One Week with the French Tycoon

by Christy McKellen

  But, even so—

  He turned back suddenly, making her jump a little as the shock of the movement yanked her out of her reverie.

  Taking a pace backwards, he folded his arms tightly against his chest.

  She tried not to notice how this made the sculpted muscles in his arms bulge in a rather attractive way.

  ‘So you should consider your debt for the boots paid off,’ he bit out, his face dark with a frown.

  Great. An acknowledgement. Sort of. It wasn’t exactly a heartfelt outpouring of thanks, though.

  ‘You do know there are more sheer drops on the next leg of the walk, don’t you?’ Indigo blurted with a reproachful lift of her eyebrow, unable to keep her annoyance at him spilling over.

  His face seemed to pale. ‘Really?’

  ‘You know, I’d be happy to partner with you for that bit if you like,’ she said loftily, ‘just in case you need me to distract you with my witty repartee till we get past them.’

  As soon as she’d said the words she regretted them. Not because she didn’t want to spend more time with him, but because she knew, deep down, that it wasn’t altruism that had prompted her to make the offer; it was because she enjoyed being around him. Even though there was a good chance she was letting herself in for more hurt and rejection here, she couldn’t quite tear herself away from him just yet.

  He captivated her with his strange mixture of gruff pride and compassion, not to mention the way he made her tummy flip when he looked at her with his impassioned, penetrating gaze.

  She wondered again what could have happened to his marriage to make him so defensive.

  ‘Why would you want to do that?’ he asked brusquely.

  ‘Because I’m the better person,’ she joked, flashing him a grin, which he countered with a raised eyebrow.

  She threw up her hands in exasperation. ‘Okay, how about we say each day of walking pays off a boot? In my mind, that makes us even.’

  ‘Okay,’ he shot back. ‘Fine.’ He followed the word with a long, agitated sigh and glanced down once more at the sea beneath them. ‘Now, let’s put some more distance between us and this death trap and get to Positano before nightfall.’

  * * *

  They didn’t speak again until they reached the outskirts of the town and checked the details of their lodgings for the night, which suited Julien just fine. After the humiliation of finding himself at such a disadvantage and having to rely on Indigo’s goodwill to get him out of trouble, he’d just wanted to sink into his own head for a while.

  Not that he hadn’t been intensely aware of her presence beside him the whole way there. He’d been impressed with her fitness levels too—she’d not asked to stop once, even after a particularly steep ascent. No wonder she was in such good shape.

  He forced the tantalising image of her lean, fit body that followed that thought right out of his head.

  ‘We’re staying on the same road,’ Indigo said, throwing him an it must be fate smile. ‘But I’m a bit further down the hill.’

  ‘Bon,’ he replied, desperate for some solitude now so he could get a handle on these frustratingly conflicting feelings she’d stirred up in him.

  He was intensely aware that in another life he would have jumped at the chance to make more of their connection—but that he couldn’t act on his impulses, not here, not now. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them. Despite the whispered demands of his body, his mind kept reminding him he couldn’t offer her any kind of emotional commitment.

  And from what he already knew of her, he could tell that wouldn’t work for Indigo.

  But the thought of saying goodbye to her now also twisted something inside him.

  They reached the road they needed barely a minute later.

  ‘Well, this is me,’ she said, nodding towards the place where she was going to bed down for the night, with its simple crazy-paved stone frontage and garish sign that shouted: cheap, but cheerful!

  ‘And that’s me,’ he said with a nod towards a much grander building sitting proudly a little further up the hill, with clear sea views and an elegant iron-railed terrace for every room.

  Only a little further up the road, but worlds apart.

  ‘Indigo—’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Thank you for not abandoning me to my fate today.’

  He felt like a fool for saying it, but her expression lightened as if she was relieved to finally hear it.

  His acknowledgement didn’t stop her from winding him up, though.

  ‘That wasn’t fate trying to tip you off a cliff, it was just reminding you that you should be nicer to me.’

  He rubbed a hand over his face and snorted. She was right, of course; he hadn’t exactly been chivalrous about accepting her help. He’d been so embarrassed his manners seemed to have fled him.

  ‘Okay, point taken.’ Despite being desperate for some time alone, he knew he should at least attempt to show some appreciation for what she’d done for him today. She’d certainly gone above and beyond the call of duty. ‘Can I buy you dinner tonight? To show my gratitude.’

  She shifted on her feet, looking uncomfortable. ‘You don’t need to do that. I think we’re even with the boots.’

  She wouldn’t meet his eye and her body language made him think about how she’d looked on the beach after they’d been so close—so dangerously close—to kissing. The sensory memory was so acute he could have sworn he caught the same briny scent on the air mixed with her sweet floral fragrance.

  He shook it off and folded his arms. ‘Look, Indigo, what happened last night on the beach—I never meant to lead you into thinking I was interested in a holiday fling. The truth is, I’m not in a good place right now. I’ve only just signed my divorce papers and, to be honest, I can’t see myself wanting another relationship any time soon.’

  She looked at him sharply, her brow pinched, and held up a hand. ‘It’s okay, Julien, I’m not interested in a fling either. I just came here for a break. To walk and see the magnificent scenery. That’s all.’

  He looked into her wide grey eyes and saw only steady resolve there. ‘Okay then.’ He cleared his throat, which felt strangely wadded and tight. ‘Well, let’s meet here at eight o’clock tomorrow,’ he said. ‘We should bring enough food to see us through to Nerano. Or, if you prefer, I can ask the receptionist where we can find a place to stop for lunch?’

  She grinned at his rather clipped tone and rolled her eyes at him. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll bring a packed lunch with me so you won’t need to carry me past the finishing line.’

  ‘Good,’ he said, with one chastising eyebrow raised.

  ‘Good,’ she replied, pressing her lips into a pugnacious smile.

  There was a voice in the back of his head warning him again about the wisdom of getting too friendly with her, but he pushed it aside. Neither of them were stupid; they knew what this was.

  But, more importantly, they knew now what it wasn’t.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Positano to Nerano via Sant’Agata. More vertiginous drops with a ridgetop walk and views for miles. Going for a reinvigorating swim in the ocean is a must at the end of this hard day’s walk...

  SO, WALKING PARTNERS it was.

  At least that would mean they could stop trying to avoid each other at every turn when it was clear they were destined to walk this path together, both metaphorically and physically, Indigo mused as she finished her breakfast the next morning.

  She’d been really tempted to take him up on his offer of dinner last night, so much so that she’d had a physical pain in the back of her throat as she forced out her refusal, but she knew she had to be sensible here. There could be a danger she was reverting to type and turning him into a project, thinking she could help or even fix him without getting hurt—just like
she had with Gavin—and that wasn’t something she wanted to put herself through again.

  Ugh! Was it going to be like this every time she met someone she was attracted to? Damn Gavin and his ability to make her feel so paranoid. So she liked helping people! What was so wrong with that?

  Still, even if Julien had been willing to embark on a holiday fling with her, giving in to her attraction was a definite no-no. She’d be a fool to get entangled with him when he was so emotionally unavailable and she was still feeling sore after being given the boot by Gavin.

  This holiday was supposed to be about looking after her for a change, she reminded herself for what felt like the millionth time.

  After making sure she’d packed everything into her small rucksack, all the while giving herself a stern talking-to about keeping her fascination with him under wraps today, she checked out and left the hotel to meet Julien.

  He was waiting for her where they’d agreed to meet the night before, looking just as perfectly turned out as usual, though his eyes were ringed with dark circles and he clearly hadn’t bothered to shave. The sight of Julien with rough edges gave her a delicious little shiver of pleasure, which she quickly stamped on before it got the better of her.

  Sighing, she tugged hard on her backpack straps to tighten them.

  It was going to be a long day.

  After a slightly awkward greeting they strode away from Positano, both a little quiet to begin with, but after a few false starts at conversation they fell into a comfortable rhythm, finding a surprisingly diverse array of subjects to chat about, including a somewhat heated discussion about whether London or Paris was the better city to live in.

  ‘But we have amazing markets in London! Like Spitalfields and Notting Hill and the Columbia Road Flower Market,’ Indigo interjected when Julien suggested that Paris was the best city in the world for street markets.

  ‘Well, we have the best architecture,’ he countered.

  ‘London is full of great buildings, including lots of new ones,’ she pointed out. ‘The Shard, for example. It’s way taller and more impressive than any of the buildings in Paris. Parisians seem to be totally averse to moving with the times and building anything new.’

  ‘Ah, but we have the Eiffel Tower, which beats The Shard hands down for style,’ he threw back, as if that answered everything. ‘And I would hate to live in a place that was a perpetual building site.’

  In fact, they were so engrossed in their back and forth banter about which city ruled supreme that Julien barely seemed to notice when she slid her hand into his as they reached the spot where one side of the path fell away to a sheer drop, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for her to do.

  She thought he seemed a little less tense than he’d been the day before as they traversed the exposed section, moving their conversation on to debate the pros and cons of being part of the Euro. He seemed so engrossed, in fact, that Indigo found herself enjoying a sense of achievement at managing to distract him enough for his vertigo to not have been too much of a problem today.

  Then later, chatting over lunch, it turned out they were both big fans of psychological suspense and they got into another animated discussion comparing the top writers of the genre, which took till they reached the fortress-like outskirts of Sant’Agata to conclude.

  It had been so wonderful to talk about things they both felt passionate about that Indigo arrived in the town having really enjoyed her walk today.

  Her hotel for the night was located on the outskirts, to the east of the town, which meant they walked straight past it once they’d left the trail.

  ‘I’m going to use their bathroom to splash some water on my face before I leave you,’ Julien said, following her up to the entrance and into the wonderfully cool interior.

  ‘Okay,’ Indigo replied, watching him stride away, feeling a mixture of apprehension and regret as she made her way to the reception desk.

  Her insides felt twisted. Would this be the last they’d see of each other now that the more perilous parts of the walk were over? She couldn’t imagine Julien wanting to continue holidaying with her now that she wasn’t needed, not after what he’d told her about wanting time on his own to get his head together. Her stomach clenched with dismay. She’d so enjoyed getting to know him better today and had been surprised and excited by how much their tastes and beliefs had aligned.

  They seemed to be kindred spirits.

  Had he felt it too?

  ‘Indigo Hughes—I have a reservation here for tonight,’ she said absently to the receptionist when he looked up to greet her, her head still full of thoughts about Julien disappearing from her life now. She knew he’d think it was foolish, but she’d begun to wonder whether they’d been thrown together here for a reason. Ever since she’d met him she’d been filled with an unexpected buzz of hope and excitement for the future, which had been sadly lacking in her personal life for some time.

  ‘Ah, yes, Signorina Hughes, I have a bag for you here,’ the receptionist said.

  She stared at him, her brain taking a while to switch gears and take in what he’d just said to her.

  ‘Did you say you’ve got my bag? From the airport?’ she asked, her voice trembling with excitement.

  ‘Sì,’ the receptionist said, leaving the desk to go into a small room behind reception and returning with her rucksack.

  Indigo nearly fell to her knees with relief. After surviving with virtually nothing for half her holiday, it was absolute bliss to have her possessions returned to her. She took the large rucksack from his outstretched hands and hugged it to her like a lost child, then dropped it on to a nearby sofa in the lobby and yanked open the drawstring to check everything was still in there.

  Julien returned from the bathroom to find her in a state of ecstasy as she rummaged through the bag, having pulled out first her money, then her phone and now her bikini.

  ‘I can finally go for a swim! I’ve been desperate to get into the sea but I didn’t want to scare the other holidaymakers by stripping down to my sensibly supportive but utterly hideous underwear,’ she said, grinning at him.

  He stood watching her with an amused smile as she continued to pull things out of her bag and hug them to her.

  It felt a little like her birthday and Christmas had all come at once.

  Except for the rather unsettling fact that she was about to say goodbye to Julien, of course. It seemed like such a shame when they’d just started getting on so well. Though there was always the possibility they might bump into each other again on the route.

  ‘So, I guess you should be okay with the rest of the walk from this point on,’ she said, forcing her mouth into a cheery smile. ‘I don’t think there are any more exposed paths to worry about.’

  Crossing his arms, he leant his hip against the backrest of the sofa. ‘Actually, I’m hiring a boat from Nerano. I’m going to sail north along the coast and stop off at some of the places of interest along the way.’

  The hope she’d not wanted to fully acknowledge vanished in a puff of smoke and was replaced by a heavy thump of disappointment. So this really was it then. There would be no more opportunities to bump into him. She’d so enjoyed getting to know him today. It had been the most fun day she’d had since she got here. She’d loved the way he challenged and argued with her. Gavin had never stood up to her like that; he’d hated any kind of conflict, which, if she was totally honest, had made him rather dull company sometimes.

  Julien, on the other hand, fired something inside her like no one else she’d ever met.

  ‘Okay, well, I guess this is goodbye then,’ she said, standing up on unsteady legs. ‘It’s been good getting to know you, Julien.’ She held out her hand, hoping the tremble in it wasn’t too obvious.

  He stared down at it for the longest time, before clearing his throat and looking bac
k up, straight into her eyes.

  Her stomach swooped at the intensity she saw there.

  ‘Listen, why don’t you come out on the boat with me this evening? As—what do you English say?—a last hurrah? We can weigh anchor just off the coast, then you can swim away from the crowds. It would be good to have company for one more evening, to give me a chance to check out the boat before I set off on my lone voyage.’

  She froze and stared back at him, excited by the invitation, but trying not to let it get the better of her. It was just a sail and a swim he was offering her, nothing more, she reminded herself sternly.

  ‘That sounds like heaven, but are you sure you don’t want some peace after having me chewing your ear off all day?’

  He smiled, his lopsided grin shooting a disconcerting dart of desire through her. ‘Non. I enjoyed our discussions today. It was a nice distraction.’ He didn’t say from what, but then he didn’t need to. He’d already made it plain why he was here. As an escape from bad memories. Just like her.

  ‘Anyway, I need more time to convince you to give my favourite thriller author another chance,’ he continued when she didn’t respond immediately. ‘I feel I’d be neglecting my duty to you as a friend if I didn’t give it at least one more try.’

  The word ‘friend’ jolted her, reinforcing her resolution not to read anything more into this offer.

  Despite her concerns, she couldn’t bring herself to say no. Not if saying yes meant being around him for a little while longer. She loved the idea that he’d enjoyed her company today and right now she’d take gratification whichever way it came. After Gavin’s accusations, it was nice to feel like she had more to offer than just a shoulder to cry on.

  ‘Well, that would be amazing. I tell you what—since the rest of my money’s turned up, I’ll buy us dinner,’ she suggested, needing to retain a modicum of control in their strange non-relationship relationship.

  He smiled again, this time with real warmth, the action of it lighting up his whole face. ‘Agreed. Then we’re even,’ he said.