Branded in Oasis

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Branded in Oasis Page 12

by Clay, Verna


  He blinked and shook his head slightly. He didn't want to have those kinds of feelings for Skye. He wasn't even in her league. She was well traveled, worldly, knowledgeable. He hadn't even known that lavender was grown in Provence, or that Van Gough and Ceyzan had lived in the area. He was just a grease monkey from a small town in Arizona. Reaching to touch Skye's hand, he said, "I'm fine. Just nervous, I guess."

  She visibly relaxed. "Goodness, for a minute I thought you were going to be sick." She turned her palm over and threaded her fingers with his. "I'm right here with you. Just remember, everyone puts their pants on one leg at a time. Don't let these people intimidate you. In fact, I think they'll be more intimidated by you. You're a photographer's dream and a natural in creating whatever mood you're asked to convey."

  They were both surprised when they felt the plane touch down. Skye gave his hand a final squeeze and turned her attention to gathering her purse from under the seat in front of her.

  Given their location on the plane, debarking would be fast and easy. As they stood in the aisle, Kade handed Skye her backpack, slipped his own over his shoulder, and then carried her other case.

  Skye said, "I only checked one suitcase in. How about you?"

  "Just one, too."

  Kade noticed Amy helping another passenger, but she kept glancing at him, as if trying to get his attention. He wondered what was up with that.

  They moved toward the cabin door to debark. Amy and the steward, with the captain and first officer behind them, said pleasant farewells to the passengers. When Kade came abreast of Amy and said a polite goodbye, she reached to shake his hand. He thought that was strange but returned her shake. She slipped a piece of paper into his palm, and when he met her gaze, she gave him a look that spoke volumes. He wanted to shove her note back at her, but doing so might jeopardize her job, and he wasn't the sort of man to do something like that. He removed his gaze from hers and turned away.

  Following Skye through the debarking tunnel, he tucked the note into his pocket and promptly forgot about it.

  Retrieving luggage and going through customs took less than an hour because the airport wasn't huge or overly crowded. Finally, they made it past customs and with their luggage on a baggage trolley, Kade followed Skye through the interior of the airport. She seemed to know where she was going so he didn't question her. As soon as they stepped through the main entrance a young man wearing a charcoal gray chauffeur's uniform and matching cap called from his position beside a sleek black limo, "Are you Monsieur Blackwell and Mademoiselle Rutherford?"

  Kade said, "We are."

  The chauffeur smiled. "I am your driver to Avignon." His English was heavily accented, but understandable.

  Skye said, "Bonjour, Monsieur–" she paused as she glanced at his nametag, "Bellew."

  The man, tall and lean, handsome, and around twenty-five years old, grinned widely, and replied, "Welcome to France. Allow me to load your luggage." He pressed a button on his key fob and the trunk popped open. Although Kade wanted to assist, the cordial young man held one of the rear doors of the limo open and insisted they enter. Kade waited for Skye to duck inside and then followed her in. Monsieur Bellew said, "There is chilled wine, compliments of Monsieur Viceroy awaiting you."

  Kade nodded. "Thank you." He sat across from Skye and saw that she was taking everything in stride, as if she encountered this kind of preferential treatment daily. For Kade, it was excessive and he made a mental note: Excellent reason not to get involved with Skye. She expects this; I don't. It makes me uncomfortable.

  As they left the airport, he turned his attention to the countryside to keep from staring at Skye. She no longer looked tired, she looked radiant, and he had a strong desire to pull her onto his lap.

  The terrain was positively stunning; and so green. Quaint farms dotted rolling terrain and he even spotted crumbling ruins atop a hill. He felt Skye's gaze on him and finally looked at her again.

  "I told you its beautiful," she said with a smile.

  He responded, "It's about as far from the desert as you can get."

  Through the privacy glass separating the chauffeur and his passengers, Kade watched an approaching field out the front window. Leaning past Skye sitting opposite him and facing away from the front, he tapped on the glass. Immediately, it slid down. While he spoke to their driver, Skye turned around.

  Kade said, "Mr. Bellew, would you mind stopping at that lavender field when we reach it so we can take some pictures?"

  "Not at all, sir."

  Skye spotted the field and grinned. "Thank you, Kade."

  Their driver slowed and pulled into a dirt drive alongside the field. Before Kade could tell Mr. Bellew there was no need for him to get out of the car, the attentive chauffeur was outside and opening their door.

  Skye smiled at Kade. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that chauffeurs want to do their job and they're offended when they aren't allowed to." Her smile widened. "So, I guess you should just sit back and enjoy being pampered for a few days."

  He lifted an eyebrow. "Easier said than done."

  Mr. Bellew reached his hand to help Skye from the car. Skye said, "Thank you, Monsieur Bellew." When Kade stood beside her, she clutched his arm. "Ohhhh, this is perfect." She pointed past the lavender field. "And look there's a sunflower field behind the lavender field."

  Mr. Bellew stepped solicitously to the back of the limo. He asked, "Do you need the trunk opened to retrieve your camera?"

  Skye reached into the pocket of her lightweight jacket and pulled out her small camera. "No. This one takes great photos." She glanced at Kade and he could see that she was trying not to laugh. He knew why.

  Glancing at her camera, he smirked, "Do you know how close that camera came to being smashed under the heel of my boot?"

  Raising the culprit so she could frame him in the viewfinder, she retorted, "If you'd smashed this camera, you'd probably still be recovering in a hospital in Phoenix, that's how much I like it." She snapped his photo and gave him a smug look. He laughed and shook his head.

  Turning the camera on the fields she shot several pictures and then showed them to Kade in the viewer. She said excitedly, "This is fantastic! See how the purples and yellows contrast."

  "It is fantastic," he replied. While Skye snapped and squealed after each photo, Kade walked to stand beside the driver. Mr. Bellew said with humor, "She doesn't like taking pictures much, does she?"

  Kade joked, "If you only knew. Be ready to make a getaway when I grab her and toss her in the back. We'll make a run for it before she finds something else to photograph."

  Mr. Bellew chuckled, "I can do that."

  Chapter 28: Sean Connery

  Kade's considerable kindness in asking the driver to stop so Skye could take pictures caused a lump of tenderness to swell in her throat. And what beautiful pictures they were. The best one, however, had been taken by Monsieur Bellew. He'd asked if they wanted a photo together and she'd quickly replied, "Yes!"

  Now, gazing in the viewer at the picture of them both wearing silly grins, she smiled. Monsieur Bellew had also captured the lavender field behind them, and it was magnificent. She turned the camera so Kade could see the picture.

  He said, "I've got to get a copy of that for Shiloh. She'll love it."

  "Why don't I have it printed and framed for her?"

  Kade's eyes, lingering on hers, felt like a caress. "If you want. I'll reimburse the cost."

  Skye glanced away. There was that money thing again. Rather than refuse because this seemed to be a matter of pride with him, she said, "All right. I'll have the picture made as soon as we return to the States." She had no intention of asking him for reimbursement, although she had a feeling he wouldn't forget.

  The remainder of the drive was spent enjoying the scenery. When Kade asked if she wanted him to uncork the champagne, she had visions of the two of them sitting in a romantic restaurant sipping bubbly and speaking intimately to each other. Her thoughts made her blus
h. "Ah, I think I'll pass. But don't let that stop you, if you want some."

  He said, "I think I'll pass too."

  The drive to Avignon didn't take long and soon Skye was caught up in the sights and smells surrounding them. Ringed by an ancient rampart, the city represented thousands of years of history. She pointed to a huge edifice and said, "That's the Palais des Papes, once a medieval fortress that later became a papal palace during the 14th century when Avignon was an enclave of the Vatican. And that bridge is Pont d'Avignon. As you can see it only spans half the Rhone River. The river kept tearing the bridge apart until rebuilding was finally abandoned."

  Kade seemed awed by her short history lesson and she smiled with delight when they entered the interior of the city with its cobblestone streets, outdoor cafes shaded by lovely trees, and quaint boutiques.

  Skye saw Monsieur Bellew reach for his cell phone and make a call and a few minutes later they pulled to the entrance of the La Mirande Hotel.

  As soon as the limo stopped a woman carrying a clipboard exited the entrance and waited while their driver opened their door. When they were both outside the vehicle, he punched the key fob to lift the trunk. Immediately, a bellhop attended to the unloading of their luggage onto a cart.

  The young woman with the clipboard smiled and stepped to greet them. "Welcome, Mr. Blackwell. May I call you Kade?"

  "Yes, please do."

  The very efficient looking lady turned to Skye. "And you are Skye Rutherford. May I call you Skye?"

  "Of course."

  "Good. My name is Mandy Morningstar." She grinned. "And no, it's not a stage name. It's really my name. And you must call me Mandy. I'm one of Mr. Viceroy's assistants and I'll be coordinating the personnel involved in this project." She laughed and said, "I'm also the Meet and Greet person."

  Skye immediately liked Mandy's friendly personality. She seemed perfect for her job. She was also quite lovely with sleek blond hair cut in a fashionable bob, deep chocolate eyes, beautifully arched brows, and a wide smile framing brilliant white teeth of such perfection, Skye wondered if they were veneers.

  Mandy glanced at her clipboard. "Kade, you are in room four on the second floor, and Skye, you are in room seven on the same floor. Actually, we've booked several rooms on that floor for our models and crew members. Avignon is our base camp, so to speak, from which we'll make daily trips to the areas selected by Mr. Livingston, our illustrious clothing designer, and Mr. Ferguson, our photographer."

  She slipped her clipboard to her side. "But enough shop talk. I know you're probably exhausted. Tomorrow at seven we're all gathering for breakfast and a formal Meet and Greet and I'll be going over the week's activities. Questions can be responded to then. As for the remainder of today, nothing has been planned. We suggest that you rest and use room service if you're too tired to eat in the restaurant. All meals at the hotel are covered for anyone involved in the shoot." She glanced apologetically at Skye, "I'm sorry that yours are not, Skye."

  Kade interjected, "I'm taking care of Skye's expenses."

  Mandy nodded and added, "Any meals outside of the hotel are not covered under contract unless we are on location." She beamed a brilliant smile. "Now let's get you two checked in."

  The check-in process was smooth and fast. Mandy said goodbye, and the bellhop led them to Skye's room. Kade tipped him and retrieved his own suitcase. After the door closed, Skye couldn't stop herself from asking, "So, Kade, have you read the note Amy palmed you?"

  He jerked toward her, startled. "How did you know?"

  She laughed, "Let's just say I knew Amy wasn't going to let you get away without effort. I'm also very observant."

  Kade pulled the note from his pocket. "No, I haven't read it." He handed it to her. "You do the honors."

  Berating herself for her curiosity, Skye unfolded the slip of paper, read it, and lifted her eyes to Kade's. She said, "Amy left her phone number and said she'd love to get together with you." She handed the note back to Kade.

  Reaching for the paper, he lifted it to Skye's face and began slowly tearing it up. He said, "I hope you weren't thinking I'd take her up on it."

  His tone and words made her feel like pond scum, and when he turned to leave, she touched his sleeve. He turned back around and glanced down at her.

  Breathless, she said, "I-I'm really sorry. It was none of my business and I let my mouth override my common sense, again."

  He bent his knees until his gaze was level with hers. "Were you jealous?"

  She gasped. "N-no. Of course not."

  He stared into her eyes for a long moment, smiled slightly, and walked to the door. On the way out he suggested she rest and call him on his cell when she was ready to eat.

  When she was alone, Skye flopped across her bed, closed her eyes, berated herself for her stupidity, exhaled, and decided to take a catnap.

  A persistent knocking caused Skye to roll over, but it wasn't enough to rouse her completely. The knocking came again and she forced her eyes open. Still in the grip of a delicious dream starring Kade, she blinked several times. Another knock had her scooting to the edge of the bed.

  "I'm coming," she groaned.

  Dragging herself to her feet she ran her fingers through hair that probably looked like Medusa's at the moment. She opened the door to see Kade leaning against the doorframe. His gaze scanned her hair and then focused on her face. He grinned, "You've been asleep for hours. Aren't you starving? It's almost two o'clock." He gave no indication that he was angry with her.

  Skye's stomach growled loudly. "I think my stomach just answered your question." She stepped aside and waved him into her room. "Have you eaten?"

  "I slipped downstairs to check out the dining room and lobby. There was some fruit for guests, so I ate an apple and banana and brought an apple for you."

  Skye tossed the room service menu at Kade and said, "Order us some lunch. I'll have whatever you're having. I'll save the apple for later." She grabbed her back pack, stepped into the bathroom, and almost shrieked when she saw her hair. It was worse than Medusa's. She decided a quick shower was the only thing that would tame the mess.

  When she exited wearing jogging pants and her favorite "comfy" T-shirt, Kade was lounging in a chair surfing television channels. She fingered her wet curls and asked, "So, what's for lunch?"

  He glanced up and then looked back at the television, which was a French movie with a man and woman kissing.

  He laughed. "About the only word I recognized was ravioli so that's what I ordered."

  * * *

  For Kade, seeing Skye just out of the shower had put sudden images of the two of them engaging in intimate activities racing across his mind. She didn't know it, but her little episode of jealousy had actually put a warm feeling in his heart.

  He stared at the television screen, not really seeing anything, until the actress groaned. He was horrified to realize he was watching an erotic bedroom scene. Grabbing the remote, he clicked to the next channel, which also had an erotic scene. Now he wanted to groan. He clicked again and this time a dog barked and chomped down on a bowl of chunky bits of meat, but then he fumbled the remote and it dropped on the ground. He felt like an ass. Glancing back at Skye, he hoped she didn't realize the reason for his clumsiness. He couldn't believe he was supposed to be a supermodel posing with gorgeous women, and yet he was acting like a teenage boy around the prom queen.

  Skye propped her pillows against her headboard and slid onto her bed. She asked with a grin, "Find anything interesting on TV?"

  "Uh, no." He tossed her the remote. "Here, you give it a whirl."

  Within seconds, they were watching The Hunt for Red October dubbed over in French with English subtitles. She said, "I just love Sean Connery. When he's a hundred years old, he'll still be sexy."

  Kade joked, "So you're into older guys?"

  "I used to be. Maybe still could be."

  He waited for her to elaborate and when she didn't, he asked, "Are you going to explain your last state
ment?"

  Her eyes were smiling when she said, "Older men don't play games, they know what they want, they're forthright, they have experience, and they're interesting."

  Casually, Kade asked, "Ever been involved with one?" He saw hesitancy in her expression, but then she shrugged and replied, "Yes. Once. But it didn't work out. He was a widower and had grown children. He wasn't interested in starting a second family and I wanted children." She glanced away and added, "But that was a long time ago and I've never met anyone else, so I guess I'll never have those children."

  "The man was a fool," Kade said softly.

  Skye jerked her eyes back to his.

  There was a knock on her door.

  She jumped to her feet. "Goodness, I'm famished. Let's eat while I drool over Sean Connery."

  Chapter 29: Meet And Greet

  Skye stretched and yawned, remembering the previous afternoon and evening with Kade. They'd enjoyed lunch, strolled the neighborhood and visited tiny shops, sipped coffee at an outdoor café, and then returned to her room to order dinner from room service. After all that, they'd said goodnight early when jetlag had them both yawning. The day had been wonderful. Well, wonderful after getting past the part where she'd disclosed a former relationship that had nose-dived. If lunch hadn't arrived when it did, she might have opened up and confided how heartbroken she'd been at the age of twenty-four when her lover, a forty-seven year old architect she'd met at one of her grandfather's dinner parties, had told her in no uncertain terms that he wasn't interested in changing diapers or attending PTA meetings. They'd been seeing each other for several months and she'd fallen in love with him, even going so far as to dream of having a family with him. She'd met his two grown children, twin boys in their second year of college, and seen the wonderful relationship between father and sons. She'd thought they were on the same page because how could he expect her to forego having her own family.

 

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