‘You’re not helpless at all.’ Luc’s compelling stare narrowed on her face.
As always her body rejoiced, while she closed her mind to him. ‘You don’t need to worry. I am looking after myself.’
He seemed unconvinced as he led the way to their next destination.
It was early for lunch, and the corridor was deserted when they arrived outside the kitchens. Expecting Luc to open the door for her, she paused as he stepped in front of her. ‘Aren’t we going in?’
Luc’s eyes were black and dangerous. ‘Say please,’ he taunted in a husky tone.
‘I’ll say something,’ she promised briskly.
Her pulse was off the scale. They were close enough for her to see the flecks of gold in his eyes. They were breathing the same air, sharing the same space, two wills colliding; his fierce enough to bring him all the riches in the world, while hers was forged in steel out of sheer necessity. They were as unequal as two people could be in the material sense, but at their cores they were the same.
Gripping the handle, she swung the door wide. ‘Shall we?’ she prompted, stepping inside.
Luc was as good as his word. Emma was able to spend the rest of that week familiarising herself with the kitchens and the staff, though she rarely saw him. Whether Luc was keeping away from her on purpose, or whether he was just too busy visiting his hotels in other parts of the country, she had no idea.
His absence gave her some much-needed breathing space and time to reflect. Sometimes, when she was tired, she wondered what she was doing in Brazil—why she hadn’t stayed in Scotland, and why she hadn’t given herself more chance to mourn the deaths of her parents. She came up with the answer in the most unlikely circumstances, while she was doing the most monotonous task: cleaning out a deep fat fryer.
Mopping her brow with the back of her arm, she accepted that thinking about her parents always made her sad, because nothing had been resolved between them. She hadn’t won their love and doubted now that that was possible. Sometimes hard truths took longer to accept, she thought, knowing the only certainty was that the harder she worked, the closer she came to her goal of providing a good life for her child. She might not have had the best role models for parenthood, but she loved her baby already, and her child was going to be the most wanted child on earth.
And now she stank. Cleaning out a deep fat fryer was the worst job she’d done so far. The smell of old oil pervaded everything, and by the time she had finished her hair was plastered to her face, and eau de oil was her least favourite scent. But she did have a great view of everything going on in the kitchen. Standing on the sidelines, taking notes, wouldn’t have suited her. She didn’t want people thinking she was afraid to get her hands dirty while everyone else was run off their feet. And there were benefits. She smiled as the chef offered her a titbit from his latest creation. ‘Mmm, delicious.’
‘You deserve it, Emma.’
She didn’t know about that, but she’d learned a lot—and not just that the food at Luc’s hotel was superb. If she could ease things in the future for her colleagues, she’d count it as a victory. And that was her primary concern—not where Luc was. So why was she fretting about him?
The answer came when she met Karina on her way out.
‘You stink.’ Standing well back, Karina faked an explosive coughing fit as she wafted the air with her manicured hand.
‘I don’t know whether to be flattered or to hit you with a greasy cloth,’ Emma admitted. ‘But you’re right. I do stink.’
‘Like an old chip pan,’ Karina confirmed. ‘Didn’t they give you an overall to wear?’
‘I was covered from head to foot in designer plastic, but this exclusive cologne is what they call perma-stink oil.’ With an appreciative hum she inhaled deeply and almost gagged.
‘Better get yourself sorted out,’ Karina advised. ‘It’s my birthday party tonight, and you’re coming.’
Emma’s face dropped. ‘Oh, goodness. I’d forgotten! Joke,’ she added, seeing the look on Karina’s face. ‘Of course I haven’t forgotten. You wouldn’t let me.’
‘Quite right. Tired or not, you have to come. Someone has to keep my brother in line.’
‘Your brother?’
‘The Beast, otherwise known as Lucas? Don’t look at me like that. I won’t accept any of your lame excuses.’
Emma’s head was spinning.
‘You have to be there to stop him ordering me about. This is the first time I’ve met a woman who can control him. Please don’t spoil my fun now.’