She looked down at their linked hands then slowly drew hers away. ‘You do,’ she said with a small laugh. ‘There’s no fooling you, is there?’ She took a deep breath. ‘It’s Flynn, you see.’
‘O’Rourke? What do you mean? There isn’t some sort of problem he didn’t tell me about, is there?’ Marcus’s tone had hardened and Natalie hurried to allay his fears.
‘No, not that kind, at least. And nothing we can’t work out,’ she said softly, unaware of how much her voice gave away.
Marcus smiled understandingly. ‘I think I see now. Are you in love with him, then, Natalie?’
‘Yes,’ she whispered.
‘And how does he feel about you?’
Her face glowed with happiness. ‘I think... hope that Flynn feels the same way I do! So what advice would you give me, Marcus?’
‘Absolutely none. I don’t imagine that you need any.’
He stood up and took her hands to draw her to her feet. ‘I always knew that it would happen one day, that you’d find the man you’d fall in love with. Oh, I know that you fancied I was that man but deep down I always felt that one day you’d discover it wasn’t so.’ He laughed as she flushed. ‘Don’t be embarrassed, Natalie, because there’s no need. I had even made up my mind that we should talk about it, work through why you should feel the way you did. I was just there at a time when you needed someone badly, and I’m only glad that I was able to fulfil that role in your life.’
‘You did, Marcus. Thank you.’ She smiled back at him, no longer embarrassed that he should have known all along about her feelings for him and grateful that he had never tried to play upon them. But there again, that was the kind of man he was.
‘As for O’Rourke,’ he continued, ‘well, he isn’t an easy person to get to know but I’ve learned enough over the years we’ve worked together to realise that he’s one of the best. Just be happy, Natalie. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.’
‘Thank you.’ The sincerity in his voice brought a lump to her throat. She reached up and kissed him lightly on the cheek then said goodbye and left, her heart swelling with joy. Marcus’s blessing had put the seal on her happiness and now there were no uncertainties in her mind; there’d been none before she’d come, but Flynn had been right. She had needed to see Marcus and take that final step from the past into the future...
He was waiting for her when she arrived. Natalie had spent the flight in a state of nervous tension. What if he hadn’t got her message or decided not to come? He had told her that he had wanted her but never once had Flynn actually said that he loved her!
By the time the plane landed Natalie had felt sick with nerves. She’d come through Customs and collected her luggage then suddenly looked up and there he was...
For a moment neither of them moved. Then Flynn held his hand out and Natalie went and slipped hers into it, loving the way his fingers tightened so possessively around hers.
Flynn tossed her bags into the back of the Jeep then climbed behind the wheel and gunned the engine, heading out of the city. Natalie rested her head back against the seat, letting the hot wind blow her hair into a tangle around her face as they drove on until the desert welcomed them on all sides. Only then did Flynn pull the vehicle off the road and cut the engine, leaving them alone in the whispering, expectant silence.
‘Well, Natalie? Did you do as I suggested?’ He stared straight ahead, face impassive, voice level. Only his hands, locked tightly around the wheel, betrayed any emotion.
Natalie reached across and laid her hand on his, love overwhelming her. Even now he was giving her room to change her mind. ‘Yes. I saw Marcus.’
‘And?’
‘And...you were right.’ She felt him flinch and laughed gently, drawing out the moment the better to savour it. ‘Right to make me go and see him.’ Her fingers linked through his as their lives would hopefully be linked. ‘I have no doubts at all, Flynn. I love you—you and no one else.’
‘Natalie, I...!’ Words seemed to be suddenly beyond him as he turned and pulled her into his arms, kissing her with a hunger which he made no attempt to hide. When he drew back his aqua eyes were filled with an emotion which stole her breath and made her heart leap.
‘I love you, Natalie. I love you more than I can possibly tell you. I shall love you until the day we die. I’ve never said that to any woman before because I’ve never felt this way. All I want now is to spend the rest of my life convincing you that it’s true!’
‘Oh, Flynn!’ She kissed him with all the love she felt, a kiss which made promises and asked for commitment, a kiss which he returned just as urgently.
When he drew her round to nestle her head against his shoulder, she sighed. ‘I’ve been so scared. Even coming here today I kept thinking, What if you weren’t here, what if you really didn’t care how I felt? It all happened so fast and so unexpectedly.’
‘It did. We fell in love before we knew it, before we really knew one another, and that’s something we must make up for.’ He brushed her mouth with a disturbing kiss which made her ache, smiling when he met her eyes and read the message in their depths, the need she couldn’t hide. ‘I know. I feel it too, sweet. But we need to clear up all the misunderstandings so that they won’t ever get between us in the future.’
‘If you’re sure?’
He must have felt her tension because he ran his hand down her arm in a tender caress. ‘I am. We need to talk about it, Natalie.’ He tilted her face up and stared quietly into her eyes. ‘I am not nor ever have been involved in anything criminal.’
She gave a small smile. ‘I’d already reached that conclusion.’
‘Had you indeed? Based on what?’ His eyebrows quirked.
‘Oh, simply that the man I love couldn’t possibly be involved in anything like that...despite all the indications to the contrary!’
He laughed deeply. ‘And there have been an awful lot of those, haven’t there? If I had set out to make you suspicious then I couldn’t have done a better job!’
‘And speaking of jobs, just what do you do?’ Natalie drew back and stared solemnly at him. ‘I somehow don’t think it’s insurance!’
‘But that’s where you’re wrong.’ He ran a fingertip across her mouth, smiling with a very masculine triumph when she took a shuddery little breath which told him exactly what he was doing to her. ‘You really do have the most deliciously sensitive lips, Natalie... Where was I? Ah, yes — my job. I own a firm which organises protection for a variety of people who are at risk, from pop stars who need bodyguards to heads of state who might be the target of terrorist attacks. It is insurance—life insurance of a very special kind!’
‘It sounds terribly dangerous.’ Her voice reflected her sudden fear and he hastened to reassure her.
‘Anything can be dangerous if it isn’t thought through properly. I aim to minimise any risks by planning. What happened in Cairo to you was unprecedented.’
‘Can you tell me what it was all about, and how Marcus came to be involved to the extent that you thought he might be working against you?’
Flynn sighed, leaning back in the seat and drawing her more comfortably against him as though he enjoyed holding her. ‘It still isn’t completely cleared up. There are questions which need answering, not least of which is exactly who was behind the leak of information.’
‘But you’re sure it wasn’t Marcus?’
He smiled tightly. ‘Oh, yes. Marcus was the number one suspect because the job I was working on was set up initially through him. He had a client who needed extra-special protection and contacted me to arrange it. The client, an Italian by the name of Alessi, was the only witness in a massive fraud trial which has recently gone to court in Rome. His testament was crucial if there were to be any convictions but several highly influential people were determined that he would never give that testimony.’
‘How dreadful!’ Natalie made no attempt to disguise her horror, and felt Flynn’s arms tighten around her.
�
�That’s why I was so desperate to find out the information I needed, Natalie. There had been an attempt made on Alessi’s life once when they discovered where he was being hidden. I couldn’t afford to allow a second one to go ahead.
‘Originally, Alessi fled to England fearing for his safety. He hired Marcus when extradition papers were served to make him go back to Rome for the trial. In the end he only agreed to go when my firm was hired to protect him. Only two of us knew where he was being hidden—myself and Marcus—so it seemed a natural assumption that if the leak hadn’t come from me it must have come from him.’
‘And that’s when you decided to see what you could find out about Marcus... from me?’
‘Yes. It seemed to make sense. I had to tread carefully, as you’ll appreciate, but I had to get to the bottom of it as quickly as I could. One part of me said, No, Marcus Cole wouldn’t be involved, but...’ He shrugged. ‘A lot of money changed hands for that information, Natalie. And that can make people do things that they wouldn’t consider normally.’
‘So you planned on using me right from the moment you heard my message on the phone?’ She couldn’t quite keep the hurt from her voice and heard him sigh.
‘I wish I could deny it, honey, but it would be a lie, and one thing I shall never do is lie to you. Hearing you seemed like a God-given opportunity. I wanted to find out about the people Marcus knew, his associates, friends, anything which would link him to the leak.’ He sighed. ‘I’m not proud of what I planned but I had little choice. There was only a matter of weeks left before the trial and the people involved were getting desperate.’
‘I understand.’
‘Do you?’ He tilted her face to look deep into her eyes. ‘I never intended that you be put at risk. The thought that those people were following me never crossed my mind until you were kidnapped!’
‘I’m not sure I understand.’ She frowned. ‘What do you mean they were following you?’
He ran a finger lightly over the wrinkles on her brow, smoothing them out. ‘Exactly that. The people involved had found out where Alessi was by following me. Someone had tipped them off that I was organising his protection.’
‘But if it wasn’t Marcus then who told them?’
‘I don’t know yet but I have a man working on it. The leak has come from Marcus’s end, I’m sure of that, but not sure who was behind it. But I shall find out, you can believe me!’
Natalie didn’t need to question that. Whatever Flynn had to do he would do it. It was part of his integrity to put his heart and soul into a job. Could she really hold his using her against him, now that she knew the kind of stakes he’d been playing for?
Perhaps he understood where her thoughts were with that perception he had exhibited so many times in the past. He drew her round to face him, holding her lightly by the shoulders, his eyes intent and filled with sincerity. ‘I did what I had to do, Natalie. The fact that it soon started to conflict with my personal feelings was something I had to put to one side. A man’s life was at stake.’
She smiled, running her hand lightly down his cheek, loving the fact that she had the right to do so. ‘I understand, Flynn. Honestly I do.’
He kissed her quickly with a depth of emotion which left her breathless. ‘Thank heavens for that! I knew I was starting to feel far more than I should for you in the circumstances, but I couldn’t explain what was going on!’
‘Because you didn’t trust me? You...you thought that I might be involved through Marcus?’ she asked hollowly, hurt clouding her eyes.
‘Not once I’d got to know you!’ His hands tightened, forcing her to look at him and believe what he was telling her. ‘Oh, perhaps in the beginning I did wonder, but I soon realised that any involvement you might have had would have been purely accidental, a chance meeting with a contact Marcus had. All I wanted from you was an insight into who he knew and how he had been acting recently.’
‘And the fact that he had been acting oddly didn’t help.’ She sighed. ‘He told me that he’s been busy with something or other but didn’t go into any detail, although I had the feeling that he was worried about it.’
‘I got that impression too but he told me no more than he told you. Marcus plays his hand close to his chest.’
Natalie laughed. ‘If there ever was a case of the pot calling the kettle... No one could play his cards closer than you, O’Rourke!’
He grinned disarmingly, eyes glittering as they skimmed her face. ‘I’m not doing it now, though, am I, sweet? I’m sure you have a pretty clear idea what’s on my mind at present!’
She couldn’t stop the blush which spread up her cheeks and looked away when he laughed softly, so seductively that the heat flowed through every bit of her. She took a sharp little breath, striving for calm. ‘So what happens now to this man, Alessi?’
Flynn sobered. ‘He’s given his testimony and I’ve just finalised the details to have him and his family moved to someplace where no one will ever find them.’ He shrugged. ‘It won’t be easy for him, making a new life in a strange country, but at least he’ll be safe and know that his family won’t be at risk.’
‘I suppose that’s some comfort. But did his testimony really help?’
‘Yes, it did. The trial is being summed up today and everyone seems confident that those involved in the fraud will go down for a long time.’
‘I’m glad. He’s been very brave, testifying like that, knowing the risks.’ She shivered suddenly. ‘I was only in that man’s custody for a day but I was scared!’
Flynn swore roughly, pulling her to him to hold her tightly. ‘I shall never forgive myself for that, Natalie!’ He drew away. ‘It’s made me realise that I could never put you at risk again. You’re far too precious to me. So I’ve decided to take more of a back seat than I have done up to now, run the firm and set up the operations without getting personally involved.’ He shrugged. ‘I’ve built up a team of good men over the past few years, men I can rely on, so I shall start delegating. It’ll be no bad thing because the business has been expanding rapidly and it needs me to spend more time on developing its future than I have done.’
‘Are you sure, Flynn? Sure that you won’t miss a more active involvement?’
‘Absolutely. I’ve got tired of living out of a suitcase recently. And the risks involved have definitely lost their appeal when I weigh them up against other factors.’
‘Such as?’ she asked softly.
‘Such as living with you, making a life for us together. That will give me all the thrills I need.’
‘I love you so much, Flynn,’ she said, with her heart in her eyes.
‘And you’re quite sure that you’re over Marcus?’ He made no attempt to disguise his need for reassurance and Natalie smiled.
‘Yes. Marcus will always be a very dear friend because he’s been a part of my life for so long and was there when I needed him most after my parents died. I was at a low point then; I’d been sent to live with an elderly aunt of my father’s who I didn’t even know and although she was kind enough she never showed me much affection.’
‘It must have been hard for you.’
Natalie shrugged. ‘It wasn’t that bad because Marcus helped me to adjust by being there and filling all the missing roles: counsellor, protector, adviser. He was and always will be a very dear friend but what I feel for him bears no resemblance to what I feel for you, Flynn!’
‘As long as you’re sure it isn’t guilt over our sleeping together?’
‘Oh, I feel a lot of things about that...but not guilt!’ He understood what she meant only too well, his face darkening with desire as he drew her to him and kissed her hungrily. He drew back and smiled with purely, masculine satisfaction at her immediate response. ‘So, Natalie, how long do we have before the world intrudes?’
Natalie snuggled into his arms. ‘Not nearly as long as I would like. I have to be back in London in forty-eight hours to complete the final details on the Egypt account, and that’s going to be a
n intrusion in itself!’
‘Why do you say that?’ He frowned.
‘Oh, only because once the women get to see those pictures of you, Flynn O’Rourke, I shall be fighting them off by the cartload. They’re almost alarmingly good and the promotion promises to break all records from the response we’ve had so far!’
He laughed softly. ‘I shall only ever have eyes for you, Natalie, but maybe you should stake your claim right away, although I wonder how poor old Renshaw will take the news that we’re getting married?’
‘Probably with as much surprise as me!’ She eased back and glared at him. ‘Was that supposed to be a proposal? If so it was a miserable effort!’
He laughed deeply, running a finger lazily down her cheek while he watched the flames dance to life in her dark eyes. ‘I’m afraid I haven’t had a lot of practice, sweet. But maybe I can make a better job of it.’ He let her go and started the engine, turning the Jeep back towards the city.
‘Am I allowed to ask where we’re going?’ Natalie said haughtily.
‘Not worried I’m kidnapping you, are you?’ he teased. ‘I’ve booked the suite again at the hotel, although hopefully this time I won’t have to bribe the desk clerk so that he’ll tell you there are no other rooms available.’
‘Flynn O’Rourke, you are a conniving wretch!’
‘But you love me,’ he said confidently, leaning over to kiss her quickly before turning back as the Jeep veered alarmingly. ‘But to continue, we’ll go back to the hotel, get changed and have dinner. Then...’ He paused meaningfully and Natalie felt her heart start racing wildly.
‘Then?’ she queried breathlessly.
He looked at her, love filling his aqua eyes. ‘Then I shall drive you somewhere quiet on the edge of the desert and claim that kiss you still owe me and ask you again. What do you think your answer will be, Natalie?’
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