Was it natural curiosity on her part? Even if she had a hidden reason for asking the question, it made him chuckle. “No. Maybe you haven’t seen the big modern office building behind the chateau. We each have our own suites.”
Her eyes smiled. “But you never really get away from each other. Togetherness has to be the reason your family’s business has risen to such heights.”
Something was going on in her beautiful head. Nathalie had a charm about her that was tying him in knots. He needed to put distance between them this evening. Whether he discovered her reason for coming to the vineyard or not, he couldn’t be around her much longer before he took her in his arms and made endless love to her.
“I’ve enjoyed tonight more than you know, but I have some business to take care of and need to get going. Let me clear the table first.”
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“No, no, Dominic. You brought this wonderful food and I’ve loved it. I’ll take care of everything else. Tomorrow evening I’ll provide the dinner.”
“I’d like that, but I have an even better idea. As your employer, I’m giving you the day off tomorrow to spend it with me. How would you like to cook in the galley on my cruiser? It’s docked in Nice. We’ll leave in the morning and enjoy a full day and evening on the water together. It’s a beautiful sight watching the sun go down over the Mediterranean while we swim and eat.” Tomorrow he’d break her down.
His suggestion lit up her whole expression. “That would be incredible.”
“Then we’ll do it. Don’t bother to get groceries. We’ll buy them in Nice.”
She walked him to the door. “I won’t be able to sleep.” He’d had close to none since he’d met her. Dominic was besotted by her. “Thank you for everything.”
“Pick you up here at eight in the morning. Bring your swimming suit.”
“I’ll be ready.”
He gave her a swift kiss before striding to his car. It took all the self-control he possessed not to crush her against him. Tomorrow everything was going to change.
* * *
Nathalie had trouble getting to sleep that night. Dominic’s story about what had happened to his cousin had sounded so much like what had happened to Antoinette, it had shaken her. Maybe she was losing it and tried to put it out of her mind.
The next morning her heart pounded out of rhythm when Dominic arrived at eight. He’d dressed in a blue pullover and white cargo pants. It should be a sin for a man to be so devastatingly handsome and marvelous. For today she didn’t want to think about anything but being with him, and wished she could thrust her guilt aside. Of course, that wasn’t possible.
She’d showered and changed into white shorts and a short-sleeved lavender top. After catching her hair back with a clip, she was ready and walked out the door with her overnight bag. He helped her into the car and they reached Nice in a half hour under a sunny sky. What perfect weather!
She turned to him. “Shall we have steaks tonight?” He’d stopped at a grocery store and they hurried inside to find what they wanted. “The rest we can get in the deli.”
He nodded and reached for several baguettes to go with their meals. Before long they left for the pier where he kept his white thirty-foot cruiser with a black stripe. Everything was state of the art. This was a world most people could only dream of. Yet she couldn’t forget he’d left it for a decade or longer to pursue the life he’d wanted. As far as she was concerned, he was a Renaissance man.
They both carried a bag along the dock. He got in the cruiser first with the groceries, then helped her in, but didn’t let her go. “I’ve been waiting to do this all the way here. I need to kiss you. Really kiss you.”
“Dominic—” Unable to help herself, she threw her arms around his neck hungrily and met that male mouth she’d been longing to taste again. Swept away by rapture, she lost track of time and never wanted to let him go.
Someone let out a loud whistle from another boat that reminded her they weren’t alone. She eased herself away from Dominic, whose black eyes were glazed with desire. “I’m taking you to a place where we can be strictly alone.” He handed her a life preserver and helped her put it on. “Let’s go below and put away the groceries. After I show you around, we’ll get going.”
He pointed out the bedroom and bathroom on the lower deck. They wanted for nothing. Nathalie hadn’t known joy like this in her whole life. To think she’d ever thought of marrying Guy. Being with Dominic had transported her to another dimension of living.
Yet the chateau, the cruiser, all the trappings of a privileged life had nothing to do with how she felt when she was with him. He’d brought her alive. They could be stranded on a desert island with nothing but each other and she would have felt she’d found paradise. That was when she knew for certain she was in love with him.
They went back up on deck, where he undid the ropes and they cast off. “I’d like to take you to a place I love to go when I have time. Have you ever been to Les Calanques de Cassis?”
She shook her head. “Even though I’ve lived on the French Riviera all my life and went to the university in Nice, I’ve only heard of them. My friends didn’t have boats.” The Fontesquieu family lived a different life than 99 percent of the world.
“Then you’re in for a fabulous treat. They’re magical coastal inlets,” he spoke with excitement. “Great cliffs of limestone that form mini fjords with sandy beaches. We’ll find one for ourselves.”
“I can’t wait.”
“We’ll head there now.”
When they’d reached the buoy, he opened the throttle and they sped toward the open sea. She’d had some good times in her life, but nothing like the experience she was having now with a man who was perfect to her.