“Thanks for inviting me,” he answered Monique before continuing to the bar with Nicole.
“Aren’t you going to open your present?” he asked when she handed him a drink.
“Would you like me to open it now?” She fingered the fluffy bow.
“Please.” He watched her face as she carefully peeled back paper and ribbon, and her gasp of delight told him she was pleased.
She lifted the porcelain carousel music box she had admired weeks ago and raised teary eyes at him. “I don’t believe you bought this for me,” she whispered. “I went back to get it, and it was gone. I was crushed.”
* * *
“I knew you liked it.” He was pleased and unnerved by her reaction. “It’s no big deal.”
“It is a big deal.” She kissed his cheek, holding him close for a few precious seconds. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He coughed somewhat nervously, and to change the subject asked, “Would you like to dance?”
“I don’t know.”
He frowned. “What don’t you know?”
“How’s your back?”
“About ninety-five percent.”
“Still trying for one hundred percent?”
“Yep, and I’m almost there,” he promised. “So how about it?”
“Well...” She hesitated. “This music is so fast. Are you sure dancing won’t hurt your back?” Midsong, the music suddenly turned nice and slow. She glanced across at Monique, who waved the remote in her hands. Nicole shook her head in exasperation and returned her focus to Alexander.
“Perfect timing.” Alex held out his hand to her. He knew he shouldn’t dance with her, but God, he needed to hold her in his arms, and dancing gave him the perfect excuse to do just that without being too obvious.
“That’s my roomie.” Nicole chuckled, allowing him to lead her onto the dance floor in the center of the room.
“I’m glad you’re happier than you were earlier.”
“I’ll admit I was pretty sad.”
“I wanted to tell you about the party, but Monique would have had my head.”
“I’m glad you didn’t. It was a wonderful surprise.” She paused before adding, “I love my present. You must have gone back immediately and bought it.”
“A couple of days after we saw it,” he admitted.
“And you’ve had it all this time.” She eyed him curiously. “Just waiting for the perfect time to give it to me?”
“Nicole, don’t make more of it than it is.”
She studied him closely. “What exactly is it?”
“A gift for an employee.” That was a lame excuse and he knew it, but it was the only one he had to offer.
“An employee?” A perfectly arched eyebrow rose doubtfully. “Do you give all your employees expensive handmade music boxes?”
“Okay, point taken,” he agreed. “Let’s just say I wanted you to have it and leave it at that, okay?”
“All right, but I won’t stop thinking about it,” she promised and laughed when he sighed. “Being here in Paris with you has been the best time of my life.”
“You mean working at Alexander’s,” he clarified.
“No, I said what I meant—being with you,” she softly reiterated.
“Nicole...” His heart somersaulted at her easy, honest admission.
“Yes, Alexander?”
Oh, God, the sexy way she said his name stroked him in all the right places. He stared at her silently, fighting the need to fuse his lips to hers. Instead he pulled her a little closer, suddenly wishing the dance would never end, but it did, much too soon.
“Time for presents,” someone proclaimed.
* * *
Nicole was reluctantly pulled out of his arms and steered onto the sofa, and presents were presented to her, which she dutifully opened. They were all lovely, yet none touched her as much as Alexander’s. She glanced at her watch, saw it was a minute before 8:30 p.m. and hastily stood.
“Where are you going?” Monique asked.
“I have a video call scheduled with my family,” Nicole said. “They’ll skin me alive if I miss it.”
“Okay.” Monique nodded. “Hurry back.”
“I will.” She went to her bedroom to set up her PC.
Fifteen minutes later, she returned, wiping away a happy tear from her eye. She felt someone touch her arm and knew instinctively it was Alexander.
“Are you okay?” Alex asked.
“I’m fine. Just happy tears.”
“Those are okay then,” he said. “How about some cake?”
“I’d love some.” She almost melted when his fingers naturally twined with hers as they walked over to the food tables.
“How’s your family?”
“Wonderful.” She smiled fondly. “I miss them.”
“I’m sorry.” He squeezed her hand comfortingly. “August will be here before you know it, and then you’ll be reunited with them.”
Instead of making her feel better, his words had the opposite effect. Yes, if all went well, she was scheduled to transfer to the New York office in August, which meant she would be going home, but it also meant she would be leaving Paris—and more importantly, him. She wasn’t anywhere near ready to think of not having him in her life yet; she doubted she ever would be.
“That’s true, but when I return to New York, I’ll be leaving the people I care about here behind.”
“You mean Monique?”
“And Victor.” She paused and purposefully added, “And you especially.”
“Nicole.” He fidgeted uneasily. “I’m not someone you want to get involved with.”
“Yes, you are,” she softly countered, moving closer to him. “You really are.”
“Hey, birthday girl,” Victor interrupted them. “How about a dance?”
She glanced at Alexander, who seemed relieved and annoyed by the intrusion. She was torn between staying and continuing their serious conversation or going with Victor and enjoying her party. She decided to let Alexander think about her last statement.
“I thought you’d never ask.” Nicole took Victor’s outstretched hand and followed him onto the dance floor, leaving Alexander alone staring after them broodingly.
* * *
It was hours before guests began to reluctantly file out. Monique certainly knew how to throw a party. Alexander and Nicole found themselves alone in the apartment after Monique and Victor decided to go out for coffee.
“Well, those two were completely obvious,” Alex said, smirking.
“Very,” Nicole agreed, fingering her music box.
Alex sat down beside her on the sofa. “Was it a happy birthday?”
“One of the best. I thought it would be horrible because I am so far away from my family, but all of you made it wonderful.”
“I’m glad.”
“I can’t believe Monique organized this party in a few hours, or that she went through all this trouble for me.”
“She loved every second of it,” Alex promised. “She was hilarious making phone calls while feigning illness so you wouldn’t be on to her.”
“She completely fooled me.”
“That means she did her job very well.”
“She really did.” Nicole placed a hand on his arm and slid closer to him.
“Nicole...”
“Shut up and kiss me, Alexander,” she softly ordered. “That will make my birthday complete.”
He smiled at her and lowered his head to comply. Their lips came together as if they had been made for that express purpose. He kissed her deeply, lingeringly, as he had wanted to do all night long. She melted against him, her soft curves effortlessly conforming to his hard muscles. One kiss led to another and another, until he
wanted to rip the dress from her and bury himself in her soft fragrant skin.
They were on fire—both wanting nothing less than complete consummation of this devastating desire they shared. After endless minutes, Alex pulled back with difficulty, though his mouth still engaged in butterfly kisses with hers.
“She was a fool,” Nicole whispered against his mouth.
“Who?” He forced his mouth from hers and stared into her warm eyes.
“The woman who hurt you.”
“Who says I was hurt?”
“Your eyes do.” She touched his cheek with her palm. “I’ll never hurt you, Alexander.”
It was scary how badly he wanted to believe her, and more frightening was the fact that a big part of him did believe her. He hadn’t even known her for two months yet, so how she had successfully burrowed so far underneath his carefully crafted defenses he couldn’t begin to understand.
“Do you believe me?”
“I believe it’s time to go.” He stood and walked to the door; she slowly followed. He stood with his back toward her for several long seconds before confessing, “There was this woman five years ago. Her name was Nina Laurent.”
* * *
Nicole’s heart thudded against her chest. He was going to confide in her about Nina. This was important and would mark a turning point in their relationship.
“Go on.” At her soft invitation, he turned to face her.
“It was right after my parents died, and I was fighting with the board to be named CEO of Alexander’s.” He paused to gather his thoughts before continuing. “I was searching for allies at work and thought Nina was someone who believed in me and my ability to run the company.”
“She didn’t?”
“No. She was the worst mistake I’ve ever made.” His eyes hardened. “She portrayed herself as someone I could trust, and long story short, she stole designs and sold them to my biggest competitor, and I almost lost the CEO appointment as a result.”
“I’m so sorry.” Nicole touched his arm to comfort him. “How could she betray you like that?”
“I was a fool for trusting her. It was my fault. I had too much going on and wasn’t paying attention the way I should have been.”
“You trusted the wrong person. We’ve all done that at one time or another.”
“It’s a mistake I don’t plan to make again.” If he allowed himself to trust anyone other than Victor, it would be Nicole, though.
“I understand why you’re overly cautious with your heart, Alexander, but you can trust me. I hope you realize that one day.”
He stared at her long and hard, trying to discern the truth of her statement. She had never given him any reason to mistrust her, but was he capable of trusting anyone completely again? He honestly didn’t know.
“I should go.”
“Thank you for telling me about Nina.” She moved closer to him. “I know why you find it so hard to let anyone in, but this between us is not going to go away,” she promised. “Believe me, I know. I’ve tried to make it, but it won’t go away.” At his telling silence she continued, “We’re going to have to deal with the desire we feel—soon—or it’s going to drive us crazy.”
“Good night, Nicole.” He opened the door without acknowledging the truth of her statement.
“Good night. Thank you again for my present.”
“You’re welcome.” Before he could leave, she reached up and pressed her lips to his. He kissed her back ardently, crushing her body against his while his mouth pillaged for long satisfying seconds before finally pulling away with difficulty.
“See, it’s not going away,” she reiterated. He stared at her hungrily and seemed to be waging a silent war with himself before finally leaving without uttering another word.
Nicole sighed and closed the door. She finally knew what Nina Laurent had done to poison Alexander on relationships; she had betrayed him in the worst ways, personally and professionally. Nicole vowed to show him she was nothing like Nina and that he could believe in her and in them. She would do it no matter how long it took because anything less wasn’t an option.
Chapter 13
It was the night of their in-house fashion show. A few very prominent names in fashion had been invited, but no press because this show was a precursor to their big event in August, and they didn’t want any of the designs being leaked. The affair was top secret.
The fashion show and dinner were being held at the luxurious Le Meurice Hotel. Nicole had never seen anything so beautifully ornate in her life, and she had been to some high-end parties in the United States. She fought to keep her mouth from gaping open as she entered the room on Alexander’s arm.
One of the hotel’s large banquet rooms had been transformed into a runway at one end, while numerous dinner tables covered in white linen took up the other end. The tables were set with the finest crystal and china, with pale pink and white roses as the centerpieces. Gold-and-white tapestry chairs rounded each table.
Sparkling crystal chandeliers with gold accents hung from the high ceilings, and strategically placed stone columns elegantly partitioned the room. The crowning glory was the crystal clear ceiling-to-floor windows, allowing for a breathtaking view of the twinkling lights of the city.
Nicole clung to Alexander’s arm as they passed by representatives from two of Paris’s most famous fashion houses. He squeezed her hand and gave her a comforting smile, which allayed some, but not all, of her apprehension.
Alexander looked handsome as ever, dressed in a black tux, crisp white shirt and black bow tie. She had not seen him formally dressed, and the sight of him when he had picked her up had almost rendered her speechless. The way his eyes dilated when he saw her had informed her he approved of her appearance, as well.
“Don’t be nervous,” he ordered.
“How can I not be?” she whispered back. “This is a fashion lover’s dream. My God, some of the top names in fashion are here!” He laughed at her obvious exuberance, and she felt like poking him in the side.
“They’re just people, Nicole,” he promised. “They put their pants on one leg at a time.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You’re one of them,” she softly accused, and he smiled.
“I guess I am, but that just proves my point. I’m not scary, am I?”
“No, not now that I know you, but when we first met...” she trailed off.
“Come on, I wasn’t that bad, was I?” He smiled down at her.
“No comment.”
“Ouch!” He treated her to an exaggerated wounded expression, which made her laugh.
“Sorry,” she apologized. Her feet faltered as she realized where he was leading her. “Oh, my God, we’re not going to talk to the Prada team, are we?”
“Yes, we are.” He pulled her along. “Just flash that gorgeous smile of yours, and they’ll be the ones who are awestruck.”
“But Alexander...”
“No buts. It’s showtime!” He brightly announced. “I promise I’ll stay right by your side.”
“Promise?”
“Cross my heart.” He made an X over his heart with his forefinger.
“Okay, but if you leave me alone with them, I promise you I’m going to faint and embarrass you terribly.”
“No chance of that. I’m not going anywhere.” His easy promise reassured and thrilled her, and she relaxed a little as they approached the haute couture designer’s table.
* * *
He stayed by her side as they worked the room—not because he had promised her, but because there was nowhere else he would rather be. Besides, he had no intention of giving another man the privilege of her company tonight; he selfishly wanted her all to himself.
They shared a table with Monique, Victor, several other designers from
Alexander’s and two members of the board. Once seated among friends, Nicole relaxed perceptibly. As Alex had predicted, she charmed everyone who came in contact with her, and he watched with admiration as she spoke knowledgeably about Alexander’s proposed fashion lines with the members of the board, one of whom just happened to be the man who had given him a terrible time in his bid to become acting CEO of Alexander’s. Nicole effortlessly had him eating out of her hands within minutes. She was spectacular.
When he had picked Nicole up tonight, he had been floored by how gorgeous she looked dressed in a knockout black full-length lace sheath, a figure-hugging gown from Alexander’s timeless classics line. The gown left her arms and a huge swath of her back bare. It was cut in a modest V-neck in the front and plunging V in the back.
She wore opera-length black gloves, a matching triple-row pearl-and-diamond bracelet and choker and drop earrings. Her hair was parted on one side and slicked down, showing her precision cut to perfection in neat line and framing her gorgeous face. To say she looked stunning was an understatement, and from the masculine eyes that had followed her earlier when they worked the room, he wasn’t the only one who thought so.
After dinner, his knuckleheaded brother whisked her away to the dance floor before he could object. Now Alexander stood across the room, leaning against a column, broodingly watching the two of them. Victor effortlessly twirled his Nicole around the floor before pulling her close again. She smiled and then laughed at something he said, and her fabulous smile resided on her lips for the entirety of their dance.
They appeared to be having a blast—a fact that irked him to no end. Logically, Alex knew he was being stupid, but logic had nothing to do with the insane streak of jealousy that rushed through him as he watched Nicole in another man’s arms—even though that man was his baby brother.
He was more than ready to burst from the frustration of trying to keep a lid on his explosive desire for her. With each day, he wanted her more. He knew all the reasons for not getting romantically involved with her, but frankly they seemed inconsequential and silly when compared to the simple pleasure of being in her presence.
As he continued to watch, someone cut in on Victor, who relinquished his hold on Nicole. She accepted the other man’s offer to dance with a smile. Alexander’s blood boiled when she went into his arms. Dammit, seeing her with Victor was one thing, but having yet another man touching her was intolerable.
Our First Embrace Page 13
