“I want you too,” she confessed, running her hands over his shoulders. He began to kiss her, starting with her throat, then every feature of her face until he found her mouth. Desire consumed him as she responded with an abandon he could only dream about. They were on fire for each other.
“I can’t believe I had to live this long to meet you.”
“I know. I feel the same way,” she murmured against his lips. “You’re too good to be true. I—” She paused because they could both hear voices and laughter. “Oh, no. Someone has found our spot.”
Damn. She’d been about to say something that could have been important for his peace of mind. “Come on. Let’s swim back to the boat and fix a meal. Hopefully they’ll go away after a while.”
He helped her to her feet and they ran into the aqua-colored water, anxious to get away from the encroaching world. By the time they’d climbed on board the transom with their bodies free of sand, the other boat had reached the small beach.
“You shower first, Nathalie. I’ll get lunch.”
“Tonight I’ll make dinner.” She grabbed her clothes, but he didn’t let her go until he’d given her another kiss that made him crave a thousand more. He would need a lifetime and beyond to be with her and still never have enough.
* * *
Soon they were at the galley table away from prying eyes, eating a deli salad and rolls. She’d put her shorts and top back on.
“How long have you had this cruiser?”
“I bought it five years ago. It provided me a safe place when I came home for visits.”
She cocked her head. “Safe?”
“I needed my space.”
“Away from the chateau. Of course.”
Nathalie’s pulse started to race. This was it. “Was there a special woman in your life, Dominic? Either here or in Paris? You know what I mean.”
Tell me the truth, her heart cried. She needed answers now.
His eyes narrowed on her face. “Not enough to get married. No blondes with shimmering hair like yours. The Fontesquieu men haven’t had the best luck when it comes to marriage, but I live in hope.”
It sounded less and less like he was Alain’s father. Her mind shifted to Etienne. What if Alain was his son? The damage that knowledge would do to his already unhappy marriage would be disastrous considering he already had a child.
Whoever had gotten Antoinette pregnant had been the love of her life. But no matter how tragically hers had ended, Nathalie was beginning to realize she didn’t have the right to interfere. Her mother had been right. She’d been so obsessed with finding Alain’s father, she hadn’t considered what new nightmares she could be creating.
Her eyelids smarted. She couldn’t keep this up anymore. After she’d finished eating, she got up from the table and took her dishes to the sink.
“Dominic? It’s getting busy. Since we no longer have this place to ourselves, why don’t we head back to Nice. Somewhere along the way I’ll fix dinner and we can watch the sunset. What do you think?”
For an answer, he finished clearing the table. “What’s bothering you? Up until a minute ago, we were communicating. Don’t tell me it’s nothing.” He put his hands on her shoulders.
At his touch, she trembled. “This is all moving too fast.”
“Fast or not, it’s happened,” he whispered into her hair. “I don’t want what we have to be over. Not ever.” He slid his hands down her silky arms before turning her around. “I need you, Nathalie. You’re all I can think about.”
“Please let me go,” she begged, but he didn’t listen and found her mouth. “Dominic—”
“You want me too. I know it.”
In the next breath, she surrendered to a force she couldn’t control. She couldn’t get close enough to him. For a few minutes, the world disappeared while they tried to satisfy their hunger. All she knew was ecstasy with this unforgettable man who filled her arms and heart.
But when he started to move her toward his cabin, she found the strength to break free of him and braced herself against the counter. “We can’t do this, Dominic.” After the passion that had enthralled her, she was in literal pain trying to avoid his touch.
He struggled for breath. “What do you mean?”
“I—I never meant for this to happen,” she stammered. “It’s all wrong.”