Wanted: A Baby by the Sheikh(56)
At the top of a flight of stairs she turned to look at him stealthily approaching her, just as he had when he’d come to her in Antigua. He thrust his hands in his pockets and sauntered up to her, grinning from ear to ear.
“Darling,” he said as he kissed her on both cheeks. His grin turned to a leer, as his hand lingered on her waist and gave her a surreptitious pinch. “It’s been too long.”
Taina forced herself not to slap him away. She could do it, she thought. She could do it for Daidan. “What a surprise. I didn’t see your name on the guest list.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Surely you didn’t expect me not to come?”
“You didn’t reply to the invitation. I thought…”
He stepped closer. “What did you think?”
She shrugged. “I thought you must have more pressing business.”
“And what could be more pressing than seeing my favorite girl? Besides—” He winked. “I wanted to surprise you. Believe me, it was always my intention to come.”
“Really? And yet your wife didn’t seem to be aware of that.”
His expression darkened slightly but his smile remained fixed. “My wife is more interested in your husband than my whereabouts, believe me. Didn’t you know?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“They had an affair before he came to Finland. An affair which I’m sure has continued. She’s besotted with him.”
Taina didn’t believe a word of it. She knew Daidan and she knew he’d spoken the truth when he’d stated his loyalty to her. But she could see that Mark believed it. “You’re jealous. That’s what this is all about. You wanted to get back at him. That’s why you want Natalya to show off the necklace as you leave. You’ll be out of his reach, but he’ll know you took it from me. He’ll know that—” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.
“That I had you, fully and completely. Yes, you’re right, I do want him to know. Why else would you have given me the necklace, unless you were infatuated with me?”
“Because you made me,” she ground out, remembering the threats he’d made, the lies he’d said he’d tell unless she gave him the Kielo necklace.
“I simply showed you how it would look to everyone else. Poor little rich girl Taina had always wanted me and left her husband to find me. Threw herself at me, tried to buy my affections with a priceless necklace. Tried to make me leave my wife for her. But she failed because I didn’t want her, and she returned to her husband.”
She shook her head. “No one would believe that.”
“And why not? Sounds convincing to me. Especially when I mention the drugs. You looked so fetching in the video I made—so docile and compliant. So… willing.” He grinned. “And then you disappeared for the rest of the year, God knows where. Maybe a long visit to a rehabilitation center? Yeah, I reckon people would believe that all right. Especially given your mother’s history.”
She shook her head. “It wasn’t like that. You’d put those drugs in my drink. I couldn’t move.”
“Prove it.”
“You know I can’t.”
She drew in a deep breath, trying to control her instinctive desire to get the hell away from this man. But she couldn’t leave. She’d told Daidan she’d never run again and she wouldn’t. This time she’d stay and sort it out. “I was stupid then. Stupid enough to believe you’d follow through. Stupid enough to believe Daidan and I couldn’t withstand your lies. I was stupid, naïve and scared. But I’m not now. Tell me why you’re here. Surely it can’t be only jealousy.”
“You are getting less naïve. You’re right. I’ve moved beyond that. I’m playing with the big boys now.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You think I’m only here to get at the media darlings, Daidan and Taina? Well, I’m not. That’s merely to rub salt into the wound which I’m about to inflict.”
She jerked her head up suddenly. “What wound?”
Mark’s sly smile make her shiver. “You’ll see.”
“What? Tell me!”
Mark glanced at his watch, nodded smugly and pointed. “Just watch the stage.”
She looked over to where Mark had indicated. “I don’t see anything.”
“You wouldn’t. That’s the point. My partners and I don’t want anyone to see, until it’s too late.”
She swung back to face him. “Too late for what?”
“For you… for Daidan… for your company.” He reached over and pulled her toward him.