“Right now? She is with a nanny at the hotel we are staying at. The Planter’s Inn. You know it?”
It was my favorite local luxury hotel because they’d worked so hard to blend in to the architectural history of the city. Low profile, high elegance, with a courtyard, just like the old Charleston houses. I nodded. “I know it.”
He felt in his inner breast pocket and pulled out a card and a silver fountain pen. He scribbled a number on the back. “It’s our suite number. Please come. Dauphine would like to say hello. She is desperate to see you.”
“She hasn’t called in a few days, I assumed it was because she was getting better at falling asleep.”
“She is. Thank you for that,” he added sincerely. “Your generosity with her,” he licked his lips, “well, thank you.”
“I did it for her. Not you.”
He gave a nod. “I know that. I am thankful all the same.”
“And I did it for me. I love her.”
“I know that too. And I’ll never forgive myself for accusing you of hurting her. I was panicked. Scared. And what I realized recently was I was not just reacting with fear for my daughter. The time we spent together, you and I … it was like an earthquake. I felt exposed. In danger. Because I was falling in love with you. I grabbed on to a reason to push you away, to not trust you. It was wrong. So very wrong. I know I’ve apologized before. But, Josephine, the pain I must have caused you …” He dragged in a deep breath through his nose and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as if to contain his emotion.
Shit, I was going to cry again.
“I feel that pain as if it was my own now. I cannot believe I inflicted it when all you did was love and heal us.”
“You’re not making it easy for me to be strong.”
He stepped toward me, his hand settling on my neck. Warm and rough. “Don’t be strong then. Be weak like me. Then we can be strong together.”
“I need to think.”
“I know. But je suis … I am afraid if you think too hard you won’t pick us. And I have so much more to say to you.” His eyes left mine to swing left and right, then narrowing briefly on the window of the yacht showroom. “Things I cannot say right now.”
“Sylvie is watching us, isn’t she?”
“Mais oui.” His gaze swung back to mine.
“She’s wondering how a god like you is begging a sweaty, dirty, heap of a girl like me to take a chance on him.”
“I love this sweaty girl.” He leaned in and ran his tongue up my neck under my ear, causing goosebumps to erupt across my skin and liquid heat to settle in my belly.
“Xavier!”
“She tastes good. Her skin is flushed and damp and salty like it is after we make love. And whether she’s dirty or not …” he inhaled a hungry and breathy groan in my ear that I felt between my legs. “I would love to find out. I’m hoping she is.”
I whimpered as I tried to let out a casual laugh. Jesus. I’d gone from emotional wreck to lust-crazed, weak-kneed damsel in seconds.
“Ahh, I miss your sounds, Joséphine. And there are things I would like to do too, and here is not the place for them.” He was pulling out all the stops to get me to give him a chance.
I placed my palms on his chest and pushed him back. “Fine.” I shivered. “Fine, I will see you tonight. I’m meeting friends, but I’ll see you afterward, okay?”
He broke into a brilliant smile.
“Put that away,” I grumbled.
He smiled wider. “I cannot.” But then his face fell. “What time will you come? Dauphine might be asleep because she is on French time and she will be so disappointed. I want to see you tonight though. Maybe that is better if she is sleeping because we can talk in private. Can we see you again tomorrow?” He grabbed my hand. “Whatever happens tonight, good or bad, tell me you will keep a promise to see Dauphine tomorrow.”
I swallowed. “Of course.”
“Bon.” He nodded, then his grin struggled to break through again.
“I didn’t bring my sunglasses to deal with your smile.”
His teeth flashed.
“I can’t believe you recognized me from behind,” I added.
“I can. You forget how much time I spent obsessed with your ass.” He winked.