* * *
Dominic was already awake at five Monday morning when his phone rang. He checked the caller ID. Something had to be wrong for his brother to call this early.
“Etienne? Have you taken a turn for the worse?”
“Non, non, but the doctor won’t let me go to work for a few more days. Desolé, Dom.” His voice still sounded an octave lower than normal.
“I’ll be happy to fill in until you’re better and will help Gregoire.”
“Thanks, brother.”
Nothing could have made Dominic happier since he wanted to get to know Mademoiselle Fournier. “Stay in bed and relax. Theo did all the background checks on Friday’s applicants and informed Gregoire. No red flags on anyone.”
Which meant none on Mademoiselle Fournier, whose image refused to leave his mind. She’d never been in trouble. No parking infractions or car accidents, no warrants out for her arrest. He hadn’t really expected anything negative to come up on her but relief had swept through him when he learned she was squeaky clean, even though he still had the feeling she’d come to the vineyard for a hidden reason. He planned to get to the bottom of it.
“That’s good considering we need workers,” Etienne murmured. “This is a bigger harvest than last year, Dieu merci. Such news will make Grand-père happy.”
“I’ll drive to the tent now.”
“Paul will be there to help. Thanks, Dom.”
“Au revoir.”
After hanging up, Dominic quickly showered and shaved. On his way out the door dressed in jeans and a fresh white shirt, he grabbed a plum and a baguette to hold him over until lunch.
Hurrying to the main garage on the property, he picked one of the trucks rigged with gear to help the workers and headed for the tent at the base of the western terroirs. Judging by the temperature outside, it was going to be another hot day, which meant the bulging grapes needed picking now.
Mademoiselle Fournier was in for some hard, menial work. By the end of the harvest he’d discover why she’d really come to the vineyard. With more excitement than he should be feeling, he parked near the tent where Gregoire and Paul were addressing the latest crop of new workers.
Though dressed like the others in rainproof layered clothing and gum shoes to protect themselves from the morning dew, she stood out from everyone else. Her height plus the feminine mold of her body made it impossible for him to look anywhere else.
This morning she’d tied her shimmering hair back at the nape of her neck with a band, revealing high cheekbones and a softly rounded chin. He’d studied the enticing shape of her mouth on Friday and the image had stayed with him all weekend, making him wonder how he’d last until he’d be close to her again.
He parked next to the other two trucks and waited until Gregoire gave final instructions to the workers. One by one they climbed into the truck beds with the aid of ladders. From here they’d be driven to the vineyard needing attention.
At that point Dominic got out of his own truck. He lowered the tailgate and attached his ladder so the last ten workers being ushered by Paul could climb in. He was happy to see the pharmacist among them and watched as Paul said something to her that produced a smile before she climbed in. Paul was a gossip, the last person Dominic wanted around their new worker. He would make sure that ended fast, he thought as he shut the tailgate.
Gregoire waved to Dominic before driving into the vines. Paul followed and Dominic brought up the rear. When they reached the designated terroir, he shut off the motor and walked around to open the tailgate.
After the workers used the ladder to get down, he climbed up and opened the locker. “Before you follow the others, I’m handing out scissors, gloves and knee pads for all of you to use while you work here. For those of you who have done this before, you know the gloves help prevent stains, but it’s your choice whether to wear them or not. I presume you’ve brought water bottles and sunscreen.” Everyone nodded and waited their turn.
“At the end of the day, more trucks will be here to take you back to the tent area.”
In a few minutes they were ready and followed Gregoire and Paul’s groups, lining up and down the rows of grapes to get started. Dominic took a walk along another row, satisfied to see that the trailer had arrived for the collectors who gathered the picked grapes to transport to the winery.
When Paul had to leave to help some of the other workers, Dominic took advantage of the moment to catch Mademoiselle Fournier alone. She was kneeling on the pad and had started cutting grapes. He noticed her gloves stuck in one of the back pockets of her jeans.
“Bonjour, mademoiselle.”
She looked up in surprise, giving him the full view of her light green eyes. The woman’s beauty took his breath away.
“Bonjour, monsieur.”
“You prefer not to use gloves?”
“Maybe I’ll put them on later, but I need to practice without them first to get a feel for the work.”
He was surprised as that’s what he would have advised. Paul had obviously shown her what to do and already she’d put some grapes in the bucket provided.
“Did you apply sunscreen already?”
“I did at the last minute.”
“That’s good. The heat is already building. You don’t want to get a sunburn before the end of your first day. You’ll also likely find you need an over-the-counter painkiller to deal with aches and pains tonight.”
An enticing smile broke out on her lovely face. “I brought some just in case. That’s very kind of you to be concerned.”
“He, Dominic.”
“Salut, Paul.” The other man had come back. Dominic still held her green gaze. “Just remember not to kill yourself off today. You’ll need your strength for tomorrow.”
She smiled. “I appreciate the warning. Merci, monsieur.”
Dominic nodded to Paul, then walked toward the truck in the distance. On his way back to the office, he ate his snacks, but he’d need coffee. To his relief Theo had already made it for both of them.
No sooner had Dominic poured himself a cup and walked into his private office to get busy than Raoul arrived. All the family offices were in the same building.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes, mon vieux. Come on in and shut the door.”
“I was hoping you’d be here.” He’d brought a cup of coffee with him and planted himself on a leather chair opposite Dominic’s desk.
“Anything new at the conference in Saint Tropez?”
Raoul shook his head. “The Provencal vineyards seem to be doing marginally better, but it’s going to take years before every vintner in France recoups losses from two years ago. Dieu merci for the personal investments you’ve helped me make.”
“You’re not worried about money, are you?”
“I might be.”
“That sounded cryptic.”
“Let’s just say I’d like you to go over my accounts and let me know what I’m worth. I might need some of it before long.”
Dominic sat forward. “I’ll look into it before the day is out. But promise me you’re not thinking of doing something drastic.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Like leaving the way I did, maybe?”
He knew his cousin’s marriage had been in shambles from the start, and that both Raoul and his wife carried a deep sorrow from losing their little girl, Celine, who had died at one month from a bad heart. Dominic wondered how much longer the two could keep up pretensions.
“My greatest regret is that I didn’t go to Paris with you years ago. Let’s face it, Dom. You were the only one in the family with the guts to get out before being swallowed alive.”
“But I’m back now.” For how long he didn’t know. It depended on Nathalie Fournier, who’d swept into his life on Friday, bringing a beauty and charm that had put some kind of a spell on
him. His desire to get to know her had stoked an unprecedented hunger in him, though his cousin didn’t know that.
Raoul stared hard at him. “Yes, but you’re still free to make your own decisions. Nobody owns you and your life is intact.”
“No one owns you, Raoul.”
“You’re right. I take ownership for my guilt and mistakes with Sabine.”
Dom let out a troubled sigh. “As you can see, the tentacles brought me back temporarily.”
“The day you came home was my salvation.”
“You’re mine, Raoul. Whatever you’re planning, don’t leave.”
“Not yet anyway. I need to know where I stand financially before I do anything.”
“I’ll get busy on it.” Something serious was going on with Raoul.
“Thanks. Now enough about me. I hear Etienne is still sick.”
“He’s finally getting better. I’m filling in for him a while longer, but something odd has come up I want to talk to you about.”
“Go ahead.”
Dominic told him everything, but didn’t reveal the strength of his attraction to the pharmacist. “Am I being paranoid that she’s up to something questionable?”
Raoul studied him for a minute. “Being an undercover freelance reporter is a big stretch from being a pharmacist. But I’d trust your instincts as they’re rarely wrong. If you feel something isn’t right, then it isn’t. What’s your plan?”
“I’m going to get to know her.”
“After a few days you’ll know if she’s out for a scoop on the business. It has happened before. Grand-père forced the perpetrators to pay stiff fines and do jail time.”
“That’s our grandfather.” Dominic didn’t want her to have to face that type of punishment for trespassing. If that was what she was doing.
Just then, Raoul received a text. After reading it, he looked up. “I’ve got to get over to my office.”
“I’ll call you tonight.”
“What would I do without you in my corner?”
On that note, he dashed off.
Dominic sat back, pondering his cousin’s counsel to follow his instincts about Miss Fournier. He planned to find out what made her tick.
After pulling all the information on Raoul’s investments, he did some figures and prepared a form to give his cousin. By afternoon he’d finished his work, so he drove his car back out to the terroir. Dominic made sure he’d shown up early enough to catch sight of the woman who was constantly on his mind.
Paul and Gregoire kept moving up and down the rows to help the workers. At 4:30 p.m. he saw her and several others leave the vineyard, though she walked down the road rather than climb into one of the trucks.
Dominic called to her as he pulled his car alongside her on the road. “Mademoiselle Fournier?”
She swung toward him, her eyes lighting up when she saw him behind the wheel. “Bonsoir, monsieur.”
“Since I’m on my way back to the chateau, allow me to drive you to your mobile home.”
“Oh—thank you very much.” It surprised him that without hesitation she climbed in the other side with her backpack.
He started driving at a slow pace. “How was your first day?”
A fetching smile broke out on her flushed face. “You don’t want to hear about it.”
Her comment made him laugh. “It had to be a change from preparing prescriptions for people.”
“Working here with the vines is another existence. No matter how sore I am, it makes you part of this world of living greenery.” She had a unique way of putting things that seemed to confirm his suspicions that she could be a writer. She darted him a smile. “How was your day?”
Was she trying to get information from him? “You’d be bored to tears.” In truth he’d accomplished less than usual and it was all because of the beautiful woman sitting next to him.
“I’m sure that’s not true. For my part, I already feel a camaraderie with some of the other workers. The Lopez family next to me is so cheerful.”
Dominic remembered interviewing them after she’d left the tent. “It doesn’t sound like you’re ready to quit yet.”
“Oh, no. I’m in for the count.”
“Why?” More than ever he wanted an answer to that question.
“I learned as a child that way back when one of your ancestors was titled and given this land. Not very many people can claim a heritage like yours. It made fascinating reading.”
All her answers sounded truthful. “Why fascinating?”
“When I was a little girl, I grew up on fairy tales. Your chateau is the embodiment of those painted on the covers of the books I loved. The thought of working in your vineyard sounded intriguing. Is it true your grandfather holds the title of Duc?”
“It’s a defunct title.” Maybe she was writing an historical account for a publisher and wanted information from the CEO himself. Did she hope for permission from Dominic?
“Even so, it adds a certain mystique from the past that makes you and your family seem out of the ordinary. When I was at the Guinguet, I noticed several paintings of the chateau and sculptured gardens hanging on the walls. It’s very cool.”
Minute by minute she was enamoring him. Eventually they reached the park. “Where is your mobile home?”
“It’s the third one in the second row.”
He kept driving and pulled up behind a blue car. Now that he knew where to find her, he didn’t want to let her go. She had a vitality that intrigued him. Much as he wanted to take her to dinner this evening, he knew she was exhausted after her first day.
“Voilà, mademoiselle. Home in one piece.”
“Bed is going to feel good tonight.”
He could imagine. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Thank you more than you know.”
She got out of the car and he watched her until she waved to him and let herself inside the mobile home. When he was convinced she was safely inside, he backed up and left the park. Tomorrow he had plans for the two of them.
CHAPTER THREE
TUESDAY MORNING NATHALIE woke up at 5:00 a.m. with new aches and pains. Picking grapes was a killer, but she was determined to see this through. Whether he was Alain’s father or not, the hope of seeing Dominic again was all she could think about. The man had already captivated her. He had a polish that attracted her to him like mad.
After showering, she hurriedly dressed and tied her hair back, covering herself in sunscreen. After eating breakfast, she packed a sandwich, fruit and water in her backpack, where she’d left the knee pads and scissors. Then she stole from the house.
Right now Alain was still sound asleep. So was her mom, who wouldn’t open the pharmacy until eight. She’d hired Denis Volant, another pharmacist from Nice, to help run things while she was undercover at the vineyard. Minerve, the woman who tended Alain, was scheduled to arrive at the house at 7:30 a.m.
Already the air was warm and once again it seemed that it would prove to be a hot day. Nathalie drove along the road to the mobile home and parked her car around the side. After freshening up inside, she left and started walking toward the workers’ tent at the vineyard to wait for the truck.
But that meant Paul would be there. Having no desire to encourage him, she changed her mind. As she started out for the terroir on foot, she was surprised when a familiar sleek black Renault sedan drove past her.
She glanced at the driver. The sight of Dominic Fontesquieu caused her heart to leap. Everything about him spoke of sophistication and a privileged life most people would never know anything about. It was there in his manner and speech.
He pulled to the side ahead of her on the roadway and got out of the car. In jeans and a pale gray crew neck, his male charisma was devastating. Those black eyes played over her.
“You’re still alive,” he murmured in th
at deep voice she loved.
She smiled. “Barely.”
“That’s honest at least.”
“You did warn me.”
His hands went to his hips in a totally male stance. “Then I suggest you get in my car now to reserve your strength.”
“That’s very nice of you, but I don’t want to put you out.”
“Not at all. I can’t allow word to get around that one of our new pickers has been worked to exhaustion after her first day.”
She laughed gently. After hoping she’d see him today, she didn’t dare let this precious opportunity get away. “You’re a lifesaver. Thank you, monsieur.”
“My name is Dominic.” He opened the passenger door for her so she could get in carrying her backpack. He’d just thrown her a lifeline to get to know him better.
The interior smelled of the soap he used, teasing her senses. In a minute he’d climbed behind the wheel and they were off to the terroir in the distance. “I pass by here several times a day checking on the carriers. If ever you need a ride, just let me know.”
Encouraged by the offer, she said, “I might take you up on that since by the end of the day I’m quite sure I won’t have enough strength to climb in one of the trucks. You weren’t kidding when you said I’d need painkiller.”
“The pain will pass.”
“I hope so. I’ve never appreciated the kind of hard work involved. While I was cutting grapes, I marveled to think of all the care needed to keep the vineyard healthy and thriving. No one should complain about the price of wine. Ninety-nine percent of the world has no clue what goes into making it.”
He darted her an amused glance. “That’s quite a testimonial. What’s your favorite kind?”
“I don’t have one. I dislike the taste of wine and much prefer to eat the grapes.”
A burst of deep male laughter came out of him.
“I know that sounds crazy, especially when you work for a vineyard, but I just don’t care for it, and I really despise the sour white wine they serve at the Guinguet.”
Falling For Her French Tycoon (Escape To Provence Book 1) Page 3
