[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
consultation about the wine I chose. It's white, dry, French and very
expensive, so I hope it will do.'
'If I drink it with you, Portia, it will taste like nectar whatever it is,' he
assured her, and accepted the glass she filled for him. 'To us.'
'To us,' she echoed.
Luc drank some of the wine, then frowned suddenly and went over to the
phone 'I have solved the mystery, Portia. The receiver is not in place.'
She stared at the phone, then at Luc, her eyes full of remorse. 'What a fool I
am! I could have saved myself a very bad couple of hours if I'd thought to
check.'
He frowned. 'I also tried your cellphone, Portia, but with no success. By this
time I was insane with worry, certain something was wrong.'
Portia ran to her bedroom for the large handbag she used for work, and
rummaged through it, then rejoined Luc, her colour high. 'I must have left it
in the office. I was in such a hurry to get home tonight.'
'Why, cherie?' he said caressingly. He put down his glass and held out his
arms. 'Were you as eager to see me as I am to see you, by any chance? Come.
Kiss me to make up for all the anguish you caused me.'
Later, when they'd eaten the dinner Luc pronounced delicious, and drunk the
wine she'd paid such a scandalous price for, he rose from the table and held
out his hand to her.
'I am tired,' said Luc, his eyes locked with hers.
'Then perhaps you should go to bed,' she said unevenly.
'You must be tired also?'
'Yes. A little.' Which was a lie. Portia had never felt less tired in her life.
'First, I would like to shower,' he informed her.
'Right. You do that while I clear up.'
Portia made herself take her time over washing dishes and putting them
away. She was certain Luc would want to take her to bed the moment he
emerged from the bathroom, but no way could she bring herself to undress in
readiness. Which, she discovered, was just as well, because when Luc
rejoined her his hair was damp from the shower, and he'd shaved, but though
his long, narrow feet were bare, he was wearing black needlecord trousers
and a fresh shirt. She smiled at him, secretly deeply grateful. Much as she
wanted him to make love to her the feeling was still new enough to need
tenderness and care.'Now,' he said, holding out his hand. 'Come and sit with
me on your sofa and tell me about your week.'
Portia curled up against him as he drew her close. 'Part of me was just
marking time, waiting for this. The other part was out selling houses as
usual.'
Luc ran a caressing hand through her hair, winding gleaming strands of it
round his fingers. 'It was the same for me, Portia.' He laughed a little. 'I am
like a schoolboy with a crush. I could not sleep. After the magical night
together in your bed my own was cold and lonely.' He paused. 'Though do
not jump to conclusions, cherie. It is not just our bed I want to share, but
your life. One day because I know I must proceed very carefully with
you I want us to be together all the time.'
Portia lay very still. All the time? She raised her head to look at him. 'I think
we should get to know each other better before we think of anything '
'Permanent?'
'If that's what you mean, yes.'
'What else would I mean? A love affair for a while, then adieu, and on to
pastures new?' He frowned at her, his eyes suddenly cold. 'Or is that your
preference, Portia?'
She detached herself and moved away, to curl up in the other corner of the
sofa. 'My preference,' she repeated quietly, 'is to take things one step at a
time.'
Luc thrust a hand through his damp hair, his eyes narrowed. 'You mean you
dislike the idea of a permanent relationship?'
'I didn't say that. I just consider it sensible to know each other better
before '
'Sensible!' he said with scorn. 'What man in love wants to be sensible? I am
crazily in love with you, Portia but it is very obvious that you do not return
my feelings.'
She looked down at her tightly clasped hands. 'Actually, I do,' she said
inaudibly.
Luc moved along the sofa and caught her by the shoulders. 'Say that again,'
he demanded.
Portia took in a deep, unsteady breath, and looked him in the eye. 'If I didn't
have feelings for you, Luc Brissac, last weekend would have been very
different.'
'You mean you would not have made love with me?'
She nodded.
'So your emotions must be involved before you give yourself to a man?'
'Presumably.'
He scowled and shook her slightly. 'Presumably? What kind of word is that?'
'The kind,' she said tartly, 'that you use when the situation has never
occurred before.'
Luc's hands relaxed a little. 'What are you saying, Portia? Perhaps my grasp
of the English language is not as good as I imagine. Explain.'
She sighed impatiently. 'I'm trying to. I was actually thinking of marrying
the boyfriend I had in college, but it didn't work out. And then my mother
died, and my life changed a lot, and since Tim I've never had the slightest
inclination for anything more than the odd kiss or two.' She gave him a wry
little smile. 'Then I met you, and fell in love for the very first time.'
Luc pulled her onto his lap and kissed her fiercely. 'Why could you not say
that before? A man needs to know that his feelings are reciprocated.'
'It comes easier for you,' she muttered.
'Is that what you think?'
'You told me you were in and out of love all the time when you were young,'
she reminded him.
'But I am not so young now. And it is a long, long time since I have been in
love. And never before like this. Do you believe that, Portia?' he added very
quietly.
'I want to believe you,' she said honestly.
He stood up and set her on her feet, if you are not sure it is obvious I must
find a way to convince you. I want you so much, Portia. I longed for you
every minute we were apart.'
it was the same for me too,' she assured him, and reached up to kiss him.
'Last time that was enough to start the fire,' she whispered.
'This time also,' he said hoarsely, and took her by the hand. 'I will not carry
you to bed, because I wish to save my energies for better things.'
'Better things?' she queried, dancing away from him.
'The very best in life!'
CHAPTER TEN
ALL too soon the demands of their professional lives interrupted the
weekend idylls. A fortnight later Luc rang to say he was urgently required in
Provence to cinch the deal on the property the owner was now willing to sell
at a more realistic price.
'This week my diary is full, so I must go at the weekend. Fly to Paris on
Friday and drive down to Provence with me, cherie.'
'Oh, Luc, I'd just love to, but I can't this weekend,' said Portia, anguished, it's
my stint on standby. Ben's taken over for me twice lately. I can't ask him
again.'
'You mean it is two weeks before we can be together again?' he said,
incensed. 'This is impossible, Portia. I cannot exist like this.'
She went cold. 'You mean you want to end it?'
'No, I do not!' There was a sudden silence, 'Is that what you want?' he said
very carefully.
'No!'
'Bien, because I meant,' he said with passion, 'that I want more of you, not
less, you maddening woman.'
Portia let out the breath she'd been holding. 'I want it too,' she said sedately. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
consultation about the wine I chose. It's white, dry, French and very
expensive, so I hope it will do.'
'If I drink it with you, Portia, it will taste like nectar whatever it is,' he
assured her, and accepted the glass she filled for him. 'To us.'
'To us,' she echoed.
Luc drank some of the wine, then frowned suddenly and went over to the
phone 'I have solved the mystery, Portia. The receiver is not in place.'
She stared at the phone, then at Luc, her eyes full of remorse. 'What a fool I
am! I could have saved myself a very bad couple of hours if I'd thought to
check.'
He frowned. 'I also tried your cellphone, Portia, but with no success. By this
time I was insane with worry, certain something was wrong.'
Portia ran to her bedroom for the large handbag she used for work, and
rummaged through it, then rejoined Luc, her colour high. 'I must have left it
in the office. I was in such a hurry to get home tonight.'
'Why, cherie?' he said caressingly. He put down his glass and held out his
arms. 'Were you as eager to see me as I am to see you, by any chance? Come.
Kiss me to make up for all the anguish you caused me.'
Later, when they'd eaten the dinner Luc pronounced delicious, and drunk the
wine she'd paid such a scandalous price for, he rose from the table and held
out his hand to her.
'I am tired,' said Luc, his eyes locked with hers.
'Then perhaps you should go to bed,' she said unevenly.
'You must be tired also?'
'Yes. A little.' Which was a lie. Portia had never felt less tired in her life.
'First, I would like to shower,' he informed her.
'Right. You do that while I clear up.'
Portia made herself take her time over washing dishes and putting them
away. She was certain Luc would want to take her to bed the moment he
emerged from the bathroom, but no way could she bring herself to undress in
readiness. Which, she discovered, was just as well, because when Luc
rejoined her his hair was damp from the shower, and he'd shaved, but though
his long, narrow feet were bare, he was wearing black needlecord trousers
and a fresh shirt. She smiled at him, secretly deeply grateful. Much as she
wanted him to make love to her the feeling was still new enough to need
tenderness and care.'Now,' he said, holding out his hand. 'Come and sit with
me on your sofa and tell me about your week.'
Portia curled up against him as he drew her close. 'Part of me was just
marking time, waiting for this. The other part was out selling houses as
usual.'
Luc ran a caressing hand through her hair, winding gleaming strands of it
round his fingers. 'It was the same for me, Portia.' He laughed a little. 'I am
like a schoolboy with a crush. I could not sleep. After the magical night
together in your bed my own was cold and lonely.' He paused. 'Though do
not jump to conclusions, cherie. It is not just our bed I want to share, but
your life. One day because I know I must proceed very carefully with
you I want us to be together all the time.'
Portia lay very still. All the time? She raised her head to look at him. 'I think
we should get to know each other better before we think of anything '
'Permanent?'
'If that's what you mean, yes.'
'What else would I mean? A love affair for a while, then adieu, and on to
pastures new?' He frowned at her, his eyes suddenly cold. 'Or is that your
preference, Portia?'
She detached herself and moved away, to curl up in the other corner of the
sofa. 'My preference,' she repeated quietly, 'is to take things one step at a
time.'
Luc thrust a hand through his damp hair, his eyes narrowed. 'You mean you
dislike the idea of a permanent relationship?'
'I didn't say that. I just consider it sensible to know each other better
before '
'Sensible!' he said with scorn. 'What man in love wants to be sensible? I am
crazily in love with you, Portia but it is very obvious that you do not return
my feelings.'
She looked down at her tightly clasped hands. 'Actually, I do,' she said
inaudibly.
Luc moved along the sofa and caught her by the shoulders. 'Say that again,'
he demanded.
Portia took in a deep, unsteady breath, and looked him in the eye. 'If I didn't
have feelings for you, Luc Brissac, last weekend would have been very
different.'
'You mean you would not have made love with me?'
She nodded.
'So your emotions must be involved before you give yourself to a man?'
'Presumably.'
He scowled and shook her slightly. 'Presumably? What kind of word is that?'
'The kind,' she said tartly, 'that you use when the situation has never
occurred before.'
Luc's hands relaxed a little. 'What are you saying, Portia? Perhaps my grasp
of the English language is not as good as I imagine. Explain.'
She sighed impatiently. 'I'm trying to. I was actually thinking of marrying
the boyfriend I had in college, but it didn't work out. And then my mother
died, and my life changed a lot, and since Tim I've never had the slightest
inclination for anything more than the odd kiss or two.' She gave him a wry
little smile. 'Then I met you, and fell in love for the very first time.'
Luc pulled her onto his lap and kissed her fiercely. 'Why could you not say
that before? A man needs to know that his feelings are reciprocated.'
'It comes easier for you,' she muttered.
'Is that what you think?'
'You told me you were in and out of love all the time when you were young,'
she reminded him.
'But I am not so young now. And it is a long, long time since I have been in
love. And never before like this. Do you believe that, Portia?' he added very
quietly.
'I want to believe you,' she said honestly.
He stood up and set her on her feet, if you are not sure it is obvious I must
find a way to convince you. I want you so much, Portia. I longed for you
every minute we were apart.'
it was the same for me too,' she assured him, and reached up to kiss him.
'Last time that was enough to start the fire,' she whispered.
'This time also,' he said hoarsely, and took her by the hand. 'I will not carry
you to bed, because I wish to save my energies for better things.'
'Better things?' she queried, dancing away from him.
'The very best in life!'
CHAPTER TEN
ALL too soon the demands of their professional lives interrupted the
weekend idylls. A fortnight later Luc rang to say he was urgently required in
Provence to cinch the deal on the property the owner was now willing to sell
at a more realistic price.
'This week my diary is full, so I must go at the weekend. Fly to Paris on
Friday and drive down to Provence with me, cherie.'
'Oh, Luc, I'd just love to, but I can't this weekend,' said Portia, anguished, it's
my stint on standby. Ben's taken over for me twice lately. I can't ask him
again.'
'You mean it is two weeks before we can be together again?' he said,
incensed. 'This is impossible, Portia. I cannot exist like this.'
She went cold. 'You mean you want to end it?'
'No, I do not!' There was a sudden silence, 'Is that what you want?' he said
very carefully.
'No!'
'Bien, because I meant,' he said with passion, 'that I want more of you, not
less, you maddening woman.'
Portia let out the breath she'd been holding. 'I want it too,' she said sedately. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]