“A flash of lightning, something unexpected.” It also meant love at first sight.
“Yes, that’s true.” Lily smiled at Madame. “I bumped into him in the hostel lobby, tried practicing my French on him, and he responded in English because my French is obviously not very good. Then we started chatting, he took me to that park with butts in the name, and then he asked me to go to Provence with him. But I’m not going anywhere with a guy I met today because I don’t want to be one of those international stories that wind up on the twenty-four-hour news networks discussing, ‘Where could Lily Adams be?’” Lily wound down her worries, Madame nodding in agreement the whole time.
“I commend you for your sensibility. Unfortunately, Europe is full of handsome, unscrupulous young men.”
Jack made a noise of protest, but Lily ignored him, leaning in to peer at Madame. “That’s it exactly! I wasn’t planning to come by myself but my cousin is having a baby, after all, and she wants me to be very careful because I am alone.”
“You brave girl.” Madame was ignoring him now as well in a moment of female bonding. “Cads and bounders! Europe’s crawling with ’em these days. It’s a wonder girls don’t go missing by the trainloads considering the trash that dares walk the street.”
“Exactly!”
Jack didn’t see this going well for him. “But Madame—”
Madame was just warming up. “You should have seen the riffraff I encountered on my last trip. Utterly disgusting the way they act—”
“Madame, please!” Jack interrupted in desperation. “Lily is going to think I’m an axe murderer.”
Both women looked at him as if they’d forgotten his presence. Lily muffled a giggle and Madame frowned at him for his poor manners.
“Excuse me, Madame,” he apologized.
She sniffed but inclined her head in acceptance of his apology. “So, Mademoiselle Lily, despite the preponderance of dubious characters, my former student Jacques is not one of them. He is diligent, hard-working, courteous and of the highest moral fiber.”
“He did say he was a Boy Scout.”
“Oh, my, yes. Earned the highest award in the organization. If he has promised to show you around Provence, you can be assured that he will conduct himself with the utmost of gentlemanly qualities. No need to fear he would pounce on you like a panther.”
“Oh.” Was it his wishful thinking, or did Lily sound a tiny bit disappointed? She sat up straighter. “I’m glad you vouch for his character.”
“Absolutely.” Madame gave him a steely glare. “And I will give you my phone number. Please call me if you have any concerns. I have many friends in the south of France and they would be happy to come to your assistance.” Jack winced—he’d better behave himself. Madame’s friends in the south of France were all his own friends and employees, as well.
“That would be wonderful.” Lily pulled out her cell phone and entered not only Madame’s two phone numbers, but her email address and home address.
“There.” His former governess sat back in satisfaction. “You’re as safe as you would be with your cousin, my dear. Master Jacques will care for you as if you were his own sister.”
“Of course.” He gritted out a smile. He didn’t have any sisters, and he certainly didn’t consider Lily as one. But a promise was a promise.
“Wonderful!” Lily threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek. “The south of France! Provence!”
Madame Finch grinned at him as she reached for her keyboard. “Bon voyage, you two. Lily, I am only a phone call away.” Jacques could have sworn he heard an evil-sounding chuckle as she terminated the web call.
Lily still had her arms around his neck, her smooth bare legs rubbing his, her thighs firm and tanned as her short skirt had crept up. “I can’t believe it—this is so exciting.”
He had to agree. Exciting, but damned inconvenient that his libido had come roaring back after being comatose for so long. And he’d promised to take the sexiest woman he’d met in years to the most romantic place on earth—and treat her as a sister.
Lovely. Lovely Lily, with sparkling green eyes and glossy peach lips begging for him to kiss them. For him to pull her into his lap and show her what real French kissing was about. But…no.
He patted her wrist and waved to the waiter for their check. She dropped her arms awkwardly and he pushed her wineglass toward her. “A toast to our trip.”
“Cheers.” She tapped her glass to his again. “When