The Seduction (Finding Forever #2) - Jessie Jones Page 0,41

could John be so cruel to her? He was treating her like a whore, and she had done nothing to warrant such treatment! Throwing the note and check on the ground, she choked back the tears as she looked at Duff and said, "You can tell John that he can go straight to Hell!"

Duff then watched the stunning American burst into tears before turning and running down the street. He waved for additional guards to follow her as she disappeared down the busy sidewalk. Picking up the note and check, he read the contents of both. He closed his own grey eyes as John's words penetrated his mind. His heart ached for Gillian as he fought back his own tears. His best mate was intentionally being mean to the American, and he had no idea why. John had told Duff to drive Gillian home and to ensure that she was guarded 24/7 but had said nothing else before giving him the envelope and walking away.

"I love John like a brother, man, but sometimes I hate that son of a bitch," Duff sighed, feeling Luther walk up behind him.

"The woman was pretty upset, huh?" the African guard said as he put his hand on Duff's shoulder. "Between you and me, I think Johnny made a mistake with this one."

"Yeah, but this will be the first and only time that he'll regret it," the Scottish man replied softly before turning to Luther to add, "Let's go get a drink, mate. I'm buying." The two men then climbed in the Escalade and drove away.

Chapter 6

Gillian's eyes feasted on the magnificent, two-story structure that rose from the French countryside as her car pulled into the circular driveway. The 17th century home was made of limestone and was surrounded by acres of well-manicured landscape. There was no way that this was the house! The chateau was made for royalty, not one, simple American doctor. Maybe there was a small cottage out back that she would be sleeping in instead of the large, stone building. Turning off the car, Gillian stepped out and closed the door. Her eyes then touched on the tall middle-aged blond man standing at the door. "Dr. Campeau, it's good to see you again. Thank you for meeting me."

"It's my pleasure, Gillian, and please call me Bennet," the handsome doctor replied as he shook her hand. "So, what do you think of the place? I hope it will meet your needs."

A smile touched her nude colored lips as she looked at her new boss and said, "Meet my needs? It's beautiful! If I am being honest with you, Bennet, it's really too much. I don't even know how I can begin to repay you."

"You can repay me, Gillian, by utilizing that impeccable surgical reputation in my Parisian hospitals." Bennet smiled softly, his eyes scanning her stunning face and noticing that the woman was truly an amazing creature to look at. "Now why don't you follow me inside, so I can show you around?"

Gillian followed Bennet inside. As soon as she entered the foyer, she looked around at her spacious surroundings and suddenly felt extremely alone. It had been almost a week since she had left England, and her life was in utter chaos. Not only had she left John Kenric, but she had abruptly moved to Paris to start her life over again. If Gillian was being honest with herself, she was also running from her feelings regarding the Brit but was unfortunately failing miserably. Blinking back tears, she closed her eyes for a moment as the painful ache in her chest grew. The gnawing, uncomfortable sensation she was feeling had started the moment Gillian had left Kenric Manor and had grown in intensity with each passing day. At this point, the pain was starting to suffocate her, but what choice did she have? John had made it clear what he thought of her when he had given her the envelope full of money, and Gillian had no choice but to move on.

Opening her eyes, she took a deep breath. Trying to forget John for a moment, she gained her composure and looked at the French doctor. "This place is really amazing, Bennet. How long have you owned it?"

"I don't own it, actually," Bennet replied as he motioned for Gillian to follow him through the house. "It belongs to my half-sister, Tania, but she is so busy with work that she only gets to visit once or twice a year. I just