Rachel shook her head. “When I think what terrible things I said to you about not wanting to ride in it with you—”
“You were preaching to the converted,” he murmured. “I’m glad it’s gone. I had the repairs done because everyone assumed she would come out of her coma within days or weeks, and kept the car with me as her family couldn’t bear the sight of it. The few times you saw me driving it, I was making sure it stayed in good running condition.”
He shifted his weight. “Why don’t we buy you a Wag
oneer like mine? It’ll be safe for you and the baby. Plus you’ll find it convenient when you take future clients on tours of the vineyards at odd hours.”
Rachel was incredulous. “You want me to do that?”
“Of course. It wasn’t something Paulette could or would do. She didn’t know that much about my work, and showed little interest in it. You on the other hand are going to be one of Domaine Chartier’s greatest assets.”
Luc could hear her mind working back to the night they had first met.
“Then—”
“I lied that night,” he cut in on her. Those gorgeous dark-fringed blue eyes widened in astonishment. “I wanted to be with you, and I refused to take no for an answer. But I didn’t want to frighten you off, so I made up the part about my ex-wife normally doing the honors. I hoped it would reassure you. Does that shock you?”
Her expression was a picture of bewilderment.
“Don’t you mean you didn’t want to lose a possible sale?”
“No,” he whispered. Unable to hold off any longer, he gripped her arms covered by her silky pink robe. “I didn’t care about anything except making sure you didn’t get away from me.”
Her eyes looked wounded. “You don’t have to say that, Luc. I know how you felt about Paulette. How you still feel…”
“Listen to me.” He shook her gently. “I loved her. We got married and had some wonderful years together, but everything came apart before we were actually divorced.
“Until I laid eyes on you coming around the bend in the road, I didn’t know how over our marriage I really was.
“Out of the blue came this knockout woman driving toward me. The truth is, I almost ran into you because I was so attracted, every other thought went out of my head.”
She eyed him soulfully, as if measuring the veracity of his words.
“I’d memorized your license-plate number and intended to track you down. Then a miracle occurred because there you were, sitting in the Hotel du Roi dining room drinking my wine.”
He smiled. “Right then I made up my mind I had to have you no matter how long it took, or what I had to do.”
Rachel’s body tingled as he pulled her closer. “I swear to you Paulette didn’t figure in my consciousness. All I could think of was how to get you into my arms. You were the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen.
“I wanted to kidnap you that night. You have no idea the will-power it took to put Giles in charge of you. But I crumbled the next morning, and that night, and the next day and night.”
He kissed her astonished mouth. “My feelings for you were so intense, I was terrified I’d frighten you off.
“When the storm came up and you offered to help me tie my vines, I couldn’t get you to my house fast enough. Do you understand what I’m telling you? I fell in love with you, Rachel Chartier. Completely, irrevocably. It happened so fast, I’m still reeling.
“It happened that night in the vineyard. You took over my heart. I wanted you in my bed, in my life for ever.”
“Luc—”
“It’s true, mon amour. The morning after we made love, I planned to tell you everything about Paulette before I asked you to marry me. But you were still asleep so I slipped out early to drive to Thann.”
“Thann?”
“I couldn’t propose to you without a certain necessary item.”
She looked stunned. “You mean the nuptial jug?”
“Yes.”