Page 32 of To Love A Spy
“You have come to the right place, monsieur.” Mademoiselle Aix fixed them with an appraising stare. “I must say, I don’t see many English customers these days.”
“We are American,” answered Lynsley casually.
The woman’s brow lifted a fraction. “Pardon. I am not often wrong in my assessment of people.” Her eyes lingered on him a touch longer before shifting to Valencia. “Does madame have a favorite scent to begin with?”
“I haven’t given it much thought,” muttered Valencia. “Verbena, I suppose.”
“Non, it is far too light for you.” The proprietress beckoned them to follow her to the back of the shop. “A soupcon of lemonis all very well for a top note, but for a lady of your sultry looks, we must layer it with something more complex.”
Valencia hung back. “Is this really necessary?” she asked him in a low voice. “Perfume is surely an extravagance?—”
“You are meant to be a sensuous creature, remember?” he replied. His thigh grazed hers as he pressed her forward. “Men like Rochambert respond sexually to the primal senses of touch, sight, and smell.”
Her eyes widened a fraction.
“Come, madame, we shall start by sampling some Oriental scents.” Mademoiselle Aix assembled a handful of tiny bottles from her cedarwood shelves. “Ylang ylang, ginger, lotus, patchouli.” The clink of glass stirred up a hint of sweetness in the air. “Hold out your hand.”
Valencia slowly turned back her cuff.
The proprietress dabbed one of the crystal stoppers to the inside of her wrist.
She lifted it slowly to her face and inhaled. “Mmmm.”
Mademoiselle Aix caught her cuff. “Oh, we have just begun, madame.” She added several more touches, then rubbed them into the skin. “Pepper, cinnamon, and just a hint of vanilla. Now try again.”
As Lynsley watched her nostrils flare, his breath stilled.
Another sniff and Valencia’s wariness slowly melted into a liquid smile. “I never knew perfume could be so nuanced.” Smoothing back the lace from her skin, she turned and held her wrist close to his nose. “You have far more experience in this than I do. What do you think?”
“I think it . . .”
A perfume to drive a man mad with longing.Closing his eyes, he envisoned her naked, with pearlescent drops of the scent trickling between her bare breasts.
“I think it suits you,” he finished gruffly.
“Really?” Was there a whiff of mischief in her manner? She gave another breezy wave, her fingers nearly touching his cheek. “You don’t find it too strong?”
“My perfumes are never overpowering,” said Mademoiselle Aix. She flicked a few droplets over Valencia’s silky topcurls. “They should be subtle, yet seductive, drawing a man’s attention without him quite knowing why.”
Lynsley had to quell the urge to bury his face in her hair.
“Mix up a bottle—a large bottle—and send it to our residence,” he said after willing his jaw to unclench.
“With pleasure.” The proprietress began to collect her samples. “I will make up something for you too, monsieur. Something clean and manly.”
“And mysterious,” added Valencia as she met the other woman’s gaze. The fringe of her lashes shadowed her eyes.
Dark and inscrutable as midnight sin.For one delirious instant, Lynsley imagined allowing his self-control to shatter, along with all the crystal bottles, as he lay her across the counter and covered her body with his.
“So, the gentleman hides something beneath those very sober shades of charcoal grey?” The proprietress cocked her head. “Yes, I think you are right, madame.”
Years of practice allowed him to resume a mask of bland formality. “Like many women, my wife has a vivid imagination.”
“Your wife does not appear to be a woman with a weakness for fantasy.” Mademoiselle Aix tapped a painted nail to his lapel. “I would guess that she possesses a strength of character that is quite rare. But then, I think you know that, eh?”
“Why do you think I married her?” Lynsley handed over a wad of banknotes and murmured an address. “Can you have it delivered it by the end of the day?”
“But of course.” The proprietress tucked the francs into her bodice. “Anything else? Bath salts, perhaps, or my special massage oil for invigorating tired muscles?”
