Page 30

We met at eight at the new Greek place that had just opened in town. The establishment was cosy, and a tantalizing smell of garlic and spices already welcomed us through the open door.

“You look stunning,” I told her when she got out of her car.

And she did. The designer jeans, heels, and dark red blouse were simple but classic. Seeing every pair of eyes follow her on the way to the table made me remember just who I was walking next to. It happened all the time now, so much so that I simply forgot who she was to others. To me, she was just Emmanuelle. Kind, gentle, stunning Emmanuelle. And it felt so good to be here with her.

“Is everything okay?” she asked when I made no move to sit down.

I smiled and reassured her that it was. She settled down across the table, and it took us both a bit to get back into the groove of our normally easy conversation. Probably because I was still getting used to how light I felt. There was no need to hold anything back. I could be completely myself, just like I’d always been with Harry. I wished he could see me now.

The next time that I got home, I wanted to talk to Frank. But speaking to him would only be the first step. The next one was to tell Emmanuelle that I was in love with her. The fact that the prospect didn’t completely paralyze me was more than a little surprising. But this happiness made me brave. Grounded me. And I needed that because when I met her eyes over the table, it was so easy to fall into them.

“You know,” she said as the grip around her wine glass tightened. “It’s really not fair when you look at me like that.”

“How do I look at you?”

“Like…”

Like there’s nothing in the world I’d rather look at?

“Like you’re not entirely sure we’ll make it to the bedroom in the end.”

I swallowed, throat suddenly dry, and Emmanuelle gave me an amused chuckle, even if her intense gaze never left me. It seemed I wasn’t the only one with an active imagination.

Packing my desire into a box was hard, but I made a real effort because I honestly enjoyed just talking to her. During dinner, I found out that her grandmother, just like her great-grandfather, had displayed art at Laurent Lambert’s Art Gallery, one of the most famous and prestigious French art galleries there was.

We talked about her childhood, too, of flying back and forth between the States and Europe, the friends she made on both sides, and how hard it sometimes was to feel at home in two places at once. I understood that very well. No matter how much I’d grown to like living in Providence, at times I still really missed England. Halfway through the main dish, she even went so far as to reiterate a bad teenage dating experience.

“You cannot be serious.”

“No, I’m telling you he was as hairy as a werewolf, but only once he took his shirt off. Now, when I’m attracted to someone, it’s usually not their outward appearance that clinches it, but in that case.” A shiver jiggled the glass in her hand. “It was just too much hair … and then he started making these very weird sounds in the back of his throat.”

I fought a chortle at her consternated expression. “Why was he taking his shirt off in the car anyway?” She just lifted her brow. “Oh. Ohhhhhh. Okay. Yeah, of course. Stupid question.” I blushed.

“Did you never make bad decisions on the backseat of a Subaru?” she asked dryly.

“Uh, well, before my parents died, I wasn’t really … there yet, you know. At the point where I realised what I liked and what I didn’t. And after the whole world just dissolved into indeterminable shapes for a while.”

“I’m sorry.” Compassion swam in her eyes.

“No, no, don’t be. It was a long time ago.” I didn’t want the conversation to turn sombre, so I searched my memory. “You know, now that I think about it, there was one girl I made out with, under the bleachers during the last football game in senior year.”

“Is that so? Well, was she any good?”

“I’ve had better,” I said and stared straight at her.

Emmanuelle’s cheeks turned a little red, and she averted her eyes.

“Are you blushing right now?” My heart beat a little faster. God, she looked adorable. This wasn’t the French seductress I’d met a couple nights ago. No, this was a sweet, more innocent version of the beautiful artist, and I liked meeting her.

We talked about my work afterward and how impressed she was about what we had done with her neighbour’s gardens, and I preened a little under her compliments. The conversation swerved to family again after, and I found out she had a younger sister named Giselle who was still in college, next to her impossible brother. With a small smile, I said she should be lucky she had such a good relationship with Remi. Then I told her about Charlie, who lived in Vancouver and who I hadn’t seen in over a year, because he was always so busy with work.

“I was surprised to find out you had siblings,” Emmanuelle commented. “I thought your grandfather was your only family.”

“It’s a common mistake, and it’s not really all that untrue. Charlie is older than me by a good ten years, so he left for university only two years after we immigrated here for Dad. He wasn’t around much when I grew up. Well, you already know that he’s an attorney, but he’s also a partner at some big shot law firm. I love him, but he has his own life and is a real workaholic.”

“When you first mentioned him, I thought he was an old boyfriend or something.”

“Nope, I can honestly say that that’s one thing I’ve never had the urge to try.”

For a moment, she was quiet. “I hope it doesn’t bother you if I speak freely about my past lovers.”

“Why would it bother me? Because you don’t differentiate?” I shook my head. “Emmanuelle, I don’t care. We all have our preferences, and we all have a past. I know that better than anyone. You’re entitled to your choices.”

She picked up one of the hands I’d laid on the table, moving her dessert plate aside. “I like that about you, you know: your easy acceptance of things and the fact that you don’t get judgmental about other people’s personal matters.” I rubbed my thumb over her palm, which made her smile. “Same with your hands. I like them, too. They are a bit rough but very gentle.”

“Working in the dirt roughens them up quite a bit sometimes.”

She snickered. “Scaling trees probably doesn’t make them any smoother, either.”

“Hey!”

“I’m sorry, but that was seriously hilarious. I’ve never seen anyone get into a fight with a magpie before. And the way you fell off that tree.” Amusement shone in her jade eyes.

I shrugged. “Maybe I just have a special fondness for kites.”

“Well, maybe I have a special fondness for kites now, too.”

We smiled at each other, but I could tell that there was something else on her mind because she examined my fingers with a bit of a faraway look.

“Hey, what’s up?”

She glanced up and hesitated. “I’ve been meaning to tell you something, but I don’t want to put any pressure on you. I just told the family that the beach house is going to be occupied for at least another few months.” With a lopsided smile, she continued, “I just really like the house and the area.”

“And maybe some of the residents?” I finished shyly.

“Maybe those, too.”

“That’s … I’m so happy you’re staying,” I whispered.

At that moment I wanted nothing more than to kiss her.

She must have seen it on my face because she lifted one hand towards the waiter, without ever taking her eyes away from mine. “Could we have the check please?”

We didn’t make it to the bed in the end, the newly purchased couch offering a much closer alternative.

I lowered my head, kissing her deeply, enjoying the feel of her lips on mine, and she surged up from under me, her hands wandering under my clothes and digging into my lower back. Suddenly, she pushed and before I could blink, she was on top, and my back hit the couch. Laughing at my squeak, she nuzzled my ear. It turned into something else entirely when she kissed the sensitive skin on my neck, and there was a wicked glint in her eye when she tugged on my shirt.

“Do me a favour and take this off.”

With shaking fingers, I managed to get rid of the offending garments, making her sigh in pleasure before her mouth moved down my body.

Jesus.

She was relentless. I searched for something, anything, to hold onto because I didn’t think I could keep myself still. My hands finally found her hair, burying into the long sinuous strands of it, tightening when she grazed her teeth over a nipple. I hissed, feeling the shakes starting at my lower spine, but she just kissed the tip and continued onwards. She pulled down my trousers. I let my head fall back when her lips first traced my hip bone, then the junction of my thighs before her tongue found the wetness between them. My breathing turned ragged, my whole body tensed, and I could feel the pressure building under the relentless movement of her mouth. Stars exploded in front of my eyes, and I moaned when I came.

What she could make my body do still shocked me. She played it like an instrument, drawing forth new sounds, and caressing it expertly by pushing it to Eiffel Tower heights before letting it crash to the ground again. It was a little humbling just how good at this she was.

“I’ll never get tired of doing that,” she told me later, lying on my chest and watching me slowly get my breath back.

“What? Seeing me come undone?” The curled-up corner of her mouth said it all, and I traced it with a finger. “I really do love it when you do that.”

I could feel her chuckle against me. “So you’ve said.”

It was still a strange feeling to cuddle her, especially with me not used to so much body contact. Sex was easier in that respect since the amount of intimacy largely depended on the individuals involved and the demands of the act itself. But being so close to someone without it was a new experience for me. I liked it when she stroked my back, and I was certain that I wouldn’t have any more nightmares in her arms. My memories were silent, and it was that unbelievable calmness that I fell asleep to, one arm curled around her tightly.