Lost In France (Firebird Trilogy) (3 page)

I succumbed to the pleasure of falling asleep in Alain’s arms. I hoped I wouldn’t do anything silly like talk in my sleep, or worse still, snore. But in spite of my fears, I drifted off peacefully into a dreamless sleep. I hadn’t felt this good or satisfied in a very long time.

I woke with a start. Soft words whispered in a French accent penetrated the fuzz in my brain. “Wake up, sleepy head.” Alain was kissing my eyelids again, willing them open.

Did that really happen to me?

I was sure I would wake, finding it was all just a vivid dream. I smiled shyly at him.

What must he think of me?

I was practically a stranger and he already knew me more intimately than a lot of men I’d dated in the past. Warmth spread slowly over my cheeks as he gazed intently at me.

“You’re very beautiful when you blush,” he smiled, “I like that about you.” This, of course, only intensified the sensation, and the warm glow spread to my neck too. It was ridiculous that a woman of my age would blush this much. Surely I should’ve outgrown it by now? Apparently not.

“Rebecca,” he said, his tone serious, “I want to see you again. Come to the chateau when your conference is finished.”

My head jolted up.
Did mile high clubs usually work like this?

I always understood it was a ‘slam-bam-thank-you-ma’am’ kind of thing. Meeting up again wasn’t part of the deal, was it? 

“And please have lunch with me today in Paris, and if I may be a little bold, dinner as well?” We hadn’t even landed yet, and he was already making plans for the day.

He must have noticed my surprise because he quickly continued, “The conference only starts tomorrow, yes? I would love to spend your first day in Paris with you, showing you the sights.”

That certainly sounded like good offer. Instead of being alone in the most romantic city in the world, I could have my very own sexy tour guide. At least he would help me stop fretting about Julian Palmer.

“Thanks Alain, that sounds wonderful,” I replied, biting my lip as I watched for his reaction. 

His broad smile displayed a row of perfect white teeth; he was showing his delight in no uncertain terms. He was so easy to please. Doubt crept into my mind: surely a man like Alain had
someone
waiting for him?

“Fantastic. I will organize everything. It’ll be a day you will never forget.” He promised with a silly grin.

With a few simple words everything was changing. What started out as escaping the shackles of my past was fast turning into an adventure into the unknown.

Candice announced that she was serving breakfast before landing, so I quickly returned to my seat. I gulped down the freshly squeezed orange juice. I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was. This was a day of firsts for me: freshly squeezed juice on a flight, and a naughty
sexcapade. If this was anything to go by, my adventure in France was beginning on a very good note.

“Eat up,” Alain
ordered, winking at me, “You are going to need all your energy for today.”

Ravenous, I smiled back at him and dug into my breakfast.

After the trays were cleared, Alain pulled out his laptop, and for the next forty minutes, was completely absorbed in it. “Work.” He smiled apologetically. I really didn’t mind, it finally afforded me some time to think about all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.

Closing my eyes, I sighed as I remembered the most grueling
goodbye I’d ever been through. Only hours before boarding the plane, Julian had held my hands in his, gazing into my eyes. I’d felt like I was drowning in his sorrow. There was nowhere to hide; he was staring into my soul.

“Don’t leave me, Becca,” he pleaded, “Not now…not after everything we’ve been through. Please.”

His voice was gruff as he pulled me into a tight embrace, holding me as if he would never let me go. I hadn’t trusted myself to be alone with him, so I’d made very sure that when I said my final goodbye, we had been surrounded by people from the office. He didn’t care that they were watching, their mouths gaping.

I’d inhaled his scent for the last time.

What just his touch did to me… . I couldn’t allow this man to have such an effect on me any longer. He was out of bounds. It had to stop. I had to do this for my own survival. Before I crumbled and gave in. Because, I really wasn’t that strong. I wanted Julian more than ever.
But not like this.
 

Running away to France seemed like my last chance to get Julian Palmer out of my system. If I didn’t, I would be damned for the rest of my life. I had to do this, I had to stay strong.

Hot tears escaped from under my eyelids. I was leaving a part of myself behind.  Julian had been a part of my life for a very long time. It wasn’t going to be easy. I felt like a traitor…

I remembered the nights alone in my bed: the longing for his arms around me, his lips to be joined with mine, his body covering mine.

No! I had to stop thinking about him. It was over, my new life started today. I was young enough to start over, to be happy with someone who could love me freely in return.

The universe was bringing about changes. Mysterious forces were affecting the beginning of my new life. And I imagined it could have a sexy French man in it.
Even if only for a short time.

As we disembarked, Ms. Desperate gave me a strange look. Was that one of admiration?
Really?
Alain’s thumb possessively stroked the small of my back, sending shivers down my spine.

“Good luck,” she whispered in a heavy French accent, “you will need it.” My eyebrows shot up.
What did she mean?
She was just plain creepy, especially after what she had witnessed last night. Or perhaps,
because
of what she had watched. I would never know. I didn’t really care.

It was early morning in Paris and I had a whole day to myself before I registered for the conference.

“Come, I have a limo waiting.” The authority in his voice did not invite argument. He gripped my arm and steered me, his long strides purposeful. I had no choice but to follow him. This man knew what he wanted and it appeared as if he was used to getting it too.

A few minutes later I was sitting in a limo, beside Alain, amazed that I allowed him to just take over.

He reached for my hand and pressed my fingers to his lips, kissing them one by one, causing a warm and fuzzy feeling to flood my insides. His eyes were smoldering now; a sexy smile, curving his lips. He sucked on my index finger—slowly, sensuously—watching me through thick black lashes, his teeth gently nipping into my skin.

“You have no idea how hard it was to let you sleep,” he said gruffly. “I hope you are well rested for what I have planned for today.”

His black hair fell over his eyes, he raked his fingers through it impatiently. He was so goddamn sexy, how was I possibly going to focus on sightseeing? Right now I wouldn’t object to staring at the ceiling of his hotel room all day.

What the hell has come over me?

I shook my head as I tried to shake the fog from my brain.

This woman in the limo was nothing like the person who boarded the plane only hours ago. Years of suppressed longing had finally surfaced. It took a red-hot man, like Alain, to open the floodgates to every carnal thought and desire my body yearned for. Something insatiable had been turned on inside me.

The limo came to a stop in front of my hotel. It occurred to me that I hadn’t given the name of the hotel I was staying at, and neither Alain, nor the chauffeur, Gaston, had asked me. I drew in a sharp breath as my gaze darted to Alain. “Stalking much?”

He lifted a brow mockingly. “You mentioned the hotel last night when we were...chatting. I have a good memory.” Alain winked at me, mischief playing in his eyes.

Good looking and smart, I was in
trouble…

Climbing the stairs, a quick slap on my ass stung my behind. The doorman grinned approvingly. Alain raised his eyebrow as a warning and steered me possessively toward the
large revolving doors. My cheeks burned as I crossed the vast open space to the reception desk, fully aware of strangers watching us in amusement. Check-in was quick and easy, in spite of the pretty girl behind the desk who kept grinning at Alain, flirting with him.

Alain led me toward the elevator. “I will give you exactly one hour to freshen up; then I’ll come looking for you.” The promise in his voice was undisguised as he pulled me into his embrace and kissed me hard on the mouth. He gently pushed me into the car and stepped away. “I am counting the minutes,” he said, his voice husky. The doors closed as I stared at him, my mouth hanging open at the way he was simply commanding me.

As I entered the suite on the twenty-fourth floor, I drew in a sharp breath at the unequaled beautiful view across the Seine, the Eiffel tower visible in the distance through the floor to ceiling windows. The panoramic view drew me closer and I took a moment to absorb it all. Old buildings were nestled amongst the new all along the banks of the river.

The bellboy brought my attention back to my immediate surroundings. The suite was tastefully decorated in rich creams and gold, opulent yet elegant. No expense had been spared in decorating it and most likely it cost a
fortune to stay here. I paid him a generous tip and he grinned as he left the room.

A huge king-sized bed dominated the room. I was tempted to spread out on the bed for a little nap. On the pillow was a box of chocolates. I withdrew the welcome card from under the pretty deep-red bow. It wasn’t from the hotel management as I expected. I let out a long breath as I read the note.

Miss Clarke,

Welcome to Paris. Hope you had a good flight.

I look forward to working with you over the next eight months.

Enjoy your stay.

Chat soon.

It was signed: Maxwell Grant, CEO of Grant Industries.

Hmm, my new boss sure has the magic touch
.

The chocolates looked expensive too. I decided to save them for later tonight when I was alone in my bed, reading my book.

A deep sigh escaped my lips. At last I was in Paris. I’d promised to call my mother to let her know that I arrived safely, so I sat on the edge of the bed and dialed her number.

“
Beccy, I'm so glad to hear your voice. Was your flight OK? And how is Paris?” She rattled on without breathing.

My mother sounded her usual self, concern lurking behind her bubbly tone.

“I’m fine, Mom. The flight was…awesome. I don’t think I can go back to flying cattle class after this amazing experience. I'll have to be really great in my new job so I can keep it up.” I tried to sound cheerful.

“And how is the hotel? Have you met your new boss yet?” Questions kept coming at me.

I rolled my eyes. “No. Mom, I told you before, my boss lives in New York. I only get to meet him face to face in a few weeks, after the conference and workshops. He’s a busy man, he’s not going to fly out to Paris to meet a new consultant he just employed.” If only she would listen when I explained things to her.

“Remember, you can come home any time when it feels wrong. I understand why you had to do it, but I’ll miss you so much.” 

“I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself. Besides this is the job opportunity of a lifetime. How could I refuse? And it came at exactly the right time.” My throat tightened and I found it difficult to speak. There was an uneasy silence for a few seconds—or was it just a bad line?

“Running away isn’t going to solve your problems. You can try to guard yourself from getting hurt any further, but you can never escape your past, no matter where you live.” Her voice wasn’t as perky anymore, she sounded tired.

“I’m not running away. Why are even having this conversation?
Again.
I’m doing what’s best for me. So don’t judge. Just this once, please trust that I know what I’m doing,” I huffed, closing my eyes. I didn’t belong in my old world anymore. I needed a fresh start: new challenges, new experiences. Definitely a new beginning.

“But why go so far away? You have never been away this long.” There was an accusatory note in her voice, even if she was trying to hide it.

“Because…if I am finally going to get Julian out of my system, I can’t be anywhere near him. Not in the same company, not in the same city. Hell, not even in the same country.”

“Rebecca.”

She only called me by my full name when she was exasperated or when I was in trouble.

“Listen Mom, I have to go now. I’m meeting someone for lunch and I don’t want to be late. Just wanted to let you know I’m safe. I’ll call again soon.”

“Lunch with a…
stranger
? Be careful, Rebecca. Promise?” she begged. Mom would always be concerned for my safety, even though I was an adult and left home more than a decade ago.

“I promise. Love you, Mom.” I quickly hung up before she could interrogate me further although I knew she only had my best interests at heart. Right now, I had to get myself into the shower if I wanted to be ready when Alain picked me up.

The soft fluffy towel caressed my skin as I dried myself. I opened the drawer containing my new underwear and shot Chloe a thank you under my breath for forcing me to splash out on these beauties, in spite of my verbal resistance. Hmm. Something feminine and summery.
Who knew what state of dress—or rather, undress—I would find myself?
I picked out a white lacy matching bra and panty.

I kept my makeup and jewelry light and to a minimum, a flash of mascara and a lick of lip-gloss would do just fine. Anyway, with my cheeks permanently flushed lately, I didn’t need any help there.

From the clothing I packed, I chose a flowing skirt, matching silk camisole, and light gossamer blouse that complemented the green of my eyes. I tied my messy curly hair up loosely so that it wasn’t in my face. Slipping into flat shoes, which were practical for an afternoon of sightseeing in Paris, I checked my reflection in the mirror. Finally, I threw a cardigan over my shoulders, just in case, ever the practical woman.

I sighed.
I am what I am
,
nothing I can do to change that now
.