Clay leaned over her and got her cape. He spread it over them, the mink against their skin.
Nicole smiled deliciously and rubbed her thigh over Clay’s. The moment was perfect—held in her lover’s arms, alone, their bodies sated, caressed by the luscious mink.
“How is your mother?” Clay asked.
“She doesn’t scream as much as she did. I’m glad because it frightens the twins terribly.”
“Nicole, I’ve told you that you should send the twins back to me. There’s no room for them with you.”
“Please let them stay.”
He hugged her closer. “You know I wouldn’t take them away from you. It’s just that you have too many people and too much to do.”
She kissed his shoulder. “You’re kind to worry, but they’re really no problem. Now, if you wanted to take Janie and Gerard, I might consider your proposal.”
“Is Janie giving you problems?”
“No, not really. She and Gerard hate each other, and they constantly pick at each other. I just get tired of listening, that’s all.”
“If Janie hates someone, it’s usually for a good reason. You haven’t said much about your stepfather.”
“My stepfather.” Nicole smiled. “It’s odd to think of Gerard as being a replacement for my father.”
“Tell me about your life. I feel so removed from you.”
She smiled again, feeling his love all around her. “Gerard is infatuated with being part of the French aristocracy. It seems so humorous when you realize there are hundreds of people in France wanting to be part of the common people.”
“From what I hear, his being in your house isn’t exactly humorous. You know that if you need anything—”
She put her fingertips over his lips. “You’re all I need. Sometimes, when it gets very noisy and everyone seems to be pulling at me, I stop and think about you. This morning when I woke, I was terribly excited about the warmth in the air. Do you think the weather is the same in the west as it is here? And do you really know how to build a house? When do you think we can leave? I’ve been wanting to pack for a long time, but I didn’t feel it was time yet to tell Janie.”
She stopped when he didn’t make any response. She rose on one elbow to look at him. “Clay, is everything all right?”
“Perfectly,” he said flatly. “At least, it will be.”
“What do you mean? Something is wrong. I can tell.”
“No, nothing serious anyway. Nothing is going to upset our plans to leave.”
She frowned at him. “Clay, I know you, and I know you have a problem. You haven’t mentioned Bianca, yet I pour out all my troubles to you.”
He smiled slightly at her. “You wouldn’t know how to pour out your troubles. You are so kind, so loving, so forgiving, that half the time you don’t even see how people use you.”
“Use me?” she laughed. “No one uses me.”
“I do, the twins do, your mother, her husband, even Janie. We all impose on you.”
“You make me sound like a saint. I have many things I want out of life, but I’m practical. I know that I must wait to get what I want.”
“And what do you want?” he asked quietly.
“You. I want you and my own home and the twins. And maybe some other children—your children.”
“You’ll have it! I swear it! It’s all going to be yours.”
She stared at him for a long while. “I want to know what is wrong. It has to do with Bianca, doesn’t it? Has she found out about our plans? If she’s threatening you again, I won’t stand for it this time. My patience is nearly gone.”
Clay put his arm around her firmly and pulled her head to his shoulder. “I want you to listen to me, to all of the story before you say a word.” He took a deep breath. “First of all, I want to tell you that it will make no difference to our plans.”