Heirs Book Two: American Lady by Elleby Harper

Avignon and forming the first bridge brotherhood. One of
these bridge brotherhoods came to Altobello, establishing
Christianity in this part of the world.” Maixent gently took her
arm and guided her closer to the carved figure. “There’s no
historical record of whether it was Geatane-Auguste who named the
town after the saint or the brotherhood itself. But I like to think
that St Benezet is a symbol of Altobello reaching out to the world,
building bridges globally.”
    They stood side by side and Charley was
hyper-conscious of the faint smell of Monogram cologne that he
exuded and the way the sun shone on the pale gold hairs of his
tanned arms rather than the significance of the statue. She
wondered what it would be like to bury her head in his neck and
breath in his heavenly scent.
    Maixent was wearing cream linen trousers
clinched at the waist with a brown YSL leather belt and a pale
green shirt of fine cotton stretched across the broadest of
shoulders. The breeze tousled his thick blond hair and she felt a
jealous desire to ruffle it with her own fingers. God, he looked
appetizing enough to slather in whipped cream and devour. Wisps of
desire unfurled a throbbing yearning deep inside her, yet so far
they had not even kissed. What was he waiting for?
    He bent to pick a handful of wildflowers and
presented them to her. “Les coquelicots de printemps.” His fingers
brushed her hand and she trembled. Their eyes locked and she felt
the weight of being his sole scrutiny, as if his whole world had
narrowed to include only her. Her own focus blurred as though
everything outside no longer existed. She had to force herself to
remember to breath as she lifted the flowers to her nose.
    Again with his hand guiding her elbow, a
touch she found seductively intimate and yet deceptively casual, he
led her towards the railing which enclosed the mount. From there
they looked down into the Bai de Beausoleil and when she turned her
head she could see across to the Spring Palace. She had her camera
in the car but no desire to leave Maixent’s side to go and get
it.
    “How would you like to go out for dinner
tomorrow night?” Maixent asked. “I know a very cozy restaurant in
the alps, near the Swiss border. If we take the Old Road it follows
the coast and you will get some spectacular views. And we can be
alone at last.”
     
    * * *
     
    Now Maixent was waiting for her in the small
sitting room with his family. Henri, Father Emile and Thiérry were
playing pinochle in one corner, Leigh was resting with her eyes
closed and her feet on a footstool after a hard day of handshaking
and small-talking at the local hospital, Aurelie was reading Anita
Brookner’s Hôtel du Lac , while Maixent paced nervously.
    “Do sit down, Maix,” Leigh complained,
“before you wear a hole in my new carpet.”
    Maixent perched uneasily on the arm of
Aurelie’s chair. She looked up from her novel.
    “You look très BCBG,” she grinned. Maixent
gave her an imaginary punch on the arm. Then Charley shimmered into
the room and his eyes fastened on her.
    The Bill Blass dress reached just above her
knees showing slender tanned legs in three inch knife-sharp heels.
From the open toes of her ribbed silk sandals peeped her coral red
toenails. She wore huge diamond and pearl earrings swinging to her
shoulders and a bracelet of entwined strings of pearls and diamonds
on her wrist. She had never felt so beautiful or desirable.
    Charley caught her breath at the sight of
Maixent. Immaculate charcoal trousers. Pale gray Benetton knit
shirt. Dark moss green designer jacket with the sleeves pushed up.
Blond hair casually falling over his collar. Her real-life prince
charming.
    Oblivious to everyone else in the room,
Maixent and Charley floated out of the palace on a cloud. It was
just before dusk as the prince pulled his Audi onto the winding Old
Road. Through her open window Charley could smell mimosas and
honeysuckle.
    She heard a whistle as the first evening
train