Swallowing hard she wondered if she might have just given herself away. She watched him carefully as he looked her over. Exhaling slowly he set his napkin on the table. “Well, it won’t matter anyway if she doesn’t show tonight.”
Relief washed over her so profoundly it nearly knocked her over. They couldn’t sit there talking any longer. She was going to give herself away at any given minute. “Well,” She smiled. “I for one can’t wait to see the exhibit.”
Nodding Colin stood. “Yes, I want to make sure you have enough time to see everything.” He pushed in his chair then turned and offered his hand to help her up.
Standing slowly, she swallowed her pride. She tried to smile even though her heart was shattering into a million pieces. Amy had been wrong. Colin wanted the woman he married by his side as his dreams came to life. Not her pathetic twin, who knew some stupid facts about Egypt.
For a split second she thought about faking a stomach ache and calling it a night. She had no right to enjoy this evening. Colin wanted Amy, always did. Though she wanted to cry until her heart exploded, Ella knew it wouldn’t solve anything. She had to face the facts; she been in love with a man who was in love with her sister.
Even if it killed her, she would go to the opening and make Amy look good. Then when she got back she will tell Amy to be honest with him. He loved her regardless, and Amy needed to accept it.
Ella couldn’t say anything as she walked long the exhibit. Every painting, every sculpture, had her gapping in awe. Growing up with a father who collected fine art she learned to respect each piece he had brought into their home. His hobby became her passion. By the time she was sixteen her father had her picking out the best pieces for his collection. He had told her that she would do great things for the art industry. Unfortunately, that never planned out.
Trying to stay indifferent about the pieces just as Amy would have, Ella casually gestured to one of the paintings that caught her attention. “Is this one from one of the new artists?”
Nodding he pointed to three other paintings along the wall. “These are all his.”
Being indifferent was proving to be harder then she thought it would be. The curator in her wanted to pick the painting apart, analyze each section until she was dizzy with knowledge, theorize the artist intentions, pinpoint his true vision…instead she gave a casual nod and went to move on.
“No, wait.” Colin reached for her hand. “Tell me what you really think of his work.”
Knowing it might come back to bite her, she inhaled deeply. “They are stunning. I love the way he used the old way of resembling man, like you would see on the walls of pyramids, then evolving him to what we see today. It’s brilliant.” Moving on to the next painting Ella found herself lost in the array of colors the artist used. She sighed as they came up to the last painting. “He has real talent.”
Without letting go of her hand Colin faced her fully. “You should come with me to Egypt. I think you would enjoy yourself.”
The suggestion nearly stopped her heart. She would love to go away with him. To fallow the man of her dreams into a country that has fascinated her most of her life, would’ve been everything she had ever asked for. As for Amy? She had no idea. Though, the thought of her sister camel riding through the Sahara Desert had her swallowing a chuckle.
Not knowing how to answer him she nodded slowly. She was taken by surprise when he closed the space between them. While he lightly brushed some curly tendrils off of her forehead she realized how close he was. She could smell his wonderful cologne, see the specs of gold in his dark green eyes, and feel the heat from his body.
She needed to back up. His presence was overwhelming. Her pitiful heart thumped against her ribcage as he ran his knuckles down her face. The air around them seemed to have thickened making breathing nearly impossible.
Slipping a finger under her chin Colin gently tilted her face up to meet his. His lips only inches from hers. “Honestly, if I asked you, would you come with me?”
Tears nearly sprung to her eyes. He was asking the question to the wrong woman. Taking a deep breath she answered him honestly. “Yes. If you asked me I would come with you.”
He smiled so big it shattered her already broken heart. “I want to show you something.”
Clearing her throat she made sure her voice was steady. “Alright.”
“Come.” Squeezing her hand Colin led towards the side hall to a room marked ‘Employees Only’.
“I don’t think we can go in there.” Ella informed as she pointed to the combination lock on the door.
He grinned cleverly as he typed in the code quickly. After a brief moment the door made a soft click. With a lift of his eyebrow he swept his hand in front of them indicating her to go first while he pushed the door open with the other hand.
“Show off.” Ella smiled as walked into what looked like some kind of storage room. Confused she allowed Colin to walk a head of her to a large crate that sat somewhat opened.
“I brought this here a few months ago.” He explained as he began to remove some of the straw packaging. “A few of the men I was working with in Egypt gave me some old relics. They said I could use them in any way I saw fit.” Lifting a smaller leather box, which looked similar to the jewelry case he had presented her necklace in, Colin dusted some of the straw off before handing it to her.
Taking it carefully, Ella gave him a questionable glance before lifting the lid. She heard herself gasp at the golden feather that rested neatly in the velvet casing. “It’s so beautiful.” Running her finger over the edges carefully she realized it was real gold made to look like a feather with solid gold as the spine as finer gold spread out resembling the barbs.
“They think it might have belonged to Cleopatra, but there is no way to really know for sure.” He shrugged. “I want you to have it.”
“What?!” Ella blinked as she looked up at him. “I can’t take this! It belongs in a museum or at the very least here in the exhibit.”
Shaking his head Colin let out a short breath. “Because they don’t know the exact origin they don’t feel like it should be presented. Which is nonsense, if just look at the indentations you can see…” Clearing his throat he took a moment to calm down. “Anyway, if they can’t see its worth I know you will.”
“Oh, Colin. I…It’s…”
Slipping his hand long her jaw he smiled. “Take it. It belongs to you.”
Her heart swelled as she closed the lid carefully. “Thank you. But I…There is something... ”
Before she knew what was happening Colin’s lips were on hers. She whimpered at first until she felt his hand slip behind her neck, holding her to him.
God help her. This was so wrong. Yet, she couldn’t stop kissing him back. Her heart felt as if it was going to fly right out of her chest as she unconsciously lifted her arms, wrapping them around his neck. When she heard his moan of approval she pressed her body into his.
Very slowly she felt him ending the kiss. He brushed soft single kisses over her awaken mouth until he rested his forehead against hers. “I’ve wanted to kiss you like that—”
“Mr. Russo!” A man’s voice called from somewhere outside the storage room.
Taking her hand back into his, Colin led her back into the exhibit. As they rounded the corner to the main hall Ella could see the crowd of people making their way up the stairs.
“Oh, Mr. Russo,” A dark haired man beckoned as he approached. “The exhibit is ready and McKay is here.”
Colin turned in interest to the exhibit’s massive doors. “Are you sure?”
The other man nodded eagerly. “Yes, sir. Her limo driver just requested permission to use the side entrance, by the Egyptian collection.”
Ella knew by Colin’s reaction that McKay was the woman he was trying to get funding from. It wasn’t Ms. McKay’s money but her connections in Egypt that had Colin so willing to get her attention. Colin’s entire collection came down to this one woman.
“Grant he
r request.” Colin ordered as he turned back to Ella. Raising his elbow to her he smiled. “Ready to open an exhibit?”
She felt the heat rising up her neck and painting her cheeks a rose color. Allowing herself to take his arm, she tried desperately not to think of his lips and the way they had felt against her own for the second time in such a short period.
Ella smiled politely to each patron as they entered the exhibit unsure if her sister had known them or not. She watched as Colin mingled away with the other members of the art society. His eyes only scanning the crowed every so often, looking for McKay.
While he gradually escorted her towards the Egyptian artifacts Ella paid no attention to the men and women who stopped them occasionally. As they finally made their way into the ancient Egypt exhibit, Ella let him do his thing as she marveled over some of the pictures displaying the dig sight.
“You know Mr. Russo,” An older lady’s voice caught Ella’s attention. “I’m not all that convinced you’re not one of those treasure hunters. For all I know those pieces coming back from Egypt are frauds.”
“I can assure you Ms. McKay the artifacts I found are genuine.” Colin reassured with his face composed.
“I need someone who knows what they are talking about.” The woman scoffed as she raised her head a little higher. “I’ve been through so many dealers, and know-it-alls. I would love to have someone who is passionate and knows what to look for. How do I know that you are him?”
Ella watched Colin’s jaw clench as the woman spoke.
“I’m sorry Mr. Russo. But you are a business man not an Archaeologist. To prove my point,” The woman continued as she stepped closer to a painting. “it is hard for some to tell whether some paintings were authentic. Can you determine if this piece is genuine to the time period?”
“It’s genuine.” Ella said stepping forward. Pointing to the bottom of the painting, she continued. “If you look at the brush strokes you can see this was from the Middle Kingdom, the artists were sloppier and took shortcuts in their work. Whereas the Protodynastic Period, they believed these paintings would direct them in the afterlife, so they took great care in their work.”
“Who may you be? The curator?” The older woman asked as she lifted her glasses from the chain around her neck.
Ella laughed shyly. “No, I just love art.”
“Ms. McKay, this is my wife.” Colin introduced them with a quizzical glance in her direction.
“You don’t say…” With a strange expression on her face the woman removed her spectacles. “What do you know about Scarab Beetles?”
Ella smiled. “In ancient Egypt they believed they had regenerative powers. The scarab beetle became the icon of Egyptian understanding of death and rebirth…” Trailing off she realized he was getting a head of herself. Amy didn’t know anything about art or ancient Egypt.
Clearing her throat, Ella stepped closer to Colin. She took his arm courteously. “My husband is the one you want to talk to about passion and knowledge on these pieces. I truly hope he is able to bring some of those artifacts he found in Egypt here to this exhibit. You wouldn’t believe how great their condition is.”
The other woman placed her glasses back on the brim of her nose. “You have seen these pieces your husband is trying to bring here?”
Unsure if Amy had seen them or not Ella redirected the answer. “Colin was actually at the dig site when some of the artifacts were found. Pieces of history that were long forgotten…I can see why he gets so involved.” She wanted to smack herself for sounding so dreamy. Taking a glass of wine from a passing waiter, Ella refused to meet Colin’s eyes.
“Mr. Russo.” The older woman acknowledged after several minutes of silence. “You never told me your wife was so educated in these artifacts.”
Bring his full attention back to Ella, Colin smiled. “She’s full of surprises.”
“Yes, well after speaking with your charming wife I realized you might just be the breath of fresh air I’ve been waiting for.” Ms. McKay eyed Ella for a moment before continuing. “I would love to meet with you in Egypt like we had originally planned.”
“You will?” Colin asked sounding shocked.
“Yes, of course.”The older chuckled knowingly. “I can see how she snatched you up so quickly. You’re not at all as you seem to be.”
Ella didn’t even dare glance in Colin’s direction as the woman spoke. Taking a small drink from her wine glass, she tried directing her attention else were. Once the other woman said her goodnights, Ella found herself downing most of the glass.
“You were magnificent.” Colin’s sexy voice seemed to cut through the noise of the art exhibit and right over her shoulder.
Turning to face him, she put on her best Amy face. “Well, you know…” With that she finished the rest of the wine and grabbed another full passing glass. Taking another long sip from her flute she felt his strong hand gently take a hold of her free one.
All she could do was follow him while he redirected them out of the crowed exhibit and into a large nearly empty hall. Facing her fully Colin removed the glass from her hand and set it aside. “Did you like the exhibit?”
She looked up into his beautiful eyes and nearly let out a sob. Why was his spell on her so intense? She lost control of her senses every time he touched her, looked at her, or spoke to her. Even now time had seemed to stop the moment she realized how alone they were down the massive hall.
Squeezing her eyes closed she wished the night would never end and she could be his. Unfortunately the reality of it started to creep into her sanity. She wasn’t his. He had to know the truth. She could not keep it from him any longer; it was not fair to either of them.
“Are you alright?”
His question nearly ripped her in two. “No. There is something I need to tell you.”
“Alright. Let’s go back to the hotel.”
She nodded with agreement. As he leaned in for another kiss Ella found herself more than willing to accept his offer. She knew she was only making it worse, but God help her, she wanted to feel his lips just one more time.
Ella sat at the elegant table eyeing each present Colin had given her. From the roses to the necklace, even the golden feather seemed to mock her from its box. Lifting the exquisite feather she allowed the light to glimmer off of the gold.
After they returned from the exhibit Colin had been called to a quick meeting in the lobby to discuss the events surrounding Ms. McKay’s involvement. He apologized, although she could see the excitement in his eyes, gave her a quick kiss goodbye, and then left her to her thoughts. Thoughts that were ripping her apart inside. What will he say when he finds out she isn’t his wife?
Just then, Colin came into the room with an arm full of the most beautiful peach, colored lilies. Looking confused Colin walked slowly over to the table. “Hey, beautiful. What are you doing?” Setting the lilies down on the table he took a seat next to her.
Ella could feel the tears deign to swell up behind her eyes. An uncontrollable quiver came over her body, as she placed the feather back in its box. “Colin,” She found it hard to speak, with her body shaking so intensely. Clearing her throat Ella tried again. “There is something I have to tell you. Something you need to know.” Tears instantly fell from her eyes.
“Hey,” Colin immediately leaned forward, and gently wiped a few tears away. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
His warm touch on her face was too much. Ella sat back into the chair frantically rubbing the rest of the tears from her cheeks. “I don’t even know how or where to begin telling you this.”
Colin shied deeply, glancing away. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You don’t have to tell me anything.” He smiled.
Ella rolled her eyes, “No. No it’s not okay.” She could not bring herself to look at him. “This is something that…”
“Do you love me?” His question hung in the air like a heavy fog. His voice was low and uneven. The gaze in his eyes, hinted towards an unfamiliar territory,
as if he was scared to hear her answer.
Ella thought her body was going to fly apart. She didn’t know how to answer him. How could she answer him? She felt more tears fall from her eyes. “I…No I shouldn’t…” Her mind was racing so fiercely with the details of her confession, that she could no longer keep her thoughts intact.
Standing up suddenly, Ella fled to the big French doors. As she opened both doors a frigid gust of wind hit her body like a thousand sharp knives. She took an unsteady step out onto the snow covered balcony. Her whole body trembled, causing her legs to buckle. Grabbing a hold of the icy railing, Ella hoped with a white knuckle grip the railing would stable her.
“What are you doing? It’s freezing out there!” Colin yelled out to her.
“I don’t care. My skin feels like it’s on fire.” She tried desperately to regain control as she listened to him approach her from behind her back. She needed to gather her thoughts.
“You know that I used to think that love at first sight was only something made up for romance novels.” He placed both hands in his pockets as he walked up beside her. “I told myself that love at first sight was only lust. An extreme physical attraction, not love.”
Ella removed her now frozen hands from the railing. Clasping them together, she brought her hands to her chest. She listened to him intently wondering where he was going with this. She was afraid of the outcome.
He removed one of his hands from his pocket and placed it upon the railing where her hands used to rest. “That’s until I met you.” He stepped slightly in front of her, returning his hand to his pocket. “Even though we had only met a few times and spoke briefly. It seemed to be enough to make me crave you.”
Ella closed her eyes, as she lowered her head. This was the part she feared. A sharp pain filtered throughout her entire body. Knowing that it wasn’t from the cold, she tried to move. She wanted him to stop, but couldn’t utter the words. She could only listen while he spilled his truest emotions out on her, as she stood there pretending to be someone she could never be.
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