‘I’ve already told you it wasn’t like that! What can I say to convince you, Natalie?’
‘Nothing. I wouldn’t believe a single word you said, frankly, not when you’re so adept at telling lies. So save your breath and spare me the embarrassment.’
‘Then there doesn’t seem to be a lot that I can do, does there?’ He cut her an icy stare, his face revealing little emotion.
Natalie looked away, feeling tears stinging her lids, tears she refused. to shed in front of him. ‘No, nothing at all. I’d just be grateful if you would leave, Flynn.’
He swung round and strode to the door, pausing with his hand on the handle. ‘You might not want to have anything to do with me, Natalie, but I want you to promise that you’ll follow my instructions to the letter. Until I have this mess under control you could be in danger still.’
She didn’t spare him a glance, staring down at her hands which were twisting the end of the towel. ‘I wonder if it could be any worse than what has already happened?’ She glanced up, holding her hand up when he made as if to come back to her. ‘No! I’m not a fool, Flynn. I am aware of the position I’m in even though I can tell you here and now that whatever you suspect Marcus of being involved in you are wrong! You’ve just been wasting your time trying to pin the blame on him.’
He laughed harshly, face set and uncompromising. ‘Such touching belief, Natalie! It’s a great shame that Marcus doesn’t know how highly you rate him!’
She looked at him, tossing her hair back so that it rippled in damp waves over her creamy smooth shoulders. ‘Yes, isn’t it? However, it’s a mistake I intend to rectify just as soon as I can.’ She laughed softly, hiding her grief behind a mask almost equal to those with which Flynn had deceived her. ‘Some good might come out of this fiasco after all. You’ve opened my eyes to how easy it is to let life pass by without doing anything to get what you really want from it.’
‘Meaning?’ he asked steadily.
‘Simply that when I see Marcus again I shall tell him how I feel.’ She shrugged, her eyes holding his. ‘I seem to have lost my inhibitions out in that desert, Flynn, so maybe I should thank you for that!’
There was a moment when his eyes seemed to burn into hers so fiercely that her breath stopped, held by the fury she could see in their depths. Then he swung round and walked out of the room.
Natalie sank down on to the bed, her body trembling, yet her eyes were dry now, the tears she wanted to shed gone. Nothing could ease this agony she felt, neither tears nor laments. It went bone-deep, maybe deeper. Deep enough to cut through to her soul, and nothing could go deeper than that.
‘So you’ll be in touch once you’re sure it’s safe?’ Doyle picked up the lightweight grip and tossed it into the back of the Jeep.
‘Yes. It should only take a few days but...’ Flynn shrugged eloquently.
‘But keep an eye open for anything unusual happening until we hear from you.’ Doyle dusted his hands off then held one out to Flynn. ‘Don’t worry. We’ll look after Natalie. Just look out for yourself.’
Flynn shook his hand and gave a tight grin. ‘Concerned about me, Major? That must be a first!’
Doyle laughed as he slapped him on the back. ‘Oh, I’m sure you’ll survive. You always did have the luck of the devil. But you can’t blame a man for worrying about his investments. You did promise me a cut out of this, I believe?’
‘Doyle!’ Gabrielle glared at her husband. ‘That is the most awful thing to say!’
He slid an arm around her shoulders and kissed her lightly, his face so full of love that Natalie had to turn away as pain tore into her heart. ‘Flynn and I understand one another, darling. He knows exactly what I mean.’
He glanced over Gabrielle’s head, his face suddenly grave. ‘Just keep your mind on what’s going on and don’t be side-tracked, though.’
Flynn’s gaze followed his but rested only for a moment on Natalie before it moved away again, yet even that was enough to start her heart bumping painfully fast. She took a steadying breath, telling herself that it would be all over in a couple of minutes. Then she wouldn’t need to see or speak to Flynn O’Rourke again! Yet despite what had happened and the way he had deceived her it seemed to be a hollow sort of comfort.
‘Natalie.’
She started nervously, colour swimming into her face as she realised that he was addressing her. Desperately she looked round but the other couple were discreetly sorting the cases in the Jeep, obviously intent on affording her and Flynn a few minutes alone.
‘Yes?’ she asked brusquely. ‘Although I don’t think there’s anything left for us to say to one another. To my mind it’s all been said!’
His mouth thinned, his eyes glittering dangerously as he took a step towards her, standing between her and the Jeep. ‘So you’re still determined to close your mind to what I’ve been trying to tell you?’
Natalie didn’t answer, turning away to stare along the dusty road, afraid that if she said a single word it would be just enough to break through the control she’d imposed upon her emotions. Flynn had used her in the cruellest way possible; how could she close her mind to that?
He sighed heavily, anger emanating from him. ‘If I had the time then I’d damn well make sure---!’ He broke off abruptly. ‘I just wanted to tell you that I spoke to David before. He was panicking, as I thought he might be when I hadn’t returned. Anyhow, I’ve smoothed things over with him and told him to expect me back there by this evening. I’m sure you’ll be relieved to know that I do keep my word on some things, Natalie.’
She ignored the cutting edge of his sarcasm, staring quietly back at him, her voice devoid of all expression. ‘Thank you.’
He made a small instinctive move towards her, anger flaring hotly in his eyes, before he obviously thought better of it. He smiled tightly. ‘My pleasure, sweet. David gave me a message to pass on to you. It seems that Renshaw won’t be joining the shoot after all. He fell and injured his ankle while getting off the plane in New York.’ He gave a hard laugh which was full of a bitterness that made her ache. ‘Seems that at least one of the reasons for my being here has been a waste of time, doesn’t it? Let’s hope I have more success on the other front.’
She couldn’t bear to have him torment her this way! She started past him, her whole body tensing when he caught her by the shoulders and held her. ‘Let me go!’ she ordered in a hoarse undertone, conscious of the other couple just feet away. ‘Damn you, Flynn, get your hands off me!’
His fingers tightened on her flesh, leaving marks. ‘That wasn’t what you said last night or this morning, sweetheart. Then you couldn’t get enough of my touch!’
The tears she’d struggled to hold back for so long suddenly welled from her eyes as she stared up at him. ‘Damn you, Flynn!’ she whispered brokenly. ‘Damn you for what you’ve done!’
Pain flashed across his face. ‘Natalie, you——’
‘We’ll have to leave now otherwise we’ll miss our takeoff slot.’ Doyle drew their attention to the fact that they were ready to go.,
Natalie pulled herself free of Flynn’s hold, walking past him to the Jeep, uncaring what the others made of her tears. She climbed into the back, turning away as they pulled out from the hotel. She wouldn’t look back. She didn’t need to. She would never forget Flynn O’Rourke and how he had tricked her until her dying day!
CHAPTER NINE
THEY flew to Paris, Doyle piloting the small plane while Gabrielle tried to keep up a flow of conversation which gradually faded into silence when Natalie failed to respond.
By the time they arrived at the elegant apartment on the Avenue Victor Hugo, Natalie was exhausted, the emotional strain leaving her completely drained. The others ushered her inside then Doyle excused himself to make some phone calls, leaving the two women together.
‘I’ll show you straight to your room, shall I, Natalie?’ Gabrielle offered in an over-bright tone. ‘I’m sure you need a rest after all you’ve been through in the
past few days!’
It was obvious that Gabrielle was alluding to the kidnapping and being stranded in the desert yet Natalie knew that it was neither of those which had left such a deep mark on her. She kept that to herself, however, following the other woman through the apartment to a large bedroom, a showplace of gilt and marble extravagance.
Gabrielle looked round with a grimace. ‘We haven’t redecorated in here yet. I’m afraid it’s rather over the top, the taste of the previous owner. However, it seemed more important to do the rooms we use, especially the nursery, of course.’
Natalie summoned a smile, dropping her bag on to the bed. ‘It’s fine, thank you. I didn’t know that you have a baby.’
Gabrielle’s face filled with motherly love. ‘Yes. He’s with my mother at present, being dreadfully spoiled, I imagine.’ She crossed the room to switch on the gilded desk lamp and laughed softly. ‘He’s the apple of her eye despite the fact that at just one year old he can be a handful!’ She cast Natalie an amused look. ‘We decided to come to Paris for a second honeymoon, actually. The first one ended up for three as John had just been born!’
Natalie’s smile faded. ‘And it seems to be turning into a repeat now that you’ve been burdened with looking after me.’
‘Nonsense! Doyle and I are delighted to help out.’ She gave Natalie a searching look. ‘Tell me to mind my own business but you seem very unhappy, Natalie. Is it just because you’re worried about Flynn? If it is then believe me when I say that he’s more than capable of looking out for himself!’
She didn’t doubt that. Flynn O’Rourke had priorities and they always came first, his main aim in life to achieve his goals no matter what he had to do! She dropped her gaze to her hands, hiding the sudden easy tears which filled her eyes, grasping gratefully at the excuse Gabrielle had offered her. ‘You can’t help worrying,’ she said obliquely.
‘I know. I worry about Doyle a lot of the time but one consolation is that both he and Flynn are highly skilled at what they do. There isn’t much that they can’t handle.’ She gave a small shrug, taking a last look around the room. ‘Still, what you need now is some rest. I’ll see you later.’
She left the room, closing the door behind her. Natalie got up from the bed and walked over to the window, pushing aside the sheer lacy curtain to stare down at the street below. It was rush-hour and the cars were bumper to bumper, engines revving noisily. She’d been to Paris several times yet suddenly it felt as though she was seeing it with unfamiliar eyes. She felt different, changed in some way, but was it any wonder after what had happened? Flynn’s advent into her life had changed it irrevocably. Now she had to wait until the message came from him before she could try to rebuild it, but it wasn’t going to be easy.
It was the third morning of her stay. Natalie got up, taking her time showering and dressing. There was nothing to rush for—the long days spent in the apartment dragged.
There was a pot of coffee keeping warm on the stove when she entered the kitchen but no sign of Gabrielle or Doyle, which was unusual. The couple had been assiduous about keeping their promise to look after her, refusing to leave her by herself despite her protests that she would be all right. Natalie felt guilty that their holiday was being spoiled by her presence but all her reassurances fell on seemingly deaf ears. When would Flynn make contact and end this misery for all of them?
‘Hello, Natalie.’
The shock of hearing his voice was so great that the cup of coffee she’d just poured slipped from her hand. It smashed on the white tiles, spraying coffee all over the floor, but Natalie was barely aware of it. She just stared at the figure in the doorway, feeling a whole maelstrom of emotions pouring through her, erasing the numbness which had filled her these past few days to leave her suddenly painfully vulnerable once again. It was only when she heard Flynn make some sharp exclamation of concern that she tried to collect herself.
‘I had no idea you were here.’
‘So I see. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I arrived about an hour ago when you were still asleep.’ He moved into the room, casting a quick look down at the floor. ‘I’ll clear that up; you sit down.’
She didn’t need him telling her what to do and when to do it! She didn’t need him interfering in her life ever again! ‘Thank you but I’m perfectly capable of doing it myself. My mess, my place to clear it up!’
His eyes narrowed but he said nothing as he pulled out a chair and sat down at the table, watching her while she tore a length of paper towel off the roll and bent down to mop up the floor. ‘How have you been, Natalie? Have you got over what happened to you; you aren’t still having nightmares about it, I hope?’
He meant the kidnapping, of course, not what had been giving her sleepless nights of late. And how did anyone ever get over discovering that the person you loved had deceived you as Flynn had deceived her? Yet there was no way she would ever tell him that! She stood up abruptly, knocking against the table in her haste.
‘Careful!’ He shot to his feet, the feel of his hands at her waist steadying her so familiar that Natalie stilled as her body was flooded with sensations and memories of all those other times...
‘Natalie, I...’
‘Excuse me.’ She pushed him away, her heart thundering, aching with a bitter pain which made her feel sick. She turned her back on him to rip another length of paper towel from the roll, waiting until her hands had stopped shaking before she returned to the task of clearing up the coffee.
Flynn sat down again, leaning back in the chair, but there was a tension about him which flowed between them, linking them as she didn’t want to be linked to him ever again. He had tricked her, used her, yet even now she could feel the magnetic pull of his attraction and felt ashamed.
‘I’m sorry, Natalie. You might not believe me but what happened between us in the desert wasn’t part of my plan.’
Did he really imagine that she wanted to discuss it? She tossed the soiled towel into the bin and swung round, wanting only to get away from him and all the memories he was evoking. But it seemed he had no intention of sparing her this final humiliation as he stood up and moved in front of her to stop her leaving the room.
Her eyes blazed defiance. ‘I am not interested! Can’t you get that into your head? I’ve listened to all I intend to listen to. Now all I want to know is if it’s safe for me to go back home and get on with my life!’
‘You’re the stubbornest, most infuriating woman I’ve ever met! Damn it, Natalie, why won’t you try to understand?’
She laughed harshly, an ugly sound which rang around the kitchen and held the faintest thread of hysteria before she cut it off abruptly. ‘I understand everything! Would you like me to explain it to you?’
He shook his head, his eyes pale and glittering with impatience. ‘I don’t need you to explain——’
She cut him off, gripping his arms when he made as though to move away from her. ‘Oh, but I disagree. I think you do need me to explain it to you, nice and clearly so that you’re left in no doubt that I understand what’s been going on!’
‘If it makes you feel better...’ He shrugged almost indifferently, faint amusement in his voice now. He glanced pointedly down at where her hands were holding his forearms then calmly walked across the room to pour himself a cup of coffee when she let him go. ‘Well, Natalie? Let’s hear it, then.’
He had taken the impetus from her, making her feel as though she was acting like some sort of silly, hysterical woman! She swung away from him, forcing the bile from her throat, wondering what to say now, and heard him laugh tauntingly.
‘Cat got your tongue now, sweet? Why so reticent all of a sudden? You were dying to tell me a minute ago so what’s stopping you now?’ His voice dropped a note, deep and disturbing as it flowed across the room. ‘Could it be that you’ve suddenly seen sense and realised what I’ve been trying my damnedest to make you understand?’
‘Yes!’ She swung round, hair flying around her shoulders before
she pushed it back with an impatient hand. Anger was runing along her veins like electricity, giving her the power now to stand there and face him, to let him know what she thought of him for his deceit and treachery. ‘I have seen sense, Flynn. I saw it three days ago, a blinding flash of insight into what had been going on. My only regret is that it didn’t happen sooner!’
‘Why? Do you honestly believe that it would have made any difference? You think you’ve uncovered all the facts but if you had found out a day earlier do you really imagine it would have stopped us making love?’
His arrogance took her breath away for a second and then she found her voice. ‘Of course it would have made a difference! If I had known that you were using me as a means to investigate Marcus then I would never have slept with you! I couldn’t have stood for you to touch me if you’d like the truth!’
‘Is that a fact?’ He was across the room and reaching for her before she realised what he intended, his aqua eyes holding a light which made her fight him instinctively.
‘Don’t you dare, Flynn!’ she spat out, quelling the sudden shaft of excitement which shot through her as his hands slowly closed over the delicate bones of her shoulders.
He laughed deeply, bending so that his face was just a blur as he came closer. “‘Who Dares Wins”...that’s the motto I lived by for quite a few years, Natalie. It’s one which still holds true, I think!’
His lips were warm and hard and totally devastating. The kiss was a deliberate assault on her senses, a skilful playing with her emotions. Natalie tried to close her mind to the erotic fell of his mouth nibbling hers, the soft, seductive sweep of his tongue around the tightly pressed contours of her lips. It was the sweetest kind of torture imaginable, to stand in Flynn’s arms and feel him kissing her this way, but somehow she had to resist him for the sake of her own self-respect. She could never live with herself if once again she fell victim to his manipulative powers!
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