“Come in and meet dad. He’s anxious to meet you.”
They entered the reception room where two people sat close together on the sofa. Both rose as he drew her forward. “Eva, this is my father, Henri, and his fiancée, Jayne Dwyer.”
Henri took her hand, kissed it and bowed. “Enchanté, Eva. It’s about time this rogue of mine found a good woman and—”
“Suffis, papa. Ne parle plus de ça.”
Her French was excellent and she understood the sharp request but what did Luc not want his father saying? Henri stiffened. Father and son locked gazes and an unspoken message passed between them. A muscle jerked in Henri’s jaw before he turned back to her and smiled gently. “I am pleased to meet you, ma belle. Welcome to paradise.”
He released her hand and slipped his arm around his fiancée’s waist. “And this other beautiful woman has, for her sins, agreed to be my wife.”
Jayne’s brown hair was pinned into a graceful chignon and her blue eyes sparkled in a face that became pretty when she smiled up at Henri. A solitaire engagement ring sparkled on her finger as Jayne extended both hands to Eva. “It is lovely to meet you. How lucky you are to live in such a beautiful place. Luc was telling us you sold everything to move here with your nephew.”
“We couldn’t afford to stay in Bellerose after the government death taxes.”
“Oh, my dear, what a difficult decision to have to make, but a very brave one.”
She warmed immediately to the older woman’s charm and it was easy to see Jayne cared deeply for Luc’s father.
Jayne steered the conversation around to more general topics and soon statehood and the tourism prospects were being discussed with much enthusiasm as the first course was served.
Luc turned to his father. “Tourist numbers have already risen well beyond what I thought they would.”
Henri nodded. “Seems you were right about the potential.”
“These men and their work.” Jayne leaned closer to Eva. “Tell me more about Bellerose. Did you have beautiful gardens there?”
By the time dessert was cleared, Eva felt as though she had known Jayne all her life. Calm, competent, and comfortable to be around, Henri had found a wonderful woman. Surely Luc would be satisfied with his new stepmother.
Jayne looked around with a smile. “Shall we take coffee on the veranda? I do declare there’s more of a breeze out there now.”
Luc stood and pulled her chair out while Henri did the same for Jayne and the party moved to the veranda. Eva wandered over to the edge and leaned on the teak railing. A sea breeze cooled her cheeks and she slipped a hand under her hair and lifted it off her neck.
Jayne reached over and smoothed an errant curl off her shoulder. “Such a beautiful color, like Rita Hayworth. But why don’t you put your hair up in this hot weather? Lovely as it is—”
Luc’s lazy drawl cut into their conversation. He leaned against a post and eyed her closely. “Why confine such glory with pins and whatever else you women use? Besides, I like Eva’s hair lush and a little wild.”
Eva forced a smile and Jayne returned to the coffee table.
How dare he imply he’d seen her in such a state? She finished her coffee and gripped her cup to stop from reaching up her hand to smooth her hair.
Luc gently removed it from her grip. “Well, delightful as this evening has been, I think it’s time I took Eva home.”
“Please don’t bother. I can phone Seb.”
“I did promise him I’d take you home.”
“When?”
“When he told me he was borrowing your car tonight and asked if I could see you home.”
Jayne stepped forward and took hold of her hands. “It was lovely to meet you. We look forward to seeing much more of you while we’re here. Good night, dear.” Jayne kissed her cheek and gave her a kindly smile, followed by Henri. In true Gallic fashion, he kissed both cheeks and, with a cheerful good night, followed Jayne into the house.
***
Luc handed over her gloves and bag and offered his arm for the walk to the car. He opened the door and assisted her into her seat. Floral perfume and anger rolled off her skin. He tucked her full skirt in before shutting the door. “Do you want to tell me now, Eva?”
“Tell you what? Tell you off for making personal remarks that imply something more about our relationship?”
He grinned, climbed into his seat and started the engine. Eva’s presence had made an evening with his father and new stepmother pleasant, and his newfound mellowness sparked a sense of mischief. “What more would you like there to be?”
“Nothing. There is nothing between us.” She gritted her teeth and twisted her gloves into a tight roll.
“Who are you trying to convince? Don’t start lying to yourself. You’re honest about everything else. Why not about us?”
“There’s a you, and there’s a me. There is no us, Luc.” She twisted her hands together in her lap, wrinkling her gloves in the process and gazed at the passing landscape.
She was wrong. No matter his pursuit of her had begun with the sole intention of softening her up to gain her land. Now, he wanted that affair with her. Maybe once he’d bedded her he could get back to planning the expansion of his program.
In her current state of mind, it seemed she didn’t notice where he was driving to, until he pulled up on the same bluff he’d stopped at before. The moon rode high in the sky but in the south, dark clouds filled the horizon. Reflecting her mood? He liked her passionate side when she dared let her social façade slip. Could he coax it out tonight?
“What are we doing here? I want to go home.”
“Not yet. Not until you give me an honest answer, Eva.” He moved to her side of the car and opened the door.
She folded her arms and refused to budge.
“You’re misguided if you think ignoring me will make me give up.” He held his hand out and waited. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
“Hard? You wouldn’t dare.” She turned away from him.
“Then you don’t know me very well. I can and I will.” He waited, hand at the ready to assist her. “On second thought, don’t move. The hard way is much more fun.”
He scooped her out of her seat and backed her against the side of the car, trapping her by the simple expedient of placing his hands on the car either side of her waist. Her body was close to his and he leaned in until only clothing separated their heat. Green eyes like twin pools of desire blazed at him and he slid his fingers into her hair and tipped her face to his.
“We’re two consenting adults, Eva. Why shouldn’t we enjoy each other?”
Despite her obvious resolve to avoid entanglements with him, her body had other ideas. Under the light of a full Hawaiian moon, her lips parted and she closed the last inch separating their mouths.
Fierce elation rose within him as the ridge of his erection pressed against her stomach, thick and clear in invitation. He whispered along her collarbone and she tipped her head to give him better access to the column of her neck. At her earlobe, he stopped and gently bit. She nipped his neck and a pleasurable yet aching need shot through him. He cupped her breast and dropped heated kisses along the creamy swell of soft skin.
She tugged his head back to her lips while his other hand shaped her hip.
“I want you.” He kissed the delicate skin beside her mouth, trailed kisses over her temple as his arousal pressed into her stomach, evidence of his desire. “Let’s go back to your place and take this to its natural conclusion. I want to make love to you and I want to do it in a bed where I can admire your beautiful body. I want to kiss every inch of your skin.”
She gasped and pushed him away.
“What’s wrong?”
“This. You—me. I can’t, Luc. Please, let me go.”
Confused, he blocked her retreat and took hold of her wrist and pulled her close. “Why?”
“It won’t work. I’ll make a bigger fool of myself than I already have.”
<
br /> Did she mean the heiress making out with the plantation boss? He was the fool and the laugh was on him. It was Genevieve all over again. He dropped her hand as though it scalded him.
She stepped around him. Without looking back, she grabbed her bag and gloves and walked away down the track.
He’d allowed this crazy attraction to her to threaten the walls he’d built to hide his bruised heart. There would be no more rejections. From now on, his business and his program would take priority. And pretty Eva Abbott had best beware because he was going to win her plantation, whatever it took.
Chapter Eleven
Sunrise tinged the sky as Luc reversed out of the garage. Movement on the verandah caught his attention as his father waved and hurried down the stairs. “Luc. Where are you heading?”
“The south fields. The pineapples are almost ready for picking.”
“Mind if I ride with you?” His father strode up to the Jeep and climbed in.
Company was the last thing Luc wanted after last night’s debacle with Eva but how could he refuse? “You’re up early. Thought you’d sleep in for the first day or two after the flights.”
“Planter’s time. Hard to break the habit. How is the Smooth Cayenne variety doing? Did you stay with them?”
“Most of the fields are planted with Smooth Cayennes, like you selected. They seem to be the most productive but I’m trying a different variety in the south field. A crossbreeding program using the Ruby Queen.”
“Imported varieties need a different approach. They can take a while to acclimatize and need a little more attention until they put down solid roots. But it’s worth persevering for the end result.”
“Why do I get the feeling you’re not talking about pineapples any more?” A knot of tension hardened in his shoulders. Eva was off limits as far as conversation with his father—or anyone else for that matter—went.
Eva. Why had she pulled back from him last night? She had been as ready as him to make love in the car. Mention of going to her home and making love seemed to have been the turning point.
Shit! Seb. How could he have forgotten? Because his brains had been down in his trousers poking at Eva.
His father eyed him speculatively. “Your English rose could do well here. She’s not as delicate as she looks, but you could hurt her if you’re not careful. Jayne was saying—”
“None of your damned business or your fiancée’s.”
“Eva’s the kind of woman you make a life with, Luc. She’s reserved but she’s worth the extra time and effort.”
So even his father was bewitched by Eva. Hadn’t his wife’s betrayal soured him?
“Eva is none of your business and nor is my love life. Just drop it, will you?” His father was mad if he believed his son would contemplate getting seriously involved with another woman. Had he forgotten how Genevieve had led him on, then told him he was good enough to fuck but not to marry?
“You’ve been carrying a thorn in your side about women since your mother ran out on us. It can eat away inside until there’s nothing left but a hollow shell of a man. Believe me, I know. If it hadn’t been for Jayne—”
“And now you’re engaged to Jayne. Do you think she’ll be any different from your first wife?”
His father’s hands clenched on his thighs but he maintained an even tone of voice. “She’s completely different with a whole different attitude to life. And love.”
“Don’t tell me you believe in that nonsense. After all my mother put you through, I can’t believe you are really going to do that whole till death do us part thing again.”
“Listen to yourself. I look at you and it’s like seeing myself after your mother left. Bitter and twisted and destined to be alone for the rest of your life. Do you really want that?”
He clenched the wheel and swerved harder than necessary to avoid a pothole. Bitter and twisted? Was that really how his father saw him? Was that how Eva viewed him? “Why give any woman power over me? Neither mother nor Genevieve actually inspired me to trust.” Even a green-eyed, red-haired goddess who made him forget everything when she was in his arms.
“It’s unfortunate the two women who should have been your gold standard turned out to be base metals but unless you take a chance, you’re going to be a lonely man for a very long time.”
“I took a chance, remember? Fat lot of good it did me.”
“Genevieve was greedy but at least she was upfront about what she wanted from marriage, unlike your mother. Don’t measure other women against her.”
“And you’re willing to risk everything again on Jayne?”
“I’d give up everything to be with her. She saved me from myself.”
“A touching story, Dad, but I prefer to depend on myself and no one else.”
His father put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “I just hope you come to your senses before you lose your chance with Eva.”
Luc pulled up at the edge of the south field and parked under a tree. “I’ll be back soon.” He strode off down the nearest row, muttering under his breath. His father was a fool who was going to get hurt again and there wasn’t a damned thing he could do to stop it.
He rubbed a hand over his face and wiped grit from his eyes. Restless and frustrated by Eva’s sudden departure, he had tossed and turned for long hours, finally giving up on sleep. The attraction sizzling between them was reciprocated—her ardent kisses assured him of that—and yet she’d pushed him away as soon as he’d mentioned going to bed. What did she want from him? A wedding ring?
It would be a cold day in hell before he gave Eva the sort of power Jayne had over his father.
***
Eva fumed as she marched along the rows of pineapples. Unable to find Stefan or Seb, her mood darkened further. Last night’s almost disastrous conclusion reminded her that Luc was her enemy. His wild kisses, this dark passion he aroused in her, she couldn’t afford to succumb to it. Not for the first time, she wondered if his plan was to seduce her to gain her plantation. Even his best friend, Jack, had said Luc would do anything to get what he wanted.
She stomped on, checking up and down the slope for her manager. Stefan needed to know that, from now on, Luc was persona non gratis around here and Seb—Seb would just have to accept her word for once. Keeping her handsome neighbor at arm’s length was the only means she could think of to maintain her equilibrium.
Her stomach clenched at the thought of that conversation. Seb admired Luc, too much for his own good, but the friendship wasn’t real. Somehow she had to make him see that Luc was using him to get their property. Sweat trickled down her back and she realized she’d left her hat in the Jeep. Shade beckoned at the end of the row and she stepped into cooler air with a small sigh of relief.
Bright sunlight washed out the midday colour of the fruit. She brushed the back of her hand across her forehead and shaded her eyes, searching for the dark shirt of her overseer amid the green of the pineapples.
The sound of voices echoed up from the bottom of the hill. Stefan moved into view but before she could call and wave to him, a second figure joined him, gesturing emphatically.
Kowalski? What was he doing here, and what did he have to talk about with her manager? Unless he was digging for dirt for that article. She glided silently into the shade behind the tree trunk.
The two men continued up the track, heading toward her, and she scouted for a way to retreat before they discovered her. The ludicrous nature of the situation hit when she reminded herself this was her plantation. She stepped out from the tree cover. “Good morning, gentlemen.”
The two men and their conversation came to an abrupt halt. Stefan’s eyes narrowed and he stood stolidly in the middle of the path. Kowalski advanced a couple more steps, removed his hat and inclined his head. “Miss Abbott. Hello again. I was just getting some background information on how a plantation runs. It sounds like a great deal of work and little things going wrong can cause big problems.”
“Like what?”
“Like the attitudes of workers to a female owner. But this is just the sort of topic our readers will devour. New state, new beginning, new way forward. Do you like that, Miss Abbott? I think it suits you.” His smile invited her confidence but she was disinclined to humor him.
“There’s no reason why a woman can’t own and operate a plantation. It doesn’t matter whether one is male or female, having the right staff is the key and I’m very fortunate to have Mr. Luchenko. Speaking of whom, I need a word with you, Stefan.”
“Sure, boss.”
Kowalski inclined his head again and replaced his hat. “I’ll leave you for now, Miss Abbott. Would you mind if I have a bit of a wander around and if Ben takes more photos while we’re here?”
“By all means. Good day, Mr. Kowalski.”
He flashed his wide grin and, hands in pockets, wandered back down the track, whistling.
Eva waited until he was out of earshot before meeting Stefan’s shadowed eyes. “Was that really all he wanted, Stefan?”
“Sure. He want to know how one lone woman handle men workers. I tell him you fair boss and you got me”—he stabbed at his chest with his thumb—“Stefan Luchenko, to help.”
She nodded and checked on Kowalski’s progress down the hill. “I’m grateful you’re here.”
“What for you look for me?”
“Mr. Martineau is no longer welcome on this plantation and Seb is not to go down there anymore. It makes more sense for him to learn on his own property than elsewhere. I wondered if you would be willing to teach him what you know?”
Stefan looked over the field and up at the house without speaking, and she worried she’d overstepped some invisible mark in the employer-employee relationship. “Of course, if you don’t feel you can then—”
“I do it for you. But he must stand on own two feet. I not baby him.”
“Thank you. If I see him, I’ll send him to find you.” At least that was one thing sorted. But she still had to tell Sebastian. Her appetite disappeared as she trudged back to the Jeep.
Winning the Heiress' Heart Page 9