Sudden Legacy (14 page)

“I have spent the last three and a half years trying to run the family business. It has been a great deal to take on, and all the while I have been haunted by the sharpness in my father’s eye. He is still in there. His body has failed him, but his mind remains sharp. He is trapped in a prison with no key.”

The pain in his voice was palpable. My heart ached for this man and all he had been through since I had seen him last. “Julien...” I reached across him and ran my hand through his hair, offering him the small comfort of my touch. Then I remembered how he had come to be here. “Those men. How do you know them?”

He let out a long breath. “They are business associates. My father’s company deals in technologies.”

“Julien, they are threatening you-”

He hugged me tighter to his body. “No,
Chérie
, it was only a misunderstanding. It was a race of sorts. When two products that do similar things are offered to the public, the first one to show up is usually the winner, even if the second one is of superior quality. Those men, they didn’t want me releasing my product before they released theirs. They were simply hedging their bets.”

“Are people really that easily led? You think they’d choose whichever product came out first?”

Julien shrugged. “Well,
my
product is being offered for free.”

“Oh. I could see how that might put things in your favor from a popularity perspective.”

He chuckled, a rumbling in his chest that tickled my ribs. “
Oui, Chérie
, were I to release my product before them, it would have been a multi-million dollar hit to their coffers. You can maybe understand their passion on the subject.”

“It still doesn’t give them the right to threaten you and hold you hostage.” I was shocked at how unaffected he seemed by the whole incident.

“There was a minute or two there where I was admittedly a bit nervous, but I am delighted to inform you that our business has been completed, and no harm has come to my person, or more importantly, to you or Alex.” He held up his naked leg. At first I was confused as to why he was showing me his leg, then I realized he was no longer wearing the ankle monitor.

“Your ankle....
thing
. It’s gone!”

He hummed his reply and lowered his leg, rubbing his foot up my calf.

“So, you’re free to go now?” There was a traitorous tremor in my voice.

“I am free to move about the cabin, yes.” I didn’t laugh at his attempted humor.

“Does this mean you’ll be leaving soon?” I was impressed with my ability to speak around the lump forming in my throat.

Julien turned toward me and gently cupped my face. “No. I want to stay a while.”

“How long?” How long did I have to pretend this would all work out into a happily ever after ending? How long did I have to grow attached again before he left and crushed me? How long did Alex have to worship him before he was abandoned?

“As long as you’ll have me.”

I just stared at him dumbly.

“I will eventually have to return to Italy. I have many important obligations, but I’m hoping you and Alex would be willing to come with me.”

What?

I felt strangely detached, noting my continued inability to speak.

“I told you, Lara, I love you. I have no intention of losing you again.” He kissed me chastely on the lips. “You are overwhelmed. I understand. We can revisit this discussion later.”

I shivered and he misinterpreted it to mean I was cold. He reached over and pulled a blanket over our bodies, then ran his hand lazily down my back. Julien had a talent for understatement.

I awoke the next morning in my own bed. I thought for half a second that the previous night had been yet another vivid dream, but that notion was quickly dispelled as I registered a delicious soreness in my muscles, and the fact that I was naked under my covers. Julien must have transferred me into my own bed some time during the night.

I took my time in the shower, still unsure about my feelings of last night’s events. When I joined everyone in the kitchen Nan beamed at me.

“My, my, but you look well rested. You’re positively glowing.” Nan’s eyes were alight with happy suspicions. I could feel my cheeks warming under her scrutiny.

I cleared my throat and avoided looking in Julien’s direction. “Yes, well, I had a very good night’s sleep.”

Pops was on his way out the door as I sat down to my breakfast. He had mercy enough not to comment on my appearance before he left. Julien was not so kind. He sat down across from me with a loaded plate and an equally loaded smile. “Nan is right,
Chérie
, you look
trés jolie.
”

I gave him a blank stare before devoting an overabundant amount of concentration to my eggs.

“What are your plans for the day, dear?” Nan asked casually, regarding me over the rim of her tea mug. I pushed my eggs around on my plate. “I need to run a few errands in town.”

“Would you like me to keep Alex for you, or are you comfortable with letting him go back to the daycare center?”

Julien spoke before I could answer. “Why don’t we bring him with us?”

I cocked a brow at him. “Us?”

He flashed me his crooked half smile, the one that did funny things to my equilibrium. “Am I not invited,
Chérie
?”

“Do you have business in town?” I asked him, just to be difficult. It was getting hard to hide my smile.

“If you and Alex are there I do.”

The sweet sincerity of his answer left me at a loss for words.

I was definitely more than tipsy. I giggled at the sound of my stomach growling loudly as Julien was nuzzling my neck. “
Ah, tu as faim,
” he crooned against my skin. “I must feed you.”

The room spun a bit as he pulled me to my feet and led me to the galley. I had never been in the ship’s kitchen before. It was bigger than I expected.

“Is there anything in particular you would like
Chérie
?” he asked as he deposited me on a padded bench by a small table.

I managed a blurry smile. “Surprise me.”

He squinted down at me for a moment, resting his chin on his thumb and forefinger as if in deep thought. “Hmmm. For you? I think I shall make my specialty.”

He turned abruptly and began assembling the things he would need on the counter. It was obvious that he knew his way around the kitchen. He didn’t have to search for anything.

While he was busy at the stove I decided to explore a bit. I made my way into the chef’s pantry. I was inspired when I came upon a rack of uniforms. There were double-breasted white coats, white aprons and stiff, cylindrical chef hats. I decided to give Julien a surprise of my own.

“
Chérie?”
I could hear Julien calling from the other room. “There are fresh berries in there, no?”

I scanned the baker racks along the wall, finding a palate of strawberries. I scooped up two big handfuls and made my way back into the galley proper.

Julien had made crêpes. He was just turning off the stove and plating the last one. He turned to take the berries from me and dropped the pan. It clattered loudly across the stovetop as he took in the sight of me. He started at the chef’s hat atop my head, and ran his gaze down my body, noting my full hands and the fact that I was naked under my apron.

I smiled wickedly and put my hand up to his mouth. “Berry?”

He nipped a strawberry with his teeth, biting it in half. I watched him chew and swallow before I leaned into him for a kiss. The kiss was instantly molten. He crushed his lips to mine and I dropped the berries in order to free my hands to grab fistfuls of his hair.

He broke the kiss and stared into my eyes while his hands splayed over the bare ribs of my back. He brought them around to my front, under my apron, and kneaded my breasts. “I quite like you as my
sous-chef, Chérie.”
I answered him with a moan, and pressed myself into his hands. He graced me with that cocky half smile of his and began nuzzling my neck. “I need to feed you,
Chérie.”
I pulled back so he could see my face as I answered. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

I could tell he didn’t understand my intention at first because he was taken by complete surprise when I sank to my knees in front of him and unfastened his tuxedo pants. His erection sprang forth, seemingly grateful to be freed of its restraints. He braced himself against the counter, the muscles of his forearms visible below his rolled up sleeves taut and straining as I took him into my mouth.

I held him firmly at his base, taking him as deep as I could, and reveling in the soft hisses of breath and garbled French-Italian exclamations issuing forth from above. My hand moved with the rhythm of my mouth, up and down, my tongue flicking over his sensitive head. I could feel the tension building in him. Never having done this before, I feared I was doing it wrong when suddenly he jerked away. He dropped to his knees, capturing me in an impassioned embrace and lowering me to the galley floor. I could feel strawberries squishing beneath me, but paid them no mind; all of my attention focused on the man above me as he flipped aside the skirt of my apron and sank into me like a spoon into honey.

“How do you say ‘midnight’ in French?” We were still on the floor, leaning against the cabinets with an almost empty plate of crêpes between us. I was still wearing my apron, but it was significantly wrinkled and askew. My legs and torso were stained in splotches with berry juice. Julien looked only slightly less disheveled. His tux shirt would never be white again.

“
Minuit.”
I shivered at the way his lips moved around the word.

“Min-you-ee crêpes.” I looked up at him through my lashes.

“Trés bien. But it would be ‘
crêpes à minuit’.
The adjective goes after the noun.” He held a small piece of crêpe up to my lips. I took it, the sticky syrup sweet on my lips.

“Why bother with the details? You obviously spend very little time
talking
to her.” Marla’s voice cut through our moment, startling us both. How did she always manage to sneak up on us? The woman was in serious need of a bell.

“
Bonsoir,
Marla.” Julien kept his tone light. “Care for a
crêpe?”
He stood and brushed berry debris from his pants, then offered a hand to me. I rose as demurely as possible considering my wardrobe.

Marla acknowledged Julien with a cold smile. “Don’t you mean
bonjour
? It’s after three in the morning.”

“Forgive me,” he answered. “We seem to have lost track of the time. I hope we didn’t wake you.”

“Don’t be silly. I was just turning in myself, when I realized I was...” She turned her body toward me slightly as she finished her sentence, “...famished.”

Julien stiffened beside me. “Marla, I believe I made myself clear earlier-”

She cut him off with a wave of her hand. “Oh hush,
mon jouet,
let the girl speak for herself.” She stepped forward so she was standing directly in front of me. “You are learning French,
Miss l’Amérique?
Do you know the word
‘voyeur’?”

She was smiling softly at me, her perfect rows of white teeth peeking out between her pretty lips.