I get you anything?”
“I’m fine. Perfectly fine.” Nikki sang out and kicked her foot out, missing a porcelain vase by a hair.
“That will be all. Thank you, Didier.” The older man nodded his head and discretely disappeared.
“You have a butler,” Nikki whispered, her breath tickling his ear.
“It would appear so.” He tried like hell to pay no mind to the nuzzling against his neck as he made his way up the stairs to the guest bedroom. The decorator had christened it the Wedgewood room, which sounded idiotic, so he’d promptly dubbed it The Blue Room. Painted a soft blue, inspired by the Wedgewood pottery his mother had loved, the room was restful. He often came to sit at the window seat and gaze out at the townhouse’s garden. Having Nikki in this room was the most expedient as she would have to pass his bedroom to reach the stairs. He set her on the flowered chaise, but her arms still encircled his neck.
“You smell delicious. Like a spot of shade in a lemon grove.”
She was certainly creative. “Merci, Mademoiselle Sommers .”
“ De rein. You know it’s never nothing. It’s always something.”
He gently disengaged her hands and divested himself of his coat, then stripped Nikki of her hideous cape. Nikki leaned back on the sofa and scratched the cat behind the ears, proceeding to utter baby talk to the cat, who lapped it up like cream.
Gérard sighed. He suspected the rest of the evening would be a waste of time in terms of any reasonable discussion. But then, he’d managed to hammer out deals with all sorts of inebriated individuals. Just none who called him delicious.
He handed Nikki a large glass of water and some aspirin he retrieved from the bathroom.
She placed the aspirin on her tongue, the glass of water wobbling on its way to her mouth. She took large gulps and he waited for it all to come back out.
“Slow down.”
She looked up as if she’d had forgotten he was there. Pushing herself off the chaise, she scanned the room. “Where’s the bathroom?”
He pointed. Nikki stumbled and slammed the door behind her. Gérard sat still and waited. He didn’t hear any signs of distress. This was madness. He should leave, but instead walked over to the window and stared out at the rain. Wait, did he hear the tub running?
Nikki leaned against the bathroom door, the brightness making her blink. The bathroom sparkled with a gleaming marble countertop and gold plated faucets. A chandelier sparkled over the sunken tub. A chandelier?
“Holy gorgeousness.” She twirled over the black and white tiles, feeling like a princess. Next to the tub sat several bottles of soaps, lotions, even bubblebath. What fun!
She turned on the hot water tap and stripped out of her leggings and sweater. Gotta get clean for Gérard.
She giggled.
Delicious Gérard.
Like a thick juicy steak. Yum. Yum.
Negotiations, he’d said. Her head pounded, trying to get the word out of her brain, but it splintered and danced on the rainbow bubbles.
He wanted her. She could tell. And oh, she wanted him. Those large hands running over her skin.
She shimmied out of her skirt.
He was her boss. Her conscience needled her through the fog of alcohol. Not anymore. She waved her hand in the air, swatting away objections. She’d go to the embassy. They would help her. She’d have a Paris fling and go home. She deserved it after awful, awful Tim.
She unbuttoned the top two buttons of her blouse.
Was someone pounding on the door?
A large hand reached out and twisted off the faucets.
“Are you trying to drown?” Gérard loomed over her, his eyes dark and angry, his mouth set in a hard line.
Nikki backed up, her thighs hitting the cold marble behind her. Her arms flailed as she felt herself falling backward. He reached out and grabbed her upper arms, pulling her away from the tub and hard against his chest. She slowly inhaled as their gazes met and clung, desire flaming between them. She grasped his shirt, feeling the
“I’m fine. Perfectly fine.” Nikki sang out and kicked her foot out, missing a porcelain vase by a hair.
“That will be all. Thank you, Didier.” The older man nodded his head and discretely disappeared.
“You have a butler,” Nikki whispered, her breath tickling his ear.
“It would appear so.” He tried like hell to pay no mind to the nuzzling against his neck as he made his way up the stairs to the guest bedroom. The decorator had christened it the Wedgewood room, which sounded idiotic, so he’d promptly dubbed it The Blue Room. Painted a soft blue, inspired by the Wedgewood pottery his mother had loved, the room was restful. He often came to sit at the window seat and gaze out at the townhouse’s garden. Having Nikki in this room was the most expedient as she would have to pass his bedroom to reach the stairs. He set her on the flowered chaise, but her arms still encircled his neck.
“You smell delicious. Like a spot of shade in a lemon grove.”
She was certainly creative. “Merci, Mademoiselle Sommers .”
“ De rein. You know it’s never nothing. It’s always something.”
He gently disengaged her hands and divested himself of his coat, then stripped Nikki of her hideous cape. Nikki leaned back on the sofa and scratched the cat behind the ears, proceeding to utter baby talk to the cat, who lapped it up like cream.
Gérard sighed. He suspected the rest of the evening would be a waste of time in terms of any reasonable discussion. But then, he’d managed to hammer out deals with all sorts of inebriated individuals. Just none who called him delicious.
He handed Nikki a large glass of water and some aspirin he retrieved from the bathroom.
She placed the aspirin on her tongue, the glass of water wobbling on its way to her mouth. She took large gulps and he waited for it all to come back out.
“Slow down.”
She looked up as if she’d had forgotten he was there. Pushing herself off the chaise, she scanned the room. “Where’s the bathroom?”
He pointed. Nikki stumbled and slammed the door behind her. Gérard sat still and waited. He didn’t hear any signs of distress. This was madness. He should leave, but instead walked over to the window and stared out at the rain. Wait, did he hear the tub running?
Nikki leaned against the bathroom door, the brightness making her blink. The bathroom sparkled with a gleaming marble countertop and gold plated faucets. A chandelier sparkled over the sunken tub. A chandelier?
“Holy gorgeousness.” She twirled over the black and white tiles, feeling like a princess. Next to the tub sat several bottles of soaps, lotions, even bubblebath. What fun!
She turned on the hot water tap and stripped out of her leggings and sweater. Gotta get clean for Gérard.
She giggled.
Delicious Gérard.
Like a thick juicy steak. Yum. Yum.
Negotiations, he’d said. Her head pounded, trying to get the word out of her brain, but it splintered and danced on the rainbow bubbles.
He wanted her. She could tell. And oh, she wanted him. Those large hands running over her skin.
She shimmied out of her skirt.
He was her boss. Her conscience needled her through the fog of alcohol. Not anymore. She waved her hand in the air, swatting away objections. She’d go to the embassy. They would help her. She’d have a Paris fling and go home. She deserved it after awful, awful Tim.
She unbuttoned the top two buttons of her blouse.
Was someone pounding on the door?
A large hand reached out and twisted off the faucets.
“Are you trying to drown?” Gérard loomed over her, his eyes dark and angry, his mouth set in a hard line.
Nikki backed up, her thighs hitting the cold marble behind her. Her arms flailed as she felt herself falling backward. He reached out and grabbed her upper arms, pulling her away from the tub and hard against his chest. She slowly inhaled as their gazes met and clung, desire flaming between them. She grasped his shirt, feeling the
Similar Books
