‘I am as well as I can ever expect to be in regard to my health, daughter,’ he assured gruffly. ‘My heart and mind are another matter, however. Not now, Nina.’ He placed his hand over hers and squeezed lightly as he saw her anxious expression. ‘We will attend and enjoy the gala together, as planned, and talk of these things again later tonight. I only hope you will be able to forgive me—’ He broke off, his expression anguished as he looked across at her.
‘Forgive you for what, Papa?’ she prompted, fearing his anxiety had something to do with the fate of the three kidnappers.
‘We will talk later,’ he repeated determinedly.
She would have to be satisfied with that answer, for the moment.
Except she wasn’t.
There had been something in her father’s eyes just now, a darkness that spoke of pain, a deep-rooted pain he had never revealed to her before. But not of a physical kind, as he had assured her it wasn’t, but one that bit deep into his heart and mind.
Not that Nina had any more time to think about that right now, when she had the ordeal of the gala exhibition at Archangel, and seeing Rafe again, to get through...
* * *
‘I don’t recall her being quite so beautiful.’
Rafe was only half listening to Michael, far too busy studying Nina as she arrived with her father. He was too busy looking for any signs in her expression that she found this evening as much of a strain as he did to give his brother his full attention.
Her eyes were that clear unshadowed green, her skin glowing with health and vitality, and she smiled brightly as her father introduced her to the two men who had just joined them, all of the guests having been waiting in anticipation for the arrival of the reclusive Dmitri Palitov.
Rather than strained Nina looked sensational. Absolutely, breathtakingly, sensational.
She had left her hair loose again tonight, a moving river of flame as it fell silkily over her shoulders before cascading down the length of her spine to her waist. Her emerald-green eyes dominated the creaminess of her face, and there was a deep rose gloss on those temptingly pouting lips. Her gown was a gold shimmer that clung lovingly to her curves, leaving her arms bare, and finishing several inches above her knees to reveal those long and shapely legs, her four-inch-heeled shoes the same rich gold colour as her gown.
And Rafe hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her since the moment she had appeared in the doorway of the gallery beside her father’s wheelchair, his eyes narrowing now as she laughed huskily at something said to her by one of the two men her father had introduced her to.
‘Rafe, are you listening to me? Rafe!’
‘What is your problem now, Michael?’ He turned on his brother fiercely, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
Michael raised calm dark brows at that show of aggression. ‘I merely remarked on the fact that I don’t remember Nina Palitov being quite so young or so beautiful. A remark which you obviously didn’t hear. Or just didn’t want to comment on,’ he added shrewdly.
Rafe’s scowl deepened. ‘If you recall, I did mention the little fact of her beauty in my telephone call to you after I’d met Nina for the first time, after I had discovered she wasn’t the middle-aged spinster you’d allowed me to expect!’
Michael grimaced. ‘I didn’t “allow” anything. I just wasn’t taking a lot of notice of how the daughter looked when I last met Dmitri Palitov. But I’d have to be dead not to have noticed now.’
Rafe’s eyes narrowed. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
His brother’s gaze was still on the beautiful Nina as she stood beside Dmitri Palitov, so he didn’t see the displeasure on Rafe’s face. ‘We should go over and greet our guest of honour,’ he added distractedly.
Rafe placed a warning hand on his brother’s arm. ‘Keep your restrained but lethal charm to yourself around Nina!’ he warned harshly.
Michael turned back to look at him, narrowed gaze raking slowly over Rafe’s face. ‘What the hell?’ he finally muttered softly. ‘Rafe, please tell me you didn’t— Oh, hell, you did.’ He grimaced as Rafe quirked one dark, pointed brow. ‘I asked you to keep Dmitri Palitov sweet and you slept with his daughter!’
‘Keep your damned voice down.’ Rafe glared at him.
Michael continued to scowl at him. ‘Is Nina Palitov the reason for your distraction yesterday evening? The reason you’ve been walking around growling at everyone at the gallery today? More to the point...’ his brow slowly cleared ‘...is she the reason you’ve suddenly tired of the playboy image and decided it has to go?’ he probed shrewdly.