Chapter Fifty-Four
I became slowly aware of daylight behind my eyelids and the tickle of small finger pads walking slowly up my arm. The bitter and delicious aroma of coffee hit me next. Then the sound of a soft rustle of paper turning over as if someone was reading the paper.
Then a whisper. “When will she wake, Papa?”
“Dauphine, let her sleep.” Xavier’s low voice came from behind me. I was still in his bed. Oh my God, and Dauphine had found me here!
I inhaled sharply. I’d slept so deeply it was an effort to open my eyes. They focused slowly on Dauphine’s face not three inches from mine and bearing a huge smile.
It was impossible not to return that smile, even if my body felt boneless and heavy like a sack of potatoes.
“Dauphine, leave her.”
“She’s awake.” She clapped her hands together. Then she leaned closer and whispered to me. “You fell asleep in Papa’s bed.”
“Mmm,” I managed, then stiffened. Was I naked? Was I covered? I took stock and concluded that though my arm and one foot was exposed, the rest of me was warm. I rolled onto my back, careful not to dislodge my modesty and turning my head to see the other side of the bed. Xavier, shirtless in just his jeans, leaned up against the headboard, a newspaper open and hiding his head. He folded a side down and peered at me, his blue eyes ringed with a pair of black reading glasses.
“Bonjour, you are awake.” He gave a small smile.
“And you wear glasses?”
“I don’t like to travel with my contacts.” He lifted a shoulder.
“I didn’t even know you wore contacts.”
“Is it going to be a problem?”
“God, no, you look inc—” I bit my lip, glancing toward Dauphine who was watching my every move and word. “Um. You look lovely.” I cleared my throat. “Very distinguished. Hot and nerdy. Um, it, ah, does it for me.”
He smirked. “Is that right?”
I nodded. “You should, you know, wear them a lot.” I bit my lip.
He inhaled noisily.
“Papa. Now that Josie is awake, what about the plan—”
“Dauphine.” He dragged his eyes from mine. “Not now.”
“What plan?” I looked back to Dauphine.
She scrunched up her face and worked her lips between her teeth, like she was busting with a secret she was dying to share. “Are you hungry?” I asked, taking pity on her misery and trying to distract her. I’d have to ask Xavier what that was about later. “I’m starving.” On cue, my belly growled.
“We have been up since very early,” she said. “It is lunchtime already in France. But we saved a little bit for you, in case you were hungry. But just a little bit because we have a plan today to—”
“Dauphine, why don’t you go down and make sure everything is ready for Josie,” her father said. “We will come down in two minutes.”
She gave a long sigh and nodded and stomped down the stairs.
“Hey, I wanted to ask you. Last night, when we were …”
“Making love?”
“Yeah. You said your heart started beating again when you met me, and then you said even before I knew. What did you mean?”
“You were able to have a coherent thought during that? I must not have been doing a very good job.”
My cheeks heated. “Trust me. You did a great, great job.”
He preened, and then folded the paper away and took off his glasses, more was the pity. “The day I called Tabitha—the day you quit your job—I was on screen. Tabitha had stepped away for a moment, but you came home, crazy, mad, spitting fire and throwing your high heels. Undressing. Seeing you … it was like someone suddenly plugged me in. And then you arrived, and we met. And I … I fought it. I fought it so hard, but I was drawn to everything about you. Your spirit. The way you were with Dauphine. The way you could make me laugh at something absurd. Even the way you knew how seeing my father affected me. I wanted to share everything with you. It was terrifying and addictive. And I know I was harsh sometimes. Pretending you didn’t affect me. Making sure you couldn’t see how much.”
“Oh, Xavier. And here I thought you hated me half the time.”
“No. Hated the way you made me feel like I could lose control. I pride myself on my control in every arena. And then suddenly it all meant nothing.”
Xavier folded the paper away, and then scooped his linen button down off the floor and held it out to me.
Holding the sheet to my chest, I sat up and took it gratefully. “Thank you.”
“Pleasure will be all mine, I can assure you. Come on. Dauphine waits.” He chuckled then leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss to my forehead before jogging down the stairs. To my left, my jeans, shirt, underwear, and purse were all neatly on a chair.
I saw what he meant two seconds later when I went to the bathroom and saw that you could see my nipples through the shirt. I shook my head and took it off. After a quick rinse, I slipped on my bra before buttoning up the shirt again and then pulling my jeans on. I opened a small hotel toothbrush and toothpaste package. I wondered when Xavier and I were going to talk about our relationship. It was one thing admitting you loved each other and having amazing sex, but logistically what did that mean? Was there any permanence in that? I wanted to be with him, but there was no way I could see him living here anymore than I could see myself living in the South of France—
I spat the toothpaste out and rinsed my
