Lost In France (Firebird Trilogy) (13 page)

I leaned back comfortably into the cushions, my bare feet curled up on the couch and closed my eyes as Alain disappeared to the rest room. Dozing off lazily, satisfaction from a lovely meal and delicious wine spilling over me.

Brought back to reality by a soft and sensuous kiss on my lips, I kept my eyes closed and enjoyed the simple pleasure.

Yet something felt wrong. An unfamiliar scent drifted to my nostrils. My eyes flew open. Leaning over me was Ms. Uptight’s brother, smiling at me.

“Jacques. What are you doing?” I sat up, rubbing my lips.

“I couldn’t resist,” he said, his mouth twisted into a smirk. “You look good enough to eat. After spoiling my lunch it was only fair I got something back.” His eyes were dark with lust. “And, I had to see for myself what all the fuss is about.”

As if I was some commodity for trying out in a shop.

“Alain won’t like it,” I said, as calmly as I could,
trying to scare him off. He threw his head back and laughed. “My dear, Alain is busy at the moment. He’s chatting to an acquaintance inside.”

Has little brother been spying on us?

“How did you find us?”

“My old man gave me the job of watching your every move. Best job I’ve had in a while. I followed you’re here. Saw you going down on Alain in the car.  You are a hot little slut. You liked that kiss, no? You want more?” 

“Don’t be ridiculous. I thought it was Alain kissing me at first.” For the second time today I was defending myself.

“You liked it, you bitch,” he said menacingly. “I will tell your boyfriend you seduced me if you even mention my name. This is
our
little secret,” he said, stroking up my thigh.

I recoiled as if a snake bit me, pushing his hand away. “You’re sick. Don’t ever touch me again.”

“I like a feisty woman. You can fight me as much as you want, bitch. I promise I will fuck you. Harder and so much better than Alain. I’m younger—more virile. You should be with me. Let the old guy marry my sister. I want you to be mine,” he said, reaching out for me, his lips curled into a snarl.

“
Merde
. Over my dead fucking body.”

I watched as Alain pulled him up from the couch by his shirt, and planted a right hook in his stomach that sent him reeling.

“Fucking asshole. I warned you to stay away from her. Maybe, you didn’t understand?” Alain’s voice boomed, a vein ticking in his neck.  His hands curled by his sides into fists, as he stood glaring at Jacques.

“Cherie, are you OK?” Alain knelt by my side, his gaze scrutinizing my body.

“You better watch your little whore,” Jacques hissed, as he limped away, holding his stomach.

Crushing me to his chest, I hid my face in Alain’s neck, trembling. He wrapped a blanket off the couch around me, rubbing up my arms.

“H…he followed us. Saw us in the car.” I said.

“I’m so sorry you had to be part of this,” he said after a while, shaking his head. “Come, let me take you home.” He pulled me up and wrapped his arm around me, leading me to the car.

“Yes, take me home. Please.” A shudder ran through me as I remembered the look in Jaques’ eyes. Lust mixed with contempt.  

“Don’t worry about him.” He whispered in my hair. “
I’ll  take care of you.
Always.
”

Always as in forever?
  Did he really mean it?

“Thank you, Alain. When I'm with you I feel so loved and safe. Don’t leave me alone again.”

Always is a long time
“I won’t.
I want you with me al
ways
.”

Always is a long time
.

We got home in record time, driving in silence, Alain holding my hand as if for dear life, occasionally pressing my fingers to his lips.

He ran a steaming bath and slowly undid the buttons of my dress, holding my hand as I stepped out of it, shyness creeping over me.

Does he think I am a whore, too?

Even though our play in the car was highly erotic, in my opinion I wasn’t being slutty. So why did Jacques think I was fair game? Did he believe it was a matter of time before my and Alain’s relationship would end and I would be available to him? I certainly hadn’t given him any indication that I would ever be interested in him. So many questions buzzed through my head, mostly unanswered.

I didn’t know Alain that well, and already, we’d fucked several times. We didn’t have an agreement or made promises to one another. And it was too early for declarations of love. Lust yes. We certainly
lusted
one another.

But, I was too tired to overthink it. All I wanted now was to get into a nice hot bath. Silently he held my hand as I stepped into the oversized tub and disappeared beneath the bubbles. The warm water washed over me, relaxing the tightness in my muscles.

Alain lit all the candles and poured chilled white wine into two crystal glasses. I watched from under my lashes as he quickly undressed and slid into the bath. He let out a deep sigh as the warm water washed over him, too. I smiled at him shyly as he handed me a glass of wine.

“Thanks, Alain. You always seem to know how to make me feel better.”
I took a sip and let it slide down as I tried to relax even more. I was safe now. Yet a shiver ran over me.

The windows facing th
e ocean were open and I shuddered at the thought that someone may be watching us. Alain sensed my discomfort and rose from the water to close the blinds.

“Better?” Alain lifted a brow.

“Much better,” I mumbled, my eyes on his tight ass.

“Hmm.
Checking out the goods, mademoiselle?” He laughed, doing his best to get me out of my funk.

Alain
sat back down and lifted my foot onto his thigh, massaging the soles. “Let me make you feel even better.” He wiggled his eyebrows in his endearingly mischievous way that always got a giggle out of me. I let out a deep sigh of pleasure, sinking even lower into the bath till only my face was visible in a sea of bubbles. I closed my eyes as the other foot received the same treatment. Moaning as soft wet kisses landed on the soles of my feet, then my ankles, and up my legs, causing my insides to quiver with lust. He sure had a way of letting me forget my worries.

Diving under the bubbles, he kissed right up my leg, till he final came to my apex. My eyes were open wide now, a liquid fire spreading through my body. He flashed me a cheeky grin as his head bobbed up for air before he sank below the water again. Pushing my legs apart, I gasped as his mouth found my sweet spot. He didn’t stay there long. I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or disappointed.

“God, you are needy.” I mocked him, yet I enjoyed his playfulness.

“And you are not?” His lips twisted into a knowing smile.
“I bet you are ready for me.”

Sitting up on his knees, he pulled me into his lap
. My legs wrapped around his waist.

“Yes.” I hissed as I threw my head back and let him kiss my neck.
His erection pulsed against my stomach. “And you’re ready for me too—”

“Always.”
He grunted as he lifted me up and kissed my breasts one by one, slowly savoring the hard crests. I leaned back onto his erection, feeling him slip inside me as he let out a gasp.

With
my buttocks in his hands, he helped me up and down his shaft as he sucked my nipples. Taking pleasure in the divine tingles running through my body, I rode him, faster and faster, water slashing everywhere as we worked up a frenzy, hungry for one another after the day’s tribulations.

“Fuck me, baby,” I murmured, losing control. “Fuck me hard.”

It was the first time I’d ever asked for it. Feeling liberated, and just a little freaked out about asking for it so blatantly, I bit into his lower lip. My nails dug deep into his shoulders and I took him even deeper inside me than I thought was possible.

“You are fucking perfect.
In every way.”

I needed to know that. To know that he didn’t think I was loose or a slut…or whore. I might act like one when I was around Alain, but that was reserved for him and him only. Could he see that?

Both panting, hungry for one another, I wanted this moment to last forever.
Perfect. He thinks I’m perfect in every way.

Driven to the edge, a guttural feral moan rumbled from his chest as he thrust into me with all his might. Unable to hold back any longer, my body gave in to an overwhelming orgasm, pulsating with pleasure, my insides gripping his cock. It was the signal he needed. Thrusting hard and fast, he found his
release.

“I will keep you safe. I will protect you.
Because you are mine.”

I smiled against his chest. My heart swelled in my chest. All I ever wanted was to belong completely to a man and for him to take care of me as a man should take care of his woman.

In return, I wanted to please him, surrender every part of myself to my man. My breath hitched.

“You make me so happy, Alain.”

“Your happiness is my happiness,” he said with his lips on the shell of my ear.

I believed him.
Because I really wanted to.

Startled, I woke up, my mobile phone dancing on the bedside table as it
vibrated. It was two a.m. Who the hell could be calling me now? Next to me in the king-size bed, Alain rolled, restless.

“
Shh.” I grabbed my phone and scrambled to the guest room so I didn’t disturb him. We hadn’t slept much at all, talking and making love for hours, I didn’t want him waking now.

I stared at my phone in disbelief. Maxwell bloody Grant’s name blinked on my screen. In spite of my fuzzy brain, I managed to work out that it was only eight p.m. in New York. Still. What the hell did he want?

Before I could answer, it stopped ringing, and a sigh of relief escaped my lips. Shit, five missed calls and three messages from Maxwell in the last two hours. Still wondering what to do, the phone started ringing. It was him—
again
.

“Hello?” I was wide awake now.

“It’s about goddamn time you answered,” Maxwell huffed.

“Sorry, I was sleeping. We are six hours ahead of you, it’s two a.m. here,” I said calmly, as if reasoning with a child.

“I know what time it is,” he barked.

“Is something wrong?” The anger in his voice was unmistakable.

“Yes,” he spat. “I opened the newspaper this morning to see pictures of you with your French boyfriend. Allegations that it’s a serious relationship.” He made it sound like a crime.

He called me about pictures in the newspaper?

“And then, tonight it was all over the Internet—pictures of you kissing the Frenchman unashamedly in his car in broad daylight.” He sounded really mad now.

Yes, your honor, guilty as charged.
And what fucking business is that of yours?

I
didn’t really know how to respond. Anything I said would sound silly. So I waited—after all he was the one who had called me.

His gruff voice broke the silence.
“I need you to come to New York tomorrow.”

Crap, am I being fired?

“You can just get your lawyer to talk to mine to cancel the contract. I don’t need to come to New York for that.”

“Miss Clarke, you are infuriating in more ways than one,” he snapped, “I'm not terminating your goddamn contract. I need to discuss a few things with you,
that’s all.”

“I could Skype with you tomorrow,” I offered. Why fly all that way to just have a bloody conversation? Besides, I preferred distance between us.

“I want you here in person, Miss Clarke,” he barked. “Not negotiable.”

“But…the first workshop is in Paris. In two days. If I'm not fired, I should be there—in Paris,” I countered.

“Have your assistant change the dates. I expect you in New York tomorrow. End of discussion.”

That’s it?
Obnoxious
and
rude.

And, so freaking bossy.

Still fuming, I stared at my phone.

Who the hell does he think he is?

Before I could steam any further, Alain stumbled in, his hair all messed up, his eyes sleepy, still naked. Adorable and sexy, I would never tire of his hard masculine body. He looked like a god.

A very well endowed god
.

He was growing hard, his erection springing to life before my eyes. Warmness tingled between my legs.

“Come to bed.” He held out his hand. “Come keep me warm. I miss you when you aren’t there.” His lopsided grin was irresistible.

He missed me?
That was the sweetest thing he’d ever said.

As I placed my hand in his, I pulled him toward the bed, sitting on the edge with him standing in front of me. Leaning forward, I took his growing erection in my mouth. 

“Looking for me, big boy?” I teased, as I let my tongue pleasure him. He stood watching, mesmerized, hissing through his teeth.

“
Ahh, this is hot,” he groaned, throwing his head back. “I like pleasuring you, but I could get used to this.”  He held my head to his groin.

My head bobbed up and down as I took him deep into my mouth, listening to his panting breath as a sign of how much he was enjoying it
, and how far he was from climaxing.

He
grabbed a fist full of hair and pulled my head backwards. His heavy length slipped from my mouth.

“But, I also like fucking you. Making you come, Cherie,” he mumbled in my ear, as he lifted me and carried me back to his bedroom.
A true gentleman, Alain never took his pleasure before ensuring that I’d had mine.

And I like you fucking me, my Frenchman.

I also liked that he took my mind off Maxwell. My boss had a knack of giving me an instant headache whenever I had to deal with him. And right now I definitely didn’t want to think of him or what he had to say when I got to New York.

This diversion was exactly what I needed now. I rubbed at my temples as Alain
lay me on his bed.