by Chloe Blake
Daphne’s marker went up again. Nic wondered how far she was willing to go on the bid, and how he was going to get out of it if she won. He prayed another outbid her. But seven hundred euros to soak in wine? Ridiculous.
“Do I hear eight hundred? Ah, hello, mademoiselle. Eight hundred to the lady in silver.”
Nic whipped his head to the left. Maya was lowering her marker and smiling. “What are you doing?”
“Winning,” Maya said without looking at him. Her amused gaze was focused over his shoulder.
“Do I hear nine hundred? Nine hundred to the lady in black.”
Nic’s head whipped to the right. Daphne’s scowl was directed at Maya. Oh, Christ.
“Do I hear a thousand? A thousand going once. Twice? A thousand to the lady in silver.” An excited buzz had begun in the room. No, no, no, Nic thought as the tennis match between the two continued. The bid had crept to fifteen hundred, for which Daphne raised her marker and punted to two thousand.
He could see it now, Daphne insisting he take her to the spa and him fending off her advances in the bath. He couldn’t let that happen.
“Five thousand!” Nic shouted, causing the room to sigh in awe.
“Five thousand, oh my, an upset.” The host clapped vigorously. “Mademoiselles, would either of you like to counter?”
Daphne shook her head with a smile, clearly thinking he’d won it for her. The host turned to Maya and raised his brows.
Nic leveled his gaze on Maya, who glanced his way before shaking her head at the auctioneer.
“Sold to Monsieur Rayo. Merci beaucoup, monsieur, from me and Children First. Now, our next item is the new edition Vespa...”
The table was silent as the auction continued. “I was going to stop, you know,” Maya murmured.
“Oui, but Daphne wasn’t.”
“Well, I hope you two enjoy it.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’ve decided to take Nathan.”
They both chuckled, causing Daphne to frown. As the auction came to an end, Maya sought the ladies’ room, and seconds later Daphne followed, leaving him and Nathan alone.
“Spontaneity is not like you,” Nic said to Nathan.
“She wants to know her father, and Albert loved this event.”
Nic couldn’t argue that point. Actually, there were no arguments, he just felt...possessive. And Nathan seemed to be feeling the same way.
“She’s not staying, you know.”
“I know. Has she signed over her shares yet?”
“She will.”
Nathan shrugged, and Nic was glad he let the subject go. The business was becoming a drain on him and his finances. He’d been using his profits from the hotel to float money into the vineyard. If the rosé deal didn’t work, he was ready to close it down and convert the property into a charming bed-and-breakfast.
But none of that would be possible without Maya’s shares.
Minutes ticked by as the men waited for the women’s return. A sense of dread gripped him. Daphne could be unpredictable.
He and Nathan exchanged concerned looks. Nic scrambled to stand and headed into the hallway. He stopped short when he found the two women just outside the ballroom doors, their heads swiveling in his direction.
“I see you’ve met.”
“Not formally, we just bumped into each other,” Maya said with a strange look.
“Daphne Rhone, Maya North. Albert’s daughter.”
“Impossible.” Daphne gasped, looking down her nose at Maya.
“Possible,” Maya said in return. “I also own—”
“Um, Maya, may I speak with you privately?” Nic interrupted and took Maya’s elbow. He turned to Daphne. “Excuse us.”
Daphne’s eyes narrowed. “Of course, darling. I’ll get us more champagne.”
Nic pulled Maya a short distance down the hall, looking for a private corner. He found a secluded alcove by the kitchen and stopped just in time for Maya to rip herself from his grip.
“Was that necessary, darling?”
Nic grit his teeth. “She calls everybody darling.”
“I doubt that. Now, why are we hiding by the kitchen?”
“Because you were about to tell her you were part owner of my business.”
“Our business. And it’s true.”
“Only for a short time, Maya. Be sensible. You’re simply holding on to these shares because it’s the only part of your father you know, but you won’t be doing any of the work. You won’t be getting us clients or taking orders.”
“You want clients? I can get us clients.”
He threw his hands up. “When? In a few weeks? You’ll be gone in ten days.”
Her eyes hit the floor, and he could have smacked himself for being so harsh.
“You’re right. I don’t know what I’m doing,” she said in a small voice, lifting her mask from her face. A tear jumped to her cheek, then another.
“Oh no, don’t cry. Yell at me.” He pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to her. She took it and dabbed at her eyes, still refusing to look at him. He moved closer and dipped his head, his gaze falling on the cherry red of her trembling lips and her damp cheeks. He couldn’t help it. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek. When she didn’t step away, he pulled her closer and placed one on her lips. She kissed him back, increasing the pressure until they were locked in a heated embrace.
She rose on her toes and gripped his arms. His hands spanned her back; their tongues danced as they tried to get closer and closer until they were sharing one breath.
She pulled back suddenly and broke free from his grasp, her eyes bright with tears.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Your girlfriend.”
“She’s not my girlfriend.”
Maya sucked her teeth. “She clearly doesn’t know that. Nathan told me you’re just using her to keep her father as a client. That’s gross.”
“That’s not...entirely true. I don’t have to keep her happy—it’s just a good idea to do so. She acts familiar because we’ve known each other since we were kids. That’s all.”
Maya handed him his handkerchief and shrugged. “Nathan’s probably wondering where I am.”
Nic scowled. “You’re leading him on.”
“How dare you? I am not! You’re just jealous.”
“I am.” He was a grown man and could own up to his feelings. He’d made love to her, had just kissed her and she had kissed him back. As far as he was concerned, she was his. “I don’t like the way he looks at you.”
“Kind of like the way Daphne looks at you.”
Nic smiled. “Jealous?”
Her eyes narrowed. “No!”
“Menteur.” He decided to kiss that lie off her lips and took another step forward.
“Nic?” Daphne’s voice was close.
Nic stopped and sighed.
Maya smirked. “You have lipstick on your face.”
Daphne appeared with two champagne glasses and a scowl for Maya just as Nic finished wiping his mouth. He tucked the cloth into his pocket and put a neutral look on his face. “Ah, champagne. Merci.” Of course Daphne had gotten drinks only for two. “Maya, you may have my champagne.”
“No, thank you. Nathan is waiting for me.” She said that last part looking directly into his eyes, and it stung.
Chapter 9
The end of the evening couldn’t have arrived soon enough for Nic. Dancing with Daphne was torturous, not just because she insisted upon feeling him up while they danced, but because Maya and Nathan were across the room laughing and smiling at each other like newlyweds. Nathan was an excellent dancer, leading his partner with ease and holding Maya a little too close for Nic’s tastes.
“She’s strange, isn’t she?” Daphne started. Nic tore his gaze away from the couple and saw her staring
at them with a narrowed gaze.
“How so?”
“I don’t know. Just so... American, I guess. So competitive. She really was trying to outbid us for the spa.”
He didn’t answer, refusing to be led down that path. But he inwardly bristled at the term us.
“Look, they’re leaving.”
“What?” He turned Daphne in his arms and focused his full attention on Nathan, trying to telepathically reach him. He didn’t want the couple home together, alone.
“You don’t think she and Nathan are—”
“No. I don’t.”
“Maybe we should leave, too—”
“Perfect, I’ll get your coat—”
“And go back to my place?”
Suddenly he wanted to stay, but she was already gathering her clutch from the table. Nic pulled his phone from his pocket and called Nathan. He cursed when it went straight to voice mail. Maybe that was good, because he didn’t know what he was going to say—don’t make love to Maya? He wanted to call her, but didn’t have her number. He looked at his watch, then calculated the amount of time it would take to drop Daphne off and go back to the vineyard.
He couldn’t beat them, but he wouldn’t be too far behind.
Twenty minutes and three calls to Nathan’s phone later, Daphne was sitting in Nic’s car, refusing to get out unless he agreed to come inside for a drink. He was out of excuses and out of patience with the whole rosé deal. They wouldn’t even know if the deal could happen until the grapes matured in another six months. Which meant at least six months of Daphne trying to get him into bed.
He debated floating more cash into the business himself and telling Rhone that if he didn’t want the grapes he could stuff it, but then he’d be putting his other business in jeopardy. And tourism in Paris was down. He wasn’t struggling, but they hadn’t made the gains they had hoped for in the last year and he’d had to cut back. If he took more money from the hotel, there would be no money for his staff’s bonuses. He wasn’t going to let that happen.
With fewer and fewer new clientele, the rosé deal had to work just so they could break even. Then there was Maya to deal with. Speaking of...
“Look. Why don’t I take you for dinner next week? I really have so much work to get done.”
“Have Nathan do it.”
“Daphne, please, where would you like to go next week?”
“Chez Janou.”
“Done.”
“When next week?” Daphne was a bulldog when it came to negotiations, which was why her father brought her to meetings.
“Thursday.”
“Nine p.m.?”
For Christ’s sake. “Oui.”
“Fine.” She still hadn’t moved. He looked to the stars and prayed hard.
“Where is that girl staying?”
“What girl?”
“Albert’s daughter.”
“She’s staying at the vineyard.”
“For how long?”
“Not long.”
Nic felt like he was going to explode with pent-up rage. He wanted her to get out. He wanted to take that suit off. He wanted to know what Nathan and Maya were doing.
“Daphne, I really have to—”
“Do you remember when we were little and my brother Louis chased me through the vines? I twisted my ankle, and you picked me up and carried me to the house.”
“You were crying pretty loud.”
“I think I fell in love with you that day,” she said, running her hand over the back of his neck. “And then you brought me those flowers.”
He wanted to roll his eyes. His mother had sent him over to the Rhones with flowers for Daphne—they were from his mother, not him! He was ten and embarrassed that she’d made him do it. “Daphne, please. You know you and your family mean a lot to me, but we are friends. I’m not in love with anyone, and I don’t want you to get the wrong impression.”
Daphne shook her head and smiled seductively. “I know, I know, but you can’t stop me from loving you. I told you that. And sometimes being a couple isn’t about love, it’s about family and commitment. We could have a good life together. I have enough love for the both of us.”
Alarm bells rang in his head. “If we’re going to be in business together, then keeping things platonic is the best course of action.”
“I disagree. There is no stronger bond than family.” The shock of the conversation must have reached his face, because she laughed playfully. “Don’t worry, I’m not looking for a ring...yet.” She laughed again, and his stomach began to turn. “I’m just happy to love you and—no, don’t say anything...because I know that one day you’ll see how good we are together.”
“Okay,” he whispered, as if afraid to wake the sleeping bear that sat inside Daphne. He stayed silent, knowing she was immune to his explanations. She’d heard nothing he said; instead, she’d weaved a story all her own. “I’ll get your cloak from the back.”
After gathering her items, he walked around to the passenger door, opened it and put out his hand to help her up.
“I adored the ball. And I can’t wait to go to Dechamps. Merci.”
He’d forgotten about that damn bath. “You’re welcome,” he mumbled, giving her the quickest kiss possible on her cheek and shoving her cloak and clutch into her arms. Reaching around her, he slammed the door shut, then practically ran to the driver’s side.
“Till Thursday, darling.” She waved.
He nodded, incapable of thinking of anything but escape, then roared the engine and shot off down the driveway. His focus shifted to Nathan and Maya, and he surged the car forward.
* * *
Maya had pulled her attention from her father’s business ledgers and checked the window at least a million times before she’d actually gotten up and stared out into the darkness. Her father’s den was in the back of the house with a partial view of the driveway from the window. The ball had ended thirty minutes ago, not that she was counting. She heard the roar of a car crescendo then fade.
Okay, she was counting. She poured herself a glass of wine and thought about having Nathan call Nic—she did actually have some news to share—but she admonished herself for being so childish and dropped back into her father’s leather chair. Her finger ran over the business statements, temporarily pulling her attention away from Nic’s absence.
Since Nic had taken over for his father, they had made some much-needed improvements that brought in a nice profit, but there were still areas of the business that had gone neglected. Their website was ancient and provided only a phone number for inquiries. She saw no incentives built into their plan for clients to keep coming back. She also noticed that they’d had losses three years in a row, and an infusion of money from Bacchus Inc. kept them solvent.
She didn’t need to be a detective to know that was Nic’s hotel company. He’d been robbing Peter to pay Paul, which meant that the company shares were probably worth much less than she’d thought at first glance. Her professional experience told her that unless the business had a trick up its sleeve, selling the vineyard and focusing on the brokerage would be the smart thing to do.
Her gaze slid to the window. Nic was probably having dirty sex with Daphne, while she had profit-and-loss statements and a half-empty bottle of wine. If anything, she was definitely developing her palate. She’d never drunk so much wine before, but somehow it felt normal to enjoy it before bed, like coffee in the morning.
Restless and still a bit jetlagged, she was drawn to the wall of books across the room. Dickens, Brontë, Proust, encyclopedias and wine books. She spied several unmarked leather books on a shelf just above her head and stood on her tiptoes, to no avail.
“Nathan?” she shouted, her fingers struggling to grasp the spine. “Hey, Nathan?”
“I sent him home. His mother worries.”
She yelped and swung around at the familiar deep voice, wishing she was wearing something sexier than her long T-shirt and leggings. Nic was still in his tux, leaning against the doorjamb looking delicious as sin.
“Oh, hi.”
“Do you need help?”
“I can’t reach this book.” She pointed above her head, then quickly pulled her arm down. Her breasts had been squeezed uncomfortably in the dress, and she had thrown on a sweatshirt to hide her unbound state. Said sweatshirt was balled up across the room where Nic was standing, making her feel a little self-conscious.
He walked into the room and shrugged off his jacket, then tossed it onto the desk. The cummerbund and bow tie followed, along with the clink of cuff links on the desk. He was still dressed. He glanced at the open ledgers. “You’ve been snooping again.”
“Just making sure you weren’t trying to lowball me in your offer.”
“So you’re considering it?”
“Of course, but I have some questions.”
“Such as?”
“Have you decided to let the business fail?”
He blinked. “What did Nathan tell you?”
“So you have.”
“What did he say?”
“Nathan didn’t say anything. It’s all over the books. Bacchus hasn’t infused any money this year and it’s been the lowest on record. You’re gunning for my shares. I think you have plans.”
“I have a contingency plan if the rosé doesn’t pan out. That’s all.” He cocked his head, and his gaze traveled over her. Her body heated from the inside out. “What do you need?”
“Huh?”
“Which book?”
“Oh. That one.”
He strode across the room, stopping inches from her to reach over her head. She took the opportunity to ogle his upper body as he easily stretched above her. The urge to touch him was overwhelming. She swallowed. “Did you have a nice rest of the evening?”
“No, I didn’t,” he said, pulling the book down from the shelf. He frowned at the leather object for a moment then laid it in her hands. “Did you and Nathan have fun rushing back here?”