Wearing an emerald-green dress with long sleeves and an extremely low back that exposed her slender form, Leoni was feeling edgy. In a fit of vanity, she wasn’t wearing her glasses and as she deplored contacts, she was squinting at people rather rudely because she couldn’t quite make out their faces. For all she knew, she had been chatting warmly to a waiter and ignoring a president’s daughter, but she had wanted to look her best for Jerard. It was worth it; he had been transfixed by her since his arrival.
‘You look lovely,’ he said, his eyes flirting with hers. ‘That dress is really beautiful on you.’
‘Thank you.’ Leoni gripped her champagne flute. She had never been any good at accepting compliments; it stemmed from years of criticism from her parents who’d been disappointed that she hadn’t inherited the dazzling Ducasse looks. Her grandmother in particular had a way of making her feel frumpy and not good enough, even now.
‘I think it’s customary to return the compliment,’ Jerard joked, sweeping a hand downwards to indicate his expensive-looking dinner suit. It had satin lapels and monogrammed sleeves and it was certainly dashing.
Leoni smiled. Now that she knew about his wealth, it was obvious in so many details – the exquisite cufflinks, the handmade bow tie and even the heavy watch on his wrist. Still, having grown up around opulence, Leoni was unmoved by such things; they were commonplace in her world. ‘You look very handsome,’ she said, feeling bold as she slid her arm round his waist. ‘Irresistibly so, in fact.’
‘Really?’ Jerard tucked her hair behind her ear and leant down to kiss her. ‘I’m beginning to think you’ve got something planned for tonight. Or am I mistaken?’
Leoni blushed and shook her head. ‘No. I mean . . . I’m not sure.’ She wished Jerard wouldn’t keep doing that thing with her hair; it wasn’t flattering to her ears and it made her feel self-conscious. And rather child-like, Leoni thought with a frown. She didn’t want to feel like a child, she wanted to feel like a woman.
He put an arm loosely round her shoulders. ‘Shall we go outside for a while? It looks magical with all the lights.’
She nodded, her heart beating fast. This was it; she was finally going to find out if he was serious about her and, frankly, the revelation couldn’t come soon enough. Ducking into the alcove Seraphina had hidden in all that time ago when Cat first arrived, Leoni took a seat.
‘I’m so pleased we found each other,’ Jerard said, taking a seat next to her. ‘We’re so well suited, aren’t we?’
She nodded. ‘I suppose we are.’
Jerard nodded, taking her hand. ‘There is no “suppose” about it. I’ve never been with someone who understands my commitment to business as well as you do. Every relationship I’ve had . . . women have just fallen by the wayside because they don’t appreciate what it takes to keep a successful business afloat.’ He shook his head, his blue eyes dismissive. ‘But you do. You’re in the same boat and you understand that business takes priority. I mean it, Leoni. You’re the one.’
‘I’m the what?’ She was shocked. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? It sounded as though he was going to propose or something. Her heart gathered pace but she couldn’t say exactly why. How would she feel if he did propose? Overjoyed? Petrified? Disappointed?
‘The one who understands me,’ he explained, giving her a smile. ‘Whatever happens, I know you’ll be fine about me putting business first because you work so hard yourself.’
Was she? Was she all right about Jerard always putting business first? Leoni frowned. She wasn’t so sure. Business had always taken priority in her life but she now realised it had been to her detriment. She admired Jerard’s business ethic and she could admit that they had a great deal in common.
It was just that . . . Leoni couldn’t help feeling deflated by Jerard’s comments. She wanted romance, she wanted that high people talked about when it came to love, that crazy, dizzy, inexplicable buzz in the stomach that was like nothing else. Even her grandmother, austere and cold, had been in love!
Leoni knew that she too had been in love, with Ashton, but that had been one sided. All the breathless, wonderful feelings had been there but, unreciprocated, they had died a death. A slow one, admittedly, but eventually she had seen sense. Leoni sighed, staring at Jerard. As much as she loved his commitment and focus, she wanted to be important in his life too. Didn’t every woman want that? Didn’t all women want to be adored and desired and put first, just once in a while? Remembering the cute old couple in Paris, Leoni knew she wanted that; she wanted to be married to someone until she was old, someone who loved her, despite what she looked like or what she did for a job, someone who thought she was special enough to be the most important thing in life – even if it was just now and again.
‘You must know how I feel about you,’ Jerard said softly, his thumb moving over her hand.
Leoni didn’t but she felt her heart flutter slightly. She wished he would gather her up in his arms and kiss the life out of her, sink his hands into her hair and tell her he couldn’t live without her. ‘No, no, I don’t,’ she stammered, waiting.
‘Then let me show you . . .’
Jerard bent his head and kissed her face all over, his eyelashes brushing her skin. It was romantic, achingly so, and Leoni’s breath became laboured as she eagerly met his mouth with her own. But his hands were holding hers, which was somehow inhibiting. She didn’t feel she could let herself go and passionately kiss him the way she wanted to. She willed him to ravish her. She wanted to be thrown on to a bed and kissed endlessly and she wanted her clothes to be torn from her body, her sheer, expensive stockings ripped off in the heat of the moment . . .
‘You’re so special to me,’ Jerard murmured, smoothing her hair back again. Irritably, Leoni noticed Jerard’s phone had fallen to the ground. He knelt down to retrieve it, still holding on to her hand. As he did so, Leoni looked up and thought she saw Ashton. She caught a glimpse of blond hair and a dinner suit, but without her glasses on, she couldn’t say for definite that it was him. Then whoever it was disappeared into the darkness.
Still on his knees, Jerard was reading a text message. ‘Oh, that’s great news! That big deal I was telling you about? I got it, and it’s even better than I thought it would be. An incredible order.’
‘How wonderful,’ Leoni said, watching his eyes light up and feeling herself shut down in response.
Jerard tucked his phone in his pocket, his expression apologetic as he stood up. ‘It means I have to cut this lovely evening short, I’m afraid.’
‘Oh no!’ Leoni was crushed. Was he really going to walk out and leave her, just as things had been about to get interesting? What about her plans for them to sleep together? What about the way he had been about to ravish her? Or was that just in her head?
‘I’m really sorry,’ Jerard said, squeezing her hand. ‘But I have to get to the office. I need to get in touch with all my overseas contacts, particularly in Japan.’ He kissed Leoni again, touching the tip of her nose with his finger. ‘I know you’re the woman for me because you understand why it’s so important for me to address all the details now.’
Leoni’s shoulders drooped. ‘Yes, of course. Of course I understand. Business is . . . everything.’
‘Not everything,’ Jerard admonished. ‘There’s plenty of time for us, isn’t there? And I’ll make it up to you, I promise.’ Standing up, he looked down at her admiringly. ‘You really do look beautiful tonight, Leoni. I can’t wait for us to spend more time together.’ With an effort, she hid her disappointment and watched Jerard disappear into the night. How silly she was being, how selfish. This deal had been taking up all of Jerard’s time over the past few weeks; it was only natural that he would want to go into his office and sort everything out before morning. She’d do the same thing, wouldn’t she?
Leoni got to her feet and straightened her emerald-green dress. It was just a blip, that was all. Jerard had made it very clear he was serious about her and she was sure he would
make it up to her as promised. This was a grown-up, meaningful relationship, Leoni berated herself, so it was about time she stopped holding out for silly declarations of love and accepted that Jerard wasn’t that way inclined.
Back inside the château, Ashton was feeling utterly destroyed. He helped himself to a large Scotch and did his best to cover his feelings when Xavier found him.
‘Xav . . . good to see you.’
‘You too, Ash.’ Xavier glanced at him, wondering why his old friend looked as though he’d been punched in the chest. ‘That looks good,’ he added, nodding at the drink and grabbing one for himself as a waitress went to pirouette past him. ‘Enjoying yourself?’
Ashton nodded, looking away. ‘Delphine’s done a wonderful job with the château.’
‘Hasn’t she?’ Xavier pulled a face. ‘Considering she didn’t even want to host this party in the first place, she’s certainly gone all out to invite flashy guests and lay on a lavish feast.’ He glanced over his shoulder casually, wondering when he could dash off to find Cat.
Ashton said nothing.
‘Have you seen Leoni?’ Xavier asked.
‘Yes, I’ve seen her. She was with her . . . her boyfriend.’
Xavier raised his eyebrows. ‘Jerard Monville? He’s even more work focused than Leoni. One of my old girlfriends dated him for a while, said he was sweet but more likely to make love to his laptop than her.’
‘Really?’ Ashton couldn’t even manage a smile. ‘They looked pretty loved up when I saw the pair of them in the garden just now. In fact, Jerard was down on one knee.’
Xavier was flabbergasted. ‘Proposing? No way! I don’t believe it, Ash. Jerard is not the settling type. Seriously, if you think I’m anti-commitment, Jerard is an absolute pro at it. He just likes to have a girlfriend to while away the hours with when Japan shuts down.’
Ashton looked unconvinced. He put his glass down on a nearby table. ‘If you’ll excuse me, Xav, I think I need some air.’
Xavier stared at him as he headed outside. So he was right. He had suspected for many years that Ashton was in love with Leoni but he had never breathed a word about it to anyone. Olivier had mentioned it once in passing, saying the pair of them would never end up together, and Xavier had fleetingly wondered if Olivier had deliberately kept them apart because he couldn’t stand the thought of his best friend and his sister hooking up. It would be just like Olivier to be so selfish; unless the world had revolved around him, he wasn’t happy.
Thinking about Olivier made Xavier remember Cat. He still couldn’t understand why someone as gorgeous and genuine as she was would have fallen for an egotistical idiot like Olivier but he reminded himself it was all in the past now. Olivier had hoodwinked many women who were intelligent and should have known better and Xavier realised how unfair he had been towards Cat about it.
Love at first sight . . . or perhaps at first kiss, Xavier told himself ruefully, clearly did happen. And lightning really did strike twice but this time . . . this time, he thought, going in search of Cat, it had well and truly pierced his heart.
Chapter Seventeen
Seraphina was feeling woozy as she waited in a deserted corner of the pool house. Her stomach was jumping around madly and even though she kept telling herself everything would be fine, she was finding it impossible to relax.
Why had she drunk so much? Instead of giving her courage, it was simply making her feel nauseous. Unlike Max, Seraphina wasn’t used to drinking alcohol; having consumed more than a bottle of champagne now, she was feeling distinctly queasy and it wasn’t helping the churning nerves in her stomach. She stood up and started pacing across the pool house in agitation, taking in deep breaths of fresh air.
Pull yourself together, Seraphina told herself sternly. It’s sex, what’s the big deal? Everyone does it. People younger than you have sex and don’t lose any sleep over it, so stop being such a baby. Get it over with and stop whining. It was just . . . was it right to have such shaky hands? Was she supposed to want to ‘get it over with’? Thinking of all the romantic films she’d seen, Seraphina wasn’t sure that was the sentiment they promoted but maybe the rose petals, patient men and candlelight were just a fantasy.
At least she had moonlight, she thought rather hysterically. That was almost as good as candlelight, right? Who needed rose petals? The deserted pool house, shut off from guests due to refurbishment, was just as good. Romantic props were for silly little children, not a sophisticated girl . . . no, a woman like her, Seraphina corrected herself. And as for patient men, in reality, weren’t they all full blooded and desperate for sex at any given minute of the day? Most magazines seemed to think so, which made even more of a mockery of the childish romance she’d been envisaging for her first time.
Drawing herself up to her full height and letting out a jerky breath, Seraphina made an effort to pull herself together. She had a gorgeous, older boyfriend who thought she was desirable and grown up. Everything was as it should be; she simply needed to find the courage to go through with something that was scaring her witless.
Looking up, she saw her boyfriend just outside the pool house. Wearing a suave but rather showy dinner suit, he looked sexy and mature. Seraphina’s stomach flipped over again.
‘Darling,’ he said, kissing her cheeks slowly and deliberately. His mouth brushed hers as he moved from side to side and he linked his fingers through hers. ‘You look . . . delectable,’ he murmured, dropping a kiss on to her bare shoulder. The midnight-blue silk dress fitted her perfectly, highlighting her height and slender curves. Seraphina looked like a young girl attending her first prom but the blend of sexual innocence and womanly knowing she conveyed was utterly irresistible. To a certain type of man. And Seraphina’s boyfriend was undoubtedly one of those men.
‘Th-thanks,’ she stammered, wishing once more that she hadn’t touched a single drop of champagne. She sat down on a lounger abruptly and her boyfriend took a seat next to her. He nuzzled her neck, pushing her back on the lounger slightly. In the moonlight, her pale skin looked flawless, like creamy alabaster. He ran a finger down her arm seductively.
‘Have you . . . thought any more about our conversation?’ he asked.
Seraphina trembled but managed a nod in response.
‘And?’ He lifted his head, meeting her eyes. His mouth curved up teasingly, expectantly, and Seraphina’s heart skipped a beat.
‘And . . . I’m . . . not sure.’ Remembering Cat’s words earlier, she tried to buy herself some time. Struggling to sit up, she pulled the strap of her dress back up and took a deep breath. ‘The thing is, I really want to do this but I’m not sure I’m ready.’ That was it in a nutshell; Seraphina really did want to do it. She wanted to get it over and done with so she never had to worry about it again and she was pretty sure she was in love with this man. It was just that . . .
He sat up with a look of regret. ‘I see.’ He shot his cuffs, somehow conveying his displeasure with the snappy gesture. ‘So you’re just a little girl after all.’ The chilly, impatient statement was like a reprimand; he had lost patience with her.
Seraphina felt tears pricking her eyes. ‘I’m not!’ she cried hotly. Her stomach lurched again. ‘I want to . . . I want you . . . I’m just . . . I’m sorry.’ She felt distraught, everything was unravelling. She didn’t want to lose him, not over something so stupid. Everyone did this! Still, Seraphina couldn’t explain why she felt so uneasy about it or why it suddenly felt so wrong. A tear slid down her cheek and she brushed it away, embarrassed.
‘It’s up to you,’ he told her, seemingly unmoved by her emotional outburst. ‘There are any number of girls out there I could date, Seraphina. I chose you because I thought you were special.’ His eyes met hers unrepentantly. ‘I was wrong.’
Seraphina winced. Wasn’t this how her father always made her feel? That she should have been special but that somehow she wasn’t? Seraphina was sick and tired of being made to feel she wasn’t good enough, that she was some silly little gi
rl who didn’t know what to do or how to behave. Impulsively grabbing her boyfriend’s hand, she placed it on her thigh.
‘You’re not wrong about me,’ she gulped. ‘I want this . . . I want you.’ Her eyes luminous in her face, she nodded. ‘I’m ready.’
‘Are you sure?’ He looked sceptical but he left his hand on her thigh.
Say it doesn’t matter, Seraphina pleaded with him silently. Say you don’t care and that you’d never leave me. Tell me you love me anyway, and that I’m special even without that . . . please . . .
He did nothing of the sort. Instead, he smiled and pulled her down on to the lounger. ‘This is going to be incredible,’ he whispered in her ear. He slid his hand under her silky dress, his fingers sliding up her calf.
Seraphina squirmed, as ever, finding his touch both frightening and seductive. Her breath came in short, jerky pants; she willed her fizzing stomach not to let her down.
‘You won’t regret it, Seraphina, I promise you,’ he murmured as he brushed his mouth against her exposed thigh.
Seraphina turned her head away as tears slid down her cheeks.
‘Have you seen Seraphina?’ Guy demanded as he bumped into Xavier in the garden.
Xavier started, taken aback by his father’s uncharacteristically scruffy appearance. His silver hair was in disarray and his tie was askew. ‘No, I haven’t. I was looking for Cat, actually.’ Noticing his father’s stricken expression, he frowned. ‘Why, is there a problem?’
Guy sighed. ‘I don’t know. No one’s seen her for hours and I’ve got this gut feeling something is wrong, Xav. Max is looking for her too.’
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