The Boss (Chateau #3) - Penelope Sky Page 0,62

placed his spoon in the soup then dragged the bottom against the side of the bowl before placing it in his mouth. With his eyes down on his food, he spoke. “I wanted to thank you for what you did with Fender a few weeks ago…just never got around to saying it.”

I watched him, unsure what he referred to.

He lifted his chin and met my look. “When I restricted your food.”

When that had happened, my actions were impulsive. I didn’t do it so Gilbert would like me. I just didn’t want Gilbert to get in trouble when he was a good servant in every other regard. I saw the way he breathed to serve Fender, and seeing how angry Fender was, I wanted to preserve that relationship. “You’re welcome.”

“I know how this must sound, but…I did it because I want Fender to have the best of everything. I control every aspect of his personal life without him even realizing it, so it was natural for me to do that with you. I thought he would be displeased if you were bigger, so I wanted to address the problem without him even knowing.”

“Why did you think he’d be displeased?”

He looked at his soup again and glided his spoon inside. “I know his taste in women.”

“And what kind of taste does he have?”

“Tall, thin, model material. Perfection.”

I wasn’t tall, and I didn’t find myself to be model material either.

“But while you’re absolutely gorgeous, you don’t quite fit into those requirements, so I guess I don’t know everything about him…”

I looked down at my salad and pushed a couple pieces around, thinking about every moment when Fender looked at me—like it was impossible to take his eyes off me. Just his gaze alone showed more dedication than any man had ever given me in my entire life. He made me feel like the most beautiful in the world without even saying it. I didn’t quite understand his fascination with me, because Gilbert was right. There were better options out there. “Can I ask you something?”

He took a bite of his soup and regarded me.

“What is it about him…that makes you feel this way?” This invisible divide between us always made us feel friendly but not friends. Maybe someday that would change. Maybe it never would.

He cleaned off his spoon before setting it on the linen on the table. The question seemed to make him lose his appetite, because he moved on to his tea and abandoned his lunch. “I’m sure you can guess, Melanie. You can guess better than anyone…”

I let the conversation die. If he wanted to answer, he could. If he didn’t, that was his business. My food was no longer appetizing either, so I pushed it away and grabbed my tea and cookies.

“He’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen…for one.” He drew a deep breath then let it out slowly, like he was getting these heavy feelings off his chest. “I’ve never told anyone about this before, so it’s both strange and cathartic to discuss.”

“You don’t have to. I just…was curious.”

Gilbert watched me dunk my cookies into the tea before he continued. “The way he carries himself. The way he orders me around but never scolds me. He’s a natural leader. He handles business like he’d been doing it for many lifetimes. He earns the respect of everyone around him without even trying. He says so much without saying anything at all. And his eyes…they’re so deep and beautiful. He looks mad most of the time, but that intensity…it’s so sexy. He’s a man, you know? He’s so…manly. I just love that. Strong. Powerful. Masculine. And while he’s not affectionate, he’s good to us. He’s good to the people who are loyal to him. He’s the most hardworking person I’ve ever been around. It’s all those things, everything about him, every little thing…”

Sixteen

All That’s Left

Fender

The sun was out.

The sky was clear, revealing the French Alps in the distance, the powder gleaming under the sunlight. There wasn’t even a breeze, but the air was cold, absorbing the vapor that left my nostrils.

My stay had been worse than usual. Melanie was waiting at home for me when she used to be the reason I looked forward to coming to the camp. She had been the reason I’d stayed longer than I should.

But with her gone, my nights were lonely.

My boots smashed the snow underneath me as I crossed the ground, spots of soil breaking up the solid white cover. My men