The French Aristocrat's Baby

by Christina Hollis

  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.

  He was built like an athlete. The taut muscles of his broad chest and sleek long limbs rippled. Lit by pale light from his bedroom windows, they gleamed like liquid gold beneath his smooth skin.

  ‘I’m all yours,’ he said thickly.

  Her hands slid over the smooth glory of his pectorals until they reached the crisp dark curls of his chest hair. Tracing the narrow band of it down until it widened across his belly, her fingers hesitated, and then reached for his proud manhood. At the brush of her fingers he let out a long moan of pleasure. With that encouragement, Gwen couldn’t resist going further. Encircling him, she felt skin as delicate as an eyelid slide beneath her touch.

  ‘Slowly, chérie! You go too fast!’ His laughter was soft and low in the dusky light. Pulling her up into his embrace, he kissed her again, long and hard as he freed her from the restriction of her bra. As it fell away he moved his attention from her mouth to her breasts. Rolling her onto her back, he teased one nipple with the tip of his tongue while rolling the other between the pads of his thumb and forefinger. Gwen was seized by a fever of excitement. It tossed her around on the bed until she was nearly senseless. When his hand slipped down to explore the curve of her bottom, she arched
her back, thrusting against his touch. In response his fingers slipped beneath the flimsy fabric of her panties, pulling them away in his eagerness to explore the warm secrets of her femininity. She shuddered with pleasure as his fingertips found her little bud and teased it into life. Her breath came in staccato sobs, the foreign language of sensual delight. She writhed beneath his touch, the sheer cascades of pleasure almost too much to bear.

  ‘Watching you is the most erotic thing I have ever seen,’ he whispered, gathering her up in his arms and covering her with his body. As he slid between her thighs Gwen sobbed with a purely sexual need that could no longer be denied.

  Etienne looked down at the beautiful creature lying beneath him on his bed. This was a moment to be savoured. He had never in his life experienced desire like this. Gwen had brought him to such a peak, his entire being sang with it. Gazing at her fragile beauty, he saw his red-hot desire reflected in her eyes. As he plunged into her warm welcoming body she cried out, clutching at him as he filled her with one ravishing, potent thrust.

  ‘Did I hurt you?’ He gasped, looking down at her.

  ‘No—I’m all right,’ Gwen exclaimed. The pain was already a memory as her body moulded to his in growing excitement. She felt as though she were born to be one with him, and it was unbelievably good. ‘Please…don’t stop…’ she implored.

  Etienne’s gaze cleared. Her voice and smile were urging him on, and yet her body had resisted.

  ‘Are you a virgin?’

  ‘I was,’ she murmured, struggling to open her eyes in the face of another rising tide of passion.

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me, mon amour?’

  Gwen tried to think, but his body was too much of a distraction. ‘I thought it would stop you wanting me,’ she said eventually.

  He shook his head. ‘I should have been the judge of that, ma chérie.’ Then he placed a single reverent kiss on her lips.

  When he moved his hips again she felt the whole hot, hard insistence of him willing her to respond. She reacted to his proud dominance instantly, an unquenchable fire running all over her body. She cried out, not in pain, but for release from a desperate search for satisfaction. At last he slid his hands into the small of her back and pulled her tight against his body, catapulting her to orgasm. She flew among the stars as time stood still. Her body gripped him in spasms of exquisite pleasure, drawing him on to the point of no return. With a guttural cry he shuddered to a climax and she was there, her body one with his.

  Gwen relaxed into his embrace with a sigh of absolute contentment. She had never felt so close to any other human being in her entire life. Etienne had coaxed her body to heights she had never imagined. A delicious lassitude washed over her, until a dark cloud crept over her horizon. She would have liked nothing better than to talk with him now, but found she couldn’t. His rejection when they had kissed in the office dragged her back to earth like a lead weight. If she tried to build on this heaven by breaking the comfortable silence that lay between them now, he might be struck by second thoughts this time, too. What if he came to his senses and dumped her?

  ‘I must go,’ she mumbled, determined to jump before he could push her. Quicker than summer lightning Etienne’s arm snaked out. His hand closed around her arm, preventing her escape.

  ‘Stay,’ he murmured in an echo of his command to her earlier that night.

  Pulling her back against his body, Etienne buried his face in her soft, flower-scented hair. He smiled to himself as he drifted between waking and sleeping. This woman really was one of a kind. She was the first who had ever volunteered to leave his bed. He normally had trouble in evicting one-night stands. He was a proud man, and was mildly surprised to find he hadn’t taken Gwen’s escape bid as a snub. Instead he found it refreshing—especially as she snuggled back into the curve of his body with an ease that felt totally natural.

  A girl like Gwen Williams was exactly what he needed. His stepmother was always trying to marry him off. What would her reaction be if she heard about this? His mouth twitched in a smile. Gwen certainly wasn’t countess material, but that didn’t matter to Etienne. Although bitter experience had put him off marriage for life, he was an honourable man. And what red-blooded male could resist taking a mistress as gorgeous as Gwen? It was an opportunity made in heaven. This was the first time in years he had felt free to give his powerful libido its head. Gwen was sex appeal and innocence in one irresistible combination. She was the perfect antidote to his working life, his grasping stepmother and her hoard of needy relatives. Gwen was as willing and eager to please him as he was to indulge her.

  The thing that most appealed to Etienne was that she hadn’t once asked about the size and number of his estates, or his bank balances. In his wide experience of women, that was a miracle in itself. Unlike the rest of his acquaintances, Gwen spoke to him as though he were an ordinary person and that, Etienne knew, was exactly what he needed. With her as his mistress, he knew he would never be bored again.

  Gwen opened her eyes and squinted towards a patch of daylight beyond the window. It must be very early. Dawn was barely brushing the Eastern sky. There was a sweet fragrance in the air she couldn’t quite identify. And then she remembered…it was Etienne. She blushed. His arm was still around her. Memories of the hours they had shared came flooding back. She listened to the slow, steady breathing of the man who had taken her body and soul time and again during the hours of darkness. A man who, despite his vast wealth and status, had encouraged her to throw off every one of her inhibitions. If that weren’t incredible enough, Gwen knew she would do it again and again, as long as it was with him.

  And yet she couldn’t stay. He wouldn’t want her any more—and in any case, she had to get to work. It wasn’t only a thirsty car and an impatient electricity company that worried her. Bankruptcy was staring her in the face. Now she was the sole owner of Le Rossignol, she had to make it pay. Physical need for Etienne fought with her fear of financial ruin. She had left her home in the Welsh valleys so that any mistakes could be made well away from her pessimistic friends and family. Despite their warnings, she had been almost sure this venture would be a success. The only uncertainty had been her business partner, Carys. Now her feather-brained ‘friend’ was out of the picture, Gwen was doubly determined to make a go of things. But from now on, in those few moments when she wasn’t worrying about her fledgling business, she knew she would dream of Etienne.

  His breathing was slow and steady. Trying to harden her heart, Gwen began inching herself across the cold expanse of bed, away from him. Her foot had barely been touched by the morning air when Etienne stirred and enveloped her in a firm embrace again.

  ‘Don’t tell me you’re thinking of getting up so early?’ he murmured. The kiss of his stubble rasped over her skin as he nestled against her shoulder.

  ‘It’s light enough for me to walk home and start trying to sort things out.’

  ‘Wait…I’ll ring for breakfast,’ he said, surfacing fully. ‘We have things to discuss.’

  ‘We do?’ Gwen asked nervously. Waves of panic uncovered a sense of shame that she had totally cast aside until that moment. She clutched a handful of the thin sheet and buried her face into it. What had she done? What madness had possessed her to surrender everything to a man she had met only a few hours before? Pulling her knees up to her chest, she contracted into a tiny ball of guilt. Mistaking her movement, Etienne released her from his grasp.

  ‘Of course—you’ll want to freshen up. There should be everything you need in my bathroom, but if you want anything else, use the bell to call one of my staff.’

  ‘No!’ Gwen couldn’t bear the thought of total strangers getting the idea she was nothing more than another notch on this man’s ego. ‘No—thank you. I’ll manage.’

  He was reaching for his phone, but paused long enough to grab and kiss her before she could scuttle off to the bathroom.

  In that instant Gwen knew why she had fallen into his arms so readily. Etienne Moreau was a
force of nature, and one she never wanted to resist.

  ‘It’s a rare woman who offers to merely “manage” when she could have all my staff running around for her,’ he murmured into her hair.

  ‘I’ve been brought up to take care of myself,’ she said, forcing herself to pull away from his embrace. She kept hold of the sheet as she did so, wrapping it around herself for the journey to the bathroom. Considering the number of times they had made love during the night, there was no point in trying to be modest in front of him, but Gwen needed to make the gesture. Head down, she bolted.

  The en-suite was as well stocked as Etienne had said it would be. Gwen found every variety of shower gel from revitalising to relaxing, toothbrushes, a selection of toothpastes and a small but elegant collection of cosmetics. Everything was shrink-wrapped and sealed, as though Etienne’s room was in a hotel rather than a private house. The thought that a million other women could have passed this way did nothing for Gwen’s self-esteem. When she heard the distant clatter of staff arriving with a breakfast trolley, she hid inside the bathroom until everything went quiet again. She gave it a couple of minutes, and then emerged.

  Etienne’s bedroom was deserted. Venturing into the lounge, she saw a pair of French doors standing open on the other side of the room. They were draped with curtains of the finest lace and, beyond them, Gwen saw a breakfast table set on a wide balcony. Enough food for two was laid out as a spectacular buffet, complete with starched linen napkins and solid silver cutlery. It was a display Gwen would have studied for ideas if her mind hadn’t been full of a more pressing problem—the tall, broad and totally unmistakeable figure pacing back and forth beside it. Etienne was oblivious of the stunning view over the hillside as he spoke into a mobile phone. Even at this distance, he was magnificent. Gwen felt totally out of her depth. She wouldn’t have needed the hundreds of family portraits on show downstairs to know he was a born aristocrat. Poise and confidence were obvious in his every word and movement. Despite the intimacy of their night together, at first she could not bear to meet his keen ebony gaze. She concentrated on the only thing she was qualified to do. When he closed his call she took a deep breath and stepped out onto the balcony to join him.