There was a squeal and running feet. “Josie!”
I turned just in time to catch Dauphine as she launched herself into my arms. “Whoa!” I laughed in surprise as I caught her and gathered her into a tight hug, lifting her off her feet. She clung and tried to wrap herself around me, and I staggered under her weight. “Whoa. Wow. You’re heavy!”
“Dauphine. Arrête. Descend!”
She slid down, but her arms didn’t let go. Over her head, Xavier stood in his blue jeans and white button down, his forefingers stuffed into his front pockets. “We came down for dinner,” he said. His teeth bit into his bottom lip. My heart swelled.
“You look nice,” he said, eyes sliding down my silky green top and white jeans. “Not that I don’t like your jogging outfit too.”
Under my hands, I felt a tremor. “Dauphine?” I looked down.
She shook her head and pressed her face into my belly, her shoulders shaking.
“Oh, honey.” I ran my hands over her hair and her shoulders. “I’m here.” Sinking down, I crouched and looked up at her, gently brushing her hair back from her wet cheeks. “Mermaid tears?” I asked with a smile.
“You came.” Her voice was tremulous, her lip quivering. “Papa said I couldn’t see you until tomorrow.”
I glanced behind her. “I was missing you both so much,” I said, looking right at him. “I couldn’t wait.”
Xavier’s eyes flickered and his throat bobbed, his chin dipping slightly.
I dragged my eyes from him and smiled back up at Dauphine. “Any chance I can join you both for dinner?”
“Oui! Papa, s’il te plait?” She turned to her father.
“Bien sûr, ma petite.” Then he caught my eye and held out his hand to me. “I would love nothing more.”
I dropped my gaze from his deep, warm eyes to his outstretched hand. With a deep breath, I took it. His fingers, warm and dry, closed around mine. Inside, my soul seemed to levitate and I wasn’t sure it would come back down. Dauphine grabbed my other hand, and with a laugh, I let myself be dragged toward the Peninsula Grill.
Dauphine’s tears were forgotten as she caught a second wind and chattered nonstop until her eyes grew droopy.
Xavier signaled for the check as soon as we finished eating some appetizers and salads.
As we left the restaurant, Xavier picked Dauphine up effortlessly, and she tucked her head on his shoulder. There was no discussion of whether I should go with them, but Xavier strode away and opened the door to the courtyard for me. I slipped through, my heart getting louder in my ears.
We walked across the courtyard, the landscaping gently lit by lights even though it wasn’t dark yet. The tinkling from the central fountain made me think about peeing. I was nervous.
Xavier swiped a key card, and we entered a foyer that had stairs going up. He waved me ahead of him, and even though he had Dauphine in his arms I couldn’t help think of him following me up the stairs in Calvi. On the first level was a living room and kitchen, elegantly decorated in earth tones with modern lines and sumptuous finishes. There was another stair well going up but Xavier headed through a door to another bedroom with Dauphine. I quickly used the bathroom while Xavier helped her get her pajamas on.
“Josie,” she said sleepily when I came out.
“I’m here, love. Let’s go to the bathroom and clean your teeth. Papa will hold you up.”
She sleepily did her business, and then leaned against Xavier as I gently brushed her teeth while she slept standing up. Then he carried her to bed and kissed her forehead. I kissed her too, and then heart in my throat, I followed Xavier out to the living area.
He strolled to the kitchen. “Would you like a glass of wine? Or something else?”
“Wine would be great.” From across the counter, I watched him take down two glasses and reach into the fridge for a chilled bottle. “This is a nice hotel. One of my favorites.”
“Why’s that?” he asked, twisting the corkscrew into the top of the bottle and then popping it free with ease. His forearms, the tendons flexed, the scattering of dark hair over tanned skin, were mesmerizing. “You okay?” he asked, amused.
“I’m sorry, what?”
He shook his head and pressed his lips together to hide a smile. Then he poured two glasses and held one out to me. “I asked why it was one of your favorite hotels.”
Taking the wine, I clinked against his glass softly, then took a small sip. The tart chill slipped over my tongue. “How about you tell me about your latest hotel project?”
“Ah. Hard to keep a secret in this town, eh?”
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the concrete kitchen counter. “About as hard as keeping a secret on a boat.”
He chuckled and nodded.
Setting my wine aside, I clasped my hands. “I don’t want to work for Tate ever again. I would have thought you’d known that.”
“I did.”
My eyebrows pinched together. “So why ask him to give me my job back or risk losing the business entirely?”
“So you could have the pleasure of telling him to fuck off.”
Inhaling deeply through my nose, I reveled in the ballooning joy and love that was filling my chest. “Ah,” I said. “And why would that be?”
“I figured that was the best gift I could give a woman who doesn’t need anything.”
“You bought an entire hotel project worth millions just so I could tell someone to stuff it?”
“I wanted him to recognize how talented you were, how much he’d lost, how short-sighted he was, and I wanted him to beg. Did he beg?”
“For him, I think it was begging.” I shrugged, trying to fight the smile that was desperate to break out.
“Some men don’t know how to beg,” he said quietly, rounding the counter top. He stopped when we were face to face. His eyes roamed all over me, leaving sparks in their wake. Taking a
