Falling For Her French Tycoon (Escape To Provence Book 1) Read online

  It was a lovely night to be out, and being with him was so stimulating to her, there weren’t enough hours with him to satisfy everything she was desperate to know. Her whole body tingled from his touch.

  He’d returned to the car while she’d been deep in thought. “Let’s go.”

  “Was the shipment there?”

  “Not yet. I need to inform Etienne.” He pulled out his phone to text him, then started the car and they left for Vence.

  “Will your grandfather be upset?”

  “I’m afraid he was born in that condition, but he’ll live to see another day.”

  “What’s your grandmother like?”

  “She’s afraid of him and allows him to rule her life.”

  “Are you afraid of him?”

  “Let’s put it this way. I learned not to like him or my father.” She winced from so much honest emotion. “They have a hard streak that dominates their existence. As soon as I turned eighteen, I left to go to school in Paris.”

  “Didn’t they try to prevent you from leaving?”

  “Yes. They told me that if I deserted the family, there’d be no money, no inheritance. That suited me fine. From my bank account I withdrew the pitiful amount of money I’d earned and bought a third-class train ticket for Paris. I slept all the way. When I arrived, I found a job at a warehouse the next day and bunked with some of the workers until I could pay for a semester of college.”

  “You’re amazing!”

  “No—only desperate to get on with the life I wanted to lead. At that point, I took out a school loan and got another job as an eighteen-wheeler truck driver. It paid more and I could sleep behind the cab while I had to make deliveries between classes and on weekends.”

  “Where did you drive?”

  “All over Paris and the outskirts. In the process, I made lots of contacts. After a month, I found a rooming house so I could bathe and eat breakfast daily. That’s how I lived while I pursued an education in money management. After college I worked for an investment firm.”

  Dominic was getting to her in ways she didn’t think possible. Nathalie knew he had to be a remarkable man, but hearing some of his history told her she would never meet a more extraordinary human being.

  “Did your family know where you were?”

  “My cousin Raoul knew. That was all that mattered to me. Do you know the sad part of this is that I wanted to have a close relationship with family, but it never happened. My father is made in my grandfather’s image, which explains why we don’t get along. Both men are driven and cold.”

  “What about your mother?”

  “She’s not as cold, but is in lockstep with him over aspirations for their children. You have to do it their way. There is no other.”

  Her heart pained for him. “I’m so sorry, Dominic.”

  “It’s life, but I don’t want to talk about them. I’d much rather focus on you.”

  He drove swiftly to the vineyard and pulled up behind her car outside her rental. After shutting off the engine, he turned to her. “We’ll only need pickers for another ten days at the most. Since the vendange is so short a season, I’d like to spend as much time with you in the evenings as possible before you go back to work at the pharmacy. How would you feel about that?”

  The question sounded like heaven. Nathalie’s mind was spinning with possibilities now that she thought he might not be Alain’s father after all. “Maybe one evening I’ll provide groceries and cook. Another night you could do the same.” During one of their conversations she would ask him straight out if he’d known an Antoinette. After that, anything could happen.

  “I’ll bring the food for tomorrow’s meal.”

  “Um. That sounds perfect.”

  She undid her seat belt. “Thank you for a lovely dinner and drive. Learning about red grapes has made me feel more legitimate as a grape picker. Good night.”

  To her surprise, he got out and walked her to the door. “I wish you didn’t have to go in.” The next thing she knew he’d cupped her face in his hands and lowered his dark head to kiss her. She’d been wanting this all evening.

  The feel of his mouth on hers sent rivers of warmth through her body, but his kiss didn’t last long enough. She moaned when he stepped away far too soon for her liking.

  “A demain, Nathalie.” His voice sounded husky.

  After letting her go, he walked to his car and drove off. She waited until he’d disappeared before getting in her car to drive home. Her legs had turned to mush. Tomorrow evening couldn’t come soon enough.

  * * *

  On Saturday Dominic drove into town for groceries, then went to his office to do work until it was time to drive to Nathalie’s. The sun had shone all day and warmed everything. On the drive over, he talked to Raoul.

  “Just giving you a heads-up that I’m spending the evening with Nathalie.”

  “If you want to bring her here, I’ll go to the hotel.”

  “Thanks, but it’s not necessary. To be honest, I wouldn’t take her to the chateau. Too many eyes. For the rest of the harvest we’re having dinner at her place and taking turns cooking meals.”

  “Cooking.”

  “That and other things.” Dominic chuckled. “You’ll have my kitchen to yourself. Nathalie’s no longer in a relationship with the man she thought she would marry. Within another week, I’m going to know a lot more about her.”

  “Do you still feel she’s not being completely honest?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. But I have to believe it’s something I’ll be able to handle.”

  Raoul sobered. “I hope so for your sake.”

  So did Dominic, who could see her coming up the path. “Talk to you later.” He hung up and got out of the car. Whether she wore her silvery-gold hair tied back or loose, she was a vision.

  “Imagine meeting you here,” Nathalie teased with a smile.

  “I’ve been imagining it since I left you last night.”

  She blushed and opened the door to her rental. He followed her inside with the groceries. “I’ll be out in a minute,” she said before disappearing into the back.

  “Take your time while I put things away and get our meal started.” He’d bought items for his own version of salade niçoise with fresh fish and rolls.

  By the time she’d emerged in a sleeveless pink blouse and khaki pants looking enticing, he’d prepared café au lait and handed her a cup from the kitchen counter.

  “Um...” She took a sip. “Fabulous. You’re going to make someone a wonderful wife one day.” She always said something unexpected that amused him.

  “Our dinner is waiting.”

  “I know. I can smell the tuna aroma from here.” She walked over to the table in the little dining area and sat down on one of the chairs. “This salad is a work of art. You’re spoiling me rotten!”

  He wanted to do more than that.

  They both ate with relish. Being with her made him feel like a light had been turned on, illuminating a world he was seeing only for the first time. “I detect red stains on your fingers.”

  “Me and Charlemagne,” she teased. “They’re unsightly, but I don’t like wearing gloves. I can’t do as effective a job with them on.”

  “You and a lot of workers.”

  A laugh escaped her lips.

  “Wouldn’t you know one of the sons in the Spanish family working by me told me there’s a place called the Guinguet that has a live band on Sunday night. Everyone goes there. I pretended I didn’t know.”

  He smiled into her eyes. “I went there a few times in the past myself.” Was that true? Had he met Antoinette there? When? “I presume this Casanova intends to take you.”

  “He knows I’m not interested.”

  Dominic finished his roll. “That’s two down in a week. How come I’m still standing?” The desir
e to make love to her was going to consume him before long.

  A glint entered her gorgeous eyes. “Because you didn’t ask me to go to a place where they serve sour wine.” With that clever remark, she started to clear the table. “While I clean up, you’re welcome to watch TV.”

  “I’d rather help you.” He was determined to find out what she was hiding and handed her more dishes as she loaded the dishwasher.

  She darted him a glance. “Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Paul said you were filling in for your brother, Etienne, because he’d been sick. What is your official position in your family’s business?”

  Why did she want to know that? He felt he was getting closer to her secret. “As I told you earlier, I went to Paris and studied investment banking. After graduation I worked for a firm there before I came home four months ago because my father was ill. As it turns out, I’ve been deciding on the investments the company makes. In other words, I took over my father’s job as funds manager.”

  “I see. Another huge responsibility that takes brilliance,” she murmured. “You have to be an accountant whiz too.”

  “That’s part of it. You wouldn’t be looking for a career change, would you? Are you after an administrative job and need an in?”

  She flushed. “No. I enjoy my work. But I do a lot of thinking while I’m out picking grapes. So much goes into running a family business like yours. It’s overwhelming to me. You have to know everything about soil, grapes, weather conditions, and that’s just for starters. There’s hiring and payroll. I think about the equipment you need.

  “Someone has to have the incredible expertise to make wine. Another person has to know how to distribute and advertise. A man like you has to make life-and-death decisions about money. When and where to invest. It all blows my mind.”

  Dominic stared into her eyes. “Where has all this come from?”

  “I didn’t realize until my stepfather died how much went into his buying the pharmacy and making it thrive. He had to learn so much to go into business after having worked for someone else. There were nights when he was up until late working on everything. I never understood what he went through.” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Now my mother has the load.”

  “One you share.”

  “I’m trying. Working on the vineyard has opened my eyes to so many things. We’ve only had to consider hiring one pharmacist to help out. But we have to provide insurance and make sure we can afford to pay another wage.”

  “It’s a fine line at times.”

  “It certainly is. Your family has to hire hundreds of workers at harvest time, not to mention your regular employees. Every application has to be vetted. You carry a huge burden in order to pay your employees and deal with all the ups and downs. I can’t tell you how much I admire a family like yours that has kept their business solvent for hundreds of years. You have an unmatchable work ethic.”

  While she’d been talking with such heartfelt emotion, he heard her cell phone ring. “Excuse me a minute, Dominic.” She pulled it out of her pocket and checked the caller ID. “It’s my mother. She probably wants to know how soon I’ll be home tonight.”

  “You’re leaving?”

  “I always go home at night.” That piece of information came as a surprise. “I’ll call her back.”

  If that was true and she never stayed here alone at night, the news pleased him. “In that case I’m going to leave now so I don’t prevent you from driving home too late.”

  She looked up at him. “You’ll come tomorrow evening?” she asked in a throbbing voice. Those light green eyes beseeched him. “I’ll make the dinner.”

  His breath caught. “Try to keep me away. Bonne nuit, Nathalie.” This time he gave her a long, hard kiss, then bolted for the door, not daring to stay any longer.

  The more she’d talked to him tonight, the more he’d been ensnared. No other woman he’d known had shown her kind of sensitivity and understanding of his family’s unique work. The well-heeled type of women in his family’s world weren’t interested in much more than his overall financial worth.

  But his fear that it could be a front was ripping him apart. Was it possible she’d seen Dominic somewhere and planned to work at the vineyard to get close to him? The thought pained him when he wanted to pull her down on the couch and start kissing the daylights out of her. Hell and hell.

  CHAPTER SIX

  SUNDAY MORNING, NATHALIE left home earlier than usual to buy groceries. She drove to Vence and put everything in the fridge before reporting to the vineyard.

  Dominic must have wondered what was wrong with her to go on about his family. She hadn’t been able to help it. If Alain truly was his son, then he belonged to a remarkable man with an amazing history.

  Her mother wanted her to give up on this. It was wrong to date Dominic when she was holding back this huge secret that could backfire. Nathalie knew her mother was right, but since he’d admitted he’d been to the Guinguet in the past, that placed him where Antoinette could have met him.

  Here she’d been thinking Dominic hadn’t been the one involved with her stepsister, but this new information threw her. The one thing she had to do now was find out when he’d been to the bistro. Had he gone there after returning from Paris during one of his visits home? Once she knew if the timing fit, then she’d break her silence.

  As soon as four thirty rolled around, she left the vineyard under a semicloudy sky and hurried to her temporary home. She wanted to get there first and make herself presentable.

  Relieved that she didn’t see his car outside, she rushed in and took a quick shower. After she’d put on a green skirt with a lighter green blouse, she brushed her hair and caught it back with a light green scarf.

  He still hadn’t come when she started the chicken crepes and prepared a strawberry and cream dessert. By five thirty she started to worry. The thought of him not coming caused her more misery than she should be feeling for this man.

  While she was making coffee, she heard a knock on the door. She hadn’t heard him drive up. With her adrenaline gushing, she rushed to open it. “Dominic?” she cried.

  “I’m afraid not.”

  Oh!

  She’d just come face-to-face with a man who bore such a strong family resemblance to Dominic in looks and coloring it was unbelievable. She reeled and clung to the door.

  “Mademoiselle Fournier?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m Etienne Fontesquieu.”

  She’d already guessed as much and was stunned. He had Alain’s eyes too!

  “My brother asked me to stop by in person since he couldn’t reach you on the phone.”

  That’s right. She’d turned it off so it wouldn’t wake Alain this morning. Her body was shaking. “Please, come in.”

  “I’d better not. I’m getting over a cold.” She could hear it. “Dominic wants you to know he’s been unaccountably detained and is aware you’ve gone to a lot of trouble to make dinner.” She’d been living for tonight. “He asks your forgiveness and will get in touch with you.”

  Dominic...

  “That’s very considerate of you, especially since you’re not well.”

  “I sound worse than I am.”

  “Please let your brother know I understand. Thank you.”

  “Thank you for doing such a good job for us. Gregoire tells me you’ve caught on fast. I’m impressed. Have a good evening.”

  He turned and walked back to his silver Mercedes. From a distance, his tall, lean silhouette reminded her of Dominic. She let out a troubled sound. Good heavens—had she gotten it wrong and Etienne had been Antoinette’s lover?

  Nathalie shut the door and sank down on the couch in shock. If she’d met Etienne first, she would have thought he could be Alain’s father. At this point she wa
s convinced she’d lost her mind.

  After this experience she’d lost her appetite too.

  What if Dominic’s distrust of her had prompted him to send his brother here to check on her and find out what she was up to? Maybe Etienne didn’t trust her either. Once she’d gathered her wits, she put the food in the fridge.

  After driving back to La Gaude, she flew into the house. “Maman?”

  When there was no answer, she tiptoed to Alain’s room. Her mother was looking down at him in the crib. When she saw Nathalie, she put a finger to her lips. Nathalie went back to the living room to wait.

  In a minute her mother walked in. “What’s wrong? You sounded upset when you called out.”

  “I am. I met Dominic’s brother, Etienne, today.” Nathalie launched into the reason why he’d stopped in to see her. “They share an amazing family resemblance. Alain could be Etienne’s son.”

  A small cry came from her mother. “That does it, Nathalie. You’ve got to give this up. I think you should quit your job at the vineyard before you do something that will cause irreversible damage. You’re tampering with other people’s lives. It’s something that is out of your hands. Don’t you see what is happening?”

  “Yes.” Meeting Etienne had thrown her completely. Worse, she’d fallen for his brother, a man who was still a mystery to her and could have been Nathalie’s lover. “But as I told you last night, I learned Dominic had been to the Guinguet several times in the past. I need to find out when. Tomorrow night I’ll ask him if he ever met a girl at the bistro named Antoinette.”

  “He’ll demand to know why you want that information.”

  “At that point I’ll tell him that she was my stepsister and died before she told me the name of the man she loved. She’d kept it a secret, and I wanted to know why. Then I’ll add that I decided to follow a few clues that led me to the Fontesquieu vineyard.”

  Her mother’s worried expression didn’t change.

  “Maman, if Dominic continues to deny all knowledge, I’ll believe him and ask him if his brother might have known Antoinette. I promise I won’t say anything about the baby.”