seen this?’

  ‘Yes, sir. That’s why I—’

  ‘All right, Mrs McLeod,’ he said firmly, ‘I’ll deal with this now. Mr Darrow is still in his room?’

  ‘Yes, Mr Lord. And he’s very upset. He—’

  ‘What is it?’ Kelly got out of bed to join them. ‘Jordan?’

  He handed her the newspaper. Kelly looked down at it. The headlines read, ‘Businessman David Darrow loses memory after accident’.

  CHAPTER SIX

  ‘How did this happen?’ Kelly gasped.

  ‘The how of it can be discussed at some other time.’ Jordan’s tone was grim. ‘You call Dr Jones and have him get over here, and I’ll go and calm your father down.’

  ‘Yes, yes, of course. I—I’ll do that.’

  The doctor agreed to come over immediately, promising to be there within ten minutes. Kelly hurriedly dressed in navy blue trousers and light blue blouse before going to her father’s bedroom.

  ‘I had a right to be told!’ her father could be heard shouting. ‘I’m not a child to be pampered and humoured!’

  ‘Calm down, David,’ Jordan soothed. ‘I’m well aware of the fact that you aren’t a child—’

  ‘Then why the hell keep something like this from me?’

  ‘David—’

  ‘Daddy,’ Kelly went into the room. Her father looked completely harasssed, his skin white beneath the tan. ‘We, only did it for the best. The doctors—’

  ‘Yes, the doctors!’ he stormed. ‘What on earth were they thinking of not telling me I’ve forgotten five years of my life? My God, do you realise I’m fifty-one and not forty-six as I thought I was? What the hell are you smiling about?’ he turned on Kelly. ‘It isn’t funny,’ he complained angrily.

  ‘You are,’ she contradicted. ‘All you’re worried about is the fact that you’re older than you thought you were.’

  A reluctant smile lightened his features. ‘It’s all right for you, you’re only twenty-three, I’m fifty-one!’

  Kelly was relieved to see that some of the tension had now left him, that this moment of humour had relaxed him somewhat. Nevertheless, she felt glad when the doctor was shown into the bedroom, asking to be alone with his patient.

  Jordan moved about their own bedroom, dressing in brown fitted trousers and shirt. ‘How did it get into the papers?’ he said impatiently, lighting up a cheroot to pace the room.

  Kelly sat down on the bed. ‘I have no idea.’

  ‘No one else knew but us, and some of the hospital staff, of, course.’

  ‘I doubt it was one of them.’

  Jordan picked up the newspaper in which the story was featured. ‘Ben Durston,’ he read out the reporter’s name. ‘I’ve never heard of him. Have you?’

  Anger flared in her violet eyes. ‘Are you implying—’

  ‘I’m not implying anything,’ he sighed. ‘I’m just trying to
find out where he got his information. Somehow this man, Ben Durston, found out about your father. I want to know how.’

  ‘Well, it wasn’t me,’ Kelly snapped.

  ‘And it wasn’t from me. So it must have been someone at the hospital, one of the nurses perhaps.’ He took a cream jacket out of the wardrobe and slipped in on over his powerful shoulders.

  ‘Where are you going?’ Kelly wanted to know.

  ‘To see Ben Durston,’ Jordan scowled. ‘I want to know who his source was. Luckily enough it seems your father is taking it very well. He’s a little shocked right now, but he’ll get over it. Maybe it would have been better if he had been told the truth from the start.’

  ‘Perhaps,’ she agreed. ‘But Dr Jones said, and we agreed with him at the time, that to tell him might be more harmful.’

  ‘Maybe, but he’s good and mad about it now. I’ll be back later.’ Jordan straightened his cuff.

  ‘Aren’t you going in to work today?’

  ‘No,’ he said curtly.

  ‘Poor Janet, she will be disappointed.’

  ‘Kelly!’

  She gave him a sweet smile. ‘Forgive me, Jordan, I forgot this ability you have to satisfy more than one woman at the same time.’

  ‘Not simultaneously, I hope?’ his mouth twisted mockingly.

  Kelly’s expression hardened. ‘Will you be back in time for lunch?’

  ‘That depends on how long it takes to get the information I want.’

  Knowing how persuasive he could be she didn’t think he would be late back. Jordan was one of those people who liked to get his own way—and he usually succeeded. ‘I’ll tell Mrs McLeod you’ll be here for lunch, then,’ she told him coolly.

  ‘Will you be here?’

  She shrugged. ‘I’m not sure—’

  ‘Kelly, we have to talk—’

  ‘I don’t know what about,’ her voice was brittlely light.

  ‘Last night—’

  ‘Oh, not that again, Jordan,’ she cut in impatiently. ‘Did you enjoy last night?’

  Dark colour flooded his cheeks. ‘You know I did,’ he revealed tightly.

  ‘And so did I. Now let’s stop making a federal case out of it.’