become the distant man she had met that first night… That surely had to mean something?
Gaia forced herself to meet his coldly glittering gaze. “Did Nikolai have a problem getting into my apartment? I know the lock sometimes sticks.”
Gregori shrugged. “If that had been the case, then he would have picked the lock. Failing that he would probably have kicked the door in.”
“Nice,” Gaia drawled.
“Nikolai is not a patient man.”
“Unlike you.” She continued to eye him warily, pretty sure he was exercising that patience right now, that Nikolai had told him something on the telephone to effect this change in him. She could almost feel Gregori’s roiling tension as it swirled and picked up speed beneath his outward show of stillness and calm.
“Unlike me,” he conceded softly.
Gaia’s own tension was so intense she wished he would just say whatever it was he had to say and get it over with.
Her pulse notched up another level as he finally moved, crossing the bedroom on soft, predatory feet until he stood in front of her and placed those long, elegant fingers against her throat rather than beneath her chin. He tilted her face upwards to study her.
It was pretty painless as interrogations went, and made completely silently, only their gazes locked in conversation.
Who are you?
Gaia Miller.
Why are you working at Utopia?
I needed the job.
How well did you know Angela Grant?
Gaia looked away as she sensed him asking this question, and knew those fingers curled about her throat would have felt the sudden leap of her pulse.
Those fingers tightened briefly before releasing as Gregori stepped away. “Nikolai has been delayed, so I’ll need to go and find something of Katya’s for you to wear, after all.”
Gaia began to breathe again as she watched him stride out of the bedroom, wondering if the reason for Nikolai’s delay was because he wanted more time to search her apartment before returning here.
So what if he did? The only damning things he would find were those photographs. There was no written connection between the two women. No evidence to show that the two of them had been half-sisters. The original letter perhaps, from Graham Grant’s solicitors, requesting that she attend the reading of his will. After that her dealings with those solicitors had all been by telephone.
She had nothing to hide. Absolutely nothing. Would own up to Angela being her sister if asked. Could the same innocence be claimed by Gregori and Nikolai in regard to Angela?
“Are you sure you do not require assistance undressing?”
Gaia had been so lost in thought she hadn’t moved since Gregori left the bedroom so abruptly, and it took her several seconds to realize he’d returned. “I… No. I’m fine, thank you.” Color warmed her cheeks at the thought of Gregori helping her undress. He had already helped take her clothes off enough for one evening.
He gave a terse inclination of his head before placing a pink garment down on top of the bed. “It was all I could find,” He shrugged as he straightened. “I will be downstairs for another half an hour or so if you need anything else.”
“I said I’ll be fine.”
“Then I wish you goodnight.” Gregori turned on his heel and left the bedroom without so much as a second glance in her direction.
Was he going to wait downstairs for Nikolai to return? So that the two men could then decide what, if anything, they were going to do about her?
“What do you think this means?” Gregori prompted Nikolai distractedly as he looked down at the photographs the other man had spread out across the top of his desk just seconds ago.
Photographs of a happily smiling and relaxed Gaia Miller standing beside a tall and beautiful blond woman who looked slightly familiar, and whom Nikolai had identified as being Amanda Grant. A young woman who had worked as a hostess at Utopia until her suicide from a drug overdose two months ago.
“It could mean nothing.” Nikolai
Gaia forced herself to meet his coldly glittering gaze. “Did Nikolai have a problem getting into my apartment? I know the lock sometimes sticks.”
Gregori shrugged. “If that had been the case, then he would have picked the lock. Failing that he would probably have kicked the door in.”
“Nice,” Gaia drawled.
“Nikolai is not a patient man.”
“Unlike you.” She continued to eye him warily, pretty sure he was exercising that patience right now, that Nikolai had told him something on the telephone to effect this change in him. She could almost feel Gregori’s roiling tension as it swirled and picked up speed beneath his outward show of stillness and calm.
“Unlike me,” he conceded softly.
Gaia’s own tension was so intense she wished he would just say whatever it was he had to say and get it over with.
Her pulse notched up another level as he finally moved, crossing the bedroom on soft, predatory feet until he stood in front of her and placed those long, elegant fingers against her throat rather than beneath her chin. He tilted her face upwards to study her.
It was pretty painless as interrogations went, and made completely silently, only their gazes locked in conversation.
Who are you?
Gaia Miller.
Why are you working at Utopia?
I needed the job.
How well did you know Angela Grant?
Gaia looked away as she sensed him asking this question, and knew those fingers curled about her throat would have felt the sudden leap of her pulse.
Those fingers tightened briefly before releasing as Gregori stepped away. “Nikolai has been delayed, so I’ll need to go and find something of Katya’s for you to wear, after all.”
Gaia began to breathe again as she watched him stride out of the bedroom, wondering if the reason for Nikolai’s delay was because he wanted more time to search her apartment before returning here.
So what if he did? The only damning things he would find were those photographs. There was no written connection between the two women. No evidence to show that the two of them had been half-sisters. The original letter perhaps, from Graham Grant’s solicitors, requesting that she attend the reading of his will. After that her dealings with those solicitors had all been by telephone.
She had nothing to hide. Absolutely nothing. Would own up to Angela being her sister if asked. Could the same innocence be claimed by Gregori and Nikolai in regard to Angela?
“Are you sure you do not require assistance undressing?”
Gaia had been so lost in thought she hadn’t moved since Gregori left the bedroom so abruptly, and it took her several seconds to realize he’d returned. “I… No. I’m fine, thank you.” Color warmed her cheeks at the thought of Gregori helping her undress. He had already helped take her clothes off enough for one evening.
He gave a terse inclination of his head before placing a pink garment down on top of the bed. “It was all I could find,” He shrugged as he straightened. “I will be downstairs for another half an hour or so if you need anything else.”
“I said I’ll be fine.”
“Then I wish you goodnight.” Gregori turned on his heel and left the bedroom without so much as a second glance in her direction.
Was he going to wait downstairs for Nikolai to return? So that the two men could then decide what, if anything, they were going to do about her?
“What do you think this means?” Gregori prompted Nikolai distractedly as he looked down at the photographs the other man had spread out across the top of his desk just seconds ago.
Photographs of a happily smiling and relaxed Gaia Miller standing beside a tall and beautiful blond woman who looked slightly familiar, and whom Nikolai had identified as being Amanda Grant. A young woman who had worked as a hostess at Utopia until her suicide from a drug overdose two months ago.
“It could mean nothing.” Nikolai
Similar Books
