Heaven Scent (61 page)

Surprising herself, Leoni nodded, her brown eyes sparkling. ‘If that’s where you’re going to be, then so am I. Besides, someone needs to oversee the new shop, don’t they?’ She pushed his blond hair back with her fingers, her eyes roaming hungrily over him. ‘We’ll find a love nest together. I’ll run the shop and you can find more buildings to renovate.’ Leoni’s mind raced ahead with possibilities. ‘My home fragrance line will be up and running soon and I haven’t spoken to Guy about it yet, but I have this idea for expanding into skin and body care . . .’

Ashton put a finger to her lips. ‘Leoni, do me a favour?’ As she nodded, he pulled her closer. ‘Stop talking business for two seconds. Some things are more important . . .’

‘Oh, you’re so right,’ she murmured, finding his mouth again.

 

Guy met Marianne’s eyes across the store. For a moment, he was hit by a multitude of emotions. Regret, passion, guilt all sprung up at once. Guy gave himself a good talking to because he knew he had nothing to feel guilty about. As ruthless and ambitious as she was, Marianne had once meant a great deal to him; he wasn’t cheating on Elizabeth just because he had clapped eyes on an ex. Guy remembered something Elena had said to him about forgiveness – she said it was the most important thing he needed to learn in order to let go of the past.

Guy glanced at Marianne, assailed by memories of her stealing his ideas and putting him out of work, but suddenly, he felt calm. It was all so long ago now; what did any of it really matter? Knowing Elena would be proud of him, Guy strode across the store and clasped Marianne’s hand before he had a chance to talk himself out of it. ‘Marianne, lovely to see you,’ he said, meaning it. His brown eyes ran over her emerald suit, noting how beautifully it contained her abundant curves. She hadn’t changed much. Her red hair was rich and full of autumnal shades and even if she helped it along a little, Marianne was still a very attractive woman who exuded success and confidence. ‘I didn’t know you’d be here tonight,’ he added.

Marianne shook his hand, taken aback. She had been trying to think of a way to talk to him for the past half hour and now here he was, shaking her hand and smiling down at her as if the past hadn’t happened.

‘Guy,’ she managed. ‘How are you?’

‘I’m very well,’ he answered, knowing he was speaking the truth at last. ‘But it’s taken me a while to get here. Sorry, I don’t mean to get to Paris . . .’

Marianne nodded. ‘I heard about Elizabeth.’

Guy’s eyes clouded over. He wasn’t ready to talk about Elizabeth, not outside of his counselling. ‘It’s been . . . hard,’ he said inadequately. ‘I’ve made mistakes.’

‘Haven’t we all?’ Marianne said lightly, feeling his pain.

‘Still as unscrupulous as ever?’ Guy asked, changing tack.

She smiled. ‘Actually, I’m trying to change! But I only really made that decision tonight. From now on, I’m going to be nice to everybody.’

Guy grinned. ‘You? Nice? Don’t be ridiculous, Marianne! It’s not in your blood to be nice.’

Marianne mocked outrage. ‘Guy! I’m trying to be a better person and now you’re telling me I can’t change. It’s too bad.’

Guy couldn’t help thinking it felt good to see Marianne again. She was so mischievous and her sense of humour was lifting his spirits.

‘We should . . . meet up again,’ Marianne said, her eyes meeting his. ‘For coffee or something.’

Guy considered. He had to get through his counselling and he’d promised himself he would mend relationships with his children before he even thought about his own love life. Max and Seraphina needed a father and even Xavier could probably benefit from some father-son bonding time. Guy knew he had been selfish for far too long and that he needed to put his kids first for a while.

‘Maybe,’ he said non-committally. He noticed the light in Marianne’s eyes dim slightly at his words and for some reason and in the nicest possible way, it gave him a warm feeling inside. She wanted to see him again and that felt good. And perhaps one day in the future, he would feel like seeing Marianne again too, not that he was about to tell her that.

‘I’m astonished you’re here, actually,’ he commented, his brown eyes twinkling at hers. ‘After you lost out on buying the building and all that.’

Marianne gave him a slow, seductive smile. ‘I didn’t exactly “lose” the store, Guy. But . . . I’ll tell you about that another time. When we meet up again. You know, maybe.’ She leant over to give him a lingering kiss on the cheek. She squeezed his arm and walked away.

Almost intoxicated by her pungent perfume, Guy couldn’t help laughing out loud. Marianne really was one hell of a woman.

 

As he moved amongst guests efficiently and professionally, Xavier’s eyes kept flickering towards Cat. He had to speak to her. But there was so much to sort out first. Checking his watch, he realised it was time to give a speech to launch his new fragrance; his chat with Cat was going to have to wait. Moving towards the back of the room, he turned to face the crowds, clearing his throat to get everyone’s attention. Expectantly, celebrities and business representatives started clapping and whooping in anticipation. Several extremely well-known perfume creators nodded respectfully at Xavier in acknowledgement of both his achievement and his return to the world of fragrance.

‘Thank you,’ he said, when they’d finished. ‘Firstly, I’d like to thank you all for coming tonight. This is a momentous event – our first store, in Paris, no less, which is very fitting and a wonderful, historic backdrop to our new venture.’ Xavier waited until the applause had died down. ‘I would also like to introduce the first exciting new product from my cousin Leoni’s home fragrance line.’ He gestured to the area showcasing the candles. ‘Many other items will be added to this incredible line which will bring the luxury and decadence of Ducasse-Fleurie into your homes.’

Leoni was practically bursting with pride at this point, as was Ashton who couldn’t stop kissing her. Watching the crowd’s exultant reaction to Xavier’s announcement about the home fragrance line, Delphine ruefully acknowledged how wrong she’d been to scorn Leoni’s innovative idea. Clearly, owning candles and room sprays scented with Ducasse-Fleurie fragrances was a desirable notion, one she had known nothing about. Delphine sighed, realising she was going to have to move with the times. Or at very least, trust the younger members of her family when it came to what would and wouldn’t sell.

Glancing at Leoni, Delphine felt immensely proud of her. It was about time she took her granddaughter seriously and made a distinction between Leoni and her hapless, deceased brother. Just because Olivier had been a loose cannon didn’t mean Leoni was cut from the same cloth, Delphine told herself guiltily, realising she had accidentally tarred them with the same brush, as it were.

Xavier resumed his speech. ‘And last but not least, tonight is about the launch of my new fragrance. La Spontanéité.’ He took a deep breath. ‘This fragrance has been . . . a long time coming. Most of you know that I hung up my lab coat after my mother’s death and for a number of reasons I couldn’t ever see myself returning to the perfume business.’

Everyone was watching and listening with rapt attention.

Xavier looked up, his eyes intense with emotion. ‘But something . . . someone . . . reignited my passion. In more ways than one.’

Certain Xavier was talking about her, Angelique preened and threw a smirk in Cat’s direction. Cat felt a wave of nausea. All she wanted to do was escape. Receiving Angelique’s arrogant glances and hearing Xavier waxing lyrical about how his ex-girlfriend had inspired him was too much. Cat gripped the edge of a nearby counter.

‘I had a vision some years ago,’ Xavier continued, staring at Cat. ‘It was a vision of the perfect fragrance, inspired by the perfect woman. I had most of the components already prepared, both the ingredients and the qualities of the woman I had in mind. I have to say at this point that the woman I am talking about didn’t exist – at least, she wasn’t present in my life at the time.’

Angelique stopped smirking and frowned at Xavier. What was he talking about? She and Xavier had been together when he’d started to create this fragrance. Cat also looked up, puzzled by Xavier’s words.

‘But it took meeting her to actually tell me what was missing,’ Xavier continued. ‘Meeting her told me everything I needed to know about this new fragrance, this scent that would hopefully captivate women across the world.’ He nodded. ‘All of a sudden, I knew what I needed to make this fragrance the best thing I had ever created and something I would always know was inspired by the woman I love.’

Murmurs and whispers began rippling through the crowds of people as they gossiped and speculated. Xavier Ducasse – in love? He was a notorious playboy like his cousin, Olivier. He waded through women the way farmers waded through blooming lavender. Everyone had always assumed Xavier Ducasse would remain the eternal playboy; devastatingly handsome, dangerously sexy and most assuredly unable to commit himself to one woman.

People glanced at Angelique, sure she must be the woman Xavier was referring to. Why else was she here tonight? Although she was reeling inside, Angelique was doing little to dispel the speculation as she caressed Xavier with intimate glances. Turning, she posed for the professional and private cameras she knew were angled in her direction.

Cat, spellbound by Xavier’s words and intense gaze, realised she was holding her breath. Letting it out jerkily, she swallowed. He wasn’t talking about her . . . he couldn’t be.

‘I had a brief for this fragrance,’ Xavier said, his eyes never leaving Cat’s. ‘This woman, this fragrance, had to be glamorous but in a relatable way. I wanted it to be sexy and sensual and, most of all, warm, beautiful and aspirational. This fragrance is what and who all women want to be. It’s luxurious and it’s decadent too because that is what Ducasse-Fleurie is all about.’ He paused for a moment. ‘Someone once told me that branding is about knowing who you are and what connects emotionally with your target audience.’

Cat felt giddy. She longed to dash to Xavier’s side and kiss him but she was so confused. It had been so long since they’d even spoken. Xavier took his eyes away from Cat for a moment to connect with his audience.

‘Well, this fragrance, more than any others I have ever created, defines who I am, who this perfect woman is and, above all, what Ducasse-Fleurie stands for. It’s alluring, it’s sexy and it’s memorable. It’s about an unforgettable romantic encounter, one that changes your life, and it’s a unique blend of notes that are both elegant and stylish.’ He nodded for samples bottles to be passed around. ‘Enjoy the initial glow of sweet rose, orchid and white lily. See if you can spot the creamy amber and the hint of freesias.’ The air was suddenly full of exquisite scent as everyone enthusiastically tried the fragrance out on their pulse points.

Xavier smiled as he watched a ripple of excitement course through the crowds. ‘Experience the rich plummy heart notes and the playful tropical accord. Hours later, you will be able to inhale the honeyed cedarwood, ambergris and the pure, earthy tones of sweet orange.’

His eyes slid back to Cat’s. ‘Many creators of fragrance speak of the spontaneous elements within the perfumes they have created. But this, this embodies the idea of taking risks in both life and in love. Everyone, I present to you La Spontanéité!’

Motioning for the billboards to be exposed at last, Xavier watched, along with everyone else, as the purple material billowed dramatically down to the floor. There were gasps from the crowd of onlookers, Xavier included. Not because the photographs weren’t incredible but because instead of featuring Angelique, as everyone had expected, each and every one of the shots showed Seraphina Ducasse.

Angelique’s mouth fell open. What had happened? Where were
her
shots?
She
was the face of La Spontanéité, not Seraphina! Angelique spun round and stared at another billboard, along with everyone else. Seraphina looked spectacular in the photographs. The scenes had been shot in the grounds of La Fleurie and the natural beauty of the place lent itself perfectly to the photographs. The biggest of the photographs had been shot in black and white in a series, with Seraphina lying on the beach, her long platinum-blond hair wet and straggly and her face and body half covered in sand. She wore a bikini and she lay staring moodily out towards the sea, her mouth slightly pouty, her brown, feline eyes narrowed. It summed up the brief for Xavier’s perfume to a T. It was as though Seraphina had decided to stroll along the beach and roll around in the sand for the sheer hell of it. In one photograph, she clasped a bottle of the fragrance in her sandy fingers, a playful smile on her lips.

Cat gaped. The shot nearest to her was a colour photograph, with Seraphina wearing a simple white dress as she strode through La Fleurie’s abundant lavender fields, swinging a bottle of perfume casually in one hand. Her blond hair was blowing in the wind and her white dress showed an expanse of golden thigh. The sensational backdrop of lavender fields provided a riot of colour with shades of lilac, violet and amethyst and the overall effect was wholesome yet sensual and glamorous. Another shot depicted Seraphina in a purple polo shirt with spotless white jodhpurs and dark boots. Riding a glossy black stallion bareback, she looked utterly gorgeous, carefree and sexy and for all the world as though she had decided to throw herself on the back of the horse then and there. A handsome male model stood watching nearby, holding the bottle of fragrance out to her.

Cat glanced from photo to photo in disbelief. In each one, the hunky male figure stood in the background looking on, providing the romantic element but not detracting from Seraphina as the main embodiment of the fragrance. The tag-line for the perfume was repeated along the bottom of the ads in silver lettering.

Clever, clever Leoni, Cat thought, deeply impressed with the results. She’d spotted the flaw in the photos of Angelique and she’d identified the perfect solution. Not only that, she’d pulled it off in an absurdly short space of time. And now that Cat could see the improved version, the problem with Angelique’s original photographs became painfully apparent. They had been too obvious. The sexual angle had been too forceful, it felt like a physical onslaught, and the photographs had been all about Angelique. But Seraphina captured the youthful appeal of the fragrance although it was difficult to pinpoint her age in the pictures, which made it seem fitting for anyone. The photographs were stunning in their entirety; Seraphina didn’t take centre stage over the fragrance. And the backdrop of La Fleurie drew attention to the Ducasse family and their history, as well as hinting at their sought-after lifestyle.