“No, thank you.” I rubbed my stomach to ease the ache.
“I would have shared with the Home Secretary that you’re the most exhilarating woman I’ve ever met, but I didn’t want to stir up any more intrigue.”
That made me breathless. “Of course.”
James pulled his napkin off the table. “How was your day?”
“Fine.” I looked toward the door where the Home Secretary had exited. “What was your meeting about? Was it to discuss a possible war?”
He flashed me a mega-watt smile.
I flashed one back as he poured the golden wine into our glasses.
“You’re here to clean my palate.” Seeing my confusion, he added, “I need to cleanse myself of the bitterness of politics and have my fill of something pure.”
“I’m flattered.”
He studied my face and then leaned back. “Did something happen today?”
The car ride had rattled me, but I chose not to tell him that. Instead, I used his conversation with the Home Secretary to segue into mine. “So, sending her to Russia would be bad?”
“The KGB are still a thing.”
“Is it okay to talk?” I arched a brow, glancing around the room.
“Yes, this place was swept for bugs. The location was chosen spontaneously so there would be no time to plan something nefarious.”
“Good to know.”
“What’s up?”
“What are your thoughts on Russians who are on our home soil?” I went for it.“As in the Russian Embassy?”
“Are you fucking joking?”
“No, why would I be?”
He waved a hand in the air. “The Russians have a thing for poisoning operatives…ours and theirs.”
I frowned. “Which is bad, obviously.”
“They’ve also developed a tsunami bomb. The last thing Europe needs is a thousand-foot high wave coming at it. One could go as far as to say they’re the biggest threat to national security. But I’m sure you’re aware of this from the news?”
“Uh, sure.” I decided to change the subject. “So, is Xavier joining us?”
“Yes. He has a surprise for you. In the meantime, I thought I’d get a read on how you’re doing?”
“Without Xavier here?”
“Yes, no pressure.”
He continued to stare at me, so I added, “I’m still getting used to everything…the idea of living in Primrose Hill.” I smiled. “It’s close to the Academy, which works out great for the commute.” I could be there and home in a heartbeat—back with my boys.
James straightened in his chair. “How does it suit you? Us all being there?”
I grinned. “It suits me fine.”
He was trying to read me. “You’re okay with me staying there with you?”
“Yes.” I reached over and placed my hand on his. “More than anything.”
“I’m glad.” His smile faded and he pulled his hand away. “You were given an envelope by one of your instructors. What was in it?”
I raised my hand defensively. “I was going to tell you.Actually, it was the only good thing that happened today.” I took a sip of wine.
“Tell me more,” he said.
“I’m not sure about…” I shook my head, trying to find the right words. “There’s a student in my class and she plays beautifully.”
“Same instrument?”
“Yes.” I glanced at my violin case. “Her name’s Salme. She has no self-doubt at all. She’s confident and is never scared of performing and she has no flaws.”
“That’s a flaw, Emily.”
I let out a sigh. “I just wish I had her balls.”
“You question yourself? Your talent? Your ability to play at the top of your league?”
“Constantly.”
“Keep on doubting and questioning yourself. That way you’ll always be evolving and striving to be your best.” Seeing my skeptical expression, he added, “You’re in great company. Extraordinary artists who doubted themselves in the past were Raphael, Rembrandt, and even Leonardo da Vinci.” He drew in a dramatic breath. “Even Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Steinbeck was plagued with self-doubt.”
“But—”
“No buts. Don’t change. Be you. For goodness sake, Em, when God made you, he dropped the mic.”
I let out a laugh and clapped my hand over my mouth.
Oh, the way he spoke, so poetic and masterful and seductive. It was all I could do to sit here sipping chardonnay and not throw myself at him.
“Feel better?” he asked.
“Much.”
It made him smile. “Salme’s going to trip on her sense of greatness. She’s stunted and will never evolve because in her mind she’s perfect. And perfection is an illusion.”
Wait.
Was that why Penn-Rhodes had asked her to play without chasing perfection today, because he’d detected this? I had to wonder what he heard with a maestro’s ear when she played.
“The envelope, please.” James held out his hand.
I reached into my handbag and rifled around. “You won’t like it.”
“You have no idea how many times I hear that each day.”
I pulled out the envelope and handed it to him. “Say I can go.”
His brow furrowed.
“It’s important. It pertains to my career.”
James opened the envelope and used his napkin to pull out the card. “From Penn-Rhodes?”
“You know him?”
He read the invitation and then used his right hand to pick up his phone, lifting it to his ear. “Akmal, I need to see you.”
Akmal entered the room immediately and strode over to our table. “Yes, sir?”
Still using the napkin, James slid the invitation back into the envelope and handed it to him. He obviously didn’t want his prints getting on it—or perhaps he didn’t want to smudge the ones already there.
“Usual protocol, sir?” asked Akmal.
James nodded.
I shot to my feet. “Where are you taking it?” Panic had my stomach tied in knots. “I need it to get into the embassy tomorrow night.”
Akmal walked off with it.
“Sit down, please.” The order came swiftly from Ballad.
Plopping down with a huff, I said, “If I don’t go it’ll look strange. Penn-Rhodes will be there. He has contacts at the orchestra. He can put in a good word for me.”
“That location is out of bounds, Em.” James shook his head. “What part of ‘thousand-foot high wave’ don’t you understand?”
“No one there will know about us.”
James’ gaze snapped to the door. “Xavier, great timing.”
Xavier strode in confidently with fresh-faced brightness. His sexy ripped jeans and blue jumper giving him a friendlier, more causal air than Mr. Serious, here.
Xavier greeted me by kissing my cheek and then moved over to pat James on the back.
“I got invited to the Russian Embassy,” I bit out. “I have to go.”
“You don’t have to do anything,” said James.
“This is my career.”
“Let me look into it.” Xavier stood next to me and consulted his phone. “Hmm… interesting.”
We both studied him, intrigued.
Xavier glanced at James. “Peramivir is an hour away from arriving at Heathrow.”
Slowly, Ballad pushed to his feet. “His embassy didn’t notify us of an official visit.”
Xavier nodded. “He’ll regret that when the home office doesn’t provide the level of security he needs.”
“Well, he has his beloved KGB with him, right?” But what the hell did I know about such things…
Both Xavier and Ballad turned to stare at me as though I’d misspoken—as though those very words had set off a landmine. Then Ballad began to pace the room.
“Is Ivor Mikhail with him?” he asked.
Xavier frowned. “I’ll see if he’s on the same flight.”
The expressio
n on Ballad’s face worried me.
“Who’s Ivor Mikhail?” I asked, pushing to my feet.
Xavier approached James and grabbed his shoulders. “It’s not happening. Let’s go see Em’s surprise and grab a pizza. Then we can go home and sit this one out.”
My stare bounced from one man to the other. “I can get you in.”
I was sure the embassy would allow for an escort. Or maybe I could have James double as a tutor.
Xavier glared at me. “I need you to step out of the room, Emily. Right now.”
“Why?”
“Leave us.” Xavier turned an accusatory stare on James.
Tension was razor-sharp between them.
Leaving my violin behind, I rushed out of the room and pulled the door closed, then pressed my ear against it.
“Step away, please,” said Akmal.
The bodyguard had left with the Home Secretary, so I assumed Akmal was now tasked with guarding the door.
I glared at him. “Where’s my envelope?”
He gave me an apologetic smile. “You’ll have to discuss that with the Boss.”
Voices rose from inside the room. I turned and listened…
Xavier’s tone had turned dark. “Because you threatened to use her, Ballad. Of course that’s my first conclusion when I hear Mikhail’s name.”
“Not like that,” James said. “Use her in other ways.”
“Other ways?”
“For me,” James snapped back. “For my pleasure. And yours.”
His words set off a firestorm of desire within me, but my erotic thoughts scattered as the sparks continued to fly between the two men.
Despite feeling the burn of Akmal’s glare, I pressed my ear to the door.
“Very convenient,” snapped Xavier.
“This has nothing to do with me,” James responded. “Your conspiracy theory is off base.”
“Why don’t I believe you?”
Silence fell, and then I heard angry whispers.
Akmal grabbed my arm. “Step away from the door, Miss.”
“But…I have to check on them.”
Akmal led me away.
“The Diplodocus was one of the longest dinosaurs to walk the earth,” Xavier announced to us in the deserted museum.
I mulled this over, trying to forget the last hour when things had gone off the rails. Five minutes ago, we’d walked through the main doors of the Natural History Museum when an amiable botanist had let us in after closing. She’d invited us to wander the exhibits without a guide.
This would be considered the date of the century—me with two hot men in South Kensington, wandering around one of the most interesting places in the city.
With Xavier by my side, I crooked my neck to stare up at the vast skeleton of “Dippy,” the dinosaur showcased in the main entrance. The exhibit was taking up most of the room, proving just how long its body was.
Our dramatic surroundings reminded me of a cathedral with its arched stained-glass windows and carved stone walls. All this beautiful architecture was inspiring and totally free for the public to enjoy.
I’d be in my element if it hadn’t been for James sabotaging my career back at the Park Room Restaurant.
He was standing a few feet behind us. His mood hadn’t changed from when we’d left the private room in that Mayfair restaurant. We’d driven here in complete and very icy silence. I’d decided chatting about what had happened in such a wide-open space was a bad idea, so I’d joined them in remaining quiet. But my mind was buzzing with a million thoughts a second as I tried to think of a way to persuade James to let me go to the Russian Embassy tomorrow.
What would Penn-Rhodes say when I told him I wouldn’t be participating? What would my fellow student think if I turned down this chance? Salme would win again. The thought of her smug smile made my stomach churn with anxiety.
“There’s other ways to get you where you want to be,” he muttered, moving forward to stand beside me.
My frustration was evidently burning a hole in the stratosphere—as well as my aching stomach. Rubbing my tummy didn’t help ease the pain.
Was I really willing to let these men dictate what I could and couldn’t do?
Don’t let them know you’re scheming.
“Dippy,” Xavier repeated his name.
“How many bones?” I assumed he’d counted them without trying. He didn’t even have to look at the description.
“A lot.” He glanced over at James, who rolled his eyes.
“These aren’t the real bones,” James informed me. “They’re plaster cast replicas of the fossilized ones.” Seeing the surprised look on my face, he added, “They don’t bore holes into prehistoric animals if they can avoid it.”
“None of them are real?” I asked.
James raised his brows. “Take this as a lesson in life. There’s so little you know about the truth.”
Xavier glared at him. “Can you take it down a notch, please?”
“It’s fine,” I said. “I’m open to learning—if you’re willing to talk.”
“Well played,” said James. “But no.”
James’ alpha moves aside, it was nice to think we had the run of the place. Museum security would be tracking us but we could walk around and not have to stand in line for any exhibits. “James, how did you pull this off?”
“I pulled it off,” said Xavier. “How do you like your surprise?”
“I love it.” I moved closer and wrapped my arms around him.
He embraced me tightly, and I wanted to swoon when he kissed the top of my head.
“You were telling me how much you love dinosaurs back at the castle,” he said. “I made a call to an old buddy who works here.”
“Of course you remembered,” I whispered.
“See? I was listening.”
“More like mentally recording,” muttered James.
I stepped away from Xavier and stared at Ballad. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not here, no,” he said flatly.
“I should be the pissy one,” I said. “Considering the fact you’re sabotaging my career.”
James moved forward and took hold of my hands, his thumbs caressing my skin.
“I can get you into that place you’ve always dreamed of,” he said softly.
I yanked my hands away. “I want to get in on my own merit.”
“Tomorrow can’t happen.”
Raising my chin, I said, “Nothing has been decided.”
Xavier cringed. “It’s been decided, Em, and we need you to accept it.”
“We’re talking about my career,” I whispered.
Xavier looked at me sympathetically, but James spun round and headed off.
“Oh, look, this way to the Tyrannosaurus,” he called back.
We followed him, strolling up to the enormous T-Rex skeleton with its short arms and big head—and that grimacing jaw. Somehow knowing it was a plaster cast took the shine off seeing it. “How accurate is it?”
“Very.” Xavier stared up at it admiringly. “To me it’s the sexiest of all the dinos.”
“I’m more of a Spinosaurus kind of guy,” James chimed in.
We turned to look at him.
Xavier piped up, “That one’s ugly.”
“Yeah, but he’s capable of ripping your T-Rex to shreds, so there you go.”
Their rivalry amused me—along with the fact that James’ sensitivity was showing, finally. He knew his refusal to allow me to perform at the Russian Embassy was hurting me, and that seemingly hurt him, too. Reaching out, I gave his hand a squeeze to comfort him. He responded with an affectionate smile and then brought my hand to his lips and kissed it.
Xavier nudged between us and looked at me. “Did you know the T-Rex had an extensive vocabulary?”
I thought about it. “In what way? You mean the noises they made?”
“No, they liked to read the Thesaurus.” Xavier grinned at me and winked.
I let out a snort
of laughter, which caused James to laugh at me.
With the tension defused a little we continued our tour, strolling through the Darwin Center and then onto the treasures of the Cadogan Gallery with its objects that were over 4.5 billion years old.We got up close to a meteorite and then a dodo. Next, we explored our ancient relatives, the cave men. The male of the species hadn’t really changed, I secretly mused. They were still chest-beating alphas. James was probably a direct descendant of the one at the back—all crazy-ass ruggedness, hailed as the leader of the tribe.
It was impossible to forget that an hour ago, Xavier had accused James of setting me up to play at the Russian Embassy. Or that’s what I’d deduced from the snippets of conversation I’d heard while eavesdropping.
Lowering my voice, I said to James, “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.” He peered into a glass case containing fossilized tools. Right then he looked like any other person and not someone with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“The moon landing fifty years ago,” I said quietly. “Did it happen?”
James blinked in surprise. “Are you about to launch an interrogation into conspiracy theories?”
“Yes.” That earned me a scowl from him—probably because he’d figured out I’d overheard their conversation at the restaurant. “It’s just that with your influence I’m sure you’re privy to these things.”
“Aliens are real.” Xavier waggled his eyebrows playfully.
“Seriously?” I felt a rush of excitement, and wondered what else I should ask about.
“Global warming is real,” began James, “and the world isn’t flat. Stop the madness.”
I waved my hand through the air. “I know all that.”
James looked amused. “But did you know there are a series of tunnels and secret passageways beneath London?”
My eyes went wide. “Really?”
“Yes, right beneath your feet.”
“What about the pizza conspiracy theory?” asked Xavier.
“Haven’t heard that one,” admitted James.
Xavier brightened. “Apparently, the female of the species can devour an entire pizza on her own.”
“That’s not true,” I said, defending woman-kind.
“Let’s go get some and test the theory.” Xavier led us back the way we’d come.
The Pervade Duet Page 27