Captivation

Captivation Part 48

Jared grinned in relief and admitted, "A couple should be equal in strength and passion. With Caitlin I know I've met my match!" Then he shook Jacinto's hand in a firm handshake and said , "Not the best of starts. I agree. But I can turn things around. I just need to talk to her! Alone! Without half the world listening in!"

"I might be able to help with that." Jacinto responded and his eyes softened as he considered how his next statement would be received. "I'll drop her round at your house this evening." He was taking a risk, but intuitively he knew that this man would not harm his daughter.

"My house?" Jared looked astonished.

Jacinto nodded much to Jared's amazement. "I'll need your address." He retrieved his mobile phone and handed it to Jared. "And include your phone number."

Jared took the phone, looked at Caitlin's father and said with obvious sincerity, "Thank you." He knew that Jacinto was placing his trust in him. "For trusting me."

Jacinto nodded to acknowledge that and waited while Jared entered his phone number into his contacts list.

So it was some two hours later when Jacinto drove up the driveway and pulled up outside a large sprawling home under the pretext of having to drop something off that he'd forgotten to do earlier! As the car came to a halt, Jacinto reached into his pocket and retrieved a folded piece of paper. He gave Caitlin the folded piece of paper and smiling genially asked her to hop out of the car and drop it off while Jacinto turned the car round.

Caitlin pulled her jacket closer to her and walked briskly toward the front door. The lights were on, so her father's friend was obviously home. When she reached the front door, she looked for a letter box, and found none! Was she supposed to ring the bell? She looked over her shoulder, saw that her father was reversing the car and decided that she'd best just ring the bell.

So it came as a hell of a shock when the door opened and she came face to face with Jared. Stunned Caitlin stood on his doorstep, blinking in confusion.

It was only when Jared looked past her shoulder and raised his hand to wave at Caitlin's father that she remembered where she was. Caitlin looked over her shoulder, and was just in time to see her father drive off down the driveway! Her mouth dropped open. What the hell was going on? She spun back to face Jared.

"Come in." He stood to one side.

"I'm not coming in!" She looked at the fading rear lights of her father's car. "I can't believe he's done that!" She muttered. "Dad..."

"Has gone home?" Jared completed her statement. "I told him we needed to talk." Jared told her. She was still just standing at his front door. She hadn't taken a step in. She looked utterly bemused. "He agreed to help me."

"He wouldn't!" She growled under her breath. She couldn't believe her father would bring her here and then drive off!

"He did!" Jared said softly. Though in the back of his mind Jared was sure her father had not gone far. He might trust Jared with his daughter, but he was not about to leave his daughter without any options.

Caitlin looked over her shoulder at the now empty driveway. "He's just driven away?" Caitlin shook her head as if she just couldn't believe it. But unknown to her, her father had only driven out of sight, and parked up in the curve of the driveway. He intended to wait, make sure Caitlin was ok. He was going to give Jared ten minutes and then return to collect her.

"You know I went to see you and ended up seeing him?" Jared glanced at her, the light from the open doorway illuminated her profile.

"Who? Dad?" She turned to him, and he saw the shock was still in her eyes.