Every single thought fled her head.
‘Bonjour,’ he greeted her when he lifted his head. ‘You slept well.’ It wasn’t a question.
‘Yes.’
He smiled. ‘You must be hungry.’ He led her to the table, waited until she’d sat, then offered fruit and poured her a cup of coffee. Slicing open a croissant, he buttered it, added a light spreading of jam—just the way she liked it—and passed it to her.
‘Thank you,’ Ana murmured, and took a bite, confusion warring with the flames of desire in her belly. She’d expected Bastien to return to his impassive best now that their night of passion was over. Instead he was being charming, pleasant.
‘The production crew arrive tomorrow,’ he said, biting into a halved peach. ‘So today’s your last day of leisure. What would you like to do?’
She blinked. ‘Uh, if you don’t mind I’d like to take Rebelle out for a ride.’
‘That’s one idea.’
His gaze drifted over her, triggering a blush that flooded her whole body. Her hands shook as she lowered her cup to its saucer.
‘What’s another?’
He casually reached out and traced her cheek with gentle fingers. ‘I can ask Chantal to prepare a picnic lunch. We could take the boat on the lake this afternoon.’
Surprise followed by pleasure lit through her. ‘Okay, you win. That sounds wonderful.’
His smile widened, causing her heart to hammer wildly. ‘Bien.’ He motioned for her to eat and picked up his paper. ‘I have a few things to attend to this morning. Meet me down at the pier at one.’
/> ‘Okay.’ She half cringed at the breathy anticipation in her voice.
He quirked an eyebrow at her. ‘What are your plans for the rest of the morning?’
‘I noticed you have some audio books in your library. You don’t mind me borrowing one, do you?’ she asked.
A light frown touched his brows. ‘Of course not.’
‘Thanks.’ Ana finished her meal and pushed back her chair.
‘Wait.’ He stood and walked her to the door.
Her heart dropped. Had she unwittingly given her secret away with her request? ‘Yes...?’
Leaning forward, he dropped another kiss on her lips. ‘Don’t forget to dress warmly. The weather might be milder than expected but it can change, especially further north.’
Relief made her smile. ‘Thanks.’
Ana escaped, her confusion rising to colossal proportions. Evidently morning-after etiquette didn’t include a post-mortem of the night before. But did it include long, passionate kisses that reminded her of everything they’d done in bed together?
She wanted to ask him what he was playing at, but part of her was afraid that he’d stop. And the way she was going she wasn’t above begging for a repeat performance.
The vibration of her phone as she entered the library brought welcome relief from her thoughts. Sliding it out of her pocket, she answered.
‘Oh, finally. I’ve been trying to reach you since last night,’ Lauren said.
Knowing why she’d been unreachable, Ana’s face flamed. ‘Sorry, my phone was set on vibrate,’ she mumbled.
‘I just wanted a quick catch-up. You normally call to discuss every clause in your contract, but this time you didn’t. I was wondering why...’
She launched into her signature staccato burst of speech, forcing Ana to concentrate.
At first Ana couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Dazed, she gripped the phone tighter, her heart sliding with dread into her stomach. ‘Sorry, Lauren, can you repeat that, please?’