Miss White and the Seventh Heir

by Jennifer Faye

  As she continued to stare at the château, she wondered about Trey. She craved to know more about him. Who were these friends? Did he have lots of friends? Did he travel overseas often? The questions were endless. Every day there was something new that she wanted to know about him, but she kept stuffing the questions down. It was better if they didn’t get to know each other that well—at least, that’s what she kept telling herself.

  She’d gotten so lost in her thoughts that Trey had time to round the car and open her door for her. She stepped out, glancing around at her new surroundings when a new worry came to her.

  “Are you sure your friends won’t be upset about you bringing me here without checking with them first?”

  He shook his head. “Trust me.”

  She wanted to trust him. And that surprised her. It’d been a long time since she’d felt that way toward a man.

  Trey led the way to the front door. As she followed, a dreadful thought came to mind. Sage swallowed hard and tried to push off the troubling thought. But it wouldn’t leave her in peace.

  The question that had hovered at the back of her throat refused to be smothered. “Is this your girlfriend’s home?”

  There was a distinct pause. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

  It shouldn’t have mattered to her, but there was a great sense of relief in his answer. “Your friend must trust you a lot. This place...it’s magnificent from the outside. I can’t imagine what the inside must be like.”

  He didn’t say anything as he opened the door and stood aside for her to enter. She stared in awe. This place was more than magnificent. It was jaw-dropping, mouth-gaping striking. The foyer was spacious with a gleaming tile floor and stone walls that rose high above her head, forming a dome with a crystal chandelier suspended in the center.

  She turned to say something to Trey, but he had stepped back outside to retrieve their luggage from the car. She went out to help.

  Trey frowned when he saw her in the rain. “What are you doing out here? You’re going to get soaked.”

  The rain had picked up since they’d arrived just moments ago. But that wasn’t enough to deter her. She wasn’t used to anyone waiting on her. Since her father died, she’d been the one waiting on people—till she took on the managing editor job at QTR. But it was all still so new to her.

  It was raining too much to argue. Soon they both had the luggage inside the château. Thankfully she’d packed for all occasions and had a raincoat. She slipped it off and looked around for a place to put it. She couldn’t imagine ruining anything in the fancy house that looked more like a museum.

  It reminded her of her childhood home in a way. It, too, had been impressive, but her parents had decorated it in a way that was beautiful but comfortable. This château was more a showplace than a home.

  She turned to Trey. His face was pale and etched with deep lines that bracketed his eyes and mouth. It was like he’d aged ten years since they’d arrived. What had caused such a reaction?

  “Here.” Trey held out his hand for her coat. “I’ll take it.”

  He promptly slung it over a chair in the corner. Then he added his coat.

  “You can’t do that.” She rushed over to the chair to retrieve her coat.

  “Why not? I’ll hang them up tomorrow when they’re dry.”

  “But the chair—”

  “Is fine.” He sent her a puzzled look. “Why are you so worried about a chair?”

  “Because this place—it’s like a museum. I don’t want to ruin anything and have your friends upset with you.” And then she decided to state the obvious. “I can see how worried you are. It’s written all over your face.”

  “There’s nothing you can do to this place that will cause a problem. Just relax.” He moved to the bottom of the sweeping staircase. “Would you like something to eat? Or should we call it a night?”

  The meal on the plane hadn’t been much and it had been a while ago, but right now exhaustion was winning. “How about we sleep and then eat?”

  “Works for me.” He headed up the grand staircase. “There are a lot of bedrooms. You can have your pick as we’re the only ones staying here.”

  “This is an awfully big place just for the two of us.”

  Maybe staying here wouldn’t be so bad. There would be plenty of space and they wouldn’t end up on top of each other. And then realizing her wording could be construed in an intimate way, she inwardly groaned. Thankfully she hadn’t vocalized her thoughts.

  “Is something wrong?” Trey gave her a strange look.

  She shook her head. “I’m just tired.”

  Walking up the flight of steps took considerable effort. She stifled a yawn. She really needed some sleep. She’d be able to think more clearly in the morning. Her head hung low. Right now, she just had to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other.

  At the landing, she bumped right into Trey. Only an inch or two apart, she lifted her head. His brown eyes searched hers. Her heart slammed into her throat, blocking her next breath. If she were to lift up on tiptoes and he were to lower his head, their lips would meet. And at long last, she would know if his kisses were as hot as she imagined.

  After all, this was the French Riviera. She couldn’t think of a more romantic spot on earth to give in to her fantasy. The pounding of her heart drowned out all of the reasons that this was a bad idea. Maybe Louise was right. Maybe she needed more in her life than work.

  And then Trey turned away. He cleared his throat. “There are four rooms to the left and four rooms to your right. Pick whichever one suits you.”

  “Are you sure? I mean, I don’t want to be a bother.”

  Trey didn’t say anything for a moment as though he were lost in his thoughts.

  “Trey, what is it?”

  He shook his head. “Nothing that can’t wait until the morning.”

  “Are you sure?”

  He sent her a smile and nodded.

  She started down the wide hallway and stepped in the first bedroom. It was decorated in reds and whites. A large bed sat in the middle of the room with a white comforter and matching pillows. She moved to the bed and sat down. She immediately sunk into the mattress. Wow. Talk about a soft mattress. Not exactly her idea of comfort.

  The next room held black and white decor with a red accent. The room was beautiful, but the bed was the exact opposite of the other room. When she sat on the edge, the mattress barely moved.

  She caught the amusement in Trey’s eyes as she made her way through the rooms.

  “Are you just going to follow me around and smile?” She frowned at him.

  “I’m just wondering if any of the rooms are going to be up to your standard.”

  “I’m not normally a picky person.”

  He nodded, but his eyes said that he didn’t believe her.

  “I’m not,” she insisted as she entered the last bedroom.

  She came to a sudden halt. This room was different from the others. There was no striking decor. No fancy pillows or remarkable paintings on the walls. This room, for the lack of a better word, was plain. While one wall was brick like much of the house, the other walls were a smooth plaster in a warm cream color. And the artwork on the walls were photos of different French landscapes.

  A large oriental rug stretched out over the hardwood floor and extended under the king-size bed. The bed faced a set of French doors that were slightly ajar, letting in the fresh sea air. And overhead were exposed beams running the length of the ceiling. She never would have put this room in the same group as the others as its atmosphere was so different—so relaxed.

  But the telling sign was in the mattress. She walked over to the bed and sat down. It wasn’t too soft or too hard. It was perfect.

  She smiled. “This is it.”

  Trey’s brow arched. “Are you sure? This ro
om isn’t as nice as the other ones.”

  “That’s one of the things I like about it. And the bed is perfect.” Then realizing that he might have been planning to stay here, she said, “Unless you were planning to sleep here.”

  “No.” He said it rather quickly. “I’ll just grab your things.”

  “I can get them.”

  He shook his head. “Tonight you’re my guest.”

  She was so tired that she didn’t have the energy to argue with him. If he was that anxious to carry all her suitcases upstairs, more power to him.

  In the meantime, she’d just lean back on the bed and rest for a moment. It had been such a long, long day or was it two days now? She wasn’t sure with the long layovers and the time change.

  Maybe she’d just close her eyes for a moment...

  * * *

  Of all the bedrooms, why did she have to pick that one?

  Trey frowned as he struggled to get all five of her suitcases up the stairs. The woman really needed to learn how to pack lighter. He didn’t think he owned enough clothes to fill five suitcases. Okay, so maybe they were planning to be here for two weeks, but there was such a thing as a laundry machine.

  At the top of the steps, he paused. It was a good thing he exercised daily. He rolled the cases back along the hallway to the very familiar bedroom. The door was still ajar.

  “Sage, it’s just me.” He would have knocked but his hands were full trying to keep a hold on all the luggage.

  There was no response. Maybe she’d decided to explore the rest of the house. Or perhaps she was standing out on the balcony. It was one of his favorite spots to clear his head.

  But two steps into the room, he stopped.

  There was Sage stretched across his bed. Her long dark hair was splayed across the comforter. He knew he shouldn’t stare, but he couldn’t help himself. She was so beautiful. And the look on her face as she was sleeping was one of utter peace. It was a look he’d never noticed during her wakeful hours. If you knew her, you could see something was always weighing on her mind. And he’d hazard a guess that it went much deeper than the trouble with the magazine.

  Though he hated to admit it, he was impressed with the new format that she’d rolled out for the magazine. Instead of it being a trashy rag, it now had integrity and, at times, it was a platform to promote social change for the positive.

  But he wasn’t ready to back down on his campaign to close the magazine’s doors. None of it changed the fact that to hurt his father in the same manner that he’d hurt him, the magazine had to go. It had been Trey’s objective for so many years. He never thought he’d be in a position to make it happen—but now as the new CEO of QTR International, he was in the perfect position to make his father understand in some small way the pain his absence had inflicted on him.

  Trey’s thoughts returned to the gorgeous woman lying on his bed sound asleep. She was the innocent party—the bystander who would get hurt—and he had no idea how to protect her. The only thing he did know was that the longer he kept up this pretense of being her assistant instead of the heir to the QTR empire—the worse it was going to be when the truth finally won out—and it would. The truth always came to light—sometimes at the most inopportune times.

  The burden of his secret weighed heavy on his shoulders. He moved quietly in the room, placing the luggage in the corner. And then he turned back to Sage. It’d been a long time since he’d had a woman in his bed. And this time he wouldn’t even have the pleasure of joining her.

  Although, there was no way she could sleep in that position with her feet dangling off the edge of the bed with her high heels still on. Should he wake her? He glanced at her face. She looked so contented.

  He moved quietly across the floor. He knelt down next to her. His hand wrapped around her calf, enjoying the smoothness of her skin. And then realizing he was letting himself get distracted, he slipped off one shoe. She never missed a slow, steady breath. He then repeated the same process with the other leg.

  Somehow he had to get her legs on the bed without waking her. Apparently she was more wiped out than he’d imagined. As he settled her comfortably on the bed, all she did was roll away from him. Her summer dress rode high up on her creamy thigh and suddenly his mouth went dry.

  Turn away. Forget it. She’s off-limits.

  His mind said all the right things, but the rest of him was tempted to wake her—to see if she was as attracted to him as he was to her. The devil and angel played advocates in his mind. After all, she didn’t know who he really was. But it wouldn’t be right to start things under a false premise, no matter how casual it might be.

  He draped the soft fabric of the bedspread over her. And then he noticed that a few strands of hair had strayed across her face. He should just leave her be, but his fingers tingled with temptation. He reached out and ever so gently swept the hair back. And then he turned and headed for the door.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  SAGE AWOKE SLOWLY.

  She was warm but not too warm. And the bed was soft but not too soft.

  And best of all, she was wrapped in very strong, capable arms. She opened her eyes and gazed into coffee-brown eyes. Her heart fluttered in her chest. She didn’t know that she could be this happy.

  Trey smiled at her as his fingers stroked her cheek. His thumb traced over her bottom lip, sending a bolt of desire through her core. The truth was that she’d never get enough of him. Trey was everything she’d ever dreamed about—and more.

  Her hand reached out to him. Her palm pressed against his bare chest. She could feel his heart. It was still pounding with need. Her fingers inched up his muscled chest until her hand wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

  As she scooted closer to him to press her lips to his, he disappeared. Her hand landed on the empty spot in the bed. Where had he gone? Her gaze searched the room but it was empty. Once again she was all alone.

  “Trey! Trey!”

  The next thing she knew she was being jostled. “Sage, wake up. It’s a dream.”

  Her eyes blinked open. “Trey?”

  “Yeah. It’s me.” He sent her a reassuring smile. “It was just a nightmare. Do you remember what it was about?”

  She remembered every delicious detail and it was certainly no nightmare. And she also remembered that, in the end, he’d left her. Just like the other people in her life.

  She shook her head. “It’s a blur.” She glanced down, finding herself still dressed in the clothes from yesterday. “It looks like I fell asleep on you last night.” And then she realized how that sounded as heat rushed to her cheeks. “I, uh, must have been more tired than I thought.”

  “No problem.”

  Her gaze moved to the man who starred in her very hot dream. Her face grew warmer. Why did Trey have to be the man of her dreams? Now how was she supposed to act professional around him knowing she secretly desired him?

  Don’t make a big deal of it. He can’t read your thoughts. Just act normal.

  She took in his smart-looking suit. “It looks like you’re all ready to face the day.”

  “I’ve been up for a while.” A serious expression came over his face. “Sage, we need to talk.”

  Oh, no. What exactly had she said in her sleep? She didn’t want to know. Nope. Not at all.

  She scrambled to climb out of the other side of the bed. “Sorry I’m running late. Just let me grab a quick shower and I’ll be ready to go.”

  “You don’t have to rush—”

  “Sure, I do.” She moved to her suitcases, which were waiting for her in the corner of the room. “We have to get our badges.”

  “We have all day.”

  “It can be a long wait since they have to take our photo. Besides, this is a good day to catch some people before they get caught up in the movie premieres and the parties.”

&nbs
p; He arched a brow. “How would you know?”

  She shrugged. “I attended the festival with my father. It was a long time ago, but I still remember parts of it. And one of those memories was waiting in line at the Accreditation Centre. I take it you’ve never attended?”

  He hesitated. “I’ve attended the festival.”

  “Then you should know we have a lot to do today.”

  “If you say so.” Trey moved to the door. “I’ll get us some breakfast.”

  “Just coffee for me.”

  “You need more than that since we’ll be walking to the festival.” When she sent him a surprised look, he added, “A lot of the roads will be closed. Walking will be our fastest option.”

  “Okay. I’ll be down in a few minutes.” If she could just get them away from this very cozy setting and into the public, things would smooth out. And hopefully Trey would forget about her calling out his name and whatever else she’d said in her sleep.

  “We’ll see about that.”

  Before she could say another word, the door snicked shut. Alone again. She sighed. She looked at all of her luggage. Perhaps she had brought a lot of clothes but she knew she had to dress smartly. So her roommates had loaned her a few dresses, creating an extensive, all-event wardrobe.

  Her and her two roommates routinely shared clothes. On a tight budget, it made clothes go a lot further. But if she could keep QTR on its upward swing, her finances wouldn’t be quite so strained. Of course, her latest private investigator looking into her stepmother was taking a large bite out of each paycheck. She’d instructed him to look under every rock until he found what Elsa was hiding.

  Sage placed a suitcase on the large bed and opened it. With her arm full of dresses, she moved to the wall of closets and found half of them filled with men’s clothes. It must be the owner’s. Thankfully there was enough room for her things.

  Not wanting to keep Trey waiting much longer, she didn’t bother with the other suitcases. They could be dealt with later.

  * * *

  He never expected to hear Sage calling out his name in her sleep.