Risking It All: London Calling Book Three (21 page)

“Shut up, Natalie.” He was breathing hard, even though he hadn’t used an ounce of effort to put her in place. “You know what, you win. I’ve had about all I’m going to take from you.” His voice slowly escalated to the point where he was nearly shouting. “You are the most infuriating, obnoxiously hateful woman I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet. And yet, despite everything, I love you.” He raked his fingers through his hair, leaving it standing on end.
 

She’d never seen him less than perfectly groomed and composed. If she weren’t so angry, it would be a revelation. “Oh, that’s
nice
. In one breath you tell me you love me, and in the next you tell me I’m an offensive, dreadful person.”
 

While she spat at him, Dominic seemed to recover some measure of calmness. If she didn’t think it impossible, she could almost swear she saw laughter gleaming from his eyes.

“Actually it was the other way around. I told you how awful you are and
then
professed my love.”

Her blood boiled at the thought of him laughing at her. “If this is your best, I’ll wait for the next man to come along.”

He reddened but managed to keep his voice lowered. “Oh, someone like Bennett you mean? Or maybe it’s Sebastian Payne these days.” He paced to the door, leaving her. A mile of carpet between them, she felt cut off. Abandoned. Suddenly, the soothing tones of gray and blue seemed cold, remote. The modern lines of the decor sterile.
 

She shivered then blinked rapidly. Before she could think of a denial, he went on.

“Because that’s how you work, isn’t it? You idolize and idealize the men you work for until you’re half convinced you love them.”

She’d never thought herself in love with Sebastian.
 

“It’s so safe, isn’t it Natalie, thinking you love someone that’s unreachable.”

Numb from his attack, she could only think about how she was
Natalie
now. Not Nat, or Toff.

“You know what you are?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “You’re a
coward
.”

It was too much, a mortal strike. Coming on the heels of her mother’s attack, Dominic’s words set her off.
 

“Oh and I suppose you’re brave?” She was sick to the teeth of everyone criticizing her when they had major flaws of their own. “Over and over, you say you love me, but offer nothing.” She watched as he stilled, frozen. “
Nothing
.”

Triumphant, she stood. Let him talk his way out of that point. How dare he call her a coward when he hid behind pretty words as empty as his promises. She nearly reached the door when he spoke again, his voice hoarse.

“I offer all of myself.”
 

She had her back to him. His quiet declaration landed with the impact of a thousand knives. She nearly buckled to the floor.

“Everything I am.”

Surely she was bleeding. She turned the handle to open the door. Anything to escape the agony of his softly voiced words. But he wasn’t finished with her. As she stepped into the hallway there were two more.

“Goodbye Natalie.”

***

The flight from London’s Heathrow to the Channel Island of Jersey clocked in at just over an hour. Dominic felt like it was taking him halfway across the globe from Natalie.

It might as well be.
 

The night before, he’d let her venom push his buttons. And just like the days before that, he let anger have its way at making him lose control.
 

He felt exhausted and hollowed out. How could so much have gone wrong in so little time?

He accepted a cola from the flight attendant, who poured it over ice in a small plastic cup. “Would it be possible to have the entire can?” he asked. He needed the burn of carbonated caffeine to cut through the painful lump lodged in his throat since the night before.
 

“Of course, sir.” She placed a paper napkin on his tray table then set down the iced cup of soda with the half-empty can beside it.
 

“Thank you.” He smiled weakly and ignored the way the woman’s breath caught as he did so. Plugging in his headphones, he eased back in his seat.
 

Even if he wanted, he was too keyed up for sleep, especially on so short a flight. Last night, it took him a long time to settle after Natalie left. He kept running through the conversation, trying to figure out where it went wrong. As he’d finally drifted off, only to wake up two hours later, he knew there was nothing he’d change about what he said.

It was all true. And if anything, long overdue.

He would love her for the rest of his life. With a certainty born of hurt, he knew this. However, maybe Frankie’s talk on Saturday got through to him after all.
 

He’d botched it over a year ago. Everything he tried since to atone and make amends fell on deaf ears with Natalie. She was unwilling to move past her pride and see they merited another try.
 

Damn it, he deserved a second chance.
 

During the long night, he accepted it wasn’t likely. He’d cut open his chest and laid his heart out for her. All she’d done was step over it as she walked out the door.

He breathed deeply, determined to get air into his constricted lungs. Right now, it felt like she’d pummeled him half to death. Someday, though, he would be okay again. He might love her forever, but that didn’t mean he had to beat his head against her walls.

So no, he wouldn’t take back a single word. No regrets.
 

Logically, if she was incapable of forgiveness, it was better to end it now. She didn’t sound like the woman he knew. Bitterness had etched its way through her, skewing her view of him until nothing but anger remained. He wouldn’t subject either of them if that was all she had left.
 

Even knowing he was a lost cause, he hoped she’d find the right partner someday. Not one of her bosses, or any other powerful man she thought to align herself with, but someone who made her love and laugh.
 

He pressed his hand over his heart in a vain attempt to ease the pressure. Maybe there would be a day when it didn’t hurt so much to think of her with someone else.
 

Today wasn’t that day.

He deliberately moved his thoughts away from Natalie. Madeleine Price was another woman important to him. Tense and fearful after her experience on Jersey, she flew back to Chicago this morning, nearly the same time he boarded his own flight.
 

Dominic flexed his shoulders. Now that was something he could get his teeth into. The one reason for her distress, the only cause as far as he could see, was Sebastian Payne.

Confident and bold from her first major excursion outside the States in years, she might have been clumsy, even obvious in her eagerness to pursue him. But that didn’t excuse the other man for scaring her so badly she wanted to quit her job and run halfway back around the world. After this debacle, they’d be lucky to get her out of Illinois in the next decade.

For that, Dominic would make Payne pay. As the plane began its descent onto Jersey, he thought of all the interesting and violent ways he could channel some of his pain and frustration. Sebastian Payne would be sorry he ever stepped one foot out of line with Moneypenny.

After taxiing to a stop, Dominic unclipped his seatbelt and stood to retrieve his carry-on bag from the overhead bin. He waited his turn and disembarked into sunshine and the smell of balmy earth. Spring had definitely arrived in the Channel Islands.
 

Breathing deep, he flagged a taxi for his hotel on St. Aubin’s Bay. Once he arrived, he checked in, tossed his things down in the room, and changed out of his wrinkled button-down into a loose-fitting collarless linen shirt.
 

Crossing over to the windows, he unlatched and opened one, allowing the breeze to carry the smell of the sea inside. Soon, he’d take a walk along the wide stretch of sand. But first, business.

He slipped a note out of his wallet and took out his phone. He tapped out the contact information MP had written down then waited for the call to connect.

“Artemis Ventures. How may I direct your call?”

“Sebastian Payne, please.”

Entirely as expected, a pause. “Mr. Payne is currently unavailable. May I take a message?”

“Sure. Tell him Dominic Martin is here on the island to see him.”

“Is he expecting your visit, Mr. Martin?”

He took a chance. “No. But he should be.”

Another beat. “If you’ll hold, I need to check his schedule.”

“Take all the time you need.” He pulled aside a curtain to admire more of the scenic beachfront. The sea wall was set well back, which made him think high tide must be dramatic. He’d take a swim once he finished with Payne.

After several minutes and some ominous clicking that made him think he was about to be disconnected, the man’s voice returned. “Mr. Martin?”

“Still here.”

“I apologize for the delay. As it happens, I can arrange a meeting right away. Does that suit you?”

Dominic was pretty sure there wouldn’t be another offer forthcoming. “Name the time, I’ll make it work. I also need an address. Does he wish to meet at his professional offices or on his estate?”

“The meeting will take place at our offices, downtown in St. Helier.” He named an address, which Dominic confirmed against the notes from MP. “Please arrive in thirty minutes.”

He disconnected, and Dominic was left with little time to prepare. After a virtually sleepless night and busy morning, he didn’t need much time. He was more than ready to confront Sebastian Payne. He would answer for the things he did here. Still unsure what that business was, Dominic would personally track down the potential lead from Madeleine, especially if it meant linking the other man to a seedy underworld. Clearly, the man was guilty of something. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have terrified a defenseless woman to the point where she needed an ocean’s distance to calm down.

Dominic shoved his bare feet into casual deck shoes and left his shirt untucked over faded jeans. There was no one he needed to impress, and the loose clothing would allow for physical mobility.

Smiling grimly, he set out from the hotel to walk the short distance into town. Normally, Dominic considered himself a carefree sort, calm in the face of crisis. Unfortunately, he was feeling far from normal.
 

While much of the population seemed to be English speaking, Dominic saw some of the streets were named in French. It made sense. The small island was much closer to France than Britain. Checking his phone, he saw he was very close to his destination.

A series of nondescript buildings lined the block, each about three to four stories tall and constructed of light brick and stone. As he scanned the numbers, he located the correct address.
 

It was impossible to tell what lay inside. Centered in the middle of the whitewashed facade, a glass entry door was unmarked with any identifying corporate names. He couldn’t be positive if Payne’s business took up the entire building or a portion of it. Tugging on the door, he found it locked against visitors.

He tilted his wrist to check his watch. Five minutes to spare until the designated time. He backed up, looking up at the windows to see if there was any sign of occupation or movement. Unfortunately, the sun and sky reflected back at him, revealing nothing.
 

A man approached from within but stopped inside the door, unmoving. Dominic reached into his back pocket and pulled out his passport. Flashing it open like a badge, he pressed closer so the man could see it.

With a flick of his wrist, the man unlocked the door, wordlessly motioning Dominic to follow. They walked up three flights of poorly lit stairs before the man turned right to walk to the end of a hallway.

Removing a set of keys, he unlocked the last door. Pushing it open, he stayed back to ensure Dominic entered then shut the door behind him.
 

Puzzled, Dominic glanced over his shoulder, but the man disappeared, leaving him in a windowless outer room with a small metal desk facing toward him. A straight-backed wooden chair behind it sat empty.

There was another door at the back of the room, presumably to another office. Looking around, Dominic hesitated but then approached it. Checking the handle, it was unlocked. He pushed it open, padding silently into the larger, better appointed office. A large partner’s desk in dark wood, nineteenth century, dominated the room. Behind it, a tall traditional wingback office chair was spun so its occupant faced the window behind it.

“Turn around, Payne.” Dominic’s adrenaline spiked.

The leather creaked as its occupant used a foot to swivel around in a lazy circle to face him.

It wasn’t Sebastian Payne.

Dominic’s heart rate accelerated, pounding so hard he thought he might pass out. Blindly groping for one of the chairs facing the desk, he gingerly lowered himself into it.

She was lovely as ever, the years merely adding to her graceful beauty. Long chestnut hair cascaded past her shoulders, exactly as he remembered. As he stared into the warm amber of her eyes, long forgotten memories came surging to the surface.
 

Brownie batter and beignets. Iced cookies alongside tumblers of milk. Cinnamon and chicory coffee overlaid with the spicy scent of her perfume.

She’d been his first love. At seven years old, he’d hugged his feelings tight, secretly worshiping his best friend’s mother.

A soft smile washed over her face. Tenderness and open affection were in every line of her body as she linked her hands on the desk before her.

“Dominic Martin.”
 

She even sounded the same. Husky-voiced with an undercurrent of amusement running through her words.

“You’re even more handsome than I thought you’d be.”

Angeline Dubois Sinclair stood and welcomed him into her waiting open arms.

CHAPTER ELEVEN