by Stella Kelly
Refreshed and calm, Katrina walked in through the side door of the mansion and sat at the island as Jacque rummaged through the fridge. He turned to her, a look of worry on his face.
“My dear, I hope you’ll have enough food here for a couple of days anyway. If not, there’s always the market in town.”
“Stop worrying, Jacque! It’s been so long since I cooked for myself, I’m actually looking forward to it. Though it won’t be nearly as exotic as your cooking.”
“Thank you, my dear.”
Katrina watched him rush around, cleaning up the last of the breakfast mess. “When do you leave?”
“In a couple of hours. Maybe I should have gone to the airport with Damien, but I didn’t want to go so early and wait around forever. Besides, Damien is leaving for his parents for a week to get away from here for a while.”
“And how do you feel about going to France again?”
“Relieved. It’s been over a year since I visited. My family misses me and I miss them and the city. It’s only for two weeks, but still, it is something, non? I’ll have to get back and prepare for the Winters’ return from their safari soon enough.”
“Yes, even being away for a little while will help you get over the horrible experience of the past two days. You need a break, Jacque.”
“Oui, my hands are still shaking, though I’m happy to be alive. Speaking of breaks, you too need one, Kat. Will you follow your agent then?” Jacques leaned over the island, giving her his full attention.
“Well,” Katrina couldn’t stop the wide smile from crossing her face. “Agent Nielsen is staying with me for a while…here. We’ll see. It’s new.”
“Ahhh love.” Jacque wagged a finger. “Je suis correct. I just knew it!”
“Look at that, you’re an incredible chef and a psychic, Jacque. You can moonlight.”
Jacques threw his head back in a belly laugh. “I have immense talents to share!”
With the mansion calm and vacant, Katrina stood at the front door again, mimicking her stance from her earlier goodbyes. The cab carrying Jacque had just left, and she now found herself feeling as alone as ever, though for the first time in as long as she could remember she wasn’t lonely as much as content. As she turned to walk back into the house, she heard the front gate open again. The SUV came through and Katrina knew who was in it. She felt her heart begin to race and a warm feeling of anticipation overtake her. Cole.
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Walking out into the driveway, she met the SUV as it pulled up. Cole opened the passenger door and got out. The SUV pulled away as Cole pulled Katrina into an embrace before he’d even said a word. His lips close to her ear, he’d been waiting on pins and needles to get back to her.
“It’s just you and me now. Let the getting to know each other begin. What do you say?” He pulled away and looked deeply into her eyes.
Katrina went on tiptoe and kissed him deeply. “Is that a good enough answer?”
“Suits me just fine,” Cole said and kissed her again.
Waving goodbye to Damien as he pulled the vehicle around and out the front gate, they walked back into the house. On their way to Katrina’s bedroom, Cole squeezed her hand and grinned casually.
“So, I was thinking that Manhattan could use another fantastic Pilates studio. You?”
“Absolutely.
Table of Contents
Also by STELLA KELL
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty