mind, not to give in to a burst of panic over her decision. He kept checking his watch. Time was critical. If someone had repo

teps

tight with tension. Lara…wearing a brown s

t lilt of excitement. ‘Let’s go,’ he said, and there was n

er. She looked anxiously at th

answered, heading straight for the fron

e door. ‘Mrs. Chappel…’ It was

e it. He laid a hand on the housekeeper’s shoulder, dra

but stepped back, letting th

ic,’ Lara remarked fearful

it for long,’

ow and nothing was going to stop him from flying her to Gundamurra. The temptation to leave in a

parked at the kerb on the street, started up and pulled out, quickly catching up to th

d it. At the first red light, he used his car phone to contact his office at Circular Qua

help. Clear your desk for the next couple of hours, grab your bag and car keys and be

standing

usiness meeting with a magazine editor

o.’ ‘Th

ands curling in her lap, clearly apprehensiv

stant in the Sydney office. She ha

who bought the

g cars.’ ‘Necessary. Don’t jerk around in your seat t

ed into white-

thwarted. And punished. Irrelevant, he told himsel

umbers for Bankstown Airport and made conta

ke. Can you get it on the tarmac with a flight plan lodged as

nt some refreshments on board?’

prob

deep breath. ‘A private pla

e the authority to take it any time I want. Johnn

An odd wonderme

worry. I have a pilot’s licence and I’v

urk

get you some clothe

ith me. But I do have cred

raced through using them. I’ll sup

dn’t p

was getting quite a buzz from it. Reminded him of his years in war zones when fast action and planning on the run were critical for su

…that was more than enough to put Ric in fighting mode. The evidence of the guy following them sealed the trut

t a strong tie to her. His first love. His only love, if it could be called that. More a fantasy, he told himself and Gary Chappel had more or less fitted into that f

measure of her trust that he could, indeed, deliver what he’d promised. Which surely meant she did feel some