Prologue "Au secours! Aidez-moi! Merde!" "Your mother would not be happy with your language, La Reine." "Allain! Allain! Aidez-moi! S'il vous plaît! "This is not one of your tricks is it?" "Non, I climb too 'igh. Allain, I am scared!" He could hear the fear in her voice. The little pest had gotten herself up a tree, literally. He was a 24 year old man, spending the summer in the South of France and instead of chasing after women his age he had spent the better part of it extricating Violet's youngest tomboy cousin from one scrape after another. If he wasn't rescuing her he was trying to avoid her little tricks and traps. "Je suis venue, I am coming up. So now you understand how the kitten feels." "Allain, Dépêchez-vous! 'urry please." The poor thing must be scared if she resorted to saying please. Allyn started climbing, luckily she had chosen a tree with lots of thick branches. Maybe if he teased her while he climbed it would distract her from being so scared. "Marie-Hélène, I will rescue you if you can say my name correctly." He was about half way to her already so it wouldn't take much of a distraction. "Merde! You say your name wrong!" "No, remember I am English not French. My mother named me after her father and was called Allyn, A, L, L, Y, N, admittedly an odd spelling but I quite like it. Go ahead, say it." "Non." "Then maybe I will climb back down without you?" He was right across from her now. "Non!, Oh, please don't leave me 'ere!" She nearly jumped into his arms but he had braced himself so he would be able to grab her anyway. She clutched at him as if her life depended on it. When he put one of his arms around her she started to sob. "I wouldn't ever leave you pest. Ne pleure pas, sweet, don't cry." He managed to shift his weight so that he could sit on a branch and wrap both arms around her to calm her. He stroked her hair and back as she cried herself out. He held her for a long while, soothing her. "Why did you climb so high?" She hiccuped a few times as her sobbing finally subsided. She glanced up at him and then ducked her head to hide behind her hair. He pushed it out of her face and tilted her chin up to him. Her eyes were rimmed with red from her crying but that didn't diminish their beauty. It always took him by surprise. His personal little pest had the eyes of an angel, not a fairytale version but more like those painted by the old masters, fierce, powerful, and knowing. They were like a forest canopy dotted with sunlight. "Hmm? You are almost twelve years old, you are too big to do things like this anymore." He wasn't really scolding her, nor did he expect that anything he said would stop his little demon from any of her antics. "I was trying to see..." She chewed on her lower lip trying to figure out how much to say. "Come on spit it out. What did you want to see?" "I wanted to see if you kissed her." She ducked her head again and he started laughing.
"See if I kissed who?" "Madame Ricard. Violet said you were going over to 'ave dejeuner avec elle." "Yes, I had lunch with Madame Ricard but no, I did not kiss her. She is a little old for me, non?" The woman was probably thirty but already a widow with two children. Of course he was twenty-four and his fourteen year old sister's guardian so dating was an odd thing for him. Women that would accept Violet as part of their lives seemed too old for him and women his age certainly didn't want to start off with a teenager in the house. "Oui, much too old and mean aussi, even if she is very pretty." "Hmm, mean huh? So you thought to climb up here to spy on me and keep me from kissing her? How would you have stopped me if I had?" "I would 'ave screamed." "I only found you because you were screaming. I certainly never would have heard you all the way down there." "It was not a very good plan, I think." She looked more embarrassed to have concocted a bad plan than she did to get caught spying on him. She glanced up at him again with a big smile on her face. "You don't have to kiss Madame Ricard. I could be your wife." He choked on his laughter but managed to get himself under control quickly. "Sweet, don't you think you are a little young to get married to an old, old man like me?" He tried to say it in his sternest voice so she would think he'd taken her seriously. "You are a little old. But you can still climb trees so you must be strong like Papa." He shook his head trying to hide his smile. "Pest, if we were married you would have to kiss me, every night." That should squash this crazy idea of hers. "Chaque nuit!" The look of horror on her face almost undid him. He was caught somewhere between laughter and wounded pride. He wasn't that horrible to look at. She pursed her lips and was carefully considering the options now. "D'accord, I will kiss you." She sounded like she was trying to figure out how to get out of it already. "Mais, not like Gabrielle kisses her boyfriend. They look like they are eating each other." She made a face of absolute disgust. "So I am not the only one you have been spying on then?" "I 'ave four sisters, Violet and I watch them and learn all about how girls act with boys. Kissing like Gabrielle is, how Violet says, oh, gross!" Now he did start laughing. "I'm so glad my sister is teaching you English. You will understand Gabrielle better when you fall in love, sweet. Now, are you calmed down enough to get out of this tree?" She clutched him tighter. "Relax, you will hold on to me and I will climb down. All you have to do is hang on. Can you do that? She shook her head yes. "Probably better if you were on my back. Here curl around me like this. He had her loop one arm over his shoulder and reach up under his other arm so she wouldn't choke him. "Wrap your legs around
my waist. Good? Ready to go?" He felt her shake her head against his back. The climb down was quick and blissfully uneventful. When they landed on the ground he reached behind and pulled her in front of him. "I want you to promise me, no more spying and no more climbing too high. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you. She gave him a big smile, she seemed to be thinking about what he had said then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the mouth, hard. He was so stunned he almost dropped her. "You will see, I will make a good wife." Then she jumped down and darted off. All he could do was stand there stunned. Considering the disaster of his love life he probably shouldn't try so hard to talk her out of it. He just shook his head, the girl was going to make some man's life far too interesting for his own good.
Chapter. 1 Pick up La Reine, love you, V Six words that may as well have been have been his death sentence. Violet had invited the brat, yet here he stood waiting for Marie-Hélène in international baggage claim. Allyn had been dreading her arrival since Violet had blithely announced her invitation. The woman quite honestly unhinged him. She was chaos incarnate, also beautiful and bewitching. How was he supposed to function like the head of the second largest family foundation after Bill and Melinda's, when this mere slip of a girl could snap her fingers and he would come running like a lap dog. Allyn adjusted his tie again despite not needing it. He pushed his glasses a little higher on his nose. Maybe it wouldn't be too terrible, La Reine had after all graduated from one of the top law schools in France. Allyn smiled at her nickname. She earned it through her sheer force of will even as a child she controlled those around her with an iron fist. Surely law school had forced Marie-Hélène to organize her life somewhat. Allyn heard an air horn blast behind him much further down the baggage area. Oh, no, he shook his head. He should have known. No doubt, by the time she graduated she had completely reorganized the curriculum to her liking. When he turned he saw Marie-Hélène riding on the prow of the baggage cart like Napoleon on his way to battle. Of course if Napoleon had had La Reine, he never would have lost at Waterloo. She was even more gorgeous than the last time he had seen her. She looked like she belonged on the beach in Southern California. Her golden blonde hair was almost waist length now. She was wearing an outfit both perfect for the beach and utterly French. The miniscule cut off denim shorts showed her tawny legs to perfection. She had on a gray t-shirt that no doubt came from the boys department. His sister had informed him that was the only place French women shop for such an item. On top of that she had an old navy blue cashmere sweater. Her cheeks had a perfect bit of pink, like she had just been thoroughly kissed. He loved that he could see her freckles. They made him want to trace his fingers over them in a sensual connect the dots.
She gave another blast of the air horn as they got closer. She signaled her driver to stop and then bent to give the man a kiss on the cheek. Allyn felt his gut twist but made certain that his face showed nothing. She stood up and stepped over the front handles of the cart and ran down the front of the vehicle. Unfortunately she hadn't taken into account she was wearing flimsy sandals with no traction. She ended up skidding and then launched herself into the air. Allyn stepped forward and caught her as carefully as he could. Of course she knocked his glasses to the ground. In the excitement, the poor driver let his foot off the brake and Allyn heard the tell tale crunch of plastic and acetate. "Allain, as always, my 'ero." "La Reine, as always needing one." Holding her was too dangerous. His body would no doubt betray him. He put her on her feet. "You are in an English speaking country now, ma petite reine. We have a lovely letter called an H here. You might try using it, maybe you'll grow to like it." As a little girl she had teased him mercilessly about his ugly English and then his sorry attempts to speak French. Why he had spent the entire summer of his twentieth year at Violet's Aunt and Uncle's practicing French to impress a little girl had been beyond him. That he loved her now he didn't doubt but he could never tell her. She was family even if they shared no blood themselves. Besides there was their age difference. She was fresh, innocent twenty-six, he was a very jaded thirty-eight. "Allain, I am so glad you no longer have your glasses. They make you look old and, how do you English say, stuffy." "I am sorry to disappoint you but I do still wear my glasses, or at least I did until the driver ran them over." He bent down to retrieve the mangled frames. "How ever knowing my glasses almost always die a painful death around you I took the liberty of bringing a driver for the ride back to the house." "Dommage," She smiled wickedly at him. "too bad, we could have had some fun and you let me drive your little sports car." "Not if my life depended on it. You forget, I have known you over twenty years and I was one of the poor souls you talked into letting you drive while you were still learning. Never again, jamais plus, jamais plus! When they got to the car Allyn breathed a sigh of relief. At least with Harold there they would outnumber her. It almost evened the odds. "Harold, this is Marie-HÊlène, Violet's cousin from Grasse." "EnchantÊ Mademoiselle." "'arold, Vous parlez Francais?" "Oui, Je suis Hatien." "Harold, I had no idea you spoke French." "Yes, sir. I speak it with your sister. Usually when she doesn't want her husband to know what we are saying." "But your accent is British?" "I moved to the the Bahamas when I was sixteen, sir."
"Harold you become more surprising every day. And I won the bet, she managed to mangle my glasses well and good." As proof he handed the broken glasses to Harold as the man opened the door. "Then it is good you brought me along, sir." "Yes, Come La Reine, let's hope you don't do any damage in here." "Bouf, I did not break your glasses, the driver ran them over." "True, but they were on the ground because of you." "Oui... I'm sorry." Allyn tried to keep his face placid but the smile broke through anyway. La Reine had earned her nickname in part because she never apologized. That she had now, showed maybe she had grown up after all. Marie-Hélène stared out the window. She had hoped that Violet would pick her up or she could have gotten a taxi. Allyn Bellows made her heart beat too fast and confused her thoughts. He had when she had been a girl, and as a teenager, and now as a grown woman. She had tried everything to get him out of her system. She had tried dating boys her age but she couldn't ever think of them as anything but boys. She tried older men but they didn't set her heart galloping like Allyn. She smiled as she stared blindly out the window. There was something about his combination of exterior cool and the fire she always saw burning in his eyes. His hair was longer than when he had been to the house last. He had enough gray at his temples now to make him look distinguished. His eyes were the palest blue that could be fire une minute et ice the next. He looked so handsome and commanding in his suit. It made her fingers itch to unbutton him, loosen his tie, see what was under all that expensive wool. "Allain, you must be trés chaud in that wool suit. Are you going to work today?" "If you can not use an H properly, can you at least say my name correctly. I am English. My name is Allyn, rhymes with tin. You persist in calling me Allain, rhymes with lane. Do you hear the difference?" "It is not my fault you pronounce your name wrong. Are you going to work? I am 'ungry for dejeuner. 'Arold? Do you know any bien Vietnamienne restaurants, s'il vous plaît?" "Oui, Mademoiselle." "Do I get a say, La Reine?" "Non, and take this off." She reached across the car to the opposite seat and yanked on Allyn's tie. As she was undoing the top button the car hit a pot hole and she ended up sprawled in his lap. He caught her before she fell over completely but ended up pulling her down on top of him. She was stunned for a second. When she looked up at him his eyes had a faraway look like... he was in love. When she didn't move he pulled her closer. "Are you okay?" "Oui." She whispered but her heart was going to burst from her chest and it hurt to breathe. "Good, if you got hurt... Violet would blame me." The look in his eyes was gone now but she knew what she had seen. Could this man she had loved forever, love her too. He lifted her across the car and put her in her seat. "We will go for some lunch and then if you'd like I can take you by the foundation, no real
work to do today but I can show you around so you'll have your bearings tomorrow." He was talking to his knees now. "I would like that, Allain." She had to find out if it was true but he would never tell her. He would think he was too old for her and he was too stuffy to do something unexpected. Of course that was part of the attraction, to get him to do all the wonderful fun things he would never give himself permission to. She would start at lunch. Harold either deserved a raise or to be terminated. Allyn looked at the wonderful food in front of him. Marie-HÊlène had charmed everyone from the waitstaff to the kitchen and the owner had insisted she try all the dishes they reserved for special guests. Allyn had no idea what most of this was but it did look good. Unfortunately, without his glasses he was having a horrible time with the chopsticks. "Allyn, you are not eating?" "I'm afraid with my glasses broken, I can barely see so..." "Oh, Mon Dieux, I forgot. Here I will feed you, it is the least I can do." "But I don't even know what I am eating?" "That is better, non? Close your eyes, just let the taste guide you." He gave her a hard stare. "No tricks, La Reine. I do not want noodles up my nose." "Eugh, I only did that once and I was eight years old. I cross mon coeur, no noodles up your nose. Now close your eyes, this will be fun." He looked at her again and she tried to look as innocent as she could. He must have accepted her promise because he closed his eyes and opened his mouth slightly. She couldn't help but smile. She wanted to throw her arms around him for giving her this chance. "This is some soup, I'll blow on it so it is not too 'ot for you." She cooled it off enough and then held the spoon to his lips. "What do you taste?" "Mmm, chicken broth, lemon grass, butter, other things I couldn't even name." "Now try it with your eyes open." She repeated blowing on it and spooned it into his mouth. "Does it taste different?" Actually yes, much better the first time. Each of the flavors stood out, this time it was still delicious but all of the flavors ran together some how." "That is why it is better to taste wine with the label concealed. It is not just to hide the name, oui? Now close your eyes again and I will feed you some more." "You will keep your promise?" "Oh, you are impossible! Yes, I will keep my promise." He smiled at her and she saw that flash of fire again. "Allain, why do we fight with each other?" He looked stunned at the question. "I don't know, we just always have. From the moment I met you and you told me my English was ugly. You were, five years old, maybe six. You took an instant dislike of me." "Oh, that is not true. Well, I was an enfant terrible then but why do we fight now?" "It is just what we have always done."
"I want to stop fighting, I would like to know more about you, just you, not Violet's brother or the head of the foundation. What do you do for fun?" Allyn looked away and took a deep breath. Marie-HÊlène watched as he carefully composed his features, she wanted to cry as he lowered a mask over his emotions. "I enjoy the symphony and sit on the board." "Do you go with a group of friends or is there someone in particular you take with you, a lady friend perhaps?" He laughed. "No, I'm afraid I sit alone in my box usually, occasionally I will bring a guest if I am entertaining some one for the foundation. Violet will go with me if it is a Mozart program but she has Michael now." "Allain, it sounds very grown up and lonely. What do you do that makes your 'eart beat faster?" "I have a sailboat I take out when I want to think. I do have some friends, unfortunately most of them were school chums and they are back in England. I get to see them from time to time and I have colleagues here that I have become friendly with. I'm afraid when I lay it out like this it all sounds slightly pathetic. Really I am very busy with the foundation and I wouldn't have time for a more active social life." "But you must want to have a family of your own. How can you do that if you never meet a woman?" She held her breath, she didn't want to hear he already had a woman he loved but it would be better now than later. She promised herself that she would be happy for him if he was already in love with someone else. "Violet is my family and I am going to be an uncle soon." "But for yourself? Allain you can not tell me you live like a monk?" He choked and then started coughing. "I don't believe that is any of your business and certainly not something I am willing to discuss with you." "Allain, I think you must have loved a woman very much, but she 'urt you." She reached out her hand and stroked his cheek. He closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. "There was a girl once..." She took her hand away. "I don't think I have ever really gotten over her." "You should find her. Maybe she has loved you all this time too, non?" "Perhaps. I thought you were hungry and all we are doing is sitting here talking. Do I get to feed you something now?" "You will not try to get even for the noodles in the nose?" "I am wounded Mademoiselle, I thought we were calling a truce to our fighting." Her smile could have dimmed the sun. "Bon! Yes, a truce." She closed her eyes and opened her mouth like a bird. Allyn was forced to use his fingers but was able to pick up a slippery dumpling. He held it to her lips as she held his hand in place. She took a tentative bite and then gobbled the rest down. When she had finished swallowing she sucked his fingers into her mouth one by one. She swirled her tongue around each, licking off the sweet spicy sauce. He was transfixed, this was so frankly sexual, an intimacy to be shared by lovers. He wanted to howl, he
wanted to devour her, his chest ached with the desire to tell her how he felt. She gave a little shiver of pleasure. "Mmm, c'est bon! More please." If she did that again he would lose all sense of propriety and make love to her here in the middle of the restaurant. "No, it is your turn to feed me now." Ah, it's true. Close your eyes." She lifted a morsel of ginger beef and noodles to his lips. He opened his mouth then captured her fingers with his lips. She gave a small gasp as he nibbled the tips of her fingers to take the food. He looked at her through his lashes and smiled. He was not the only one that this game was affecting. "Mmm, the beef is very tender and the ginger and cinnamon have a spicy warmth. The feminine finger tips are a nice touch." "Oh, you are 'orrible!" She slapped him on the arm but not so it would hurt. "I said I wouldn't fight with you, no one said I wouldn't tease you. You don't have any brothers so you wouldn't know what it is like." "I 'ardly think of you as a brother. But two can tease." When they finally reached the house Allyn cell phone rang. "Allyn, are you and Marie-Hélène getting along?" "Yes, Violet we have even called a truce to our squabbling. Would you like to speak with your cousin?" "Yes please! Put her on." Allyn covered his ears as the high pitched shrieking started. He walked in to the kitchen to save his sanity. La Reine had been gracious and intelligent in the limited dealings with the people at the foundation today. He was surprised by the depth of her knowledge of the workings of it and the perception she exhibited in the questions she asked people. Of course, everyone was thoroughly charmed. Why wouldn't they be she was beautiful and when she focused that 'sunlight through the trees' gaze on you everyone melted, even him. It was like the soup she fed him at lunch. Without seeing it, the soup was different. If only he could blindfold her and then let her get to know him. It wasn't so crazy an idea really. He would just need to convince her he was someone else then he could reveal himself, if she actually fell in love with him. It was hopeless and ridiculous. He was no actor, she would be able to tell it was him when he spoke. She wouldn't go out with a total stranger that would blindfold her, maybe he could wear a mask? No. This is absurd. He should just forget about her, she would meet some nice boy her age... and they would spend the rest of their lives together while he watched. It was absurd but if she found out he could always just say that it was a trick he was playing on her. No harm done. It wasn't a good plan and frankly she would never agree to it so what was the harm in trying. As if fate was laughing at him Marie-Hélène walked in at that moment. "Is my sister coming here tonight?" "Non, she said Michel had several days of surgeries planned so they would be sleeping there. I will see her tomorrow at the office. It will be just you and me 'ere for a few days. Violet thinks you will play a
'orrible trick on me. You wouldn't do that, would you?" She actually looked concerned. Allyn couldn't help himself and smoothed some stray hairs behind her ear. "No, I won't play a trick on you." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I forgot to mention one friend of mine when we were talking. I was telling him about you and he was very interested in meeting you." She looked up at him confused. "He is a very nice guy but a little strange sometimes. Has some odd habits, nothing dangerous but I think you would like him. Certainly more fun for you than just sitting here with me for the next couple of nights. Should I tell him you'll see him?" "'e is a friend of yours? You know him well?" "Yes, quite." "Is he as old as you?" "I don't think I am exactly ready for the grave just yet." "Non, I mean 'e is not some boy? I find boys my age to be very dull. Older men are trĂŠs interestant." "Oh, well yes, he is about my age." "Bon, it will be fun. You will be there, non?" "Non, I have meetings and other engagements all week, if I am not at something then I need to be home preparing for the next one. I will tell him you would like to meet him." she stretched and yawned like a sleepy child. "Pardon. I think I will go up to bed. Funny how sitting on a plane all day can make you tired." "I promise not to ask to much of you tomorrow." "Good night Allain." She surprised him by putting her arms around him and kissing his cheek. His body warmed to her touch. He stroked her hair and then kissed her on the forehead. Safer that way, less chance of him wanting something he couldn't have. She looked up at him and his heart thudded in his chest. Crazy or stupid as the plan was, he needed to at least try to make her see him as a man that loved her. "Do you need help finding your room, you'll be sleeping in Violet's wing." "Non, she told me she left a light on for me to find it." She yawned again but she still hadn't taken her arms from around him. "Well, I still have a couple hours more work to do so don't wait for me. I'll bring your bags when I head up." "D'accord. Bonne Nuit, Allain." finally she unwound her arms from him and he could breathe again. He waited till he heard her on the stairs and took a deep breath. She had agreed, now he just needed to figure out how to make this work. Hours later he had the rough idea of a plan. It was all so ridiculous there was no way it could work but he was beyond caring. Even if it only lasted a couple of dates it was worth it. If she hated him for it... Well, he couldn't think about that. He carried her bags upstairs and put them in her room. She had fallen asleep while reading. He quietly stepped in and removed the book from her hands. He was surprised by the glasses she was wearing but eased them off her face and put them beside the bed. She looked so warm, soft and kissable he couldn't help touching his lips to her forehead.
She stirred and draped an arm around him. He suspected she might still be asleep, he couldn't tell though. She twisted her head so that her lips met his and she murmured against them. When he tried to tell her good night she kissed him deeply, as if he was a dream lover. His body caught fire and he wanted to sweep her into his arms and into his bed. He couldn't have stopped kissing her if he wanted to and considering how confused he was he didn't want to. She felt like sun warmed flowers in his arms. Now he understood the appeal of the sleeping beauty story. Eventually, she sighed and her arms loosened around his shoulders. He looked down at his very own tormentor and stroked her cheek with the lightest of touches. She stirred again and mumbled something about her prince. "Would that I could be your prince, my sweet." he breathed in her ear. She had a half smile on her face as she rolled over and curled up in a ball, never having fully woken up. She was so childlike in her trust and yet an alluring woman at the same time. Allyn resolved then insane, unworkable plan or not, he needed to find a way to make it work. Leaving her room as quietly as possible, he took a deep breath when he got outside her door. With the throbbing in his groin he wasn't going to be sleeping anytime soon. The next morning Allyn stumbled downstairs in pajama bottoms and bathrobe. He smelled coffee, thank God. He'd been up all night thinking about her or trying not to. He felt like he'd gone ten rounds in a prize fight. The other guy had definitely won. When he entered the kitchen she was sitting at the table with a cup the size of a bowl reading the... Business section? "Bon matin, Allain. Une cafe au lait or a glass of tea?" She was exceedingly cheerful for the hour. "Coffee, please. And it is a cup of tea." He reached over and poured himself some coffee and nearly choked on it. He had forgotten that she liked her coffee stronger than most. Maybe that was the secret to being a morning person. Of course a little more sleep last night would have helped. She lowered her paper and just stared at him. "Pardon?" "Never mind." he looked at her again, now that she wasn't hiding behind the paper. She was already dressed for the office. She had on a trim business suit, the skirt a little shorter than average but not indecently so. She had the legs to carry it off. Those legs ended in shoes that he was going to have to actively work on not thinking about all day. Black patent leather, a sky high heel with a thin little strap around the ankle. He could feel all the blood rushing from his head already. He pulled his robe around him tighter. She had the jacket unbuttoned over a silk camisole. The effort to remain passive in the face of such temptation was making him grumpy. She was an odd combination of prim and sensual. The heavy silver chains at her wrists were in complete opposition to the prim suit but they put him in mind of handcuffs. The whole outfit could have been that of a dominatrix in public. The thought made him lightheaded with desire. He sat next to her on the banquette. "What have you done to your hair?" "What do you mean? I put it up for work, non?"
"Non." he reached over and started to pull pins out, dropping them on the table. Finally he ran his hands through it to loosen the twist and let it slide through his fingers and down her back. "Bon, there is no reason to look like a, well like a junior executive." "I thought... You dress like this." "Yes, well, I am not a pretty young girl." She started giggling at him. If he could hear her laugh like that every morning he'd never sleep again. As long as she kept her hands busy she wouldn't touch him. But oh, how she wanted to run her hands over his bare chest. When he had leaned in and pulled the pins from her hair, she was enveloped in his scent. She smiled to herself. He was always so refined looking, so genteel but his scent was pure male animal. It made her want to strip the expensive dignified clothes off of him. This was the first time she could remember seeing him in the least bit disheveled. Yes, she needed to hang on to her coffee for dear life so she wouldn't pull his robe off him. She wanted to feel the coppery curls of his chest against her cheek. He had some freckles from the sun there too that made her think she'd like to trace them with her tongue. Oof, How was she going to spend the day working with him? At least Violet would be there today, she would distract her from thinking about Allyn like that. She got up to pour herself more coffee. When she turned around to ask Allyn if he would like more he was frowning at her. "Probleme?" "No, no problem." He hadn't shifted his gaze from her shoes "Is it my shoes?" He looked up at her like he just realized she was there. "I was wondering if I would have to carry you if you wore those? They look like you could break an ankle." "We are not going 'iking?" "Iking, what is iking?" "Ouh, long walk, up and down mountains, oui?" "Oh! Hiking, there is that H we like so much here. No, we will not be going 'iking." "Bon, then you will not need to carry me. I wear these in Paris. I should be fine 'ere." She studied him as he took the business section she had been reading. The poor man looked tired and tense. The dark smudges under his eyes were not a good sign. From their conversation yesterday it didn't sound like he ever let himself have any fun. She would find a way to change that. "Allain?" "Oui?" "You will take me out on the boat, won't you? I know you said you would be busy this week but when you can?" "I suppose. Violet won't be able to come with us. Since she got pregnant she gets very bad seasickness. She came with me to the dock and almost got ill." "Violet is very happy with Michel and having a baby, non?"
"She almost purrs. She is so different now, confident in a way she never was. Like she can finally see all the wonderful things about her I always saw and couldn't convince her were there. Michael has only to look at her and smile and she knows. It makes me a little jealous. Michael is a good man, you'll like him. We are all going for lunch together I believe." "Oui, Violet said. Are you going to the office comme ça? It is getting late." He glanced past her and swore. He popped a last piece of croissant into his mouth and got up. He swallowed down the food with the last of his coffee and came over to her by the sink. When he was standing next to her he looked her up and down. "Those silly shoes make you too tall." "That is why I like the silly shoes. Now I am almost as tall as you." She stepped closer to him, stretched her chin up and gave him a quick kiss on his chin. He hadn't shaved yet and the little bit of stubble there tickled her lips. Mmm, she wanted to run her lips along his sharp jaw line to his neck. Allain pulled back so quickly she almost laughed. Yes, the man definitely needed to learn to have fun. She looked up at him and smiled at the look of confusion on his face. "Allain?" She whispered in her most seductive voice. "Mmmm?" He was staring at her lips like he had never seen anything like them before. "Vite! You are going to make me late for my first day." She grinned at him as he backed away. He was mumbling under his breath. Well, she was going to have fun anyway. The ear piercing shriek followed by rapid-fire French told him Violet had found her cousin. Allyn ducked into his office to get away from the noise. To be honest, he was hiding. Deciding to take his Jaguar was a mistake but she had begged so sweetly. He'd indulged himself with the fast sleek cars since he'd gotten his father's old one when he was a boy. After his father died, it seemed fitting he keep driving them. The car's speed and handling made him feel alive in a way few other things did. Unfortunately, one of those things had been sitting next to him on the commute in. Sitting so close, listening to her laugh as she urged him to push the car faster, he no doubt looked the very picture of a man in the throws of a mid-life crisis. What was worse he didn't know if he cared any more. It wasn't as though he had sudden desire to start chasing after young women, just one woman and one he'd loved from afar for longer than he should. Suddenly his door burst open and the shrieking women surrounded him. Violet looked at him sternly. "Allyn, who is this man you are setting her up with?" Marie-Helene blanched. "Violet! I told you it was fine." "He is a colleague I have gotten to know socially. It will be fine, do you really think I would put her in any danger?" "No, of course not! Its just that I thought... Oh, never mind. As long as she's enjoying herself." His sister didn't like the idea, couldn't say he blamed her exactly. He didn't know what Violet's reaction would be once the truth came out but he wouldn't have to tell her if Marie-Hélène decided that she didn't want anything to do with him. Really, that was all this was, a ruse to allow her to see him as something other than Violet's brother and the stodgy, boring facade he hid behind and was in danger of becoming.
"Actually, I've spoken with him already this morning and he can't wait to meet her." "Really?, What is his name?" Violet crossed her arms on top of her very round pregnancy bump. Damn, he hadn't thought of a name to use yet. He looked out the window of his office at the Hancock tower and had his answer. "Hancock." Violet pulled a pen and piece of paper from his desk. "What is his first name?" "Umm, that is his first name. His last name is Smith." "Oh hell, I'll never be able to find him then. Allyn, he better be on his best behavior." He turned to Marie-Hélène. "He'd like to see you tonight, I suggested that he come to the house so you would be comfortable. I'll be there but I'm afraid I have things I have to work on. Violet perhaps you would you like to chaperone?" Her cousin glared at her, making it absolutely clear she had no wish to be chaperoned at her age. "Ugh, no, if you are going to be at the house anyway, I suppose I don't need to be there." "Allyn what does 'e look like?" "Oh, you know, like a regular guy. Brown hair, a little grey maybe, tall, not fat but I'm not the one to ask if he's handsome or anything. I know he likes music and travels a lot." All of which described him without giving anything specific away. He might be considered handsome but who was he going to ask? Violet always told him he was but she was family, it wasn't like that counted. "You'll just have to decide for yourself when you meet him." "Bon, I won't have long to wait then. 'e sounds trés mysterious, its sexy, non?" Allyn bit the inside of his mouth so he wouldn't laugh, mysterious and sexy were not words usually associated with him. Violet just stared at her cousin. "Yes, well, first you'll meet my Michael at lunch. Allyn will you be able to join us?" "I have an appointment to get my glasses replaced before but I can meet you after I am done." "What happened to your glasses?" "Ask you cousin. Now I need you two out of here or I won't get anything done this morning. Violet can you start familiarizing La Reine with the various tasks and parts of the organization. I'll take over after lunch but I have other things I need to get done first." Violet looked at Marie-Hélène and she just shrugged. As they were walking out the door Violet turned and looked back at him. "Allyn, you seem different, but I can't put my finger on what it is. Is everything alright?" "Everything is fine, my dear. Maybe I am just content." She wrinkled her nose like that couldn't be it and made a face at him but left to catch up with Marie-Hélène. Allyn walked into the restaurant and was shown to the loudest table in the place. The women had poor Michael trapped. As he got closer he had to clench his teeth at what he saw in front of him. He knew there had to be a perfectly logical reason why the woman he loved was stroking his brother-in-law's face in front of his sister.
"What is going on here?" "Oh, Allyn, Marie-Hélène was just about to read Michael's future." "Non, non, Violet it is not 'is future. You make me sound like a gypsy. I can read 'is character and deepest desires." Michael blanched. "Darling do you think this is such a good idea? I mean if she really can..." "Michael, darling, the things you like to do in bed are not all that deeply hidden, really." Violet burst out laughing and Michael turned crimson. Allyn almost felt sorry for him but he couldn't help laughing too. "Oh, Michael darling, just let her touch your face. Really, you're the one that is supposed to be clinically rational." "Yes, well, since I live with you now, I feel anything but rational." "It is called being in love dear, and you'll get used to it in twenty or thirty years. Come on!" Allyn looked at Michael and just shrugged. "I knew you were done for as soon as I walked through the door old man. With the two of them together you can't possibly win, you can only hope for a negotiated surrender." Michael turned warily to MarieHélène. "Hell, let's get this over with. If you come up with any truly dark secrets can you at least keep your voice down so you don't destroy my career." Both of the women just laughed at him. Marie-Hélène closed her eyes and fluttered her fingers over Michael's face from his forehead to his chin. Allyn sat on the banquette next to Violet and tried not to cringe, Michael was madly in love with his sister. It didn't change the feeling in the pit of Allyn's stomach that wanted to pull her hands away from any other man and make sure she only ever touched him. "Hmm, Violet is a lucky woman." she smiled but kept her eyes closed to continue with her 'reading'. "Very smart, bien sur! Caring, longs to be part of a big family, 'ides 'is animal nature from the world." Michael shifted uncomfortably. "worries that 'e is not 'elping enough people." Marie-Hélène opened her eyes and moved to sit across from Allyn. "Yes, well everyone hides their base instincts from the world." Michael coughed and the women laughed at him again. Allyn was just glad it wasn't him under their inspection. "I'm more interested in what she said about you wanting to help more people." "It's funny, that has only really come up since meeting you darling. I see the work your foundation does all over the world and I end up feeling rather insignificant. It is not a position us surgeons are used to, or at all comfortable with. We tend to be the center of our little universes, as you may have figured out." "Yes, dear." Violet gave her husband a very knowing look. Allyn didn't understand all of what went on between them but the love and desire they felt for each other shown so clearly on their faces it was almost embarrassing to watch, and made him jealous as hell. He wanted to be able to look at Marie-Hélène like that, openly without a thought as to who might see. His thoughts were interrupted by the woman in question. "Allyn, you should have taken one of us with you to get your glasses. These frames are too..."
"Stuffy? Boring? Old-fashioned? I am not some French pop star La Reine. I am old-fashioned, and a little stuffy and I suspect even a bit boring. These glasses are fine." He smiled and felt the box of contacts in his pocket. Boring Allyn Bellows might wear glasses that didn't mean mysterious and sexy Mr. Smith needed to. He smiled again just to think about her saying it. He hoped to hell she wasn't disappointed when she found out it was just him.
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