Betrayed(33)

“So it’s all down to me is it? It’s nothing to do with you and Francine then? It isn’t your fault. The little setup between you and Francine, I’ve realised it was engineered. Heaven knows how or why but I know it was engineered.”

He frowned. What did she mean? How could she possibly think they’d contrived something? He said, “There are none as blind as those who don’t want to see.”

“You’re talking in riddles.” Kat said wearily.

“Am I? And here I thought you were the enigma. One of us has to be wrong.”

Rafael looked at her. She had the most delicate features, the most evenly balanced face he’d ever seen. Her nose was perfect; her skin glowed, her eyes were the most intense he could imagine. He said, “You really are beautiful.”

Suddenly he kissed her.

An involuntary gasp escaped her lips.

“Tell me you don’t love me,” he said gruffly. “And if you do I’ll tell you you’re lying.”

She turned her head from him. “I can’t love you,” she said in a wobbly voice. “You already know that.”

“And I say that you can, and do.”

Kat’s eyes filled. He dug into his pocket for a handkerchief and she took it from him and scrubbed her face.

“Why do you fight it? You can’t even persuade yourself so how do you expect to persuade me.”

She refused to look at him.

He held her face. “Don’t you know I’m crazy about you?”

“Don’t dare say that. I know you’ve said the same to a dozen others.”

“You couldn’t be more wrong.”

“So what about Francine? Tell me what you and Francine were doing together in your house. Tell me why she spent so much time there? Don’t deny she did.”

He leaned forward, elbows on knees. “I wouldn’t begin to deny it, but I didn’t do what you think I’ve done.”

“Oh no! And I suppose you’re going to say that what happened between us was unique, that you were a virgin until you met me?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“I hate you!” Kat’s lips were thin. “You f*cked her. You shared her bed while you shared mine.”

“You’re so wrong,” he said thickly.

“Am I?”

“I never went to bed with her.” He caught her shoulders and forced her to look at him. “We didn’t share anything. Ask Fran.”

“I’m asking you.”

“I gave my word.”

“Bullshit.”

“This has gone far enough. Speak to her. I promised not to say anything.”

“You sound like a broken record.”

“And what about you? Don’t you think you sound like one as well?” He grabbed her arm. “I’ve heard enough of this.”

Kat stiffened. “What are you doing?”

“You’re going to hear it off Francine whether or not. You’re going to either ring her, or go around. You choose.”

***

The dial tone purred. Kat’s fingers wouldn’t stop shaking, fluttering against the cord, until finally the phone picked up. She cleared her throat, “Francine, Kat.”

“Hi, baby, I meant to call, but…”

“And me.”

“I didn’t think you’d want to speak to me again. I… I couldn’t pluck up courage.”

Katrina said, “Me neither, not till now.”

“But you have. You’ve always had more courage.”

“Not by myself. Rafael’s with me.”

“Oh… has he told you… Has he said…?”

“He’s said nothing.”

“Oh!”

“What’s going on Fran? I’m half out of my mind.”

“I know you probably are. I’m so ashamed. I just didn’t seem able to control them though. He told me after the last time, he warned me… I just hoped…”

“Hoped what Francine?”

“Well I suppose I thought they’d cool it, but they didn’t.”

“You’re not making sense.”

“The girls. He threatened to transfer his business if they did it again. I told them, but they didn’t listen. If there’s anything, anything I can do to make up for it.”

“What the hell happened?”

“Some stupid girls got out of control. I was at my wits’ end. I tried to contain them, honest I did, but they started removing their clothes in front of that awful man, God, isn’t he just big and ugly. They teased him, trying to get him worked up.”

“Fran, what the hell got into them?”

“I don’t know, drink, drugs. The trouble was, Rafael came back early and that’s when it hit the fan. He called for security, threw the girls out, and threatened to rip up my contract. I pleaded with him not to tell you. I was so ashamed. I can’t tell you how ashamed I was.”

“Christ! Why didn’t you say something? We could have worked it through… you and me. There would have been something.”

“I don’t know, Kat. It mustn’t come between us though. Promise it won’t affect our friendship; don’t let it do that.”

Kat stood staring at the receiver for an age after Francine had put hers down. What had she done? Rafael wasn’t guilty of anything. No wonder he was livid as hell, having his name splashed in the papers and having the Valencia show ruined. She gathered herself to face him.

He was still outside.

It was silent except a dog barking in the distance, and the rattle of a garbage can. Rafael studied the night. Kat went to him. She sighed. “I was wrong.”

Rafael put his hands into his pockets and paced back and forth. His voice was strange. “She didn’t want you to know.”

“I know.”

“I feel guilty now.”

“I’m the one who forced the situation by being so stupid.” Kat screwed her handkerchief. She felt stripped, stripped of conflict, stripped of dignity, stripped of everything. How could she make amends? “I’ll come back immediately,” she said miserably. “It’s the least I can do. We’ll pretend solidarity; we can say there was never a rift.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“I suppose Aliaga thought that I was the same as the others.”

“No,” he said. “She realised from the beginning you’re different. I think she saw you as a threat. ”

“Different?” Kat stared. “Am I?”

How was it possible to have been so wrong about everything? What a fool he must think she was.

He studied her curiously. A tiny pulse in his throat throbbed. “Of course you are.”

She felt her heart race. She said softly. “We can’t go back to how it was though, Rafael. You do know that don’t you?”

“Can’t we?”

Kat felt her insides liquefy. He was bound to see how much she needed him. Her emotions were such disorderly things, always on show, but her problems reached way beyond passion. They went too deep, couldn’t be ignored.

She turned and headed for the kitchen. Rafael followed. She sank into a chair; it was too late; too many things had been said. She knew it would never go away, but neither would this feeling of urgency.

Kat glanced his way. There was no denying it; she wanted to make love. It would definitely be the last time, though.

She would transport him to the edge of frenzy and be everything he wanted. The carnal act would be something he’d remember forever, and in the future, when he was safely married to some safe woman, in a smart safe house in some fashionable district, he would look back on this, and perhaps remember her.

And if that was selfish, she didn’t care. She took out her cell-phone, flipped it open, found Nathan Ashleigh’s number, thumbed in a text, ‘Sorry, no deal’, and pressed send. No way could she change sides, she belonged with Rafael, no matter what the cost.

She held out both her hands in his direction and when he came to her she kissed him. “You don’t know how much I need you,” he said thickly.

Kat felt her insides curl with pleasure. “Maybe I do,” she whispered, “But you could show me.”

She said his name softly when kissed the lobe of her ear. Her nipples stiffened provocatively against the thin material. He said. “You amaze me.” He looked at her. “Take that final step, Kat. Tell me you love me. I don’t want explanations or denials. I love you, and I want you to tell me you love me as well.”

“Oh, Rafael. You know I can’t.”

Admitting she loved him was out of the question. Tonight she would gladly give him all she had, but she could never give that word. She felt love, was flooded with love, but no one must ever know. He shouldn’t ask.