Falcon, please,” she begged him.
Her vulnerability only seemed to excite him more.
“Oh god,” she sighed, as she felt the familiar heat flare between her groin.
But she couldn’t move. She was afraid that Jacques may notice what Falcon was up to. She felt embarrassed and helpless and hot all at the same time. She was taken aback when he slipped a hand inside her shirt, his fingers making direct contact with her rigid nipples.
He shifted slightly so that his body blocked half of hers from sight.
“Pull you pants zipper down,” he whispered.
“What? I can’t,” she protested in a whisper.
“Do it,” he commanded.
This is insane. This is so taboo.
Fondling her that way with Jacques nearby was asking for trouble. Carla did as she was told, trying to make her movement as inconspicuous as possible.
Falcon’s hand slowly made its way down her belly. His palms stroked hot against her skin. She felt his fingers fumble with her panties before placing his fingers inside. Then he made his way down until his middle finger made contact with her clit.
“Oh, sweet Jesus,” she sighed as he began to stroke her slowly.
Carla instantly felt her knees go weak as she leaned back against him.
Falcon never lost stride as he continued to tell her about the history of the different towns they passed below. All the while, his middle finger stroked and caressed her in a slow torture that was driving her insane. It was surreal- his face that showed nothing of the depraved performance his finger was generating in her body. She couldn’t help the impulse to grind, increasing the friction between his finger and her clit.
“Stop moving,” he warned her.
He increased the pressure making her eyes close on their own. She had no control over her body. A soft moan escaped her lips even before she could stop it.
The thought occurred that Jacques probably knew what they were doing. The French were renowned for their libido. He probably didn’t mind that the master of the house and his architect were getting it on. But at this point Carla really didn’t care.
The heat between her legs amplified, making her more wet to the touch. Each stroke of his finger on her clitoris was like being doused with cold heat. It travelled up and down her body making her shiver. It made the hairs at the back of her neck stand on ends. Carla didn’t know how much longer she could take the sweet agony.
Her breathing was ragged and labored as she whispered, “Oh god, Falcon. I think I’m coming.”
She clamped her lips tight so as not to scream. The back of her hand turned white from gripping the edge of the wicker basket. She gasped for breath, like fish out of water.
“Tell me you want me,” Falcon whispered.
“I want you,” Carla replied, her words coming in short gasps.
“Come for me, baby,” Falcon said.
A wild shudder swept her body as she orgasmed. Falcon held her tight as her body shuddered. He gripped her arms to keep her from flailing. Then he released her casually like nothing happened.
Carla, still breathing hard, pulled her zipper up.
She glanced at him, slouched carelessly on the other side. His eyes glinted in triumph. Carla wanted to push him off the balloon to erase the smirk from his face.
Falcon probably read her mind and stayed where he was for the rest of the journey. Carla shot him dagger looks from where she stood.
As Jacques steered the balloon back to Riquewihr, it suddenly occurred to her that what he did was one-sided pleasure. He got nothing out of it except for the teasing look that never left his face. Carla knew he must have been as turned on as she was.
The hot air balloon hovered over his property before coming to landing. Jacques scrambled for the ropes and tethered it before Carla stepped out.
“Jacques, tell the boys to get the rest of the day off,” she ordered.
Falcon raised a brow when she made the announcement.
“Planning on doing nothing for the rest of the day?” He asked.
Carla waited until Jacques was out of earshot.
“You don’t have an idea what I’ll do to you tonight. I’ll fuck you so hard you won’t remember your mama’s name,” Carla threatened.
She heard the sharp intake of breath as Falcon’s eyes dilated. His lids dropped giving her a brooding look as his nostrils flared in anticipation.
“Let’s not wait for tonight then. Let’s go,” he replied dragging her by the hand.
Chapter Ten
Falcon stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He proceeded to enter the bedroom leaving a trail of wet footprints on the floor. It drove Carla crazy each time he did it, but it made him laugh. Often, he would do it on purpose just to irritate her. She would leave his room in a huff and not speak to him for a couple of hours. He loved pissing her off because the make-up sex was always mind blowing.
Carla had taken the jeep earlier with Jacques in tow. She wanted to canvass local materials in the nearby villages.
Falcon missed her when she made those daily excursions. The house felt emptier somehow. Even with the sound of hammers banging and the endless chatter of the men that drifted through the open window, he felt alone.
I don’t have to be, the thought occurred to him.
Their relationship had blossomed along with the progress of the house. Falcon figured in a few more weeks, the house would be ready for completion. It was all thanks to her. Carla was tenacious and hardworking, arguing with the men when she saw the slightest imperfection in the work done. Her team of laborers, carpenters, masons, and painters had learned to comply with her demands because she was always proven correct in the end.
It was that same spirit she brought along in bed with him. Carla was pliant and acceded to his leadings. She would have orgasms that left her limp and wanting more. She gave just as much as she got. Falcon felt all his energy extinguished each time he got off her and plopped exhausted beside her in bed.
He would awake to see her naked body beside him, still lost in a deep sleep, her hair a curtain around her face. A sense of contentment would envelope him. It felt right having her there in his bed.
She caught him staring at her one time as she awoke. “You’re freaking me out,” he remembered her mumbling.
“You’re so beautiful,” he replied, running a finger along the side of her thigh.
“Stop,” she complained. “I’m still exhausted from last night, you animal.”
Just remembering her now gave him a hard-on. Falcon stood to get clothes from the closet when he cellphone rung.
Thinking it was Carla calling, he answered.
It was different voice that went through the line, a voice he recognized.
“Hello Falcon, this is Lindsay. Are you here in New York?”
“No, I’m out of the country. What do you want,” Lindsay? He asked abruptly.
“Hans and I broke up. Things just weren’t working between us. I missed you terribly while I was with him. I’m so lonely Falcon. I’d like to see you again, please.”
A sharp intake of breath followed her announcement. Falcon was momentarily speechless.
Lindsay’s voice filtered yet again. “I’m sorry for breaking up with you. It was the worst decision I ever made,” she confessed.
“You broke up with me because you thought you found someone better. That’s all there is to it,” Falcon replied curtly, then added, “I’m sorry to hear things didn’t work out for you. But I’m with someone else now. I’m sorry.”
There was momentary silence on the other end.
“Who?” Lindsay asked.
Falcon wanted to end the conversation. He didn’t want to spend another minute talking to Lindsay unless it was absolutely necessary. But after two years of being together, he also knew how tenacious she could be when she wanted something. Besides, he didn’t want to keep Carla a secret from anyone, specially Lindsay. And if telling her would send acros
s the message that they were really over, then she had to know who it was.
“I don’t think it’s really any of your business. But if you must know, it’s Carla.”
“Carla?” Falcon heard the shock in her voice.
“Yes, Carla. Actually, she’s here with me in France. I hired her to oversee the construction and renovation of a house I bought.” Falcon hoped the information would confirm that he was over her. He knew the two girls were friends.
A few seconds passed.
“How-how long have you been together?” Lindsay asked.
“Since construction began weeks ago,” Falcon admitted, not that it was any of her business really. “Look Lindsay, we had fun together. But those days are over. I hope you wish me well just as I am hoping you’ll find someone else to be happy with,” Falcon declared firmly.
Lindsay spoke again and Falcon sensed a change. The voice became sharper, meaner somehow. All the meekness was suddenly gone.
“Did Carla mention that we ran into each other in Paris?” Lindsay asked.
“You run into Carla in Paris?” Falcon asked.
He was confused. Carla hadn’t mentioned anything about it. The last time they were there was when he brought her to the Palais Garnier and the Louvre. They were together the whole day. He would never forget that. He always thought of that day as the day their romance began.
“She hasn’t mentioned it?” Lindsay insisted. “She told me she was staying in some cheap hotel somewhere.”
“The last time Carla and I were together in Paris, we stayed at the Athenee,” Falcon informed her.
“See,” Lindsay reacted quickly. “She never mentioned running into me. She lied about staying in some cheap hotel. Don’t you ever wonder what other secrets she might be keeping,” Lindsay insinuated. “Be at the Four Seasons on Saturday. I’ll be there. I’ll tell you all about it.”
The line went dead.
“Shit,” Falcon muttered angrily.
Lindsay was like a dark cloud that rolled in on an otherwise sunny day. An unwanted plant that sprouted in a neat row of grapevines. The one that needed to be pruned and tossed into the fire before she could take over the whole vineyard.
He didn’t want to believe any of her insinuations. Carla would never deliberately lie to him, he knew that. But if what Lindsay claimed was true and they did bump into each other, she merely withheld the information from him. But why? And when did that happen?
He racked his brain remembering the event of that short trip. He couldn’t remember them not being together. The next morning, Carla was in the shower when he woke up and said she wanted to return to Riquewihr. He was surprised. He thought another day in Paris would make her happy. Could she have sneaked out while he was sleeping and run into Lindsay by accident? And why was Carla in such a sudden rush to leave Paris?
Falcon’s mood had turned dark as he stared out the window. He hated it that Lindsay could plant seeds of doubt in his mind. He felt it was a betrayal to Carla. He wanted to erase Lindsay out of his mind and out of their lives.
“To hell with her. She can wait in Paris till the sun freezes over,” Falcon decided even as he resented the seed of doubt that Lindsay planted.
Chapter Eleven
The days leading to that particular weekend were chaotic. There was mix-up in the delivery of the materials the mason needed. The cast stone did not fit the adjacent component and she was very specific about the size of the cut stone.
Carla was not happy with the mason’s suggestion to use grout to cover the small spaces in between. He came in late and the materials have been unloaded when the mistake was discovered.
Carla couldn’t get hold of the merchant to return the materials and instructed Jacques to keep on trying. An hour passed when Jacques arrived with the message that he had no luck either.
“Shit,” Carla muttered.
Minor problems kept cropping up. Ordinarily, she would be unfazed. She realized that the reason she was so stressed was because Falcon had been acting rather strangely. He seemed preoccupied and temperamental. Carla attributed it to work he left behind in New York.
She thought it would help if she suggested that he visit New York over the weekend and catch up with things there. She was taken by surprise at his reaction.
“Are you trying to get rid of me,” Falcon asked angrily.
“No, of course not. I know how much your work means to you and you have been here for weeks.”
“I can’t leave you alone here,” he replied.
“I can manage. Everything is according to schedule. And Jacques is here to help me with whatever I need.”
Falcon snorted. It was clear to Carla that something was bothering him.
“Falcon, is there something wrong?”
Falcon stared for what seemed like eternity. Then he said, “Are you keeping any secrets from me?”
Carla was taken aback. Her heart beat fast. Did he know about the baby? But that was impossible. No one else knew except her. Maybe he was referring to the construction. But he was in on every decision she ever made.
“What-what secret are you talking about?”
“I don’t know. You tell me.” He retorted.
Carla stemmed her irritation. If he was going to attack her it had better be for a good reason.
“If you’re not happy with the work I’m doing, just tell me.” She replied hotly.
Falcon threw his hands up in the air and left the room.
Carla watched him go with mouth agape.
What the fuck was that all about. It was the strangest conversation they ever had.
It didn’t help the situation that he was morose all throughout dinner that night. Carla, wanting to avoid any more confrontation between them, decided to keep to herself. That only made matters worse. By the end of the week, they were hardly speaking to one another.
Friday night, she was tempted to knock on his bedroom door and clear things between them. But pride got in the way. In her heart she knew she didn’t do anything wrong. The whole situation bothered her. She missed Falcon, the old Falcon, not the surly one of the past few days.
It wasn’t surprising that she had a fitful sleep. She was tired and exhausted when dawn came Saturday morning. She vowed to talk to him as she finally drifted to sleep.
She thought she was dreaming when she heard the sound of something familiar. She raised her head groggily and cocked her ear. There it was again. Now she was sure it was a helicopter. She rose unsteadily to her feet and walked to her window. The whole estate was still and quiet.
Falcon’s Black Hawk was normally parked a few kilometers away from the house. But a copse of oak trees was blocking her view from the bedroom. Carla searched for her bedroom slippers and donned a robe before making her way down the hall to his bedroom.
She knocked softly at his door thinking she had imagined the whole thing. She didn’t want to awaken him. She twisted the knob which opened silently. She tiptoed in. If he was still sleeping then she could retreat hastily without waking him.
Falcon’s bedroom was empty.
“Falcon,” she called out, thinking he was in the shower.
The bathroom door was ajar. There was no Falcon inside, just his clothes lying in a heap on the bathroom floor. The floor was wet. Falcon showered before he left. She ran to the window knowing the chopper was visible from there. Her heart was beating abnormally fast as she sighted the chopper hover and take off in the other direction.
He must have left in a hurry because some of his clothes were in disarray. Cabinet drawers were left opened.
Carla sat at the foot of the bed.
Where was he going? He only brings the chopper on trips where he wanted to save time. Trips like going to Paris. But why didn’t he let me know he was going there?
He must still be upset over something, Carla thought. The thought was painful. New York seemed so far away. But if it helped, then she would bear the brunt of missing him.
It still bothered her that
he didn’t tell her his plans. It was unlike him. But she hoped that whatever it was that made him leave without informing her, would be resolved. She didn’t know how much longer of the silence she could take.
She was glad it was a Saturday and the workers were off for the weekend.
“I can catch up on my sleep,” she mused.
Besides, if she was up, then she would be counting the hours or keeping an eye for the chopper announcing his return. She hated waiting. Passed out in bed would be the best thing to do.
She was about to leave when the familiar sound of Falcon’s ringtone reached her ear. She looked around the room wondering if it was her imagination playing tricks. Then she spotted his mobile phone on the bedside table.
“Surely, he’ll fly back to get it.” Falcon was lost without his cellphone. She went to retrieve it.
The screen flashed with a notification message. She read it and her heart stopped.
“I’ll be at the lobby of the Athenee waiting for you.” The sender was Lindsay.
Carla couldn’t breathe. “No!” She wailed loudly. Her heart pounded like jackhammer inside her chest. It seemed the room was closing in on her and she was beginning to suffocate. She didn’t want to look at the message again. Maybe if she didn’t, then it would disappear.
And yet, she couldn’t resist the urge. It was damning enough that there was no other choice except to read it again. With hands that felt stiff, she was almost afraid to glance at the screen. She had to physically force herself to look down and read it. At that moment she would have gladly exchanged the reality of Falcon’s room with any of her worst nightmares.
Various emotions whirled chaotic inside her head. Shock, disbelief, hurt, anger…each was like a punch in the gut. Suddenly everything fell into place. It was as clear as the sun rising in the east.
Things didn’t work out with Lindsay and Hans. Carla didn’t know the reasons why and she didn’t really care. Lindsay made contact with Falcon, just like she planned. Going back to him was her backup plan. She mentioned it casually that day in the apartment.
Scent of Desire : A Parisian Exotica: An Ultra Luxury Billionaire Romance Page 7