The French Aristocrat's Baby (5 page)

‘You don’t know how much I’d really love to, Etienne, but I shouldn’t…’

‘I know,’ he crooned, his voice warm with understanding. ‘So let’s go.’

Reaching out, he caught hold of her hand. His palm was as smooth and warm as his seduction technique.
Gwen’s body tried to follow him, but her mind was weighed down with responsibilities.

‘Oh, Etienne, I
can’t…
maybe we should just say goodnight and leave it at that…’ She managed to hang back, but disappointment trailed from her every word. ‘I’m so sorry, but I need to be up early. It’s another really busy day tomorrow and I have to be on top form…’

He let go of her hand. Looking down, he directed his expression of burning intensity straight into her soul. But when he spoke, his words were directed more to himself.

‘I’ve stumbled on a woman who would put an early night before coffee with me?’ he said slowly.

He seemed taken aback, musing over what had obviously never happened before. Gwen smiled.

‘Believe me, Etienne, it’s a tough call. But don’t worry. Your reputation as a ladies’ man is completely intact. Nothing would have persuaded me to miss out on coffee with you—apart from a seven a.m. delivery to Le Rossignol.’

His roguish smile completely overwhelmed her, and he took her hand a second time. ‘I’ll have someone deal with the delivery. After all, you must admit that coffee and conversation would round off the evening perfectly?’ Leaning forward, he whispered softly in her ear. ‘Very few people refuse me.’

His dark eyes were teasing her and his beautiful mouth tempted her even more than his words. He was good—
very
good. Gwen felt herself waver. Would it be so bad? Just for one night—to be a little irresponsible?

Her hesitation was all it took to make Etienne smile again and Gwen melted. She forgot all her money
worries—some things were beyond price and she gave a slow nod of assent.

Releasing her hand, Etienne flipped the car keys out of his pocket and began to walk away from the house. When Gwen didn’t follow him instantly, he stopped and faced her.

Watching him warily, Gwen ran her hand up and down the edge of the door. He raised a mocking brow.

‘What’s the hold-up? Why are you looking at me like that?’

She moved uncomfortably inside her seductively sleek velvet dress.

‘I’m still not quite sure…this is all so sudden…’

‘Shh!’ Laughing, Etienne put a finger to his lips. Then he reached out and caught her by the hand again. ‘You talk too much, Gwen. Don’t build obstacles where there aren’t any. Merely accept what I’m offering.’

Oh, if only
…she thought.

W
ITHIN
seconds, Gwen locked up and bounced into the passenger seat of his car. She was breathing fast, and he noticed.

‘Do I make you nervous, Gwen?’ His smile flashed very white in the darkness as he nosed his car along the narrow drive. When they reached the lane he turned back down the hill.

Gwen put a hand to her chest. She could feel her heart fluttering like a butterfly in a box.

‘No! Well—a little—it’s just that I’m not in the habit of going back to the house of someone I’ve only just met. We’ve only really exchanged a few words.’

‘I seem to remember we exchanged a
little
more than words,’ Etienne said, his beautiful French accent giving the words a cadence that spoke straight to the soft, malleable centre of her being.

Gwen looked away, blushing furiously. He was waiting for her to respond, she could tell. His presence was so overwhelming she felt his gaze linger over her like a caress. Then, just as noticeably, its power flicked away from her as he turned his car in at a pair of huge,
wrought-iron gates. As Gwen looked up at them her eyes widened.

‘My goodness!’

He was unimpressed by her reaction. ‘You have never seen these gates before?’

‘It’s not that. I pass them every day on my way to and from work. I just never dreamed I’d actually get to see who lives here, or what’s on the other side of them. That’s all.’ She gazed around, wondering what on earth she was letting herself in for.

‘Not many people do,’ Etienne said firmly as a security guard let his car pass. ‘Everyone needs a place where they can get away from the glare of publicity. Somewhere they can be themselves. This chateau is mine. It’s not my ancestral home—that’s on the Loire,
naturellement
.’

There was a long, wide approach road to his hillside home. The chateau looked like a fairy castle cut from black velvet and pinned against the star-speckled sky.

‘It’s beautiful,’ Gwen breathed as Etienne brought his sports car to a halt in front of the South front.

‘Wait until you see it in daylight.’

The car’s interior light flared as he opened his door. Gwen glimpsed something close to a smile on his face. It had vanished by the time he opened the passenger door to let her out. With one hand he relieved her of the huge champagne bottle. As she stood up his other hand hovered so close to her body she tensed with the expectancy of his touch. When it came, he brushed his palm lightly against the small of her back. The sensation made her gasp, but he intended only to guide her
towards his house. His touch fell away at the sound. When they reached the front door he stood aside to let her enter the grand, marble hall first.

‘I’ll swap this for a more convenient size.’ He indicated the bottle in his hand, its foil glittering like gold beneath the security lights. ‘Make yourself at home, Gwen. I keep very irregular hours, so my staff do not wait up for me,’ he said as she looked up in awe of the large, high-ceilinged room lined with family portraits. Then he disappeared into his warren of a house.

Gwen gazed at the splendour, wondering how anyone could call a lofty old place like this home. It glittered with more gilt and antiques than a museum. The wide open spaces of it made her feel small and uncomfortable. Uneasy at Etienne’s absence, she lowered herself onto the very edge of a chair set beside the doorway. She wanted to know what he was doing while he was out of sight. The urge to go and look for him only faded when she heard his sure, steady footsteps again. They were growing closer at a leisurely pace. She tensed, wary of his return but at the same time desperate to see him again.

He didn’t disappoint her. As he strolled into the room she fancied he was taller, darker and more imposing than she remembered. She took in every detail of his strong profile and smooth, flawless brow. He accepted her scrutiny with a smile that made her blush.

‘Supper has been laid out in the summer drawing room. Join me. We will have champagne later.’

‘Are you sure there is enough for two?’ Even as she spoke Gwen knew it was a silly question.

‘My kitchens always provide plenty,’ he said amiably.

‘Well…if you’re sure they won’t mind…’

In the low light, his eyes became intense dark pools. ‘You shouldn’t worry too much about what other people may think or say, Gwen. This is your life, to live as you want.’ He levelled a gaze at her that flickered with intent. Gwen wished she had that sort of courage. From the moment she’d first spotted Etienne entering the party, her head had been filled with thoughts of him. His presence had drawn her attention time and time again. The first time they’d been alone together, she had been powerless to resist his attraction. Now she looked up at him in the certain knowledge he could easily rob her of her last strands of self-control. He was on his home ground, the ideal place to prove how strong his hold over her was.

‘I can’t do this,’ she said faintly. This was unknown territory for Gwen. Her fingers went to the watch strap she always fiddled with when she was nervous.

‘I’ve arranged for your restaurant delivery to be dealt with. You’ve got absolutely nothing to worry about. It’s not that late,’ he intoned gently.

‘Not for you, maybe, but…I’m beginning to think this is another mistake, Etienne. I should never have come here. I should go…’ She sprang to her feet, desperately trying to prove to them both that she was still her own woman. It was hopeless.

‘No, you shouldn’t. Do you
honestly
think I would let you go back to a house with no power or light?’ Etienne’s voice was reassuringly hypnotic. ‘I can’t let you suffer in darkness. Stay here, Gwen. Nothing will happen that you do not want to happen.’

When he said it like that, there was no question of
her going anywhere else. They both knew why she was really here. The only connection it had with electricity was the sizzle of arousal whenever she looked at him.

After all, Gwen thought defiantly, she had been working flat out for months. She was long overdue some pleasure. And she was here in France to live out her dreams—surely that allowed for a little adventure as well? Looking up into Etienne’s heart-stopping expression, she knew there would never be a better time to indulge herself.

The second she softened, Etienne moved forward and held out his hand for her. She tentatively placed her palm in his, in a gesture of trust, and he led her through the cool, echoing shadows of his chateau to a small, intimate dining area. Delectable-looking food was laid out on a table along one side of the room. He walked past it, and poured them both a shot of strong coffee. Gwen looked at its colour uncertainly.

‘That looks so strong. I’ll never sleep tonight,’ she murmured.

A leonine smile widened Etienne’s generous mouth.

‘Good.’

His voice was as silken as the touch he laid on her arm. It slid over the thin fabric of her light jacket until it reached her shoulder. Gwen was transfixed. Her eyes were fastened to his every movement. Then she made the fatal mistake of transferring her attention to his eyes. From that moment on she was totally lost. She had spent her whole life playing by the rules. Now she was staring rebellion straight in the face, and it was wonderful.

‘I—I don’t know what to do, Etienne.’

‘Stay with me tonight.’ His voice was husky. ‘I haven’t felt like this in a long time. Far too long.’

Gwen’s mouth went dry. Etienne Moreau must be a very lucky man. She had never felt as good as this in her entire life. A tiny voice whispered warnings in her ear, but it was drowned out by her thundering pulse. The man of her dreams was already moving on from entrancing her mind to working his magic on her body. He took her in his arms, and a sultry heat warmed a secret place between her thighs. It sent waves of desire rolling through her body. She felt her nipples peak as his irises expanded with desire for her. When he bent to plunder another kiss from her lips, Gwen was quick to respond. She mirrored his demands in a way that made him purr with pleasure.

She clutched at him. The unexpected strength of her physical reaction was almost frightening. She felt his hands slip inside her jacket, easing it off her shoulders. He held her tightly, her breasts compressed against the hard masculine plane of his chest. Her body craved more of this new experience. This felt so wild and free, so right. It was such a wonderful release from work and worry. She surrendered herself to pleasure. Her lips parted, eagerly enjoying the expert touch of his. In response he slid his hands over her inviting, velvet-clad body and held her close to him.

‘Do you still want that coffee?’ He chuckled softly into her hair.

Gwen shook her head. ‘I want to go on doing this.’ Her breathy whisper escaped into the night. She raised her hands to ruffle eager fingers through the midnight
darkness of his hair. Her responses felt so natural, so good, she couldn’t have stopped if she’d wanted to.

His kisses sought out all the delicate places on her throat, turning Gwen weak with longing. The more she responded to his touch, the more obvious his need for her became.

‘I want you. Stay here with me tonight,’ he repeated, nuzzling into her neck.

Despite the delicious lassitude flooding her body, Gwen retained enough sense to realise this was a turning point. She had been careful and sensible all her life. There had been boyfriends, but she had never been tempted like this before. Etienne’s touch stroked away all her preoccupation with study and work. The idea of pushing him away made her ache with unfulfilled longing. She wanted him, whatever that meant. The alternative was to leave right now and never look back. Gwen knew she could not do that. The memory of what might have been would surely haunt her for ever. It was impossible to believe that any other man could ever make her feel like this. To turn her back on Etienne would condemn her to a lifetime of wondering.

‘But I’m nothing to you…’ Gwen knew that was how it worked. She slaved to put on glittering parties; Etienne moved through them like a comet in the night sky.

He silenced her with another incredible kiss. ‘Tonight we are everything to one another. Let tomorrow take care of itself,’ he murmured, searing her with the raw heat of passion.

Then his smile reached right down into the depths of her soul and rocked it to its foundations.

He wants me
, she thought in wonder. Suddenly, that
made him the most important thing in her life. Right now she was the centre of his universe. That thought alone was enough to make her stretch out and experience life. She had spent months sacrificing everything. This was surely a moment to indulge herself for once.

‘Yes…’ she murmured.

Her reply unleashed the full power of his kisses. As he held her against his body she felt the ridge of his erection, pressing proud and hard against her. It was tangible proof that he needed her, and acted on Gwen like the finest aphrodisiac.

He carried her up wide stone stairs and through hallways sketched in moonlight. When they reached a room warm with the fragrance of cedar wood he closed the door behind him and laid her down on a wide, soft bed scattered with pillows and cushions. Not sure what she should do or say, Gwen raised herself on her elbows. His magnificent silhouette hovered over her, and she was unable to take her eyes off it. He bent down and began kissing her again with an urgency that made her dizzy.

‘I’ve been looking forward to this all evening,’ he murmured.

Gwen’s breasts strained within the tightly boned bodice of her evening dress. Excitement defined the peaks of her nipples through its sumptuous fabric. Etienne’s hands were drawn to explore her. He brushed the thick mane of her luxuriant hair back over her shoulders so that his touch could run unhindered over her sensuous curves. He took his time, relishing the narrowness of her waist and the full, tempting flare of her hips.

‘Your body is so beautiful,
chérie
.’

‘Really?’ Gwen was so astonished she could hardly speak.

He nodded. ‘You are exactly what I need. The moment our eyes met I knew you would breathe life into my existence.’

His voice was as soft as a summer breeze across the maquis. The warmth of his words sent a shiver of anticipation along her spine. In her innocence she reached for him, looking for reassurance. As her hands met at the back of his neck the silkiness of his hair and the smooth warmth of his skin inspired her. She could not stop exploring him, moving her touch over his skin and hair and clothes. Catching the end of his formal black tie, she was surprised at how easily it came undone, slithering free from the collar of his shirt.

His perfect white teeth flashed a smile. His eyes were dark pools of temptation, waiting to engulf her.

‘I hope I’m not being too reckless,’ she breathed.

Shrugging off his jacket, he lay down beside her, kissing and caressing her with a skill that made all rational thought slip away. Whenever Gwen tried to think beyond the moment, his fingertips brushed off her thoughts. They ran over her with such skill that the future became something that happened to other people, not to her. She was suspended in wonder. Etienne wanted her, so nothing should be allowed to stop him.

Her pulse sang to the rhythm of his body as it moved against hers. In one slow, smooth movement he unzipped her beautiful velvet dress all the way down the back. Then he peeled away its dark blue velvet, revealing her pale, pure body within. Gwen felt
a tingle of apprehension. Etienne didn’t notice her slight hesitation. He was totally absorbed by the sight of her full breasts, beautifully contoured by the white lace of her bra. Lowering his head, he kissed the darkness of each nipple through its crisp white covering. A cascade of new sensations rippled through Gwen, escaping in a moan of pleasure. A light dew of excitement bloomed over her entire body. She warmed beneath his hands, but he pulled away from her. An ache of longing low down in her belly twisted like a knife. She reached out to stop him leaving her. Then she realised he had only let her go so he could strip off his own clothes.

His body was a revelation to her, but she felt a first frisson of fear. The phrase ‘an innocent abroad’ rose up to taunt her. What would an experienced man like Etienne make of her? Then he moved in close to her again and the need to reach out and touch him drove every other thought from her mind.