Page 34 of The Billionaire's Temporary Governess (French Conquests 2)

Naisha struggled to keep her voice even, reluctant to reveal her pain, still not fully healed, even to someone she knew and trusted. “He married Sofia. Out of nowhere. I loved him, and I thought—I thought,”I would be his Countess,she stopped, and began concentrating on packing away the equipment from today’s lessons, tidying up the classroom so she would have something to take her mind off the shards of the conversation that were slicing at her.

Jacyn was silent for a long time. “People make mistakes, Naisha. And do things they don’t necessarily want to do. I won’t speak on William’s marriage, but I met the woman; she has nothing on you. Besides, Liam’s marriage isn’t what you think it was… Things aren’t always as they seem.”

“Sure.” All Naisha wanted was for the conversation to end. She couldn’t believe Jacyn could be so positive. Not when all the signs were pointing to one incontrovertible fact. William was trouble. He was everything a woman could want and more, but he also had the power to hurt her badly a second time. She didn’t know if she could survive that.

Jacyn came to stand next to her, taking away the pencil she was frantically sharpening down to nothing and putting it down. Then, with hands placed firmly on her shoulders, turned her to face her.

“Hon, listen to me. Two years ago, I was where you are. Wanting Alex, but afraid of eventual rejection and heartbreak. Not believing that anything good could ever happen for me. It was tough, trust me. There were times when I would have bet my last dollar that I’d never feel whole again. That Alex and I weren’t meant to be—could never be. But here’s the thing. Despite the possibility of pain, I stuck it out. I learned that there is no such thing as the perfect situation. There’s always going to besomething.But why let that something get in the way of your happiness, no matter how temporary that happiness may be?”

Naisha listened, fascinated by the fact that someone so poised, happy, contented as Jacyn, who was totally winning at life, could admit to fear and hurt.

“Life is a journey,” Jacyn said. “And if you’re so damn scared that you’re gonna stub your toe, you might never take another step.”

She leaned forward and kissed Naisha on both cheeks, just as the French do. “Take a step, girl. It’s a lot better than just standing still.” She smiled and then waddled out the door. A woman glowing with pregnancy, love and the promise of a beautiful future.

Naisha looked down at her feet, wriggling her toes contemplatively. What if she took that next step?

William pulled up to the front of the chateau and tossed the keys to Hassan, who was already waiting by the stairs to take the car round to the garage. He paused for a momentto enjoy the clear night sky, which was glittering with stars. It was a perfect summer evening.

He’d spent a couple hours outside on a café-terrasse in the Old Town, sharing drinks and a cigar with Nicolette. She had already moved on from their liaison, and had begun an affair with a much older Tunisian archeologist from the nearby university, who was promising to take her along on his next Northern African dig.

As William had expected, his former lover was able to meet him as a friend, without rancor for a few hours.

Which didn’t mean to say that she wasn’t filled with curiosity—a defining characteristic of womanhood, William thought, even when the woman in question was as cool and easy-going as Nicolette. As soon as they’d downed their first drink, she had begun to pepper him with questions about this mystery woman, who was powerful and influential enough to make the great Count d’Ambly turn her down.

But he’d said little, only smiled and tried to steer her away from the conversation. He adored Nicolette, but couldn’t yet bring himself to discuss a matter so intimate and vexing. His pride was still wounded by the fact that he’d approached Naisha with the suggestion of a perfectly workable arrangement—that they could both enjoy each other’s bodies without guilt or attachment—for as long as it suited them.

He was also mightily annoyed by the idea that Naisha could have some sort of “entanglement” back in the States. Who was this son of a bitch, and why did he have this hold over Naisha? Were they still together? Was he waiting for her to come back home? This jackass, whoever the hell he was, was thousands of miles away, and yet it felt like he was stretched out in the middle of a bed, keeping William and Naisha apart.

If he ever got his hands on that man, somebody better pray for him.

Before stepping through the grand doorway, William glanced instinctively up at his mother’s apartments, to see if the lights were still on. He felt a wave of relief when it seemed that Madeline had already turned in. It meant he didn’t need to pop by to wish her goodnight.

That relief was immediately followed by a pang of shame. It wasn’t exactly as if he was avoiding her, but she was sure to guess that he’d spent the evening with Nicolette, and she’d long ago made it clear that she didn’t fully approve of the relationship.

Besides, today was the day Madeline brought Willa’s little brother over to spend the afternoon, and the last thing he wanted to hear about right now was a breathless recounting of all the wonderful things the baby was doing now. Running around, grabbing things and putting them in his mouth, popping up new teeth, it was not his concern.

The child had its own father. After his birth, William went to court to relinquish his rights. As Sofia’s husband, he was automatically named the father. He couldn’t in good conscience allow the child to one day inherit his title and the estate. The law was set, only the first-born son can inherit, in the absence of a male heir, then the female heir may inherit. He had been half tempted to accept the child – a non-Dubois — as his heir to spite his father for all the damage he’d done, but he didn’t. His love for Willa overshadowed the resentment he felt towards the man who sired him. He was satisfied with Willa inheriting everything.

He entered his apartments as quietly as he could, walking past Naisha’s door, which was silent and dark, and tapping lightly at Willa’s. At her soft word of welcome, he slipped in.

She was in bed, sitting up and tapping away at her tablet, her little face illuminated by the light of the screen. He sat on the edge of her bed, the mattress sinking slightly under his weight. “Aren’t you supposed to be asleep right now?”

“Iamgoing to sleep, Papa.”

“Doesn’t look like it to me.” He leaned in to take a look at the screen. It appeared to be a cooking site of some sort, with a garish color theme of red, gold and turquoise.

“I’m looking for recipes. Cupcake recipes.”

“Cupcake recipes? Aren’t Yvette’s cupcakes good enough for you anymore?”

She gave him that patented pre-teen parents-are-such-morons look. “I’m looking for cupcakes to bake with my friends. On my sleepover. For my birthday.”

“Ah. Sounds like fun.” He was smiling broadly now, optimistically. Although Willa didn’t know these girls very well, he hoped that the sleepover would help her make better friends with them. With his vast fortune, placing her in a school setting could turn dangerous. Unscrupulous human beings were always looking for the next mark to target for ransom. Though it broke his heart that she hadn’t had a vast socialization, her safety was his utmost priority.

“Naisha thinks it’s a great idea too.” The admiration in her voice ran crystal clear, and that made Liam happy. Naisha had proven herself to be not only a good teacher, but a loyal friend and advisor to his daughter. Maybe he’d had second thoughts at the start, but he knew he’d made the right decision in bringing her here.

If only her presence didn’t confound him so.

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