“I can’t, I need to go, this isn’t right and we both know it.”
He regarded her silently his face straight and immobile. She was doing it again, refusing him, asserting her own will over his and he didn’t like it, not one little bit.
“A night can’t hurt, can it? We both know we want this,” he tempted.
“No I think that you probably want this more, I just want a job, remember. What sort of man are you anyway to impose such dubious conditions on everything?”
“Probably the sort you really should avoid, Gina,” he confirmed. “Your instincts about me are right. I’m selfish, demanding and I like to get my own way. But doesn’t that make this whole thing just a little more exciting?”
He was looking at her again, giving her a long, sexy stare that travelled her body before finally his mouth broke into a small smile. Gina blinked as she looked into his dark eyes. A shiver snaked down her spine as she watched him. Why did he have to be so beautiful, the most handsome man she’d ever met and she fancied him like mad? Why couldn’t he be more normal and why did she have to have all those issues about his acquisition of her dad’s business?
“We should leave,” he decided. They’d spent enough time getting nowhere so it was decision time. “You are not going to refuse me now, are you Gina? You will come with me because you want this too, don’t you?”
The question hung mid air between them while his dark eyes bored into hers. What was she supposed to say? He’d worn her resistance down to nothing. Her throat felt too dry to speak so she simply nodded her agreement to the night of passion he’d invited her to.
“I’ve something I must see to first so in the meantime go and tell Charlie you’re coming with me and say your goodbyes,” he told her firmly while stroking her cheek. Then he pulled the key card to his suite from his inside jacket pocket and gave it to her.
“I’m on the top floor in the penthouse. Go and make yourself comfortable. Try my bed for size,” he winked, “and I’ll join you as soon as I’ve had a word with reception.”
He walked her back into the main event hall and left her beside Charlie. Charlie Spence knew Dark’s reputation all too well and given Gina’s flushed face and lack of any trace of lipstick left on that lovely mouth he could guess what they’d been up to. He was annoyed; despite bringing her here he was happy for Gina to chat to whoever she liked, anyone that was but Dark.
He looked round at the bemused group of men and nodding at Carlotti ushered Gina away so they couldn’t hear what he was about to say to her.
“Look, I’ve told you I don’t have a problem with you finding your own way but why Matthew Dark, Gina?” He asked her accusingly. “Why him, out of all the people here tonight who could help you, why choose him?”
“Well, because he offered,” she told him simply. “He’s had time to reconsider after my interview this morning,” Gina lied. “You know I want to work in our old firm again so I can’t pass up the chance, Charlie.”
She kissed his cheek and smiled reassuringly.
“You mustn’t worry about me. I’ll be fine, this is what I want.”
“And the conditions he’s laid down, because you can’t kid me, I know him so I know there’ll be some. I bet I can guess what they are and all,” he told her smugly. “In fact that’s where you’re going now, isn’t it, to his penthouse?”
Charlie had guessed right but Gina didn’t want to waste time explaining herself.
“Don’t be so two faced, Charlie. You’d never have given me a job not without strings anyway. And I know you’ve booked a double room here so I think your criticism of Dark is very misplaced,” she retaliated.
“You know nothing, Gina. That double room was never intended for us, it’s for me and my new lady, Lisa. A woman you need to be very wary of if you’re taking up with Dark.”
“Lisa?” She questioned recalling the brunette from earlier. So she was the mysterious woman in Charlie’s life. “Why should I, who is she?”
“Mrs Matthew Dark,” Charlie replied and then without offering any explanation he turned on his heel left her standing staring after him open mouthed.
Chapter 5
She couldn’t be Dark’s wife, there must be some mistake. Gina ran through every detail of what she’d witnessed between them earlier in her head. Had they behaved like a married couple? Well no, not at all and what about his invitation to spend the night with him? That was definitely not what she’d expect from a man who had his wife in tow. Could Charlie be lying? But then why would he. He had no reason to because there was no ulterior motive; after all he was planning to spend the night with Mrs Dark!
So they’d deceived each other, Dark and his wife, or perhaps they hadn’t, perhaps theirs was that type of relationship and given what she knew about him already, that wouldn’t surprise her. Gina was confused but felt instinctively that there must be something else to this, something Charlie wasn’t telling her. Lisa must be the person he spoke about, the one who’d steal Dark’s secrets for him. Could that be why Charlie wanted her to keep away from Dark, because he thought she might in some way spoil his plans?
But whatever the truth was Gina didn’t have time to think about it now. Having the key to Dark’s suite was a bonus she hadn’t expected. Like he’d said he’d been living here for weeks so the chances of him leaving paperwork there, particularly paperwork about the new product that he didn’t want to keep in the office was a real possibility. This was an opportunity too good to miss. All she needed was time in his suite to see what information she could find. But how was she going to ensure that she got it? From what Dark had said he wouldn’t leave her for long.
She was thinking about this as the lift doors opened and Kyle Hastings got out flashing her a wide, boyish smile.
“Leaving already,” he asked. “I was hoping to chat, perhaps buy you a drink,” he admitted shyly.
He was nice, straightforward and if Gina was reading him correctly not someone who’d have his hands up her skirt within minutes of talking to her like Dark had. Attraction to men like Dark wasn’t a trait she should encourage; men like Kyle were a much safer bet.
“I’m sorry, Kyle, there’s something I’ve got to do,” she apologised and genuinely sorry for having to let him down. Then a thought suddenly occurred to her. “Kyle do you know that woman who joined us briefly before, the brunette, Lisa?” She asked casually.
Kyle nodded. “Well I don’t know her personally,” he admitted blushing slightly. “But I know who she is, she’s Matthew Dark’s wife, I believe.”
So it was true, he was married after all.
“Well that gives me a little problem,” she admitted as if to herself. “Kyle would you do me an enormous favour,” she asked him?
“If I can,” he shrugged and smiled.
“I’ve got myself into a bit of a fix,” she told him. “I’m on my way up to Dark’s penthouse,” she explained. “Please don’t ask me any questions but do you think you could keep him busy for ten minutes or so for me?”
“Well I can try,” he offered his blue eyes clouding with disappointment at the idea of her being with Dark.
“You should find him in reception. I won’t forget this, Kyle. I don’t want to see him again tonight but there’s something I’ve got to get first. You’ve no idea how grateful I’d be if you pull this off.”
Kyle Hastings was only too happy to help and with a reassuring smile he watched her hop past him and into the lift.
Gina really needed Kyle to get this right. She needed time to look around the penthouse and hopefully find something that would help. Exactly what that was she wasn’t sure but all her instincts told her Dark would have brought work back here. Particularly if that work was confidential and given that his London staff was all new and he wouldn’t entirely trust them yet.
Apart from that sleeping with him wasn’t an option any more, not if he had a wife. And even if he didn’t she wasn’t ready just yet. Her desire for this man might be becoming mo
re wanton and feverish each time she saw him and their interlude minutes earlier had been wonderful, but common sense told her that she needed to put her original plans first. Anyway once he found out who she really was and what she was up to he was unlikely to be interested any more. So better not to get involved in the first place was the sensible way to go.
As the lift sped upwards Gina knew she was kidding herself. She was involved with him. She was involved mentally, because she couldn’t stop thinking about him and physically because her body craved for the burning touch of his hands and his mouth. The way she’d just felt when he’d held her in his arms was like nothing she’d ever experienced with a man before. She doubted it was love, it couldn’t be, not yet and how would she know anyway? Gina had never been in love, infatuated yes, but never in love. No, what she felt for Dark was far more dangerous. A raging burning desire engulfed her body whenever she was near him and Gina knew that she would have to submit to its demands if she was ever to regain her sanity. But she couldn’t afford to let these wild thoughts get in the way of her plans. The task in hand and no further, she told herself.
Gina let herself into the penthouse and slipped through the door with all the stealth of an intruder. She quickly checked her surroundings half expecting to find she was not alone. However, thankfully she was and feeling a little more confident she set about her search.
The penthouse was everything Gina had imaged it would be in a hotel of this size and prominence. Large, opulent and as her big blue eyes scanned around she noted that it was probably larger than the small flat she had in her father’s house. And Dark wasn’t the neatest of people either which would make her task all the more difficult. But on the plus side if he had brought work home then the chances were he’d have just left that lying about too. But where to start, there were clothes and paperwork strewn across most of the surfaces in all the rooms.
The bedroom first and she entered this particular room on her tiptoes her spine alive with shivers of trepidation. She wasn’t sure why but she half expected him to be waiting for her. Stupid thought, she told herself, he’d be engaged in some pointless conversation with Kyle now if that young man had got it right.
Although she didn’t have the time to waste looking at his personal things Gina was fascinated to see how this man lived. She trailed interested fingers over a beautiful Armani suit lay across the bed, Dark was a man of taste and he could well afford the best. Handmade suits and shoes and top designer labels just lay around on the backs of chairs, on the chest of drawers, with no apparent respect for what they must have cost. The dressing table was crowded with masculine colognes and brushes for his dark hair.
She flicked through one or two files she found there but they contained only accounts paperwork and she quickly discarded them. Then her eyes were drawn to an elegant dark blue velvet box about eight inches square and new. Gina couldn’t resist, she picked it up and opening the catch lifted the lid. Inside was a quite beautiful ruby collar type necklace with matching earrings. Each ruby graduated in size with the central one as big as a walnut. She gasped, the set was exquisite, and whoever it was intended for was one very lucky lady, that woman, Lisa perhaps. Her heart was beating fast; she shouldn’t be doing this so she replaced it quickly and decided to search elsewhere.
But dominating the bedroom was the large king sized bed bedecked with damask drapes and covered in an aubergine coloured silk counterpane. This is where he’d have brought her, made love to her. Once in here Gina didn’t doubt he’d have wasted no time in removing her clothes. He’d have laid her down on the rich fabric, her blonde hair billowing against the plump feather filled cushions and they’d have spent the night making love until the small hours.
She felt the twist of excitement grip her stomach at this thought. She touched the rich silk of the bed covers it was soft, comfortable, a lovers bed, she thought hazily wondering who else he’d brought here for the same purpose. Then there was Lisa, was she sharing this suite with him? She scanned the room again but there was no evidence of a female presence. But why would Charlie and, of course Kyle Hastings, think she was his wife then?
Gina looked at a pile of paperwork on the bedside table but there was nothing interesting. She tapped her long fingers on the polished surface and looked around for a cabinet or even a safe but there was no obvious place he would store paperwork. But as she looked up at the drapes surrounding the bed she saw it, a large metal ring set into the headboard about halfway down. It looked out of place and as far as she could see had no obvious purpose. She knelt up on the pillows to take a closer look and pulled the thing firmly but it was very securely fixed and didn’t move. She shuffled back she needed to get down and continue her search but as she moved the pillows fell onto the floor and exposed what had been lying underneath. Gina’s eyes widened as she saw the metallic glimmer of handcuffs and a long piece of fine, silky rope.
Her imagination took an immediate flight into the realms of the unknown as she pictured all sort of sexual practises being enjoyed in this room. But who with, she wondered, the woman Lisa sprang to mind again. Just what sort of man was Matthew Dark and what on Earth was he up to in the darkest hours of the night with the women he brought here? Gina shuddered realising that perhaps the things she’d been told about the Scotsman behaviour weren’t in the realms of fantasy after all.
And of course there was the way he’d wanted to control her earlier, the way he’d wanted her hands behind her back before he’d touched her, and how he’d punished her when she’d freed them. She’d probably had a narrow escape being able to come up here on her own. It was obvious to her now that it wouldn’t have been all soft pillows and soft words after all.
Despite being on her own Gina still felt her cheeks pink as she imagined being cuffed tight and at his mercy and knew she needed to get out of there. The whole penthouse had now taken on an entirely different mood. But she had the cuffs in her hand now and she couldn’t put them down, the damned things fascinated her. Sitting on the side of the bed she couldn’t resist fitting her small wrists into one but she didn’t snap it shut she daren’t as she’d no idea where the key might be. The metal felt cold and there was a silver chain running between this one and the other. A chain long enough to loop the rope through and then tie it to the rink. Was she right, she wondered, then reaching up she put the rope through it and saw that this would work. A person restrained in this way would still be able to lie on the bed while their arms were held above their head out of the way.
Gina shivered again and shook her wrist roughly letting the cuffs fall to the floor. Her spine and the lower reaches of her belly were tingling with excitement, an excitement she hated herself for feeling. How could she be so turned on by this imagery in her head? This uninvited, wild imagery of being on the receiving end of such treatment from him?
As she rolled off Gina lifted the counterpane and looked underneath the bed half expecting to find more evidence of Dark’s bedroom practises but there was nothing. She was confused and just wanted to get away, even if she’d planned to there was no way she could wait here for him now. As far as she was concerned Matthew Dark was definitely out of bounds.
Time was running out and as Gina checked her watch she realised that nearly ten minutes had already passed since she entered the penthouse. She lifted the skirt of her gown and hurried around the beautifully furnished sitting room. A large desk sat under the balcony window and papers were literally inches deep on its surface and they spilled to the floor as she quickly searched through them.
Literally at the bottom of this mess she found a thin black leather document wallet with Dark’s initials embossed on it and she delicately flicked it open. Was this it, she wondered? The papers inside seemed to be plans and specifications for a new computer. The dates on each of the papers seemed to be right and there was a ‘post it’ note attached to one with a reminder to speak to the technical team the following day. So that meant it was a current project and worth knowing about she realised
hopefully.
The wallet held six documents and kneeling down Gina spread them carefully on the plush cream coloured carpet that covered the floor then retrieving her cell ‘phone she began to photograph them one by one.
She replaced the papers as she’d found them and then saw that the wallet held something else in a leather sleeve. It was a small tablet computer. Ultra thin and very shiny glancing back at the papers Gina realised that this was what the ‘specs were for. Could this really be the ‘gizmo’ that was such a secret. Now she really was puzzled. Tablets had been on the market for a while and although this one seemed to have a very high ‘spec what, she wondered, made it so different. Gina didn’t have time to consider this now so she photographed it and put everything back on the desk as she remembered finding it.
She had a last look round. The place seemed so untidy to her eyes that she was sure no one could possibly know she’d been poking around. She was just about to leave when she heard a loud knock at the door.
Dark Demands - Taken for His Captive Page 5