Sleeping Love (11 page)

‘I think you appreciate the smooth lines and curves of the marble bodies and their curved voluptuous forms.’

Why do I get the feeling you aren’t just talking about the sculptures?

She concentrated on the Canova. Beautiful Psyche lay on a bed of white marble, a simple sheath covering her modesty. Her slim arms stretched up around Cupid’s neck as he leaned over her, his large wings spread. His hand was curved around one of her breasts as she met his kiss.

‘Venus was jealous of Psyche’s great beauty. She sent her son Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with the ugliest man alive. But Cupid fell in love with her and visited every night as an invisible lover,’ Raoul told her, the seduction unmistakable in his caressing tone of voice.

Sabrina’s eyelashes fluttered involuntarily as she felt his gaze settle on her moist parted pink lips. He continued.

‘He warned her not to attempt to discover his true identity and when she did, he left. Psyche searched everywhere for Cupid until Jupiter made her an immortal so she could be with Cupid again.’

‘And if I try to see the real you and what happened, will you leave me? Or did you already do that seven years ago?’ she ventured.

She couldn’t believe she’d said it. He lowered her hand and smiled, refusing to make any comment. He annoyed her with his silences, baiting her to come out of her protective shell, remember everything and solve the mystery of their past life together.

Maybe you think it will make me stick around. You know me better than I thought. I can’t stand an unsolved mystery especially when it involves my life. . .

Raoul was fully aware that her nature would be too curious to leave any stone unturned, and she would never give up.

Damn you.

She pulled back her hand as though his touch was offensive. So, he loved to tease her. He’d told her that he wasn’t having an affair, but she obviously didn’t believe him at the time. In Raoul’s eyes telling her that it was untrue should have been enough, but Sabrina, knowing herself, would have wanted more evidence of his faithfulness and would have done her own investigation. Trusting people wasn’t something she did easily. She only wished she knew the reason for it. Perhaps it was another remnant from her past she needed to uncover.

There were two ways to deal with this situation, either trust the man or find out the truth herself. She preferred the second option. She hardly knew the man and would not fall in the naïve trap of putting her full trust in a stranger. Raoul was a stranger despite his protestations to the contrary, and she intended to remain in control. Flouncing off to view another sculpture irritation stung her to the core. The corner of Raoul’s all too sexy mouth curved with amusement as she walked away. A fantasy about wiping it away with a well-aimed punch struck her mind with anger.

The rest of the day was spent on amicable terms. She discovered a love for French shopping that equalled no other. She wasn’t too keen on French food and was not impressed by the Continental way of eating that made her comment that, they were so close to the next table that they might as well be sitting on it. The Eiffel Tower was her favourite attraction, followed closely in line by Jardin des Tuileries, Place De La Concorde and the dazzling streams of traffic lights parading up and down the Champs-Elysees. In fact everything was going well until they caught up with an old friend on the Champs-Elysees as the winter darkness began to fall around them.

‘Raoul, fancy seeing you here. Who is this gorgeous creature on your arm?’

It was an English voice, crisp, clear and instantly recognisable. Sabrina turned round to find Cressida Williams hugging Raoul. It was the woman who fawned over Raoul at the ball from her memory. She clung to his arm. Raoul looked uncomfortable and removed her hand.

There was a warning in his words to the woman, and Sabrina couldn’t help wondering if he was signalling for her to be on her guard.

You should be nervous, Bitch. I bet it was a shock when you heard I’d been raised from the dead and was back in Raoul’s life.

‘Cressida Williams, isn’t it? Yes, I remember. You were the architect who designed that luxury holiday village on the south coast for Raoul’s company. Yes, I’m beginning to remember a lot of things.’

Oh yes I am. You’ve had your eyes on Raoul for years and every other man with money and power you can find. Why can’t you find some power of your own? You are always pawing Raoul, always touching him in front of me, desperate to make me jealous. And men love you for the attention you give them. They all fall into your trap. Suckers. I guess Raoul eventually fell for you as well.

She could almost hear both of them hold their breath. The two women locked eyes for a moment. Cressida’s beautiful pea green eyes narrowed to a sharp point under the brim of her black winter fur hat, as she caught Sabrina’s warning. Her peachy brown lips tightened, but she slowly relaxed them into a smile that widened as she turned to face Raoul, her back deliberately to Sabrina.

It sounded like a pathetic plea to Sabrina, and the invitation was obviously not extended to herself. She looked around at the throng of shoppers walking up and down the busy avenue trying not to bump into them. She could just escape now, forget Raoul, forget this humiliation and disappear again. There was obviously still something going on between them. She wondered if Cressida’s husband had found out just like herself. He obviously found it easy to ignore.

Raoul was firmly pulling Cressida’s hand from his arm, his eyes communicating impatience at her persistence.

‘It was nice to see you, Cressida. We must catch up once Sabrina is back to full health again. Now we must go, Sabrina is tired.’

Sabrina murmured goodbye and found herself being guided towards the edge of the kerb where they were due to meet the car. They didn’t speak until they were inside, and the car pulled away to join the throng of traffic heading down the Champs-Elysees.

‘You were going to leave weren’t you?’ he challenged. ‘I thought we had an agreement? I could see you weighing up an escape plan. You thought you could disappear into the crowd?’

‘Huh. I’m surprised you noticed with all of that touching going on. Are you sure you really want me hanging around? Am I not in the way? Were you surprised to see her? It must have been so irritating for you. I mean she could have stayed out of the way until you told her it was safe,’ she almost spat the words.

‘What’s the matter? Are you concerned whether or not I remember that you two were having an affair and still are by the looks of it.’

‘Yeah and obviously the reason I chose to forget it. As soon as I get back to the Chateau I am leaving you, and there isn’t a damn thing you can do to stop me,’ she said sharply, leaving no room for negotiation.

‘You aren’t going anywhere, Sabrina. I think it’s about time I properly reminded you that you are my wife and of the life we shared together.’

Raoul shouted at the driver in French and within minutes the car was pulling off the road to the side and into a small restaurant car park. Raoul undid his seatbelt the moment the car came to a halt and moved along the wide seat of the Mercedes towards her. Afraid and more than a little frustrated by meeting Cressida, Sabrina opened the car door and got out. Undeterred by the dark or the small wood and fields that stretched out in front of her, Sabrina walked on fuelled by rage and the need to escape. She was vaguely aware of Raoul talking to the driver, and then she heard quick marching male footsteps behind her.

She ignored him and quickened her pace. She wasn’t thinking straight, and she knew it.

Where the hell am I going to go? All I want is to have a few moments to myself to think.

But Raoul was to match her pace as she walked into the wood determined on losing him. Maybe she could find somewhere to ring the police and get some help to go home back to London. It was a crazy thought. She couldn’t just run away from this. Her mind was racing and splintering with fractured memories. Exasperated, she stopped dead putting her hands to her head and turned to shout at Raoul.

‘Don’t you ever give up? Just let me go.’

Raoul caught her arms.

‘No. I can’t. I will never give up on us. I told you that night at the ball. We love each other. There has never been anyone else for me. I am not letting you just walk out of my life and disappear again.’

‘You are lying to me. I saw the way you were with Cressida. I am not stupid. If I wanted a divorce all those years ago, I had my reasons. I don’t make snap decisions. I would have had all of my fact straights.’

‘Yes, just like the lawyer you always were. You always had to be right,’ Raoul sneered.

She gave him a surprised indignant glare that he would dare to even question her integrity.

‘You had me convicted and sentenced before you even heard my side of the story. I was always guilty whenever any woman took any notice of me,’ he gave her a shake as snow began to fall heavily around them. ‘All because you believed you weren’t worthy of me or my love. You never thought you were good enough for me,’ he told her in a tone laden with disbelief and confusion. Frustrated, he caught hold of her face and held it tightly. ‘Look at me,’ he ordered.

Sabrina’s eyes jumped to attention and stared into his pained eyes. ‘Tell me, Sabrina, what the hell do I have to do to make you believe I love you? There never has and never will be anyone good enough or worthy enough for me than you.’

Tears sprang into Sabrina’s eyes. His angry words about her character struck an unwelcome chord. A familiar fear of insecurity twisted her insides. It was confirmation of all that he spoke. God knows she wanted to believe him, but she was so afraid of the way her safe comfortable life was being pulled apart and dissected. Until she knew what was going on, she would remain guarded.

He seemed to read her thoughts in her eyes. He nodded and cursed. He let go of her face but tightened his grip on her arm.

‘I see. This . . . this distrust of me is not going to end any time soon,’ he said with contempt. He took a deep breath. ‘Well, I guess I am just going to have to keep working on you until that cruel memory of yours decides to come back to its senses,’ he said with distaste.

Raoul pulled her across the ground towards him until her face was mere inches from his. Sabrina’s heart pounded in her chest as he bent his head unsure if he was about to kiss her or issue another hurtful jibe. He studied her lips, lowering his voice to almost a whisper. Sabrina felt her body begin to shake not sure if it was with the cold snow falling damply onto her face or the potent mix of desire and fear she felt for Raoul when he was close.

‘You trusted me enough before when you let me touch you, Sabrina. I know you still love me. I can feel it. It’s brimming underneath all of that deception you cower under. It’s time you woke up to yourself.’

‘I am not a bloody coward,’ Sabrina snapped desperately trying to move his arm. ‘Maybe you should realise that you can’t get away with your deception. Wake up. This fantasy marriage you go on about never existed anywhere but in your head. Go back to Cressida. It’s over.’