Sleeping Love (6 page)

‘Raoul, please. I have every right to know.’

‘You were kidnapped right from this house where I thought I kept you safe,’ anger rumbled under his tone. ‘You were working as a lawyer in your English firm’s Paris office . . .’

‘Me, a lawyer?’ she said with a disbelieving laugh.

‘Yes you were. You were a damn good business lawyer. Anyway, you started getting phone calls, heavy breathing . . . someone listening but not speaking on the other end of the phone. A man started following you to your car. You never saw who it was. He always managed to escape when you tried to confront him. He followed you in his car back to our apartment. We used to stay in Paris during the week. Then there were the anonymous presents you used to receive. You were terrified, but you didn’t tell me anything. Stupidly, you thought you could deal with the problem all on your own.’ Raoul tapped his finger to his head in frustration. ‘Once you get an idea in your head you will not be moved. You are a stubborn woman, Sabrina.’

Sabrina straightened slightly annoyed by his comment, but then he did have a point. It did sound exactly how she would have dealt with it. She wouldn’t have ran to the nearest man like a helpless woman for help, husband or not. Raoul was bitter at her decision not to allow him to protect her, and maybe on reflection, she should have at least told him what was going on.

He continued. ‘I only found out what was going on when Francine confided in me that she had found you crying after receiving a phone call at the Chateau one weekend. I was so angry with you, Sabrina. I still am. Why did you not tell me?’ he asked raising his voice.

‘I don’t know. I’m sorry, but I don’t remember any of this.’

‘I informed the police. I picked you up every night and made sure you were never alone, much to your feminist disgust. I heightened security at the Chateau and apartment. Yet still you were taken from me, from our home.’

For no reason she could understand, Sabrina looked down at her hands and to her surprise found them shaking. A cold fear swept the length of her spine making her shiver. Flashes of bright colourful dresses accompanied by laughter and broken conversations forced their way into her mind’s eye. It felt so vivid and real as she stepped back into a vision of time past. She was anxious and expecting to see someone at the party, someone who frightened her on a scale she had never encountered before. Sabrina closed her eyes holding her breath in anticipation of seeing the frightening identity of her attacker.

Chapter Six

‘Do you know who took you from here? At first the police thought it might have been one of your client’s, but I know it was someone closer to home.’

‘I can’t see who it is. I just remember feeling afraid the night of the ball because I was going to confront him.’

The moment the words left her lips she regretted them.

How could I not have told him? I should have trusted him. He was my husband. I would have been hurt if he hadn’t come to me about his problems. If I hadn’t been trying to prove myself as a bloody independent woman all the time, those horrible things might not have happened to me.

Raoul’s eyes hooded, making him look sexy and dangerous all at the same time. Sabrina swallowed and tried to move away as his temper rose, but he caught her arm, holding her still.

‘So you were going to deal with this on your own and not tell me anything. Didn’t you think for one moment and realise how dangerous that was?’ he angrily demanded.

Raoul cupped the side of her face and tilted it up towards him in one sharp movement. Sabrina frowned as he began to speak in a low, deep, threatening voice.

‘Don’t make the mistake of trying to keep anything from me again, Sabrina. I won’t tolerate it.’

Sabrina glared at him and attempted to move away, but his grip forced her to remain still. He was furious and a part of her felt afraid, but she was damned if she was going to show him she was feeling that way.

‘No more of your feminist crap. I am in control. I want to know about all of the memories you regain. Do not keep anything from me or so help me, Sabrina, you will regret it. I want the man who took you from me.’

Why does this argument sound so familiar? It feels like deja-vu. I swear we’ve said the same words to each other many times before. This is too weird.

‘No you aren’t,’ he said calmly as though trying to diffuse the growing row. ‘But you are ill and in danger. I will keep you confined to this house until I know who hurt you. I won’t. . . I can’t lose you again. He is still out there, and now you have resurfaced, I have a feeling he is going to come for you again. I am going to do whatever I have to, to protect you. I let you down last time, Sabrina. I won’t do it again.’

Sabrina stared at Raoul. Fierce determination blazed hotly in his eyes. Far from believing the old Sabrina weak and allowing Raoul to control her, she was now beginning to realise how well she had dealt with such a formidably strong character. It was wonderful he cared so much and was so protective. No one had ever shown her such love. He made her feel cherished. Tears gathered in her eyes as she stared up at the pain in his eyes. She wanted him for a husband more than she would have liked, but she couldn’t afford to fully trust him. Despite all of his protestations of love, he might still be her attacker. She’d lost her memory, and at that point in time, she didn’t really know him or what he was capable of doing. He did have a temper, and those eyes of his burned hotly with anger and frustration.

I really hope I am wrong.

‘No more. I think we should wait until you have been examined by a doctor before we discuss this any further,’ he told her, taking a gulp of coffee. ‘I don’t want to cause any more damage to your memory.’

Sabrina groaned.

‘I want to know more. Don’t keep anything from me. I have every right to know what happened to me before I disappeared,’ she loudly snapped.

‘And I had every right to know that you were planning to confront that maniac who was stalking you. But you kept everything from me. No, you will wait,’ he informed her with a heavily bitter tone.

‘Right, fine then I am leaving.’ Sabrina walked around to the other side of the bed and picked up her suitcase to toss it on the bed and begin to pack. Raoul snatched the case off the bed, but Sabrina was quick to hold on to it. They stood engaged in a small tug of war. It was almost comical.

‘I have told you I am not letting you leave,’ Raoul thundered at her.

Sabrina leaned over towards him.

‘Yeah, well, if you don’t tell me, I will find someone who will. Francine looks ready to burst with what she knows. I am sure with enough persuading I will get it out of her. Then there’s the police. I am sure they are going to want to talk to me at some point. I will ask them. You won’t be able to keep them away from me. What are your frightened of, Raoul? Are you frightened I might find out that you had something to do with all of this?’ she shouted yanking at the case.

Raoul had pushed her too far, acting as though he held all the cards to her memory and life.

‘You will not dictate to me how and when I will recover my memory,’ she almost screamed such was the strength of her frustration. Raoul’s eyes narrowed to a sharp point, but despite the sudden tenseness in her shoulders, Sabrina was determined to stand her ground and not be afraid of him. Raoul pulled hard on the suitcase and took possession of it. He threw it to the floor then took two steps towards her. His tall muscled figure towered over her small form. She titled her chin defiantly at him.

No way am I going to back down on this, so get used to it, Raoul.

She put her hands on her hips and braced herself for what he might do next.

‘I am only going to say this once more, Sabrina, and I don’t want it raised again,’ he said in a smooth voice that was doing its level best to keep calm and not erupt. ‘I have never hurt you. I have never wanted to hurt you, and I did not beat you, rape you or kidnap you. Do you understand me?’

Sabrina stared into his eyes, looking for something, anything that would confirm her reluctant suspicions that he was lying, but she could see only pain and hurt. Maybe she was wrong after all, but that nagging small doubt that she should be careful around Raoul refused to go away. A part of her did not trust him whether she liked it or not. Slowly, she lowered her eyes.

‘I understand. So convince me it wasn’t you. Let me find out what happened. This is my memory, Raoul. It’s not yours to rule.’

She heard him take a breath to calm his anger and then curse under his breath in French. She raised an eyebrow and gave him an indignant, impatient look.

‘Fine. There were signs of a struggle in your study. The police found out later that some drunken idiot heard you arguing with a man there,’ he confessed.

Infuriatingly, Raoul turned and walked to a door at the other end of the room, giving her a tantalising glimpse of the way his jodhpurs moved in perfect moulded unison with his tightly muscled thighs and buttocks. To her annoyance she found herself staring at the magnificence of it all. She could tell by the gentle lift of his lips from the side that he knew she was watching.
Damn it.

He turned on a light to reveal a large walk in closet. Sabrina followed him to insist he explain. He paused looking at the rail holding his large collection of neatly ordered suits and shirts.

‘We were having many rows. You thought I was having an affair.’

‘You were having an affair?’

Sabrina heard her voice rise in disbelief. The imaginary world of wedded bliss he had dazzled her with despite her doubts crumbled inside her head, leaving her bitterly disappointed that he had proved her right. She dipped her head.

How could I have thought for one moment
. . .?

He shook his head. His attention turned to the opposite rail on which an array of women’s suits and dresses hung in order of colour.

It’s been seven years, and they are all out of date. Yet you still kept them. You couldn’t let me go . . .

Tears gathered in her eyes once more as she watched him lift out a red dress. Quickly, she wiped at them so they were undiscovered.

‘I loved you in this. It always showed off your curved figure to perfection.’

Sabrina’s eyes widened with surprise, as she watched his eyes sweep longingly over her form.

‘It’s good to see that you haven’t lost any of your curves,’ he said with a wide grin, looking down appreciatively at her ample cleavage peeping through her camisole and loosened black silk robe.