None of them had been able to accept the fact that their father and grandfather had chosen her. She knew the feelings of resentment, even anger against his choice, had been roiling inside of them and she understood.
“I can’t thank you enough for dropping everything to be here this afternoon. Some of you had to fly from Paris. If it weren’t of the most vital importance, I wouldn’t have called for a meeting even earlier than planned.” Several of her family sent each other off-putting silent messages.
“I’ll make this short. First of all, I’ve made the decision not to be associated with the company any longer. Secondly, I won’t be working as a nose anymore. I’m moving back to the States for good.”
A collective gasp reverberated in the room. They stared at her like they’d seen a ghost.
“However, I’m leaving you in the hands of the only person who has the right to run this company as he sees fit. There would be no company to run if it weren’t for the genius of this man, who did everything his father never could. I’m talking about Paul Ferrier’s son and heir, Remy Ferrier.”
A strange silence enveloped the room.
If Jasmine had announced the end of the world, she doubted the reaction would have been any different. “Giles? Please give everyone a file that contains all the pertinent information they need to see on Remy. While you do that, I’ll ask Remy to come in. He’s right outside.”
The other man looked shocked, but he did her bidding. She went to the doors and beckoned to Remy. He came in and stood next to her. She squeezed his hand and introduced him to everyone; then she nodded to her grandfather’s attorney. “Please read the part of Papa’s will none of you have heard yet.”
Her heart was pounding furiously as the older man stood up and put on his glasses. “Beloved family and staff members—Remy was the brother I never had. I loved him.” Jasmine squeezed his hand again and never let go. “He should have run the company from the start, but it wasn’t meant to be while Paul was alive and insisted that I run things.
“After he died, I begged Remy to come back and run the company, but by then he had other interests. It is my wish that he be installed now. I’ve used my sweet granddaughter Jasmine shamelessly to make this happen.
“You who are my children and grandchildren have all been wonderful stewards of the company. So has my faithful staff. No one could have asked for better. But no one has the right to head Ferriers except the man who worked in the trenches of the company as a boy and knows every jot and tittle of what makes it tick.
“With Remy’s vision, he’ll do miraculous things that will put the company on top and stay there. Be his friend. Accept his guidance. Remy has a reputation among the work force of our company in the Midi. When they hear he’s been installed, you’ll see them wearing a smile again because he’s one of them. In no time at all you’ll find out that Ferriers has a weapon like no other.”
Jasmine had been watching their faces during the reading. The whole demeanor of the room had changed. They acted like they were in a trance.
For a sixty-six-year-old man, Remy looked younger and sensational in an olive suit with a light green shirt and tie. He’d worked in the fields most of his life when he wasn’t racing or drinking. Besides having an amazing physique with no fat on him, he was still handsome and bronzed by the sun. Naturally, he’d aged, but his dark red hair was still vibrant and thick.
She smiled at him. “We’d all like to hear from you, Remy.”
He kissed her cheek. “I can see we’re all in shock,” he quipped. “Max and I grew up under the same roof and were like brothers, being only two years apart. I remember a time when a rival in the perfume industry caused an explosion at the lab in Hyeres. By now, my father was dead and it was right before Max got married.
“Everyone thought the act of sabotage had killed him. During that horrendous time when we couldn’t find his body, I felt like I wanted to die. That’s when I realized what his life meant to me. We can thank God he wasn’t killed. You’ve all heard stories and rumors, some true, some not. The fact is, he and I went through hell and back together, but in the end, we’re still brothers.
“Like my psychiatrist told me when I went to him for my former drinking problem, he told me that unless I was willing to work with him, then there was no reason for me to continue seeing him. That’s my speech to you. If you’re willing to work with me, I’ll do everything I can to earn your trust.”
Jasmine grabbed his arm. “His Parma violets will be the envy of every perfume house. For the last year, I’ve worked on a perfume with essential oil from the violets he’s been growing.
“He’s the only person in the world to grow this variety, and thousands more are going to be planted. He calls them Reine Fleury. As you know, Remy’s mother’s name was Rosaline Fleury. I’ve given each of you a tiny sample bottle of perfume to open now.”
In a few minutes the room smelled like a garden of violets. The sounds of ahs and pleasure from everyone told the story as nothing else could.
“When this perfume is out on the market, it will turn the company’s revenues around. With that said, I propose we now take a vote by secret ballot.”
Remy excused himself and left the room.
“I’m going to vote my conscience and know you will do the same. Giles? If you’ll start the process.”
A few minutes later, Giles read the verdict. “The vote is unanimous in favor of Remy Ferrier.”
Your dream came true, Papa.
Jasmine ran to the door and asked Remy and his family to come in. When they entered, everyone stood up and started clapping. She could hardly see the green of his eyes for the tears in her own. She hugged him hard. “It was unanimous. Welcome home, dear Remy.”
Everyone gathered round him and his family to shake their hands and congratulate him.
Unable to stand it any longer, she whispered, “Do you mind if I leave you for a little while? You’re in good hands. I’ll meet you back at the house later.”
“Where are you going?”
“I need to see the man who made all this possible.”
Jasmine flew out of the perfumery as if her feet had wings.
En route she phoned her parents and told them the joyous news. “Everything I wanted to do for Papa has been accomplished. It won’t be long before I’m home for good. I love you both so much, you can’t imagine.”
* * *
Luc couldn’t concentrate. He’d stayed away from Jasmine for the last week and had been in hell. He knew the board meeting at the perfumery had been called for today. He checked his watch. Three-thirty. Though he’d promised himself he wouldn’t do it, at some point he knew he was going to break down and phone her.
He had one more phone conference with the branch manager in Colle-sur-Loup, but he couldn’t bring himself to deal with business right now.
“Thomas? Get Emil Rocher on the phone for me and tell him we’ll have to do the conference tomorrow. I’m leaving for home now.” He stood up to leave.
“You can’t go home yet.”
“Why not?”
“You’ve another appointment waiting for you out here.”
“Tell them I’m sorry, but they’ll have to schedule for another day.”
“I don’t think you want me to do that. She’s on her way in now.”
The main door to his office opened. “Luc?”
Jasmine’s excited cry sent adrenaline flooding through his system as she hurried inside and paused a few feet away from his desk. Her eyes glowed like sapphires.
“It worked! Everything worked. Remy’s the new CEO by unanimous vote. It’s because of you that any of this happened! Can we go somewhere private to talk so I can thank you? Do you have time?”
Luc looked into her face beaming with happiness. “What do you think?” he said fiercely. “W
e’re going for a boat ride and you can tell me everything. We’ll drive back for your car later.”
There was no argument from her as he hustled her through the rear door and they climbed in his car. Luc’s cruiser was moored at the main boat dock for easy access two miles away. The drive only took a few minutes. He left the car in the parking area and they walked along the floating dock to his cabin cruiser.
After handing her a life jacket, he removed his suit jacket and tie. Once he’d rolled up his shirtsleeves, he undid the ropes and idled the boat at wake speed. When they’d cleared the buoys, he opened it up and they flew across the blue water away from shore.
To be with her like this had lit him on fire. The fact that she’d come running to him instead of phoning him with the news proved she was on fire for him too. Right now, he refused to think about her leaving France. She was here on his boat. She was with him. Nothing else mattered. No tomorrows. This time was for them.
The sun made the sea air balmy. Now that they were away from people, he cut the motor. “Come and sit in the back of the boat with me.” They made their way to the seats.
Jasmine had worn a pale pink two-piece suit with short sleeves to the meeting. Between her coloring and her outfit, she looked good enough to eat. She tucked one leg under her and turned to face him. He stretched his arm along the top of the seatback near her.
“I want to hear it all from the beginning. Don’t leave anything out.”
She brushed some strands of hair out of her eyes. “Luc? I meant what I said earlier. None of this would have been possible without you. It got Remy there. Then the attorney read part of Papa’s will no one had heard yet. In it, he paid tribute to Remy, the man he’d loved like a brother. The words were so touching, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.”
Hers had filled with tears. “It was a far, far better thing you did for him than anyone else has ever done for him before. Thank you doesn’t begin to express what’s in my heart, but I’ll say it again anyway.” She leaned closer and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she cried until he couldn’t hold back his hunger.
Seven days apart had been too long. Luc had needed to feel her mouth moving beneath his again. He covered those lips, smothering the words, and there was no more talk. The taste of her was a revelation. Time had no meaning as each kiss deepened and lasted longer.
She gave freely, thrilling him to the core. He’d been with other women, but he’d never known ecstasy like this. Cradling her face, he brushed his lips relentlessly over every lovely feature, so precious to him. “You’re incredibly beautiful, Jasmine. I’m sure you’ve heard that all your life, but I’ve seen inside the part of you that hides the secret of your beauty. It comes from your soul. I didn’t know anyone like you existed.”
They kissed again with a devouring hunger neither could hide. “Because of your faith in me, I could say the same thing about you. As I told you the other night, you’re a good man.” Her eyes burned like blue flames. “Do you have any idea how rare you are?”
He kissed her back, longer and harder. But he couldn’t get close enough to her while she was wearing the life jacket. “I’m going to drive us to that little cove you can see from here where we won’t be bothered by the wakes from other boats. Stay right there and don’t move. Promise?”
“I promise, but where would I go?” Her breathing sounded shallow.
Somehow, he didn’t know how, he left her long enough to drive them the short distance to a stretch of beach. He cut the motor and the hull glided on to the sand. With his heart pumping too fast, Luc walked back to her.
“Let’s take off that preserver so I can get my arms around you properly.”
She undid it before he could help and threw it on the floor. A little smile lifted one corner of her delectable mouth when she said, “Now I’m going to find out just how difficult it would have been to save your unconscious body after your rental boat crashed into a shark.”
He pulled her into his arms. Finally there was no space separating them.
Her eyes melted into his. “You know something? You’re a lot more man than I realized, Luc Charriere, and gorgeous besides. So gorgeous I have a hard time taking my eyes off of you. Thank heaven you weren’t killed in that plane crash.” Her voice shook. “Then we would never have met, and you wouldn’t have made me the happiest woman alive today.”
His breath caught. “I know what getting Remy that loan has meant to you.”
“That’s true, but you know very well I’m talking about you and the way you make me feel. I thought my problems would be over once he was installed, but now I discover I’ve got a bigger problem.”
“What’s that?”
“You.” A tortured sigh escaped her throat. “What am I going to do about you?”
A charge ignited his body. “What do you want to do?”
“I have my dreams, but they can’t come true, so there’s no point in talking about them. I’ve got to be content with what I have right here, right now, with you.”
This time, she searched for his mouth with stunning impatience, telling him without words. Their kiss went on and on until he felt transported.
But a different kind of pain than he’d known before shot through him because this was her goodbye kiss. He pulled her right up against his chest and buried his face in her neck. She really was going away. This wasn’t something he could talk her out of.
“Jasmine? Before you leave for the States, I have to spend some time with you. I’ll take my vacation now. How soon do you have to go?”
“I promised to be home on August seventh. It’s my parents’ thirtieth wedding anniversary party.”
So soon? Everything in him rebelled. His mind calculated the time. “That gives us a week.”
A moan sounded before she moved off his lap and stood up. “No more make-believe, Luc. I couldn’t go anywhere with you.”
He stared up at her. “Why not?”
“You know why. Your life is here. Mine is on the other side of the Atlantic. How could it possibly be good for either of us to go off for that long, knowing we’re going to say goodbye at the end? The thought of it is too painful to even contemplate.” Her voice throbbed. “At least it is for me. But you’re a man, so it’s different for you.”
“Explain that remark.”
Jasmine wouldn’t look at him. “You can go away with a woman and enjoy the time thoroughly. When it’s over you can move on. But women are different. Not all, but some. I’m different. To travel and make love with you, only to get on a plane at the end of that journey and wave goodbye, sounds like a kind of purgatory I have no desire to live through.”
He grasped her hand. “Then we won’t sleep together.”
She looked down at him and smiled. “You’re a Frenchman, aren’t you?”
“I’m a man like all other men, and the thought of making love to you has been on my mind since I saw you on Yeronisos. But that isn’t why I want to go away with you. If you think making love to you is all I’m after, then you have an odd conception about me.
“The other day I told you I have feelings for you I’ve never had for another woman. If all I can do is hold you and kiss you while we’re on vacation, it will be enough. What I’d truly regret is not being able to get to know Jasmine Martin, the fabulous woman inside the girl who makes me want to be a better man.”
“Luc.”
“It’s true. Is life so cut and dried and riddled with deadlines, we can’t take time out for ourselves to feed our own needs? The cruiser sleeps two comfortably and can go anywhere on the Mediterranean. We’ll explore grottos and ruins. While you’re still in France I can indulge in my dreams. I have them too, you know.”
She looked shocked. “You really could get away now?”
He got to his feet. “My work will still be here when I
get back. You won’t be. We’ve cleared up all the business there is to do. Now I want to spend every second possible with you not worrying about anything or anyone but each other.”
“I want that too,” she admitted at last. “But I can’t be gone a whole week. I have a few more preparations to make before I leave.”
That was all he needed to hear. Now that Luc could breathe again, he had to think fast. He handed her the life preserver to put on. “Let’s pick up your car and I’ll follow you to Grasse. Once you’ve packed a bag, we’ll come back in my car. I’ll gather my things and we’ll set off in the cruiser. When we find a spot we like, we’ll lay anchor for the night.”
Taking advantage of her silence, he walked to the forward part of the cruiser and jumped to the sand to push it into the water.
He should have followed her up that cliff last May. They might still be on Cyprus, too enthralled with each other to care about anything else. But there was no point in looking back. The next few days were what counted. He couldn’t think beyond that.
* * *
Several hours later Jasmine sat across from Luc as they skimmed the water along the Italian coast in the sleek white, seaworthy cruiser. “See those lights ahead?” She nodded. “Now that we’ve passed Alassio, we’re coming to Baba Beach, where we’re going to spend the night. It won’t be crowded.”
With Luc, she was going to see the charming delights along the Cote d’Azur she hadn’t had time to explore while she’d been working. The scene ahead looked like fairyland.
He pulled into a protected bay. She saw a sailboat farther on, but Luc had been right. They were virtually alone. Once he’d dropped anchor near the shore, she removed her life preserver. At the house, she’d changed into jeans and a top. It was still warm out so she didn’t need a jacket yet.
Luc had dressed in sweats and a T-shirt. On their way to the pier, he’d driven her to his villa near the Grimaldi castle in Cagnes-sur-Mer, a medieval town with a warren of alleyways and decorated wooden doors. Flowers abounded and cascaded from the balconies. It was a dream home. This had been the hometown of the Charrieres for generations. She’d been enchanted.
Taming the French Tycoon Page 12
