He didn’t realize he was kissing her until recognized the taste of her lips. It was almost as if an inner force had propelled him forward. But once he was doing it, he didn’t know how to stop. The feel and taste of her mouth; the soft, sweet scents rising off her body—jasmine and ylang-ylang. And was it some sort of citrus?
It gave him pleasure, made him rock hard, to imagine her indulging in those body oils she loved so much. Smoothing them over her naked body until her dark skin glowed.
Stop,he reminded himself.You need to stop.This is more than she promised, beyond our agreement.
So, with effort, he let her go and stepped back, masking his discomfiture with chilling professionalism. “There is no other way, Jacyn, to fulfill your debt to me. Unless you want to return to the States.”And into the police custody.He let his unspoken words hover between them.
Jacyn flinched, turned abruptly, and hastily made her exit. “Goodnight, Alexandre,” she tossed over her shoulder. The last thing he heard, however, was the click of the lock as firmly placed a barrier between them.
CHAPTER 8
LAUGHTER ROSE FROM SOMEWHERE in the gardens. Strange, Alex thought. There hadn’t been a lot of that at the château back when he’d lived here, at least, not in later years. Not since he and his big brother had outgrown their boyish tussles out on the lawn; their impromptu games of tennis or wrestling or tag.
Curious, he walked out, following the happy sound. Down the flagstone steps to a point where he could look out onto the open grassy area just in front of the topiary maze. And there was Jacyn, running and screaming, wearing sneakers, jeans and a white T-shirt, her braids drawn away from her face with just a ribbon.
His instincts were pricked: Why was she screaming? What was she running from? His muscles tensed, bunched, and he was about to take off running to insert himself between Jacyn and whatever was chasing her when Liam appeared. He was similarly garbed in T-shirt and jeans.
And he, too, was laughing.
Liam lunged at Jacyn, who tried to side-step him but wasn’t fast enough. He caught her around the waist in a bear hug, and down they went.
Alexandre heard, no felt the snarl rising in his throat. It was a sound of pure territorial instinct, a primitive response to any threat to what was his. His civilized mind struggled to restrain him, but all he could think was,there he goes again. My brother, trying to take what is mine.
Then Willa appeared, carrying a football tucked under her armpit, and began goading her father into an argument. Alex was too far away to hear what they were saying, but with all the wide gesticulating and pointing, he guessed the subject of debate was the legality of a goal Willa was insisting was legitimately hers.
He willed his body to relax. It was only a game. That was all. Jacyn was just learning to play—“Charmant, non?”Sofia had been surprisingly quiet in approaching him, considering her penchant for walking around in nosebleed high heels. He wasn’t aware that she was standing behind him until she had spoken. Now, she was so close he could feel the warmth of her presence.
“What is?”
“The three of them. My husband, my daughter, and your lovely fiancée. Such a pretty picture of family.”
“I’m sure Willa appreciates it,” he responded shortly.“Family.”
Sofia slid next to him, allowing her shoulder to press against his arm. “Mmm-hmm.”
Alexandre’s instincts railed at her presence. Especially now, at a time like this, when he was trying to decipher why he’d responded so protectively towards Jacyn. Their engagement wasn’t real, so it was no skin off his nose if William touched her—up to the point where it would cast any uncertainty over the validity of Alex’s relationship with her. And it was only a game, three people kicking around a ball on a warm summer afternoon. So, what was the problem?
“This girl of yours, I find her quite pleasant, I suppose.” She shrugged dismissively, conveying without words that there was little else worth saying about Jacyn.
“She’s a lot more than that,” he said defensively. He wondered why he even needed to deflect this subtle dig. Had Sofia always been a snob and dismissive of people? Or had what his brother done to her changed her in ways he didn’t know? Had the event that changed all their lives also distorted the personality of the woman he loved? “She’s bright and ambitions. When I met her, she was working on a startup: artisanal hair and skin care products for women of color.”
Sofia looked bored. “Oh, indeed.” As she always did, she found a way to swing the conversation back around to topics that reflected well on her. “How do you like our Willa?”
He paused before answering. “She’s a beautiful young lady. A marvelous blend of your genes andmybrother’s.”
She chuckled lightly. “That’s one way to put it, yes.”
He glanced at her. What didthatmean?
“Did you ever think she could have been yours?”
He couldn’t keep the shock off his face.“Pardon?”
“Have you ever wondered,” she enunciated clearly, enjoying his pained expression, “what kind of babies you and I would have had? Would our first daughter have been another Willa, except with darker hair? Or would she have been a different person altogether? Would we have stayed and raised her here, or would we have gone off, as you did, to live in a big American city? Would her French be perfect? Would she speak English with an American accent?”
Every word was like a solid blow for Alex. A sucker punch in the gut. He looked at Sofia, unable to say a word. Why would she ask him this? Was this her idea of agame?
The clatter of footsteps on the stones headed their way was a welcome distraction, as Willa preceded the laughing trio at a trot. “Maman! We’re playing football!” Willa announced.