With an unaccountable tightness in her chest, she leaned down and touched her lips to his once more. She traced the sudden furrow of his brow and slipped out of bed.
Her shower was much longer than normal to allow Nicholas time to dress and depart. She only hoped for both their sakes he would not be surprised by one of the other staff on his walk back to his room.
The sun was rising in the sky when she emerged fully dressed from the bathroom, only to find Nicholas still asleep.
This was a surprise. Back in Geneva, he’d confessed he didn’t sleep well. Yet he seemed to have slept soundly all night.
She contemplated walking up to the kitchen to eat her breakfast, but decided to check her email first.
She sent a brief message to her mother and responded to a couple of emails from colleagues at the Victoire, who notified her of Marcel’s passing and the upcoming funeral mass.
She texted Luc and told him she’d be home in a day or so.
And she read the most recent texts from Kate.
Luc came by. Again.
I need to wear sunglasses
not to melt under his heat.
I’ve been checking your mail.
A few bills arrived.
The decorator came by yesterday
to work on your apartment.
She let me take a look.
You’ll love it. Come home.
Acacia was relieved. Now nothing was keeping her away from Paris, apart from her visa troubles. Nicholas’s company would cancel the applications they’d begun on her behalf now that she’d resigned.
She suddenly remembered she hadn’t sent her resignation letter.
She opened the email she’d drafted to Madame Bishop and Nicholas and quickly re-read it. She emphasized that her resignation was to take effect the previous day. Then she pressed send.
Somewhere in the room, a cell phone chimed.
Nicholas yawned.
He rolled over and squinted at her. “What are you doing way over there?”
She logged out of her email and closed her laptop. “Just catching up on a few things.”
He patted the bed.
She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and surveyed her freshly washed hair and floral dress. “Beautiful Acacia, please come here.”
She found his tone irresistible. Vulnerability had crept into his voice, as if he were far from certain she’d acquiesce. His openness in that moment drew her like a magnet.
She crossed over to him and sat stiffly on the edge of the bed. He pulled her atop him and arranged her legs so they straddled his lower abdomen.
“I don’t want…”
“What?” He put his hands on her hips. “You don’t want what?”
She touched his naked chest and looked down into eyes that were suddenly alert.
When she didn’t answer, he slid his palm underneath her dress to rest atop her thigh. His thumb ghosted over the crease between her torso and hip. “Are you sore?”
“No.”
He cocked an eyebrow.
“A little tender,” she admitted.
A look of what may have been triumph passed over his handsome features. It was replaced by concern. “You should soak in the Jacuzzi.”
“Maybe later.”
Nicholas’s teeth marked his lower lip. “I’m going to sound like a bastard, but I’ll ask anyway. Last night you said it had been a long time. How long?”
She sat back and dropped her hands from his chest. “That’s none of your business.”
“I know.” He took her hand and kissed it. “But my inner Neanderthal is a curious beast.”
She placed their conjoined hands against his chest. “I wasn’t pining for someone. I went out on dates, but I worked a lot. I took language classes. I took courses in hospitality management.”
“I’m glad you weren’t pining.” His voice gentled. “But people find time for sex. As I’ve recently discovered, Brazilians are very passionate.”
Acacia sifted her fingers through the fine hair on his chest. “I’m particular about who I share myself with.”
“Then I’m honored.” He reached up to touch her face, tracing her eyebrows, her cheekbones, and her jaw. He looked as if he wanted to say more, much more. But he didn’t.
She turned toward the window, where the sun was streaming in. “What time are we leaving?”
Nicholas lowered his hand. “That depends. I slept well last night, for a change.” He caressed her thigh with his thumb. “What time is it?”
“It’s early.” She tried to move off him, but he kept hold of her hips.
His eyes blazed. “I can still taste you.”
He slid his hands to her underwear. He plucked the side of it. “Take it off and come up here.”
He shifted beneath her and pointed his chin at the ceiling.
“Are you sure?” Her voice was shaky.
He gave her a cocky smile. “I wouldn’t invite you if I wasn’t sure.”
He tugged at her underwear again. She lifted and moved to the side so she could slip the silk down her legs.
He pushed her sundress up over her head and unfastened her bra with a flick of his fingers.
He grabbed the pillow from beneath his head and threw it across the bed, then settled himself flat on the mattress. He beckoned her with both hands.
Shaky with anticipation, Acacia straddled his shoulders and gripped the wall as she moved forward.
She raised herself over his face, and he wrapped his hands around her thighs and pulled her down to his eager mouth.
There were no words. There were no thoughts. Acacia’s eyes closed as she swayed back and forth over him, palms against the wall for support.
Restraint had been abandoned. She writhed and panted, as loud utterances and exclamations fled her throat.
Nicholas was not in a teasing mood. He was single-minded in his focus and unrelenting in his movements.
Her orgasm spiraled out of control as she froze, leaning against the wall, holding her breath.
She sagged above him, and he lifted her to the side, watching as she lay very still.
He wiped his mouth with the edge of the sheet and looked over at her with a wide, satisfied grin.
“I can barely move,” she whispered. She laughed softly.
She reached for his hand and wound their fingers together. “You have a very talented tongue.”
“You have an exceptionally fine flavor.”
She laughed again and shook her head. “I just need a minute to catch my breath.”
“Take your time.” He leaned over to kiss her. “I like where I am, very much.”
When she’d recovered, she pushed him onto his back and held out her hand. “Condom.”
He reached over the side of the bed and picked up another square packet. He held it in front of her, dark eyes dancing.
She took the packet and carefully sheathed him.
He fastened his hands on her hips. “Are you sure? You seem a bit fatigued.”
“Arrogant.” She returned his grin and lifted so she could position him properly.
When she sank down on him, he groaned.
“Are you all right?” She lifted herself and touched his chest for balance. “You seem fatigued.”
“Minx.” He gripped her hips to help her move. “Nothing will prevent me from answering your siren call.”
She moved again and fell into a slow and even pace.
All of a sudden, he sat up against the wall.
The change in angle caused Acacia’s eyes to close. She leaned her head back and rolled her hips.
He moved her faster and faster, and the sound of her moans combined with his harsh breathing.
She tensed and her bod
y spasmed as another climax overtook her.
Nicholas followed, thrusting twice before he stilled. He clutched her hips and buried his face in her neck.
Without thought, Acacia kissed his scar and hugged him. Their bodies slid against one another, slick with perspiration.
Nicholas’s fingers climbed her spine and came to rest on her shoulders. He eased her back, his eyes wide.
She kissed his brow. “Nicholas?”
His gaze remained fixed on her.
She tensed. “Is something wrong?”
“The fates have smiled on me.” His head was lowered, his voice throaty.
“The Greek islands tend to have that effect on people.”
“No.” He pulled her into his arms and hugged her close. “It’s you.”
The embrace surprised Acacia, because the hug was not that of a lover. It was something greater. Something deeper. As Nicholas hid his face in her neck, she realized she’d never been hugged like this before. Not even by Luc, when he’d declared he loved her.
Nicholas’s tenderness and affection awoke something in her that lay beneath the fear and caution. His touch was true. Her feelings for him blossomed, and she relaxed in his arms.
“What a beautiful heart you have,” he whispered as he held her tightly.
“Oh, Nicholas,” she murmured. “What happened to you?”
He opened his mouth as if he were going to answer; then he kissed her.
“I’ll be back.” He pressed his lips to one side of her mouth and then the other. He disappeared into the bathroom.
Acacia worried she’d said too much. His embrace had changed her. Her integrity would not allow her to hide that change. Inwardly, she squirmed.
“Sleep with me.” Nicholas stood naked next to the bed.
“Now?”
“Yes.” He reached into his trouser pockets and retrieved his phone. He switched it off without looking at it and placed it on the nightstand.
“The others will be getting up soon, if they haven’t already.”
“Last night was the first good night’s rest I’ve had in a very long time. I could use a few more hours. Please.” He positioned himself on his back and lifted his arm in invitation.
She went to him. He flicked the sheet over them.
She rested her cheek on the side of his chest as his arm curled around her. He blew a deep exhale across her hair.
The gentle tide of Nicholas’s breathing slowly lulled her into sleep.
Chapter Thirty-Three
WHEN ACACIA AWOKE, the sun was in the sky, and Nicholas was gone.
Her stomach rolled. Their connection had deepened. She’d felt it, and she knew he’d felt it too. But perhaps he wasn’t willing or able to deal with it.
She took a few minutes to tell herself she’d be all right—that she could be brave and survive the trip back to Geneva. That she could pretend his tenderness and vulnerability hadn’t opened something in her that had always remained closed.
Even now she missed him, though she knew she shouldn’t. They’d barely begun and it was over.
She tidied herself and spent a few minutes packing so she would be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. She noticed with irritation that her breakfast tray hadn’t been delivered.
When she opened the door and stepped out on the deck, she saw Nicholas sitting at a bistro table near the Jacuzzi. He was dressed in a button down shirt and suit pants and was typing on his laptop.
As soon as he spied her, his expression brightened and he walked over. Before she could speak, he wrapped his arm around her lower back and pulled her close, kissing her firmly on the mouth. “Just in time for brunch.”
Acacia eyed Rick, who stood nearby, his eyes hidden by dark sunglasses.
“Can I speak to you inside for a minute?” She extricated herself from Nicholas’s hold.
“We can talk over brunch.”
Acacia lowered her voice. “I need to speak to you privately.”
With a frown, Nicholas opened the door to her room and indicated she should go inside.
After he’d closed the door, she confronted him. “Please don’t touch me in front of the other staff.”
He lifted his eyebrows. “Other staff?”
“Yes, now Rick knows.”
Nicholas shrugged. “Rick’s job is to protect us. He doesn’t care about anything else.”
“Everyone will know I slept with you.”
“Is that a problem?” His expression darkened.
“Of course it is.” She huffed in frustration. “You’re my employer.”
“No, I’m not.” His tone grew chilly. “You resigned as of yesterday.”
She gestured to the door. “Rick doesn’t know that.”
“I’ll speak to him.” He reached for her hand, but she moved out of reach.
“What time are we leaving for Geneva?”
He frowned. “Why?”
She gritted her teeth. “Because I need to book my flight back to Paris.”
Nicholas stilled. “You’re going to Paris?”
“Of course.”
He folded his arms. “So you’ve decided.”
“I…” She hesitated, confused by his sudden hostility. “Decided what?”
Nicholas gestured to the bed, his face thunderous. “What do you think happened here last night? This morning?”
“Don’t bark at me!”
He came a step closer. “So that’s it? You’re just going back to Paris?”
“It’s where I live.” She swallowed hard as angry tears pricked at her eyes. “Kate says my apartment is almost ready.”
He brought his face within inches of hers. “Are you crying?”
“No.” She blinked hard. “I’m fighting the urge to sweep your leg and punch you in the throat.”
Nicholas stared at her. Then he burst out laughing.
She glared. “This isn’t funny.”
He grew solemn immediately. “No, it isn’t funny. I’m sorry I barked at you.”
He tried to put his arms around her, but she resisted.
“This is not how I wanted this conversation to proceed.” His hand went to his hair self-consciously. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“I’m not crying,” she protested.
“I’m sorry.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb. He inched forward, and she permitted him to wrap his arms around her.
Nicholas held her to his chest and rested his chin on top of her head. The strength of his hold and the tenseness of his muscles reminded her of how he’d hugged her earlier, when they were still in bed. When her world tilted on its axis.
This was not the touch of a man who’d made a sexual conquest, nor was it the touch of an amiable friend who’d shared his body casually. Nicholas touched her as if she were precious, as if he could hardly bear for her to be physically removed from him.
She exhaled her annoyance against his chest and kept her arms at her sides.
He kissed her hair. “Let’s start again, shall we?
“Good morning, goddess. I’ve been sitting outside your door, like an eager boy, waiting for you.”
“Why?” Her voice was muffled against his shirt.
“Ma chérie,” he whispered. “Do you really have to ask that question?”
When she didn’t respond, he pulled back. “Look into my eyes. Tell me if my feelings aren’t returned.”
Acacia searched his expression. In his eyes she read intense, hopeful longing. His brow was creased in worry, as if he were concerned about what she might say.
She exhaled and rested her cheek against his chest.
The tension in Nicholas’s body dissipated. He pressed his mouth to her temple.
“That’s better.” He brushed his lips against her forehead.
&nbs
p; “I wasn’t prepared for this.”
“I’m not a man who waits for what he wants.”
“I’m not a woman who sleeps with her employer.”
He squeezed her gently. “I want you to stop saying that. That isn’t what happened.”
“I didn’t want to be presumptuous.”
“Presume, Acacia. You’ve earned that right.” Nicholas lowered his head to stare into her eyes. “Stay with me.”
“For how long?”
“For as long as it’s good.”
“When I was in my room a few minutes ago, I told myself I’d have to be strong today. I thought you’d changed your mind.”
“No.” He touched her face. “We’re allies. We’re friends. Be my lover, Acacia.”
“Is that what you want?”
“Yes. I want us to spend as much time together as possible, in bed and out of it. And I expect us to be monogamous.”
Something jolted down Acacia’s spine at his words. “You live in Zurich; I live in Paris.”
“Leave that to me.” Nicholas’s lips came to hers, firmly and insistently.
She sighed against his mouth.
“I want your answer,” he whispered.
Impulsively, she placed her hands about his waist. “My answer is yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, Nicholas. I’ll be yours for as long as it’s good.”
His arms tightened around her. “I’m sorely tempted to take you to bed.”
“We can’t delay our departure. I’m unemployed. I’m probably going to be deported.”
“We’ve already secured a temporary work permit for you. That will buy you some time. Madame Bishop can help you find new employment. We can ask her to expand her search to include positions in the art world. I have every confidence she can find something for you.”
Acacia shook her head. “I have to secure a position on my own merits. I’d welcome madame’s help, but not if it means you’d be behind the scenes, pulling strings.”
“If that’s what you want, I won’t interfere.”
“Thank you. I learned a long time ago that no one else can save me. I have to save myself.”