Love and Splendor: The Coltrane Saga, Book 5 (24 page)

With a happy glow, Dani knew that was true.

Chapter Seventeen

A carriage ride through Paris by night was far too enchanting an experience to be wasted discussing unpleasant subjects. Dani and Drake soon reached their destination—the small but elegant Le Palais Hotel situated with a view of the Tuileries Gardens. A concierge dressed in an impressive suit of black velvet with gold epaulets was waiting beside a bubbling fountain to help them alight from the carriage. He bowed graciously, greeted Drake with unusual familiarity, Dani noted, then moved swiftly to hold open one of two ornately carved mahogany doors.

Inside, Dani was immediately impressed by the foyer, a small stepped aithrion. She knew from her studies of interior design that the inner court was of Greek origin, and that the Pentelic marble, the marble used in the Parthenon, had also been used here for the four columns supporting the glass roof above. The pattern of the floor was derived from that of the Greek temples, and the proportions of the columns no doubt derived from those of the Doric order of the Parthenon. Tall urns stood beside each and held thick bouquets of fragrant roses and carnations.

Drake led her down the three steps and on across the gleaming floor. The aithrion was bordered on each side by small reception rooms, unfurnished yet impressive, for the walls of each were different. One was of mother of pearl, another done in mirrors and crystal, then white lacquer, and, finally, on the side from which they had entered, white silk. “Amazing,” Dani gasped, awed. “Every kind of sheen has been used to catch all the light and pass it on. My compliments to their designers, whoever they were.”

She heard Drake’s light chuckle and whispered
“Merci,”
but had little time to dwell on whether she’d heard exactly right, for he was explaining about the beautiful gardens in the rear that he would show her sometime in daylight. “Small but spectacular. Large chunks of the marble that was brought in from Greece were left outside to use in making a little waterfall. Wild flowers, lavender, and rosemary have been planted all over the ground, so that when the leaves are crushed underfoot, the scents fill the air.”

Suddenly it occurred to Dani that she’d not seen a lobby for registration, nor had there been any sign of hotel employees, other than the concierge. When she asked why, he explained, “There are people available if you need anything, but the concept here was to provide a cozy atmosphere amid quiet opulence as opposed to the usual starkness of hotels.”

She saw the ornate wrought-iron lift and was quite impressed to realize, when Drake touched a small switch, that it was electric, not steam-driven. She said nothing as he opened the gate to the interior compartment, but as they stepped inside she could not help feeling a bit nervous. “I have to admit I’ve never been on one of these things when they’re operated by electricity. Are you quite sure it’s safe?”

Amused, he assured her it was. “The mechanism for this, an electric motor to drive a winding drum down in the basement, was shipped over from New York. It’s just like the first one that was put in operation in the Demarest Building over there two years ago. It’s still running fine…”

Dani leaned back against a wall, her gaze beneath lowered lashes moving over him. All the while she was aware of how his nearness was making her senses quicken. “I thought you told me you lived in an apartment. You seem to know an awful lot about the hotel.”

He was leaning against the wall opposite, arms folded across his chest. There was a space of only two feet or so between them, for the lift was small, would comfortably accommodate only four people.

Without raising his hand, he merely lifted a finger to point upward, the play of a smile on his lips as he said, “I’ve lived in an apartment on the top floor for almost a year.”

“Before that?”

“London for a spell. Before that, Madrid. A few months in Amsterdam. I spent some time in Algiers.” He shrugged, the look in his eyes almost hypnotic as he met her stare. “I can’t remember dates, or all the places. I suppose I’m nomadic…can’t seem to settle down in one place for very long.”

Sardonically Dani wondered if his nomadism extended to his relationships with women…but dared not ask. She told herself it did not matter because she would not let it matter and went on to say, “As much time as we’ve spent together, we’ve never talked about what makes you such a gypsy…

“…or such an enigma,” she added with a mischievous gleam, “as I’ve gathered from having fortuitously overheard young ladies’ talk from time to time.”

Drake threw back his head and laughed heartily. Then the lift came to a slightly jerking halt, and, caught off balance, Dani lurched against him, and he reached out to steady her. As their eyes met and held, the mirth faded, and Drake pulled her against his chest, holding her closely, tightly, as his lips tenderly claimed hers.

They stood, locked in embrace, and time seemed to stand still as they savored the stirring moment.

From somewhere below in the dark cavity of the shaft, a bell sounded impatiently to pierce the magic spell.

Reluctantly, they parted. Drake attempted to lighten the moment. “Should’ve known not to expect privacy in an elevator,” he said with a grin, pulling open the gate to reveal large, shining brass doors.

Dani realized they had not reached an ordinary hotel floor, with doors lining each side of a hallway. Instead, she stepped across a marble threshold into a small room illumined by the glow of a regal crystal-and-coral chandelier.

“I call this my Silver Room,” Drake said as he closed the lift and sent it downward. Locking the heavy brass doors behind them, he held out his hand to her. “The chef said he’d have our dinner served promptly at nine. Meanwhile, I’ve got some delicious beluga caviar and a tasty caraway vodka I had sent all the way from Russia that I think you’ll like. But would you like to see my apartment first?”

“I’d love to.” Dani paused to admire a mother-of-pearl table, which held a group of silver decorative pieces. To one side, a mirrored table held a collection of rose-quartz figurines. A Venetian mirror, heavily edged in silver, hung above a marble-topped side table.

“I use this as an entrance foyer,” Drake explained. “I didn’t want people stepping off the elevator directly into the parlor.”

Dani was impressed. “But I didn’t know they had apartments in hotels like this.”

Drake nodded. “Ordinarily they don’t, but since I liked Paris and thought I might be spending a lot of time here, I just had this designed and renovated especially for me.”

Dani’s interest was piqued, and she followed him eagerly into the next room, anxious to see more of his decorating skill.

In the dining room, one wall was dominated by a painting of a Roman gladiator and horses, done in gold leaf on canvas. The table was set with silver-gilt and crystal appointments, glimmering beneath a sparkling gold-and-crystal chandelier.

“I had that brought in from Russia.” Drake gestured to the fixture. “It belonged to my uncle. I wanted it here since I’ll probably always keep this place, no matter where I settle down permanently…if that ever happens,” he added with a wry grin.

There was an octagonal drawing room, a small parlor, a tea kitchen, all lovely and elegantly furnished, but it was Drake’s study that made Dani gasp aloud. The curving sofas were covered in alligator skin, and she declared incredulously, “Don’t tell me you find that soft!”

“Actually, I do.” Drake laughed. “Try it, and so will you. I had the hides shipped in from Africa, and I knew a man who really has a knack for tanning in Madrid, so he did them up for me. The actual sofas were made in London.”

Gingerly, Dani touched the rough-appearing surface, then marveled that it felt as smooth and soft as the finest leathers.

“Sit down,” Drake said. “I’ll go and get the vodka and caviar.” He walked out of the room, pleased with her reactions to his decor.

Dani chose one of the small chairs in the room, which was covered in actual leather, as she could not so soon relish the thought of sitting on an alligator’s hide, however comfortable. Glancing around the fairly large room, she observed other mementos from Africa—the angry face of a tiger stared down at her menacingly from its place on the wall next to a rhino’s indifferent gaze. She shivered in revulsion, turned her attention to the rows and rows of books on the shelves and marveled at the selections in so many different languages.

Drake returned with a tray containing a bottle of colorless liquor, glasses, a bowl filled with bright red caviar, and a plate of tiny crackers and squares of bread. “I see you’ve been admiring my ‘museum’,” he said jovially. “I’m afraid I haven’t been as lucky on safari as some of my colleagues.”

“Thank goodness,” Dani cried with exaggerated approval. “I don’t like to see animals killed merely for sport.” She gestured to the books. “How many different languages do you know?”

Drake pursed his lips thoughtfully as he sat down and filled the glasses with vodka. “Let’s see,” he mused. “Fluently, I speak Russian, of course, and English, as you know…French, Spanish, German, and the Scandinavian languages, which are basically alike—Norwegian, Swedish, Danish.

“And…” he went on thoughtfully after a moment, “I can communicate a little in maybe four or five other languages, enough to ask for directions if I get lost in, say, Morocco, Algeria, or Egypt.” He laughingly added, “Enough Swahili to tell the cannibals they’d have to boil me for a week before I’d be tender enough to eat.”

Dani could not help giggling at that. “Cannibals don’t speak Swahili!”

“Of course they don’t,” Drake said with a chuckle, “but I like to tease you. Here. To us!” He held up his glass in toast, and Dani joined him.

She took a sip, wrinkled her nose slightly at the unfamiliar taste, then declared, “I rather like it.”

“I thought you would.” Drake leaned back on the alligator-skin sofa, crossed his legs, took a deep breath, then softly urged, “So. Now that we’re relaxed, would you like to tell me why you were so upset when I called for you?”

Dani took several more sips, liked the warm tickling all the way from her mouth, throat, and down to her stomach “It’s Colt. He came by the shop after you left and told me he and Lily are going to be married.”

Drake leaned forward, refilled their glasses, then sat back and gave her his full attention as she recounted the entire conversation and the subsequent scene with Lily.

She finished with an apologetic shrug. “I wasn’t trying to be rude when I rushed us out of the house. I just didn’t want a scene with Colt over the dispute between Lily and me, nor did I relish being around when he announced he plans to marry her. I thought it best we leave.”

She did not see any point in relating Lurline’s tale of having spied on Lily and thereby concluding how the engagement might have come about. No need to drag out family skeletons that might not even exist.

Drake was disgusted to think of Colt marrying a woman like Lily—a conniving little gold digger who could smell money the same way alligators sniffed out bait hounds tied to trees. He loathed hypocritical women like that, for, as much as he hated admitting it, if only to himself, they reminded him of his mother…and the way she’d ruined his father’s life with her selfishness and deceit.

Dani shook her head and said, “Colt has a right to make his own decisions.”

Drake silently, bitterly contradicted her,
Not when those decisions are manipulated by someone else!

Dani reached out, touched his arm in a gesture of friendship and gratitude. “Thank you for listening. I’m sorry to burden you with my family problems, but I want you to know I appreciate your kindness and tolerance.”

“What are friends for?” he reminded softly, then a shadow crossed his eyes, and he stared at her quietly before confiding, “I have some bad memories where my own family is concerned, Dani. One day, I’ll share them with you. Until then, I want you to know that I understand what you’re going through and how it hurts.”

He reached out to pull her tightly against his chest, so close she could feel the sweet warmth of his breath upon her face. He claimed her mouth in a kiss that ignited fires to sweep over them as wildly as a blaze in the wind.

Dani responded with unabashed yearning, twining her arms around his neck to press close against him. She could feel her nipples grow taut as desire swelled within her breasts.

They clung together for long, ardent moments, then, ever so reluctantly, Dani withdrew from the embrace, and their eyes met and held in wonder over the deep, swirling emotions that surged through their veins.

Softly, Drake commanded, “Tell me you’ve never felt this way before.”

“I haven’t,” she replied honestly, then challenged him with a saucy smile. “Can you say the same,
Drakar,
renowned collector of hearts?”

He laughed and gave her a gentle shake of reprimand. “Yes, I can, you little vixen, but you wouldn’t believe me.” Then he became somber. “I’m aware of my reputation but not for the reasons you might think. Frankly, I’ve never met a woman I could trust…or maybe I just didn’t care enough to try.”

Dani knew she might have felt his admission strange, were it not for Cyril having told her about Drake’s mother, and her subsequent supposition that his past made him mistrustful of women in general; so she understood…or felt she did. “I’m glad,” she told him, “that you care enough about
me
to try.”