Secrets After Dark (6 page)

We all stare, speechless. Even if it is not by Fra Angelico, it is a beautiful thing, but something in the mastery of it indicates that it is genuine.

Dubrovski glances at Mark and says roughly, ‘Well?’

‘A sacred conversation,’ I murmur without really realising I’ve spoken out loud.

‘What?’ Dubrovski’s stare is focused on me again, but without any hint of a smile this time. ‘What did you say?’

‘A sacred conversation,’ I say more firmly. Mark is looking at me, a smile in his eyes though his expression is serious. ‘That’s what’s going on between the monks and the saints. Do you see? They seem to be talking among themselves about what they’re witnessing. Fra Angelico painted some of the earliest examples – rather than flat representations of people who simply pray to the deity, he painted life and animation into his figures. And look at the way they’re standing – the artist has used masterful linear perspective, just as Fra Angelico did.’

‘Does that mean this is genuine?’ demands Dubrovski, frowning at me.

‘It certainly points to it being of the right period and by someone of the school of Fra Angelico, if not Fra Angelico himself.’ I suddenly feel as though I’m being too sure of myself. I have a degree in History of Art and I’ve just done my research on the period, but that doesn’t make me an expert. ‘Isn’t that right, Mark?’

Mark nods. ‘Exactly right. I’ll need a little time to examine the painting, but first impressions are very favourable.’ He turns to the monk. ‘Can that be arranged?’

‘Of course, take as long as you require,’ replies the monk.

Dubrovski turns to me. ‘You. Come with me. We’ll leave Mark in peace.’ He turns on his heel and stalks out of the chapel, evidently expecting me to follow. I glance at Mark, who nods. Then I hurry down the aisle after the vanishing Russian. He’s already almost out of the chapel.

In the corridor outside, he stops and turns to me. ‘So. You are Mark’s apprentice.’ He seems to be seeing me properly almost for the first time, his gaze raking my face, taking me in. Then his eyes travel down my body to my feet and back up again. I can almost feel their laser beam against my skin. He nods. ‘Good. Now. Come with me.’ He turns and walks briskly on, leaving me to follow in his wake.

Honestly, I’ve never met anyone so rude. Is it asking so much to be a little bit polite? All these orders! Where are we going?
I have to walk very fast to keep up with his strides. He seems to know exactly where he is going, which is odd. As he powers ahead of me, I hear the chirrup of his phone and then he is pressing it to his ear again. ‘Yes?’ he says. ‘It’s looking promising. Very promising. Where are you? Excellent. Give me thirty seconds.’

Now what’s going on?

We reach a staircase and Dubrovski descends it quickly. The heels of my shoes clatter on the stones as I hurry down after him. I wouldn’t have worn heels if I’d known how much walking I was going to do, and on stone flags at that. I’m breathless as we race along another corridor, then he stops outside a large, iron-studded wooden door. As I catch up, he flings it open and goes in, and I follow.

Inside are two people, a man and a woman. They are sitting close to one another, their heads nearly touching as they both gaze down at a laptop screen. As we come in, they look up. The woman is extremely beautiful with glossy dark hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, emphasising the fine contours of her face. As she sees Dubrovski, her expression melts into a smile and she says, ‘Hello, darling,’ in a rich, accented voice.

I’m utterly unaware of anything Dubrovski says in return: the world disappears. All sight and sound vanishes except for one thing. The man next to her, staring back me with a stunned expression, is Dominic.

Chapter Five

Oh my God.

I’m staring at him, open-mouthed, my heart racing.

He’s here!
I feast my eyes on his handsome face, his olive skin a little lighter than it was when I last saw him – his summer tan has faded. His hair is the same, dark and cut short, and of course his beautiful brown eyes, almost black, are as wonderful as I remembered. He’s wearing a suit that shows off his perfect physique. I have an instant vision of his chest, broad and sprinkled with dark hair, that sends a charge of excitement coursing through me. Pleasure erupts within me and I’m seized by a violent desire to rush to him, press myself to him and kiss him, to taste his mouth, breathe his scent and feel his skin. But despite the wild urges possessing me, I can’t move.

Dominic is staring back bewildered as he tries to take in that I am really there, then I see a dawning of realisation and happiness. A smile curves his lips and he looks as though he’s going to speak. Abruptly his expression changes, he stifles the smile and darts a quick look at his boss. As he looks back at me meaningfully, I understand. He doesn’t want his boss to know about us. I drag my gaze away from him and over to the woman next to him, who is still talking.

‘And so, as you see, things are progressing well,’ she is saying to Dubrovski, with a smile. I take in how very beautiful she is: tall and slender with perfect skin, slanting green eyes and bee-stung lips. As I look at her, her gaze moves to me. ‘And who is this?’ she asks in her unusually rich-sounding voice, made more mellifluous by her Russian accent.

‘This is Beth,’ Dubrovski says. His voice sounds particularly harsh after her mellow tones. ‘She is assistant to Mark Palliser, helping him assess the painting. Beth, these are two of my employees – Anna Poliakov and Dominic Stone.’

My gaze is fixed on Dominic again; I can’t help it. Where else can I look, but at the man who’s meant so much to me? The man I was in love with... and, despite my attempts to break free and turn my love into anger, I still am.

‘It’s nice to meet you, Beth,’ Dominic says.

‘Yes.’ Anna smiles. ‘It’s good to have another woman in this place. It’s rather male dominated, don’t you think? Apparently, even the cats are male.’

‘Yes.’ I glance at Dubrovski. He’s staring at Dominic, his blue eyes narrowed.

‘Dominic, why don’t you take our young friend here to get some coffee? Ask one of the brothers to help you. I need to talk to Anna about the deal.’

‘Yes, certainly.’ Dominic gets up, his face impassive. I can tell he’s making himself move slowly and with complete control. I’m tingling all over as he walks towards me. ‘Does that sound all right to you, Beth?’

I nod. I can’t speak. As he gets closer to me, it’s as though the breath is being sucked from my body.

‘Look after her, won’t you?’ says Dubrovski. ‘I’ll see you in the guest sitting room in thirty minutes.’

Out in the corridor, Dominic doesn’t look at me, simply mutters ‘Wait’ under his breath. There are monks walking along the corridor, he obviously doesn’t want us observed. We go along the passageway, and now I feel like I’m floating, the joy of being beside him is so great. With every moment that passes, I realise more fully that I’m actually with Dominic, and that my world has transformed in the space of a few moments.

I have dozens of questions I want to ask him, but I’m speechless. Then he stops abruptly outside another door, knocks and opens it. The small sitting room within is completely empty.

He turns to me, his eyes burning, and takes my hand. He pulls me through the doorway, slamming the door shut behind us, and the next instant his mouth is on mine and we are devouring one another. He kisses me with a kind of desperate hunger, as though he can’t get enough of me, his strong arms wrapping around me and pulling me to him. Oh God, the touch and smell and taste of him. It’s miraculous, divine... I’m dizzy but enjoying the extraordinary flourish of fireworks going off inside me. This kiss might be the best of my life – the reliving of something I feared I would never have again. I put my hands to his head, burying my fingers in his thick dark hair, revelling in the sensation of touching him again. He is running his hands over my back, along my arms, as if he cannot really believe I’m really here, wrapped in his embrace.

We kiss endlessly, the passion between us growing almost unbearable with every moment our mouths are locked together as we taste one another. Then he pulls away, and looks down at me. I can see the desire glowing in his eyes as he says breathlessly, ‘Beth, what are you doing here? What the hell are you doing with Dubrovski?’

‘It’s lovely to see you too,’ I retort, but smiling.

‘Of course, of course, it’s wonderful to see you – but...’ he looks at me, astonished, as though he’s still trying to believe the evidence of his own eyes. ‘...I just can’t get over that you’re here!’

‘It’s just as Dubrovski said,’ I reply, unable to take my gaze away from his mouth, which I already miss desperately. ‘I’m working for Mark Palliser. He brought me along with him to evaluate the painting the monks have found.’

Dominic looks troubled.

‘What is it? Aren’t you happy to see me?’

‘Beth, I told you, it’s wonderful. I’m overjoyed to see you,’ he says in a hoarse voice. ‘Can’t you tell?’

I can feel his desire pressing against me and I’m overcome with longing to release him and feel him inside me again. The yearning is so strong, I gasp, my lips parting.

‘Don’t look at me like that,’ he says. ‘You’ll make me lose control.’

‘So lose it,’ I whisper.

‘I can’t,’ he says, his voice strained. ‘God, what you’re doing to me...’

‘I’ve missed you so much.’

‘I’ve missed you too.’

I stare at him accusingly, remembering how much I’ve suffered because of him. ‘Then why, Dominic? Why did you leave me for so long? Have you any idea of how awful it’s been, not knowing where you are or what’s happening? Not a word, in six weeks!’

He drops his gaze from me for the first time. ‘It’s complicated,’ he murmurs, then looks back at me with sincerity radiating from his face. ‘But you’ve got to believe that I’ve been thinking about you all the time. I promise. I’ve missed you so much.’

‘That’s kind of hard to believe,’ I say, my voice full of barely contained anger, ‘when you haven’t been in touch even once.’

He holds my hands tightly. ‘I’ve been working. Andrei’s had me in the back of beyond, working on this deal. I’ve been shut away from the world in various places since I left London.’

‘With no email? No phone?’ I can’t help sounding sceptical.

‘Like I said... it’s complicated.’ He drops his eyes again.

‘You’re lucky I’m even talking to you!’

‘I know I am. Believe me, Beth, I’ve suffered too. And I really have been sorting my head out. That takes time.’

I teeter on the brink of real anger with him and then relent. I can’t pretend it isn’t wonderful to see him, and I don’t want to spoil it. ‘We’ll talk about it later,’ I say, reluctant to lose the beauty of our reunion. I want to enjoy the purity of our pleasure in seeing each other again, and the giddy torrent of desire. ‘We don’t know how long we’ve got together.’

He pulls me to him again and says huskily, ‘My God, it’s going to be torment to have to let you go.’

‘We’re staying here tonight,’ I say quickly.

‘Really?’ His eyes brighten. ‘Anna and I are here too.’

‘Will we be able to meet?’

‘I don’t know. I don’t think it’s a good idea if anyone realises we’re involved. It will only create difficulties and I don’t want you put in an awkward position with Mark, or Andrei. So we should be extremely discreet.’ He bends his neck and presses his cheek against mine, nuzzling against me and I can feel the soft roughness of his stubble against my skin. My heart starts to race again as his scent fills my nostrils. His mouth begins to move to mine, showering tiny, burning kisses over my cheek. ‘But... I’ll see what I can do.’

I draw in a trembling breath as his arms wrap round me, his hands stroking my back and my hair. His mouth falls on mine again and I open my lips to his probing tongue. Our ravenous passion is a little slower and more tender now, as we begin to kiss more deeply, taking our time, enjoying the deep burn of desire that’s kindling between us. I slide my hands under his jacket, feeling the warmth of his skin through the cotton of his shirt. He presses his body tight against me, and I feel again the hardness at his groin. Heat spins in my belly and radiates down to where my sex is swelling with excitement at his nearness. I haven’t felt anything like this for so long, my body responds with rapture and desperate need, as though it’s been asleep for the weeks that Dominic has been away from me and has now sprung into vibrant, shivering life. I feel as though I can’t get enough of him, exploring his mouth, relishing his taste, wanting him to be a part of me.

Our desire is growing uncontrollable. What are we going to do? How will we stop? We’re both breathless. Dominic’s hands are all over me, becoming more questing, stronger. He is about to start pulling my shirt from my waistband, I can sense it, and I don’t want to stop him. I’m desperate to feel his hands on my skin, on my breasts...

We both hear it and simultaneously pull apart, gazing at each other, panicked. The door is opening. We have a second or two before whoever it is comes in, and it is just enough time to put space between us although we both look dazed, rumpled and guilty. I turn to see who it is and, to my relief, it is Mark who is walking through the door. He is reading a printout, frowning as he concentrates on what is written there. When he looks up, Dominic and I have had enough time to recover some of our equilibrium.