Falling For Her French Tycoon (Escape To Provence 1)

Dominic Fontesquieu had a sense of humor and was incredibly easy to talk to. When she’d been hired on here, she’d been intent on finding Alain’s father. She’d never expected that she’d meet a man who swept her away with every look and smile. The fact that he could have been Antoinette’s lover made this whole situation more complicated. “A bientôt, Dominic.”

He leaned across the seat. “I’m sorry, I don’t recall your name.”

Her heart thumped. “It’s Nathalie.”

“A bientôt, Nathalie.”

He’d just said he’d see her soon. Once again the sound of that low male voice wound its way to her insides.

A tremor of excitement raced through her as she shut the door and hurried toward the row where she’d been working. Without looking back, she could hear the engine as he drove away. Her hope to spend time with him was coming to fruition much sooner than she’d anticipated.

He’d said he wanted to get to know her better. He wasn’t the only one. It shocked her how much she longed to be with him again. For someone of his status, there wasn’t an atom of arrogance in him, which made him so appealing she couldn’t get enough of him.

Before long the trucks came with the workers and she plunged into her day. But knowing Dominic would be picking her up at noon carried her through the rest of her morning. His irresistible charm had seeped its way beneath her skin and she found herself thinking constantly about him. That was a side effect she hadn’t anticipated when she’d considered trying to look for Alain’s father.

But therein lay a problem. She needed to learn a bit more about him before she revealed why she’d come to the vineyard in the first place. That meant she had to close off her personal feelings about him because this was all about Alain. She couldn’t let it be about her desire for the man himself. She just couldn’t!

“Did you know you’re talking to yourself?”

She snipped another bunch of grapes in frustration before glancing at Paul. “Bonjour.”

“How about going out with me after work tonight? I know you don’t want a relationship, but can’t we be friends at least?”

“Of course, but I’m afraid I have plans.”

“Is there a night when you’ll be free?”

Nathalie wasn’t interested, but didn’t want to be rude since he was one of the supervisors here. “Maybe Thursday evening right after work? Get a pizza? I saw a pizzeria near the Guinguet.”

He nodded. “Thursday it is. I’ll pick you up.”

“No, no. I’ll meet you there in my car.”

She heard him sigh. “Have it your way.”

“Thanks for understanding. Ciao, Paul.”

When he moved on, she got back to work. As for Dominic, Nathalie realized she couldn’t allow the situation about Alain to go on much longer before telling him why she’d come.

Nathalie kept checking her watch. When it was noon, she grabbed her backpack and hurried out to the road. Dominic sat in his car waiting for her. She couldn’t believe how excited she was to see and talk to him.

He reached across the seat and opened the door for her. When she climbed in, he put her pack in the back, then flashed her a smile that melted her bones.

“You came!” The white crew neck shirt brought out his olive skin. He was such a striking man with that black hair and all-seeing black eyes, she could hardly breathe.

“As if I wouldn’t,” his voice grated and they took off down the road.

“I’m so lucky to be whisked away in the middle of the day.”

“It’s a treat for me too.”

Something was going on here. She knew how she was feeling about him, about how she’d felt the moment she’d met him. It was like an explosion going off inside her. If she wasn’t mistaken, he was just as attracted and couldn’t stay away from her.

Was he the man Antoinette had met? Her conflict was growing. How ironic that Nathalie had hoped to find Alain’s father, yet now that she thought Dominic could be the one, a part of her didn’t want him to be the man her stepsister had loved.

Before long they approached a chateau that looked older and smaller than the main chateau. There were clusters of cars parked outside. Dominic drove around the back of it. “We’ll eat lunch first, then I’ll take you on a tour before you have to return to work.”

After he’d helped her out of the car, Dominic took her inside a vaulted room with some interesting framed documents and pictures to do with wine. The place was filled with tourists seated at tables drinking wine and enjoying lunch.