The French Aristocrat's Baby (9 page)

‘You’re right. Last night was wonderful.’ She passed the tip of her tongue nervously over her lips, remembering. He noticed, and relented slightly. She saw it in his smile. Almost immediately, his expression was shadowed with regret. Gwen found she had to look away. She took refuge behind a sharp, businesslike tone.

‘But this is today, Etienne. Now, if you would excuse me, you’re quite right. I must get back to work. Sex and business don’t mix.’

S
HE
had meant to walk straight out of the door in a businesslike manner, but made the mistake of looking back at him. She was immediately caught in Etienne’s gaze. His velvety brown eyes had softened dangerously and were sparkling with mischief. ‘How would you know, Gwen? I was your first—and if you let me have my way, I’ll be the only man you’ll ever need.’

His smile was slow, seductive and totally irresistible.

‘You’re awfully sure of yourself, Etienne.’ And with good reason, she thought with a sigh. She turned to leave, unable to bear the infuriating temptation of him any more. Etienne raised his dark brows in a warning gesture.

‘Experience can’t be denied.’ His voice had all the depth and intensity of crushed cacao, but it brought Gwen no comfort at all.

‘That’s what worries me. You have a track record, I have none—or at least I didn’t until I met you,’ she said, feeling a flush run over her cheeks and wishing she didn’t blush quite so easily. Etienne was far too self-confident to need any encouragement. ‘I’d like to keep
it that way, thanks, until I find a man who thinks the same way as I do.’

‘I thought I did. Until we met, I lived in the present and looked to the future. The past was no good to me. Haven’t you said as much yourself, in abandoning your family to come here to Malotte?’

His innocent smile made her suspicious. ‘Are you suggesting that meeting me has changed your outlook on life?’ she said warily. Etienne’s smile spoke for him. He was lulling her into a false sense of security with warm brown eyes and a knowing expression. He was charming, he was delightful, and she wished with all her heart that he could be hers.

Her heart in her mouth, she waited. Etienne stayed silent.

Eventually, her nerve broke.

‘Well, I can’t hang around here all day—’

‘No other woman could have—’

They had started to speak at exactly the same time. Gwen stared at him. What on earth had he been about to say?

‘Go on,’ she said faintly.

‘No…I interrupted you. You’re right, Gwen. I should let you get back to work. Carry on and I’ll see you tomorrow,’ he said with graceful insistence.

Gwen let her eyes rest on his face. He was lovely, but she had to pack up all her fantasies in a cast-iron trunk and head back to real life. This wasn’t the time to feel angry, embarrassed or ashamed. It was an opportunity to imprint every nuance of Etienne upon her mind, for
from this moment on their relationship had to stay on a purely business footing.

‘Why are you staring at me like that?’ he said, without looking up.

‘Because I’m waiting to take your order, of course,’ Gwen improvised quickly, pulling the pantry notebook from the pocket of her apron.

‘I’d rather you left your staff to deal with that side of things. As I said, I’ve got something far more interesting on offer for you, Gwen.’ He paused. ‘I was going to wait till tomorrow, so that I could have all the financial documents for you to look at, but I want to offer you a business proposition—nothing more. I have visited Le Rossignol often enough to know that your restaurant would benefit from serious investment, and I have been thoroughly impressed by what this place has to offer.’

Gwen’s mouth fell open. ‘Are you offering me money again?’ she said faintly.

‘Not in that way!’ He laughed. ‘This would be a strictly business arrangement, binding on both sides. I don’t waste money, Gwen. You have made your feelings clear earlier, and now I’m making mine clear. I’d like to invest in Le Rossignol.’

If anyone needed financial help, it was Gwen. Etienne Moreau was clearly more than just sex on legs. He knew how to use all his attributes to the best effect, and not simply his body. She was tempted instantly. How could she not be? This might be a solution to all her problems. Her first reaction was to reach out and hug him. She stopped herself just in time. This was
just
business! Any kind of physical contact with him might
push her over that precipice of temptation again. Instead, she pressed her hands to her cheeks in delight.

‘Etienne…are you really sure you want to do this?’

‘I’ve told you—when it comes to my best interests I look to the future, rather than dwelling on the past.’

Gwen let her breath go in a great gasp.

‘Wait until you see my offer before you commit yourself,’ he warned, but his smile had a playful twinkle she had never noticed before.

Gwen’s world was spinning. A few bittersweet hours ago this man had stripped her of all her inhibitions. She wasn’t going to show him how he could still affect every fibre of her being.

Gwen set off early for work next morning. Her car’s interior was already baking. She was so distracted by thoughts of her meeting with Etienne, she started fiddling with its air-conditioning straight away. It hadn’t worked for months, but within seconds a cool breeze was rippling around the car. Etienne had worked a miracle. But then her core temperature began to rise. It looked as if she would have to fight on several fronts to stop him filling her mind completely, but he was proving to be as useful as he was charming. She smiled. Lounging around on a yacht while he talked business sounded close to heaven. She would have to keep her professional hat jammed well down over her eyes to stop the seductive Monsieur Moreau feeding her emotional candyfloss. She was going to make this work! He’d respected her decision not to become his mistress, and now he was treating her like a professional.

She impressed on everyone that she was determined to take the afternoon off, for once. It worked like magic. Lunch was cleared away in record time. After that, all she had to do was wait for the car Etienne had promised. That was the worst part. Each time she checked the time, the hands of her watch had hardly moved. Desperate that no one should see who was picking her up from work, Gwen let her staff leave early. Only minutes after she let the last one out the back door, a chauffeur arrived at the front.

Suddenly her whole body was alight with fear. What would happen when she was alone with Etienne again—on a yacht?

Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she strode out into the sunlight. She wasn’t carrying much, but it gave her something to do with her hands. It was hard to look confident when her nerves were stretched to breaking point. The chauffeur swung the car door open for her. She was faintly alarmed to find Etienne seated inside. This was a test, but it wasn’t as worrying as it might have been. She had been scared of making a fool of herself by trying the wrong door, or failing to get it open. Now she could step inside with confidence.

‘You were ready and waiting?’ He sounded impressed.

Gwen relaxed a little more.
This might not be such an ordeal after all
, she thought, trying to forget the last of her fears. She settled back in the expensively fragrant seat.

‘Of course. How long is this meeting likely to take?’ she said briskly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Etienne raise his eyebrows.

‘That depends—although as you’ve already broken
my rule about answering back, the prospects don’t look good.’ He shot a sideways glance at her—full of mischief.

Gwen steeled her resolve and ignored his teasing. ‘Why don’t you outline your idea to me now? That would save time. It’s a shame we didn’t discuss it fully yesterday in my office, as I suggested.’

‘No, it isn’t. That’s your workplace. People are in and out all the time, asking questions and dragging you away at irregular intervals. If I took you to a rival establishment for lunch you’d spend more time dissecting their menu than listening to me. Also, I have the yacht—why not mix business with pleasure and take you out to sea?’

Gwen gave him a calculating look. ‘As long as you aren’t taking me for a ride as well.’

A familiar wicked smile spread over his face. ‘Oh, no,’ he said, adding after a suggestive pause, ‘Not
this
time.’

There was hardly any time to enjoy the sensation of riding in Etienne’s luxurious car. In only a few minutes it drew to a halt outside the Hotel Splendide and the chauffeur leapt out to help her from the car.

‘You’ve changed your plans already, Etienne? I didn’t think you’d really take me onto your yacht, but this makes up for it!’ She gazed up at the magnificent building, trying to take in every aspect of the luxurious hotel and its hordes of uniformed staff.

‘Make the most of it. We’re not staying here. There’s a helicopter waiting for us on the roof.’

Gwen was horrified. ‘Etienne! You can’t just walk
through a place like this and expect to use their helicopter!’

He was dismissive. ‘Of course I can. It’s my hotel, and my helicopter.
The Windflower
is moored offshore, well away from prying eyes and long lenses.’

They were wafted up to the roof in an elevator that was as silent as it was smooth. Etienne escorted her out onto the roof. Gwen was nervous as the pilot helped her into her seat and fastened the seat belt. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. However, after a moment of fear as they lifted off, she slowly began to relax. The bustle of the world below faded away as they zoomed towards the sea. She had no sooner decided she liked the sensation of flying in a helicopter than they began circling in to land on the deck of an enormous ocean-going yacht, moored far out in the bay.

‘I didn’t think it was possible for your eyes to get any bigger, Gwen!’ Etienne smiled. He moved as though he was about to lay his hand on her shoulder, but pulled it away at the last moment.

‘It’s enormous—and so beautiful!’ She sighed, gazing down into the perfect blue of the on-board pool. ‘However much must it have cost?’

It would have been an obvious comment to make to any of her friends from the valley back at home, but the worst sort of social gaffe in the circumstances. Her hands flew to her mouth.

‘Oh, Etienne, how rude was
that!
I’m so sorry!’

He chuckled indulgently. ‘Don’t be. Your honesty sends a real breath of fresh air through my life, Gwen. Any other woman would have pretended to be gazing
into my eyes while her mind calculated my net worth. Business associates would assume it was leased. The truth is
The Windflower
is all mine. But when it comes to how much she costs—well…’ he gave another of his characteristic shrugs ‘…it would be rude to discuss it. As I’ve told you before, I value my privacy highly. When I discovered that there are a thousand tiny, uninhabited tropical islands scattered around the world, it was a challenge I couldn’t resist. I contacted a designer and asked him to build me a vessel that provided sevenstar accommodation. He did the work, all I did was sign the cheques. Whatever she cost, she’s worth every cent. Whenever I get some free time, I head out to sea. For those occasions when my companion doesn’t feel like sharing a hammock slung between two palm trees, I can whisk them back to my ship on the launch or by helicopter, depending how far out she’s moored. As a floating pleasure palace, she’s invaluable.’

As he spoke he leaned across her, so close she could feel the warmth of his face next to hers. A mad impulse made her want to kiss his cheek, but she resisted. He kept his eyes resolutely fixed on his beautiful yacht, but Gwen guessed he was waiting for her to make a move. He was so sure of himself, it made her even more determined not to let herself be swept away by the rip tide of her desire. The half-smile sculpting his beautiful mouth dared her to go back on her word and give in to his every temptation. After stalking out of his house in such fury, she couldn’t possibly back down. She drew in one long, slow, lingering breath. It was filled with the high notes of his cedar-fragranced aftershave. That was
delicious enough, but beneath it simmered the warmer, darker temptations of vital maleness.

‘I’ll bet your lifetime list of islands has a column for women, too,’ she murmured, finding it hard to sound sarcastic when he was so very close.

‘It’s a hobby,’ he said with a mischievous grin.

The helicopter drifted into land exactly on the target painted in the middle of its upper deck. As the rotors slowed to a halt a long procession of Etienne’s domestic staff emerged. They greeted her with smiles as he introduced each of them by name. Gwen had been nervous. Now she felt much more relaxed as Etienne showed her down from the deck. The contrast between hot bright sunshine and the cool silence of the luxurious living conditions was like chilled champagne.

‘This is lovely,’ she sighed. Her sleeveless T-shirt was no protection against the midday sun. She was glad of the cold kiss of air-conditioning on the tender pink skin of her shoulders. ‘It’s even better than your hotel.’

‘I should hope so. And this is only the offices and boardrooms. The suites are situated where they get the best views.’

Everything had a brand-new sheen about it. Gwen wanted to run her fingers over the polished, turned wood of handrails or the sleek chrome and glass fittings. Each time they passed an open door, she couldn’t resist peeking in. Etienne clearly did a lot of entertaining. There were several lounges and public areas, all decorated with restrained good taste. Everything had the look of money well spent—a lot of money. The only thing the place lacked was people.

‘Where is everyone? You’ve got dozens of staff on here—I’ve seen them. Where are they now?’

‘In a ship this size it is easy to disappear. That’s why I like it so much.’ He ran his hand along a polished rosewood rail. Gwen saw real pride in his movements, and satisfaction in his smile. ‘I can slip away from the largest party, and everyone will assume I’m merely circulating in some other part of the yacht.’

‘It sounds like you enjoy socialising about as much as I do,’ she joked.

‘No, I hate it.’

He was deadly serious. So was Gwen.

‘Snap.’

‘I can’t believe that.’ His expression eased, as though the ice had been broken and he was glad neither of them had fallen through. ‘You were born to entertain, Gwen, if anyone ever was.’

His voice was like satin now. With blinding insight, Gwen knew he was calling to mind the way she had pleased him in bed. Her mind filled with unforgettable images, too, but she wasn’t going to fall under his spell again. Her first experience had given him the impression she was his mistress for the asking, and that made her wary. She wasn’t going to let him take advantage of her so easily this time. Her self-esteem depended on it.