Читать книгу Weddings: The Proposals - Rebecca Winters - Страница 12

THE girl from downstairs shot Laura an unfriendly glance. She probably wasn’t a day over twenty-two. “You lock it from this side. Or not,” she added pointedly before her gaze swerved to Raoul once more and remained riveted.

Had Laura ever acted as desperate over an attractive man at that age? She surely hoped not.

Ever since they’d flown to Alpe d’Huez in the French Alps and had arrived at the Auberge Hôtel where the rooms were upstairs in the loft, the girl at the front desk had fallen all over herself to attract Raoul’s attention. The village was packed with tourists from many countries gathered for tomorrow’s race. An electric excitement filled the air.

Everywhere she and Raoul walked after leaving the helicopter, some female smiled at him, inviting him verbally and with a sultry look to come and party with her and her friends. Though they could see Laura was with him, they considered this event a free-for-all.

Once the girl had left them alone, Raoul carried her overnight bag into her room and set it down on a chair. “As soon as you’re ready, we’ll find a restaurant and eat.”

“Five minutes is all I need.”

His veiled eyes took in the pleated tan pants and white cotton sweater she was wearing before they lifted to her face. When he looked at her like that through his sooty lashes, she felt her insides melt. “I’ll meet you downstairs in the lobby.”

With a nod Laura shut the door behind him, but she had to cling to the handle for support. He didn’t have any idea what his physical presence did to her. Was there ever a more gorgeous man born than Raoul? She was certain he’d intended to bring someone else, but that was before Laura had become a guest in his brother’s home. Since then, all plans had changed.

Laura decided he saw her as a freeloader who was taking advantage of Guy, something Raoul couldn’t forgive her for, so he’d brought her here with him. Anything to get her out of the villa where she’d made herself at home after saving his brother’s life. He probably worried she would try to find a way to stay on longer. Even if she denied it, he wouldn’t listen.

Clearly it irritated him that she felt comfortable enough to work in the garden as if she was the chatelaine and Chantelle the guest. He mocked everything she did. Once in a while he let up on his baiting for a moment, but she was under no illusion that his opinion of her would ever soften.

Since she couldn’t do anything about his mindset where she was concerned, she decided to enjoy this unexpected trip and not let his jibes ruin the pleasure of this experience. Too soon she would have to go back to California. When she returned she would demand the earliest court date possible to be legally free of Ted.

Hopefully he’d done his worst by defying the court and breaking into her apartment. Laura had a witness on this one. Not even his brothers with all their political clout could block the divorce much longer.

Before coming to Europe she hadn’t thought beyond simply getting away where she wasn’t forced to think about Ted’s next ploy to get her to come back to him. However, everything had changed since the Palio. Being Guy’s guest had meant she’d dropped from the radar screen, forcing Ted’s hand.

It felt so wonderful to be free for a little, but she realized she wanted to be divorced as soon as possible, whatever it took. Though she could lie to herself all she wanted, one truth stood out from all the rest. Meeting Raoul had made her want to speed up the timetable.

Not because she had hopes of any kind of relationship with him. It wasn’t possible because, for one thing, he wasn’t free. Laura didn’t know the specifics, but some woman had a hold on him that had darkened his pysche, blighted his world.

Chantelle had said as much, although she hadn’t used those exact words. Since her brother-in-law definitely didn’t approve of Laura, her warning hadn’t come any too soon. There were times when she felt he despised her. But then there were other times …

The fact that she could respond so strongly to him in a man-woman way in spite of his enmity had taught her there could be a life out there for her. Laura just had to find the right man and she was sure that good men existed. Look at Guy!

There wasn’t a finer husband in the world or one more devoted to his wife. First, however, Laura had to be officially divorced, something she intended would take place as soon as she returned to Manhattan Beach.

Pulling the band off her ponytail, she went into the bathroom to brush her hair and arrange it in a loose knot on top of her head. A fresh application of peach-frost lipstick felt good after working in the sun over the past few days. That much exposure had brought out her California tan, something inevitable because of her life-guarding duties.

A few new lines around her eyes reminded her she wasn’t getting any younger. One day in the near future she wouldn’t have the stamina for that kind of work anymore. Life was passing. She’d be thirty next month. If she didn’t hurry and do something about it, she could miss out on the best part—like a loving husband and a family, a child to call her own. But whenever she thought about the few years left to try to have a baby, she got too emotional. She wouldn’t think about that tonight.

Right now a man who had ambivalent feelings toward her was downstairs where more devastating salvos awaited her. She was ready. She had put on her female armor and was prepared for the next skirmish with the enemy, a man she physically desired to the boiling point. Laura hadn’t been kidding when she’d admitted the truth to Cindy.

It was the farthest thing from love; in order for that to occur you had to like each other first. You had to develop a relationship based on trust and mutual understanding. There had to be respect and unselfishness. Admiration for the other’s accomplishments. Patience for the other’s imperfections. Without those qualities, the most torrid affair would burn up in the oxygen with no ashes to prove anything had ever taken place.

Laura went back into the room. Maybe she’d want a wrap later, but the upstairs was still warm from the day’s heat. She’d rather not be bothered with anything but her tote bag. After locking the adjoining door and the door into the hall, she headed for the stairway. On the way down, she saw a dark-blond guy coming up with a Team America logo on his pullover. He bore a superficial likeness to Ted.

The color in his cheeks plus the glaze filming his eyes indicated he’d been partying for a while. She’d seen that look at the beach too many times to mistake it for anything else. And of course he just had to put his hand against the wall so she couldn’t proceed.

“Hello, hello …” He smiled at her as if he’d just won the lottery. “Am I hallucinating or are you the most beautiful female I ever saw in my life, sweetheart?” He looked her over, not hiding anything he was thinking. She was used to it.

She had two choices. Use a maneuver that would cause him to fall down the stairs, or she could go back to the room until the drunken oaf was no longer in the hall.

Then to her surprise she didn’t have to make either choice because Raoul had come up behind him and put him in an arm lock with a mastery that made her shiver. “Go on down to the foyer, Laura. I’ll join you in a minute.”

Laura didn’t stay to hear any more. The guy was big, but he was no match for Raoul. She’d barely made it to the front desk when he joined her.

“Are you all right?”

She laughed gently, unable to suppress it, now that the irony of the situation had struck her. This was the first time he’d ever shown true concern for her welfare, but he couldn’t know that the only moments she’d felt threatened in Europe had been with him.

By his frown he was waiting impatiently for an explanation.

Her eyes searched his. “If you could have seen the look of fury on his face when you pulled a half nelson on him, you’d understand why I found it so amusing. Thank you.”

He didn’t smile. “How many times a day does this happen to you?”

Not that again—”Dozens! But as you can see, I’ve survived so far.”

“If I didn’t know better,” he said in a thick tone, “I’d think you were hiding out at Guy’s for protection.”

She looked away. Her only purpose for being there was because of Guy’s invitation, not to elude Ted, that had just been an added advantage. But this conversation was getting too close to certain truths. Though she and Guy had an understanding that she would try to help Chantelle open up and face her fear, he wasn’t forcing Laura to stay.

Naturally she could leave anytime she wanted, but then she’d miss out on these infuriating little moments with his brother that thrilled and tantalized her, forcing her to come back for more. Better to let him go on thinking the worst about her. “Can you offer a better place?”

“Let’s eat and we’ll talk about it.”

That sounded vaguely ominous. Maybe he was on an errand for Chantelle and had brought Laura to Alpe d’Huez to tell her she wasn’t wanted at Guy’s. Perhaps Chantelle hoped she’d be gone by tomorrow and had been the one to suggest Raoul bring her to see the Tour de France, making it sound as if it were his idea.

It hurt to think Chantelle might have been the reason behind this whole outing. She’d always loved her and wanted more than anything to help her overcome her problem since the accident.

Was everyone in the Laroche household playing a part, even Guy, who’d known from the beginning this experiment would never work and was in denial? She didn’t include Paul. He was too young and innocent.

When they stepped outside the hotel, she realized night came early to the mountains, yet everywhere she looked people were milling around. Lots of partying was going on. She saw lovers with their arms flung around each other.

It was the kind of summer ambience that brought back a rush of nostalgia for something she couldn’t name. Dreams still not fulfilled? The hope of youth long since past? Whatever it was, she felt an ache made worse because of the aloof male whose very existence filled her body with a painful hunger. Not that she could do anything about those feelings.

She didn’t like Raoul, either. Most of the time he infuriated her. It was very unfortunate that although he resented and insulted her, he was able to ignite her senses at the same time.

He turned his dark head toward her. In jeans and a light-gray Polo shirt, he looked sensational. “What do you feel like?”

In case he thought she expected dinner at a five star restaurant while she sponged off him, she glanced at the café across the street. “Coke and pizza?”

“You can have that anytime.”

“After the crab salad I had for lunch, I’m not that hungry, but we can go wherever you want.”

He gave an unconscious shrug of his broad shoulders. “Pizza’s fine.”

The place was filled with a noisy crowd and people dancing. They had to wait for a bistro table. To converse was almost impossible with the loud music. It wasn’t bad pizza but they served the Pepsi without ice and it tasted awful. All in all she’d made the wrong choice.

When she happened to look at him, his mouth broke into a white smile that transformed him, causing her heart to skip a beat.

“You knew how bad this would be!” She tossed a wadded paper napkin at him. To her amazement he caught it. “I only picked this place bec—”

“Because you were trying to prove you’re someone other than who you are,” he cut her off smoothly.

With a few hurtful words he’d destroyed a golden moment. The demons Chantelle had talked about were too much for Laura. “I’m glad you know me so well. Under the circumstances you won’t mind if I leave you to pay the bill.”

She stood up to get away from him, but he prevented her from leaving. “Where do you think you’re going?” His dark gaze challenged her. “I happen to know you deserve better than this place or the Auberge.”

Laura felt as if she’d suddenly been caught after being pushed off a high castle wall. She simply didn’t understand him. He blew hot and cold so fast she couldn’t keep up with him.

“We haven’t danced since the pool,” he reminded her. “You have to admit it didn’t last long enough.” His thumb caressed her palm, causing her body to go weak. Her heart pounded too hard to be good for her.

“I admit it,” she whispered. When Raoul was like this, Laura couldn’t think why she should be keeping him at a distance. For once she didn’t feel like fighting him. She couldn’t, not when he’d just pulled her into his strong arms. “I haven’t danced for so long, I’ve forgotten how.”

“Then we’ll do what everyone else is doing and simply move in time to the music,” he murmured against her lips.

With their bodies so entwined there was no air between them. His mouth was a temptation she couldn’t resist and didn’t want to. They slowly began savoring each other while they swayed to the music. Their bodies fit perfectly together. She felt as though they were one throbbing entity floating above the world. As the songs changed, so did the intensity of each kiss.

“Raoul,” she gasped softly, from needs that caused her to ache.

“Deny it all you want, but it’s been like this with us from the start,” came his husky response against her neck.

While she clung to him in the middle of the chaos going on around them, she heard some American say, “It looks like those two need a room.”

Quick to respond, Raoul whispered against her ear, “Aren’t we fortunate it’s only across the street. Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

He put some bills on their table and guided them out of the bar. It had grown more crowded since they’d come in, but she hadn’t noticed. At the moment Raoul was her whole world. Laura couldn’t get alone with him fast enough.

She held on to him as they made their way back to the Auberge. The depth of her euphoria had caused her to be careless. Ted’s minions could be taking pictures, but suddenly it didn’t matter to her. Raoul, too, seemed heedless of those things that had been haunting him, making him so cruel to her earlier. Now all that had gone. Nothing registered except this sweet, unexplored heat building between them.

Once Raoul had let them into his room, he picked her up and carried her to the bed. She pulled him down beside her. In the dim light of one small lamp, his hair and skin, his features took on the cast of a dark prince whose black eyes burned with desire for her.

Before she gave in to the clamoring of her senses, she needed an answer to one question. “I haven’t asked before now because I didn’t think you and I would—” She hesitated, then started again. “I didn’t think we’d—”

“—become lovers?” He finished the thought in a silken voice.

Her face went hot. “Yes. I know so little about you. Are you single? Divorced? You’ve never said.”

He followed the line of her eyebrow with his thumb. “You really don’t know? Even after living in Guy’s home?”

“No,” she answered honestly. “The subject has never come up.”

“Why didn’t you ask me if I was married?”

She groaned inwardly. “I didn’t think it was necessary.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t believe you would be here with me like this if you were married. Despite the way you’ve treated me at times, my instincts tell me you’re an honorable man.”

His eyes grew veiled. “I’ve been divorced from my wife, Danielle, for a year, if that’s what you mean, but it doesn’t necessarily prove me to be honorable. Otherwise I wouldn’t be on the verge of making love to Mrs. Theodore Stillman would I?”

The enchantment of the night splintered into a thousand pieces.

Laura could move fast when she had to. Her job at the beach demanded it. She rolled off the other side of the bed and flew out his door with her tote bag. Within seconds she’d locked herself in the adjoining room. It didn’t take him long to knock on the door separating them.

“Open up, Laura,” sounded his deep voice. “It’s time for us to have a serious talk, I think.”

At this point she felt sick to her stomach and was so upset she was shaking. How long had he known her real name?

“Why didn’t you say you’d been in contact with my husband?”

“Not contact. I had you investigated.”

She threw her head back, absolutely stunned. “Why?”

“To protect my family.”

Her body shuddered. All along he’d seen her as a threat. “Finally some honesty from you Raoul. My father-in-law already had me thoroughly investigated before he allowed his son to marry me. You and he have a lot in common. I guess that’s what comes from having money and power for so many generations you’ve forgotten the human element.

“If you love Guy, I advise you not to tell him what you’ve done because in the end, it might come back to hurt you. He’s the kindest, most wonderful human being I know and in case you haven’t realized it yet, he loves you dearly. Good night, Raoul.”

Raoul passed a hand over his face. Was every woman a liar?

For the past little while he could have sworn the two of them were feeling something deep and real between them. Yet all Laura Stillman could think about was Guy.

His poor, beguiled brother was in love with a very married woman who had a wife’s access to her husband’s fortune. Louis had done his homework. That Fair Oaks address had the same kind of exclusivity as many of the places near Cap Ferrat.

What was she doing in Europe picking up rich men using her maiden name? She had a successful millionaire husband of her own in tow with looks like a younger Robert Redford. The woman obviously had no shame.

While he stood there trying to blot pictures of Laura and her husband making love from his mind, the hotel phone rang. Raoul grimaced. After being found out, she was too petrified to face him, so she’d resorted to the phone.

With his emotions exploding all over the place he walked to the bedside table and grabbed the receiver. Fighting for calm he answered, “Laura?”

“Who’s Laura?”

Danielle—

Another one of her desperate, attention-seeking phone calls. Perfect timing.

“Don’t hang up on me yet, mon amour. I remember a passionate night we once spent at the Citadel in Alpe d’Huez during the Tour de France. I thought you might be there for this year’s race. When they said you weren’t registered, I called several other places.

“What are you doing at the Auberge? Slumming with the riffraff doesn’t sound like you. Do you have any idea how much I miss you? I know I was wrong for what I did, but how can you throw away what we once had?”

“It’s too late, Danielle.”

“Of course it isn’t. Oh, Raoul, I love you still so much.” She pleaded. “Please let me show you how it can be again. Give us a second chance—”

For a moment he heard the old Danielle in her voice, but her repentant plea still didn’t move him. Five days ago something had happened to Raoul that had turned him into a different man. Someone new had entered the picture… .

He glanced at the door to the adjoining room, his pulse pounding while he waited for Laura to make a move.

“It’s too late.” Far too late. “Adieu, Danielle,” he murmured.

Raoul put the phone back on the hook, smothering her angry shout. Before she could call him again, he turned off the ringer.

He could go down to the bar, but no amount of alcohol would wipe out the sting of Laura’s lie. Even though her betrayal was against her husband and his brother, Raoul was the one reeling.

Laura cried so hard all night that when morning came, her eyes were swollen shut. When she left the room at 7:30 a.m. with her overnight bag, she was forced to cover them with her sunglasses.

She hadn’t seen or talked to Raoul since he’d dropped his bombshell outside the door last night. Because he’d brought her here to suit his no-longer-secret agenda, she didn’t feel obligated to discuss anything more with him. She’d see the day through and tough it out, but that was it. When they returned to Cap Ferrat, she’d stay out of Raoul’s way until she returned to the States.

The Auberge served a continental breakfast in the dining area off the foyer. Only a few people were eating. The rest had left to line the road while they waited for the bikers making the ascent. After choosing a baguette and some juice, she sat down at a table. Though she had no appetite, she knew she’d better eat something.

While she munched on the bread without enthusiasm, Raoul entered the dining room wearing his jeans and a navy sport shirt, unbuttoned at the neck where she could see a smattering of dark hair. She closed her eyes tightly to shut off the view, but it was too late to stop the warm rush that permeated her weakened body.

He reached for her bag and took both of them to the counter in the lobby to be held until later. Afterward he wandered over to the side bar for a cup of coffee and a baguette. When he returned, he took the seat opposite her and dunked his bread in the hot liquid before eating it with obvious enjoyment. There was clearly no problem with his appetite.

“When you’re ready, we’ll walk over to the road and watch what we came to see.” His voice sounded half an octave lower this morning. Even after everything that had transpired, she still ached for him.

There was a tiny cut at the side of his jaw where he must have hurt himself shaving. It was the only thing she could find that might indicate he wasn’t in total control. Somehow the thought was reassuring.

As she was finishing the last of her juice, he lifted her sunglasses from her face. His knuckle brushed the end of her nose. “I thought so,” he muttered before setting them back in place.

She froze. “You’re a true Frenchman all right. When you butcher your animal, you don’t leave any parts.”

A faint white line of anger circled his mouth. Good.

He got up from the table at the same time she did. Like a couple who’d lived too long together and didn’t find pleasure in each other’s company, they left the hotel with several feet between them and made their way down the side street to the main road packed with fans. It was tragic, really, that she couldn’t enjoy the glorious view from this famous spot, but she was too numb.

Raoul found a place where they could stand and see everything. She people watched in order not to stare at him. They were probably the only two fans on the mountain who weren’t chatting excitedly. After twenty minutes the first cars riding ahead of the bikers came in sight. The crowd grew noisier. Pretty soon there was an explosion of sound because the first five racers had been spotted.

They looked hot and miserable. Deep lines around their mouths reflected the strain on their bodies. Everyone passed them cups of water. Sometimes the passage became so narrow she was afraid a tourist would ruin the race for them. Finally they cycled in front of her and Raoul. None of the five were on the French or American teams.

A few minutes after they started down the other side of the summit, up came the peloton. For a second she spotted the biker in the yellow jersey. The whole scene looked chaotic when you were seeing it in person rather than on TV. The cyclists rode past, their legs moving like pistons. Several of them fell back, their bikes moving wobbily, as if the racers were on the verge of collapse.

All this effort to see them go by. Now it was over.

She glanced at Raoul through her sunglasses. “I’m going to walk to the helipad.”

He nodded. “I’ll be there as soon as I collect our luggage.”

Without watching him, she took off down the mountain at a brisk pace. It felt good to expend some energy. This was one time when she wished she could plunge in the surf and swim way out to catch a wave.

Amazing that by the time she reached the helicopter, Raoul had somehow caught up to her and showed no signs of being winded. She greeted the pilot, then climbed in the back and strapped herself in.

Raoul stowed their bags, then took his place in the copilot’s seat. He spoke in rapid French to the pilot before the blades began to rotate. Once they were whipping the air, the helicopter lifted off, leaving her stomach behind.

The scene out the window could only be described as spectacular. She could see the zigzag road beneath them, but there was no sign of the cyclists because the helicopter was headed in the opposite direction from Bourg d’Oisons, the end of the day’s eighth stage.

She didn’t need to ask Raoul anything. He’d accomplished what he had come here to do, but since she hadn’t given him the satisfaction of an explanation, he was taking her home, thank heaven.

While Raoul and the pilot talked quietly together, the uneventful flight back to Cap Ferrat allowed her to sleep. When she woke up, she was surprised to discover they’d landed on the estate.

Raoul had already climbed out of the helicopter and had put her bag in the limo. “Pierre will take you to the villa.”

She said a collective thank-you to him and the pilot before getting in the car. Raoul shut the door as if he couldn’t wait to see her gone from here. Nothing could hurt more than the memory of last night when she’d thought Raoul had truly started to care for her. To think all along he’d been waiting for the perfect moment to expose her. The pain of it was excruciating.

After reaching the villa, Pierre got out and handed her the overnight bag. She thanked him before hurrying inside the house. She almost ran into Guy, who must have heard the helicopter and was coming out to greet her.

He gave her a hug before looking at her. “What’s wrong?” he asked immediately. “You look pale. Did the helicopter make you ill?”

“Oh, no. I’m a little tired.” She put her bag down.

“You’re back sooner than I would have expected.”

“As it turned out, Raoul didn’t want to see the end of the stage because his team wasn’t winning.” A white lie, but it was the best she could come up with at the moment. He smiled. “My brother always was a terrible loser. Now you’ve seen him at his worst.”

Guy could have no idea… . “How’s Chantelle?”

A shadow crossed over his features. “She went down for a nap a little while ago.”

“And Paul?”

“With a friend. They’ve gone bike riding.”

“Guy—” She took a huge breath. “Could we talk in private?”

“Bien sur.”

“But if you were working—”

“It’s nothing I can’t do later. Let’s go to your sitting room. No one will disturb us there.” That’s right. It was the one room in the villa off-limits to Raoul.

He carried her bag down the hall for her. She went inside the suite first. After he followed her in, she shut the door and they both sat down on the chairs placed around the coffee table.

“Guy—there’s something vitally important I have to tell you.”

“I already know.”

She blinked. “Know what?”

“About you and Raoul.”

Laura started to feel sick again. “There is no me and Raoul, Guy.” Her heart was thudding too fast for it to be healthy.

“Jean-Luc seems to think so. He called me this morning. He doesn’t want to lose out on this latest sale in Antibes. Since Raoul won’t commit yet, he’s been trying to convince me the property is worth buying. That’s when it all came out. He saw you in front of the warehouse with my brother.”

Laura sat forward in a panic, her thoughts reeling. “If you’re talking about that kiss, Raoul did it as a joke. Chantelle told me he has his little demons. I think one came out that day.”

Guy chuckled. “My brother has been full of surprises lately.”

“He’s very amusing. I know it didn’t mean anything. He said the real estate agent was a huge gossip, and he wagered you’d hear about it within twenty-four hours. Looks like he was right.

“Seriously though, you’ve all been terrific to me including Raoul, who’s been kind enough to show me around. He made it possible for me to see a stage of the Tour de France. I was thrilled.”

He nodded. “I’m glad you’re having a good time.”

She eyed him soulfully. “I am, but we both know that’s not why I’m here. I wish I could say I was having a lot of success with Chantelle.”

“While you’ve been here, I’ve seen a change in her. You’ve brought new life into the house. Don’t give up on her.”

“Of course I won’t, but there’s one more thing I’m worried about. My husband has the resources to try to find me while I’m here. I just want you to be aware of it. You need to know his name is Theodore Stillman. He’s an attorney from Santa Barbara, California, with enough backing from his family to cause trouble if he wants. If there’s the slightest problem that could upset Chantelle, I’ll leave here.”

Guy’s mouth firmed before he stood up. “Don’t you worry. I have my own attorneys who can deal with anything the Stillman attorneys might concoct.”

Laura didn’t doubt it.

“Do you want cook to fix you a late lunch?”

“No, thank you. I think I’ll rest for an hour. Maybe by then Chantelle will be up and I’ll tell her about the race.”

“She’ll love that. See you later.”

As he leaned forward to give her a kiss on both cheeks, she heard Raoul’s rasping voice in the periphery. “The maid said I’d find you in here, mon frère.” He moved deeper into the sitting room. His glittery gaze fell on Laura.

“I did knock, but you didn’t hear me. Sorry to disturb, but Paul has had a mishap on his bike coming home from his friend’s. An ambulance took him to the hospital to check him out. The E.R. called to say he’s fine. They’re ready to release him to his parents.”

“He’s all right?” Guy looked visibly shaken. Raoul nodded. “Grâce a ciel!”

“Do you want me to get him?” Raoul asked. “If he’s here before Chantelle wakes up, then she won’t be as disturbed when he tells her what happened.”

“Let’s both go, Raoul.” He turned to Laura. “Will you stay here? If Chantelle wakes up before we’re back, tell her we went on an errand.”

“I will, but, Guy? Maybe she should be told. Paul’s her son, too. She adores him. If she thought he needed her, she might forget herself for a little while and go with you. You never know.”

His eyes grew suspiciously bright. “Why didn’t I think of that? Dieu merci you’re here, Laura! I’m going to wake her up right now. Things couldn’t be any worse than they have been. Why not act on your suggestion and see what happens?” He kissed her cheek again before dashing out of the suite.