Dark Demands 04: Bound to Him (2 page)

“You know where we’re going, don’t you,” he asked her softly
rubbing her small hand lightly
.  “If you feel you can’t then I will understand,” he offered.

“Don’t be silly – this party is for us.  Benito has very kindly organised it to celebrate our engagement so that’s that,” she told him with a firm nod of her head
while twisting the huge diamond
on her finger around and around nervously.

She was desperate to appear casual, easy about it but as
Gina bit her lip
she realised s
he hadn’t been in
side
that hotel since
Dark. 
Dark had taken her to his penthouse there and done those things to her.  She felt a
surge
of heat flame throug
h her body and mentally scolded
herself for feeling this way.

Stop it
, she mentally scolded herself.
 
Don’t go over and over it in your head again
. 
He’s gone –
you left him and he didn’t come after you
–
so
you have Kyle now
– be content
, she told herself with a feeling of regret. 
But
the truth was
Matthew still had the power to make her feel like no other man ever could –
not even Kyle
– a small voice in
her mind niggled
.
  No, not even Kyle, she’d acce
pted that – settled for the soft
, neat relationship and the safety of a man she could really trust.  She
’d
always known
that despite the obsession –
despite
the
hot
sex and excitement that
she
could never have any
sort settled life
with Matthew Dark
– could she?

Getting out of the taxi and stepping through
the main doors and into the
hall where the party was being held was like stepping back in time.  Months before she’d done exactly the same with Charlie Spence and that night her
own
and Mat
thew Dark’s fate had become
intertwined. 
Intertwined forever,
the voice teased again.
  She bit on her bottom lip –
but
that was her little secret and no one else would ever know.

Gina needed to get a grip – it was this place,
being here again
was playing with her head.
  But history would not repeat itself, she
mentally
reassured.  It couldn’t – fate could
never
be so cruel.

“Kyle, Gina,” a rich Italian voice called out to them and taking Gina’s arm Kyle led her across to the centre table to join Ben and their friends.

“Congratulations
to
both of you,” the Italian offered and
rising to
tak
e
Gina in his arms he kissed her cheek affectionately.  “You two look so good together
– a perfect match
and we couldn’t be happier for you
both
,” h
is words of praise washed over then and were joined by
nods
of agreement from the others at
the table. 

Gina smiled and clung to Kyle’s arm.  She liked Ben but she never
really felt relaxed in
his company.  There were questions he’d never asked
her
and information she’d never volunteered. 
Another shudder – she hoped he never would because she never wanted to be in a position where she felt forced to talk about Matthew’s business. 
So
all they ever really did was
exchange pleasantries
– like tonight and then they
always allowed
the past
to
lie still.

“We agonised over what to buy the pair of you,”
Ben
explained with a grin.  “But
then
we thought you
both
might like a break before the baby comes and all
that brings with it
,” Ben added handing a folder of documents to Kyle.  “
So g
o and enjoy yourselves – two weeks in the
Seychelles
– soak up some sun and get spoil
t
,” he laughed and
winked at Gina
.

Kyle thanked his colleagues and
took the champagne offered to him.  Gina rolled her eyes and helped herself to some orange juice. 
Hadn’t they
been spoilt
already
– Benito, Ben was obviously very fond of Kyle.
  Two weeks in the
Seychelles
, she thrilled.  How very generous of Ben and how like him to want them to have this time together before they became parents.

“You look good – positively blooming,”
a female voice
cooed
in her ear
a
s she sat on the empty chair next to Gina
.

Lisa, Lisa Carlotti, Ben’s sister. 
Gina’s felt the rush of butterflies hit her stomach as mild panic gripped her.
  She
smiled and mouthed a ‘thanks’.  Gina didn’t want to talk to her – she was
sure
that underneath the veneer of pleasantness
this woman
disliked her with a passion
. 
Lisa was
always friendly enough but
Gina knew
there was something else –
something she kept hidden
and it wasn’t just her imagination. 
Lisa had
once been Dark’s wife and
from what she’d learned from Charlie Spence, who was still dating Lisa, she’d resented all his relationships since their divorce.  Lisa was a jealous and passionate woman and obviously had issues about what had gone on between her and Matthew
. 
But
all that’s over now -
you’re not in his life anymore.
So relax she can’t touch you.
A
nother
pang of regret – she really had to stop this.

“I must say I was surprised to hear about your engagement to Kyle,” she purred.  “After Matthew – well how can I say this and keep it delicate,” she batted her jet black lashes and smiled at Gina sweetly.   “After Matthew I wouldn’t have thought Kyle could keep you happy – you know, Gina – keep you satisfied in bed.”

Gina flashed Lisa an angry look and shook her head.  “Does my relationship with Matthew still bother you because if it does then I can only wonder why?”  She spat at the woman.

“
I only
make the comment because
I know from personal experience how addictive Matthew can be,” she smiled
a cold, calculating smile before resuming
sipping
at
her champagne.

“Yes – you’re right Lisa and it’s obvious to me now that you were as much a victim of it as I was.”

Addictive –
that was
a very good description.  Addictive, handsome and so very, very exciting in bed – and doubly so in that odd little room of his.  The room where he’d tied her naked with her legs spread to his bench and then ….

Gina felt herself flush
. 
God this was awful – what had brought such memories to the surface? 
Lisa
’s
prying
about her and Kyle, that’s what.  She was
fishing for information
– but why, what did it matter
now – surely she could see
how happy she was with Kyle?

“Have you seen him since, by the way?”
  She was forced to ask at length when Gina didn’t reply.

“No and I don’t want to,” she shuddered.  “In fact if I ever see Matthew Dark again it’ll be far too soon.”

“
You sound so sure, so certain
so
w
hy
is it
then
that I
just
don’t
believe you, Gina,” she purred?  “
Why does that sweet English voice of yours
just
not have the ring of truth
in it
?”

Gina flushed
again
and realised the woman was now
staring at her, watching every little movement of her features
.  What gave her the
right to speak to her like that
?  Granted, Lisa had once been married to Dark but that didn’t empower her with some sort extra insight into how other women felt about him.

“Get off my back, Lisa.  You
know what happened and so
you should realise that when I say I don’t want to see Matthew again, I mean it,” she hissed.

“Shame,” she purred
again
while
topping up
her
champagne
.  “Because I know he’d very much like to see y
ou,
”
she whispered conspiratorially.
Then
watching the shock on Gina’s face
she smiled and her black eyes sparkled with something – something Gina couldn’t for a moment
quite
fathom.  Then she realised – Lisa was jealous!  Whatever she knew – whatever she’d heard about Matthew and how he felt about her running from him was making her as jealous as hell.

Gina shivered – that heat again, that heat only Matthew was capable of arousing in her.  Damn the man, she thought and damn Lisa for being such a cow
and dragging him back into her present
!

“Excuse me, Kyle,” Gina
said standing up and pulling on his arm.  “Just going to the ladies, I won’t be long.”

She
needed a few moments alone.  Despite being Ben’s sister, Lisa bothered her.  The woman was a spiteful bitch and although she’d helped her to get away from Matthew’s villa in
Portofino
she’d probably
only
done
that
out of jealousy.

The ground floor of the hotel was busy with people going in an out of the dining rooms or waiting
in the
reception
hall
.  She passed the lifts – one of them went right up to the penthouse – Matthew’s penthouse - that was if he still had it.  She’d no idea if he
even
continued to work
from
her father’s old offices
in the city
never mind if he still retained a home here.

She wanted to ring Grace – tell her not to wait up and was rummaging around in her bag looking for he
r cell ‘phone when she heard it
. 
She stopped for a moment
caught her breathe
and blinked but there was no mistake – it was his voice.

It was
that deep, sexy voice that had the power to rivet her to the spot and ignite a raging furnace in her body. 
Her blue eyes widened, her pulse quickened and she could feel her heart thumping in her chest
as if it was trying to fight its way out
.  He was standing
right
behind her.

“You look well, Gina,” the deep, Scottish voice intoned
over her left
shoulder
.  “Deliciously well in fact,” he added slow and low and moving
an arm around her waist
.

Matthew Dark!  Every nerve end in her body suddenly tingled to life.  What was
this – what was
fate doing to her
?  S
he couldn’t do this – she couldn’t
just conjure up a casual front,
turn and
look at him and
chat
as if nothing had ever happened between them
.

Gina
swallowed
hard
and took a step forward
shrugging free of his grasp
. 
Was that voice real
– had she really felt his hand
? 
Had she really heard him
or was
it just that she was here again
, in this hotel
and
she
was simply
haunted by th
e memories
?  
Perhaps
that was
it
– being here
– the things Lisa had said about him – it
was just he
r mind playing tricks.  But
there was the smell of that expensive cologne he wore
, there was no mistaking it
and
the
jolt of
fiery
electricity
as
he grabb
ed her arm and
gently pulled her
around
so that she had
no choice – she had
to look at him
.