Sudden Legacy (3 page)

I had never fainted before. I always thought fainting was something reserved for Victorian women in tight corsets or new fathers in delivery rooms. Luckily I had already been sitting, and Julien had a hold of me, so rather than fall to the ground I merely sagged against him.

I only lost consciousness for a few seconds. I came to on the porch with Julien’s concerned face staring down at me. “Lara? Lara are you alright?”

This day had started out so normal. How was it that it could shift so dramatically so fast? Why was Julien here? How had he not known about Alex? Where was my monthly child support coming from if not him? Who were those men, and what was their interest in my baby? My head was swimming in chaos. I started to feel woozy again. As my eyes began to roll to the back of my head, Julien hauled me up into a sitting position, then slumped me forward so that my head was tucked between my knees. “Breathe,
Chérie.
Nice deep breaths... That’s right.”

Very slowly I felt my thoughts begin to calm. Breathe in... Breathe out... Repeat. When I was confident that I could do so without passing out again, I raised my head and focused on this enigma before me. “What is going on, Julien? Who are those men? What do you mean we’re in danger?”

“I can’t say for sure,
caro
. I am in possession of some valuable information, and it has been suggested to me that perhaps I should lay low for a few days. That’s actually why I came here. I hadn’t thought anyone would think to look for me here.” He paused, “Of course, I hadn’t any idea I had a
son
here, either.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Well, somebody obviously knows.” I put my weight on my hands to stand, and flinched at my sore knuckles. He gestured for me to give him my injured hand. I gingerly set it into his outstretched palm, noting wryly that his perfect face appeared unscathed. “You have a head like a rock.”

“I have heard that before. It doesn’t appear to be broken. You should ice it - on the road.”

“On the road?”

“Yes. We should be leaving. If those men could find your day care center, surely they know your home address.”

I hadn’t thought of that. The realization sent a cold shiver down my spine.

My grandparents took the news of possible danger in stride. Having no perceivable threat, involving the police would be pointless. Nan blustered around the kitchen packing food into a bag. Pops just sat in his seat at the head of the table, a stalwart fixture in this house he had built himself.

“Lara. I’ll not be chased out of my own God damned house.” He was speaking to me, but looking at Julien. “You’ll forgive me, young man, if I don’t jump to believe such a fantastical story, delivered by my great-grandson’s absentee sperm donor.”

My jaw dropped in shock. It was very unlike Pops to be so crude. I think between watching my mother raise me alone, and then watching me follow in her footsteps of single-parenthood, he had lost all patience for errant ex-lovers of the women in his life. “Pops! Julien is only looking out for our best interests.”

Pops scowled at me. “Well, he’s a little late to the party.”

I tried a different tactic. “Pops, whatever your opinion of Julien may be, the fact remains that strange men tried to get ahold of Alex today.”

Pops closed his eyes as if suffering from a headache. Nan came over, handing me the bag of food. “She’s got a point, Daniel. What’s the harm in getting away for a few days? It will be like a vacation.”

“Nancy, I’m not an idiot. Some philandering piece of euro-trash comes to my home without warning, telling me we’re in some kind of vague danger, and we need to leave right away - oh, and we need
cash
, lots of cash because the boogie men we’re running from are tracing his credit cards. It’s all a little suspect to me.”

Julien was taking the insults with quiet restraint. I got the distinct impression he agreed with my grandfather on several counts in regards to his lascivious nature. Having him here in front of me was bringing back so many memories. My earlier admission of virginity had brought our first night together to the forefront of my mind.

I was confused when Julien led me toward the docks. I used my master skills of deduction to figure out why when we stopped in front of a super-yacht.
This
was where he was staying? Everything I knew about yachts could fit inside a thimble, but I knew enough to estimate the cost of this one to be somewhere in the multi-million dollar range.

“You own a yacht?” I couldn’t keep the surprise out of my voice.

Julien chuckled softly. “No,
Chérie
, I am staying with a friend. This is her vessel.” He assisted my boarding and led me through a small door and down a hallway.

“The woman in the evening gown?” I had seen her again as we left the club. Julien had collected his tux jacket from a chair at her table, but I had been making sure Svetlana had an escort home, so I had missed the opportunity for an introduction.

“You are as perceptive as you are beautiful.
Oui
, Marla. She is a close friend of my mother.”

“Wow. I wish my mother’s friends let me crash on their yachts.”

That made him laugh outright. “Well, Marla is a very generous woman.” He held open a door to a small cabin. He was positioned in the narrow entrance in such a way that I was almost pressed against him as I entered. He halted me midway and asked softly, “Do you have a cabin preference,
mademoiselle
?”

His close proximity made my wits scatter, and it was all I could do to form a coherent answer. “Preference?”

He tucked a wayward curl behind my ear and clarified his meaning. “Do you prefer a cabin to yourself, or would you like... company?” His sexy droll made ‘company’ sound like an erotic promise.

My breath caught in my throat. I heard myself answering him and it was like an out of body experience. Who
was
this flirty girl? “That depends. Do you snore?”

He smiled wickedly. “I’ve never been told I do, but if you find that to be the case, by all means,
wake me up Chérie.
”

I never got the opportunity to find out if he snored. He kept me awake through the small hours of the morning, teaching me things about myself I never would have imagined possible. When I had finally collapsed atop him in a completely sated mass of nerve endings, he could have snored louder than a chainsaw and I’d not have stirred.

I had no notion of what time it was when my brain began to function properly again. I could hear the sounds one usually associates with a harbor - seagulls, water sounds, buoys knocking against unknown objects... I cracked an eyelid and noted that the space beside me was empty. Julien had gone. I threw my covers back and stumbled into the en-suite.

Having answered nature’s call, I decided to indulge in a hot shower. The shower was fully appointed with high-end French shampoo and body wash. I took full advantage, luxuriating in the feel of the rich lather on my skin. I was deliciously sore, having employed muscles I hadn’t known existed. The hot water was like heaven, and by the time I turned it off, my entire front was a rosy pink in color.

Stepping out into the steamy bathroom, I wrapped myself in a plush robe hanging from the back of the door, and wrapped my hair in a towel, turban style. I was delighted to find a new toothbrush in the drawer of the vanity, along with toothpaste, floss, hand lotion and cold cream. This was one very well stocked guest room.

I didn’t dawdle long. I was growing hungry, and starting to wonder how I was going to find Julien on this floating palace. I dressed in a pair of khaki capris and a white cotton blouse, grateful I had thought to stop for my pack on the way here the night before.

I had no idea where I was in relation to the main lounge areas of the yacht. I picked a direction and started walking. Luckily I came upon a woman in uniform before I managed to get too turned around. She gave me a friendly smile and a “
Bonjour, mademoiselle.
” I smiled back.

“Good morning. Parlay voo Angles?” I asked in my rudimentary French. She shook her head apologetically. What followed was an impromptu game of charades in which I eventually managed to convey my interest in finding food, and Julien, but not necessarily in that order. She perked right up at the mention of Julien.

“
Ah, oui, Monsieur Julien. Suivez-moi
,” she said, motioning for me to follow her.

She led me down a series of hallways and into a small dining room that was open to the deck on one side. The table was laid with a variety of breakfast foods and fresh fruits. She indicated that I should sit, and to help myself to a plate. “
Monsieur Julien arrivera bientôt
.” She must have gone to collect Julien, because it wasn’t long before I heard his smooth voice in the hall. He was speaking in rapid French, his tone cajoling and playful.

He was just as beautiful in the light of day. He had showered, and dressed in linen trousers and a tight, white v-neck t-shirt. He looked like he had been custom made for this yacht like the dining table or deck loungers. My stomach did a little flutter dance, remembering how we had spent the night, this sexy stranger and me.

He paused upon seeing me, and a quick, flirty smile touched his mouth before he turned to his companion, letting her enter first. “Here she is now, Marla, may I introduce Lara Divoll. Lara, this is Marla, the beautiful benefactress of which I spoke.”

I stood and offered her my hand across the table. She nodded warmly in acknowledgment, but didn’t reach to accept it, waving it away instead. “Sit, please. It is lovely to meet you.” Julien pulled out a chair for her and she sat with a feline grace, leaning fully back against the chair back and watching intently as Julien sat himself beside me. “So, Lara,” she said, “You’re quite the dancer. Have you had professional training?”

I blushed under her scrutiny. Up close I could see that she was older than I had previously thought, probably in her late forties. That made sense, I guess. Julien had said she was a friend of his mother’s. “Oh, thank you, no. I just kind of let loose and go with it...” I cringed inwardly at my lame answer. There was something unnerving about this woman.

Julien put his hand on my thigh under the table. “She is a natural. She has impeccable rhythm.” My leg jumped, knocking into the table pedestal and causing the water glasses to rattle.

Marla arched an aristocratic brow. “That’s quite an endorsement,
mon jouet préféré.
” Marla served herself some fruit. “What brings you to Cassis?”

The uniformed woman reentered carrying a tray with champagne and orange juice. She set about making mimosas and placing them before each of us.

I took some fruit of my own. There was a lot of honeydew melon. I didn’t much care for honeydew, but I didn’t want to seem unappreciative, so I discretely aimed for the grapes and cantaloupe, hoping no one would notice. “Fate, I guess. I just sort of spun the globe and decided to go wherever my finger landed.”

Julien looked at me with new interest. “How adventuresome,
mademoiselle
.” His hand pressed lightly against me in a subtle caress.

I smiled back. “Not as adventuresome as it seems. I cheated a little. The first go round I landed on Greenland.”

Julien chuckled and raised his mimosa. “Well then,
au deuxième tours!
To second spins.” I clinked glasses with him, and Marla raised hers as well.

“
Oui, au deuxième tours, et la vie de petits plaisirs
.” Her voice was silky and she was smiling, but I couldn’t help noticing a small tone of condescension.

I smiled back as pleasantly as possible. “I’m sorry, I don’t speak French...”

Her eyes flicked to Julien again for a fraction of a second, then returned to me. “I said, ‘to second spins, and life’s little pleasures’. After all, what is more pleasurable than enjoying the Mediterranean with good company and good food?”

“Mama, where’s my yeyow car?”

Alex abandoned his post at the toy corner in the living room, and came over to lean against my legs. I ran my hand over his soft curls. “I don’t know, sweetheart. Maybe in your bed?”