Page 49 of The Charmer's Gambit
I shrugged and continued to kick my feet. This jittery feeling had been with me all day. I thought maybe it was elation from our successful call with the firm this morning, but it went deeper than that. My body was ramped up on adrenaline, and I sensed the man to my left was to blame. It didn’t help when he started conversing in fluid French with the blonde flight attendant.
She popped her slim hip against the wall in front of us and beamed at Will while he ordered dinner in French. Salmon tartare, grilled beef tenderloin, soup, salad, and a dessert. It was enough to feed a small army.
“Ce sont de très bons choix pour vous et votre femme.” All excellent choices for you and your wife.
I opened my mouth to correct her, but Will beat me to it.
“Ah, nous ne sommes pas mariés, mais merci beaucoup.” Oh, we’re not married, but thank you.
“Vraiment?” Really?
“Non, nous sommes collègues. C’est un voyage d’affaires.”No, we’re colleagues. This is a business trip.His casual response surprised me. After all the flirting and teasing, I expected him to taunt me by implying we were more, but he kept it professional. I smiled. Good. It meant he considered me his legal counsel first and foremost, which would be important during our meetings next week.
“Bien compris.”Oh, I see.Her flirtatious tone grated at the contentment I felt a second ago. When her round hazel eyes flickered to his left hand, my heart dropped to my stomach.
Okay, now hold on a second. That was not what I wanted her to take away from this conversation, but of course, LittleMiss Tight Skirt had other ideas. Her grin spread as she dragged her gaze up his body in a slow caress that impliedexactlywhat she thought of the winery millionaire. She launched into the next obvious question about what he did for a living, and Will, the charmer, answered with one of his trademark grins. Rapt interest radiated from the slender woman’s posture and expression. I half expected her to start stripping and ask me to step out for a bit.
By the time she left, my fists were clenched and my stomach was in knots. Part of me wanted to grab Will and stake my claim, while the rest of me wondered what the penalty would be for punching a flight attendant. Both reactions frustrated me. I recognized them for what they were: jealousy. An emotion I never felt until I met the damn man beside me. Apparently, he could yank it out with a single glance, or in this case, a few casual words. Nothing about his demeanor screamedflirtatious, but the flight attendant made it quite clear that she was available for dessert, should he want it.
“So,collègue, what are our plans when we arrive in Paris?” I couldn’t help the snarky tone, but if he noticed, he ignored it.
“We acclimate to the time change, do a little shopping, and drive south on Monday.” He was reading something on his phone while he spoke. “Are there any sights you want to visit, or have you seen them all?”
“Uh, I haven’t seen any of them in person.”
That caught his attention. His dark eyes snagged mine. “You’ve never been to Paris?”
I huffed a laugh. “Did you miss the part about my student loans the other day? Not all of us were born millionaires, Mister Mershano.” Okay, my snappy response was uncalled for, but the man had my emotions wound tight. And his casual replies were grating on my nerves.
“You majored in French and never studied abroad?”
I had wanted to, but Ryan convinced me otherwise. He promised to take me to France after law school, but we ended up in the Caribbean for a week instead. “Ugh, I’ve done France so many times, baby girl. Let’s just go hang out on the beach instead, okay?” I cleared my throat, and with it the memory. “No, it didn’t fit with my schedule.”
The blonde flirt chose that moment to pop in with more drinks and made a point of leaning over Will to hand me a drink I didn’t order, rather than walk around to my side of the cabin. She’d even undone a button on her shirt, which gave him an enticing view of her breasts. I considered elbowing the drink into his lap, but with my luck, the bitch would end up mopping it up with her hands.
“Merci,” I said through my teeth. She didn’t even hear me. Her focus was on Will again as she asked him about where we were headed in France and how long we intended to be there.
I unfastened my seat belt with the intention of finding a bathroom to puke in, but Will’s hand on my arm stopped me. He let it linger as he addressed the too-friendly attendant.
“Je suis désolé, ma cherie, mais nous étions au milieu d’une discussion importante. Pouvez-vous nous laisser un instant?”I’m sorry, darling, but we were in the middle of an important discussion. Can you give us a minute?
His words, although friendly, were underlined with an authority that made my heart race. It seemed to have the same effect on her if the faint blush staining her porcelain cheeks was anything to go by. She gave him another one of those simpering smiles and walked away with her ass waving goodbye.
“Wow, she’s practically beckoning you to follow.” I snapped my lips closed, but not fast enough. The sentence hung between us as Will took in my expression with an amused one of his own. Apparently, he found this entire situation funny.Better than him being interested in pursuing her offer.
“You have nothing to be worried about, darlin’,” he drawled.
“Colleague,” I corrected.Okay, two glasses of champagne? Bad idea. It loosened my tongue far too much. “Sorry, ignore me.”
He brushed his knuckles over my cheek and down my neck to my breasts. I held my breath at the boldness in his touch.
“Would you prefer I introduce you as something else? Just say the word, Rachel, and I’ll use it.” He continued that descent until his hand landed in my lap, where he settled it on my thigh. “I don’t want to make assumptions on your behalf, but as for me, I haven’t considered myself an available man since the day we met.”
I gaped at him. “What?”
“You heard me.” He squeezed my leg before pulling away. “Now, tell me what you want to do in Paris. We’re only there for two days, but there has to be something you want to see.”
He never said what I expected, and this was no exception. Not only did he claim to consider himself off the market after meeting me, but he also wanted to know what I wanted to do in Paris. Ryan would never have bothered to ask; it was always about him. But Will? It seemed he always had my interests in mind, even with small details. I leaned over and kissed him softly, my version of a silent thank-you for caring. For being him. For not being Ryan.
