Rebecca Winters – Love Story Next Door!: Cinderella on His Doorstep / Mr Right, Next Door! / Soldier on Her Doorstep (страница 22)
“Would you rather I left? Arrangements have already been made for me to stay in Saskia’s room at the Metropole.”
The way his mouth tightened into a thin line made her shiver. “That decision is entirely up to you. Meet me at the truck at seven-thirty in the morning and I’ll drive you to Angers to get your car.”
Her heart thudded till it hurt. By asking him that question, she’d proved she was the girl he’d called her, not a woman who acted on her own. Let it be the last mistake she made. “Thank you. Good night.”
His dark eyes impaled hers before he disappeared out the door.
She sat on the bed for a long time pondering what to do. A girl would have a meltdown. A woman would brazen her way out of this.
He’d told Saskia that Dana was part of his staff; therefore she’d behave like an employee from here on out. She’d fix the lunches, but beyond that she’d leave him alone until she left the château. The man didn’t have time for drama. He was in a hurry.
At six-thirty the next morning, Alex got up to fill the truck bed with debris. Might as well take another load to the landfill on the way to Angers. When he drove around the front of the château, his pulse sped up to find Dana waiting for him. She looked sensational in white pleated pants and a mini print top of blues and greens on a white background. He’d never known a woman so appealing, all golden and fresh as a piece of summer fruit.
“Good morning.” She said it with such a friendly demeanor, last night’s fireworks might never have happened. The minute she climbed in the cab, she brought the fragrance of strawberries with her, probably the result of her shampoo.
“You sound rested.”
She opened her window. “I had a wonderful sleep.”
His fingers tightened on the steering wheel as they headed for the gate. Throughout the endless night his desire for her had never cooled. He could still taste her mouth, feel the mold of her body. Though he’d told her it was her decision about staying or leaving, he hadn’t meant it. The château wouldn’t be the same without her in it. He’d made up his mind to do whatever was necessary to keep her sleeping on the premises.
“When I came down to the kitchen a few minutes ago, I couldn’t find the wine bottle.”
He flicked her a shuttered glance, feasting on her lovely profile. “I put it in the wine cellar for sakekeeping.”
She flashed him an enticing smile. “That’s where it should have been all along. Thank you.”
Something was going on in that unpredictable brain of hers. Silence stretched between them. Before they left the landfill he said, “How would you like to tour Angers castle this morning? There won’t be as many tourists this early. We’ll escape the worst of the heat.”
To his surprise she gave a caustic laugh that didn’t settle well. “Do you know you’re so much like my father at times, it’s uncanny?”
His black brows met together in disbelief. “How did he get into this conversation?”
“When has he ever
He gunned the engine and streaked out of there until they were beyond the view of any workers. Then he slammed on the brakes beneath the trees. Turning to her, he slid his arm along the back of the seat and encircled her warm nape with his hand. He could feel her pulse quicken beneath his fingers.
“I haven’t forgotten one second of what happened last night and know in my gut you haven’t, either.” Unable to stop himself, he kissed her neck, knowing her skin smelled that sweet all over. “The fact is, I want you to stay at the château and was hoping to tell you that while we took a little time off to play. You were right about Jack being a dull boy.”
“I wasn’t planning to leave,” she stated quietly, jolting him in that inimicable way of hers. “As for Jack, it’s a well-known secret dull boys are usually the most successful because they never waiver from their goal.”
Dana understood him so well, it hurt.
“Knowing how anxious you are to get the estate ready for the public, you won’t be doing either of us a favor by taking me through that monster castle. I have my own plans for today. Thank you anyway.”
The desire to drag her off to an undisclosed location and kiss her until she cried for mercy was trumped only by the knowledge that she wasn’t going to run away from him yet. He bit her earlobe gently before separating himself from her so he could start up the engine.
Neither of them spoke for the rest of the drive into town. He didn’t mind. For now it was enough to know she didn’t want to leave the château. She loved everything about it including his damn grapes lying dormant inside those gnarled trunks.
It seemed the only drawback in the scenario was Alex.
“There’s my car.” Her voice jerked him from his torturous thoughts. He maneuvered his truck through the hectic morning traffic and pulled into a parking spot near hers.
She alighted before he could help her down. “You didn’t need to get out,” she told him as he followed her to the car.
“I’m the one who told you to leave it here overnight. Just looking to make sure everything works.” He watched her get in, then shut the door for her. After checking the tires, he told her to pop the trunk. “Everything looks good.”
She started the engine. “Thanks for driving me in. See you later.” As she backed out and drove off, he waved until he couldn’t see her golden head anymore. Turning sharply on his heel, he walked two blocks to the post office to collect his mail.
There were a few bills and letters from his colleagues in Bali, as well as his contacts in Louisiana. He would read them when he got back on the estate. As he finished cleaning out his mailbox, a postcard fell on the floor. He picked it up. The picture of Sanur gave away the name of the sender.
A smile broke out on Alex’s face. He walked around the corner to a tourist shop where he bought a postcard with a photograph of the Château de Chenonceau, Dana’s favorite. When he returned to the post office, he wrote a message on the back.
After affixing a stamp, he mailed it, then left for home in his truck. Halfway to the estate it struck him that for the first time since being in France, he thought of it as home. Something was happening to him. Something profound.
Deep in thought about everything that had transpired last night, he almost didn’t hear his cell phone in time to answer it. Hoping it was Dana, he almost said her name when he clicked on.
“Monsieur Martin?” a man asked in French. Disappointment swamped him.
“This is Honore Dumarre. Perhaps Mademoiselle Lofgren hasn’t had a chance to tell you about our meeting yesterday.”
Alex straightened in his seat. Dana had warned him the other man would be calling, but he hadn’t expected it this soon. “As a matter of fact, she presented me with an 1892 bottle of Belles Fleurs wine from your cellar last night.”
The man chuckled. “Technically it wasn’t from my wine cellar. I was just the keeper of it. Now I know why I held on to this one. It’s a great honor for me to know it is now in the hands of the rightful owner.
Something in Monsieur Dumarre’s nature caused Alex to warm to him. “Thank you,
“Mademoiselle Lofgren was so excited to give it to you, I couldn’t have done anything else. Once in a while life offers us something beyond price. I’m not only thinking about the wine, but the beautiful young woman herself. Her soul shines right out of those heavenly blue eyes, doesn’t it? What a prize she is.”
“Yes,” was all Alex could say because emotion had caught up to him.
“To think she’s Jan Lofgren’s daughter. His films are sheer genius.”
“I agree.”
“Did she tell you I’d like to host a party?” That was news. Dana probably would have told him if he’d given her half the chance. “All your vintner neighbors will want to meet you. I plan to invite the Lofgrens, too, and hope they can come.”
“Thank you, Monsieur Dumarre. I’m sure it will please them to be included.”
“