Emma couldn’t help staring at Laurent’s strong hands as he stacked the logs. She sat back on the comfortable sofa and relaxed while he built a small fire in the grey stone hearth. How long had it been since she let a man take care of her?
“Mademoiselle Walker.”
She jumped at the touch of his hand on her shoulder.
“Emma, are you all right?”
She nodded.
“Forgive me.” He kneeled at her feet and took her trembling hands. “What is wrong?”
Emma saw the concern in his eyes. She looked away and tried to regain her composure. She didn’t want Laurent to see her vulnerability. She smiled. “Nothing to worry about. You just startled me.”
He stared into her eyes and touched her cheek. The heat of his fingers felt good. Leaning into his palm she closed her eyes. Her head told her to pull away before she lost her heart to him. She felt him run his thumb along her bottom lip like he had done in the restaurant.
Emma opened her eyes. She saw honesty in his and something else. Would he kiss her? Her heartbeat raced with anticipation. Laurent’s head inched closer. She could feel his hot breath against her cheek, and his scent teased her nose. With a feather light touch, his lips slid along her cheek until he reached the corner of her mouth.
Emma dared not breathe as she waited for his next move. His mouth lingered near hers. Her shaky hands found the hard wall of his chest. Then, without warning, he captured her lips, moving gently across her mouth. She gasped softly as the tip of his tongue glided along her bottom lip. A warm, honeyed sensation pulsed within her depths. It had been so long since a man had awakened her body.
Laurent released her lips and cupped her cheeks. He looked into her eyes and brought her shaky fingers to his lips. She bit her lower lip to stifle a cry. Why was he being so gentle and so nice to her? Was it his French charm or his deep brown eyes that made her unable to think straight?
“Are you cold?”
She shook her head.
He held her hands between his long, lean fingers and kissed her fingertips again, one at a time—slowly, tenderly. The heat from his mouth penetrated her skin, radiated to her arm and spread throughout her whole body. Slowly, she removed her hands. As wonderful as it felt, she wasn’t ready to give in to Laurent’s charms.
“I’m sorry,” she said with trembling lips.
Emma stood up and moved away from the sofa and Laurent. She tried to slow her breathing, but the feel of his lips on hers lingered. Her back to him, she touched her mouth and smiled. She walked to the window and stared at the falling snow covering the landscape. It was a magical sight. For a moment, she missed home. It was her first winter away, and the city wasn’t the same as the house in the country where she’d grown up. Happy memories soon replaced her momentary loneliness.
Laurent startled her. “Beautiful, non?”
Instinctively, she put a hand over her heart. “Yes,” she replied. “Your home is lovely.”
“I’ll be happy to show you around,” he whispered.
“I’d like that.”
“Hungry?”
Emma turned her head and saw him sifting through the refrigerator. He pulled out some eggs. “I can make us an omelette.”
“Need any help?”
“You are my guest here. Please, sit.”
She sat at the rustic wooden table and watched him prepare their meal. It was the first time since she left home that someone had cooked for her. His kindness unsettled her. Everything about him stirred her body and her blood. Part of her wanted to jump into his arms, to feel his body against hers. The other part screamed, Don’t get close.
“Thank you,” she said as he placed her plate on the table.
He smiled at her. “Bon appétit!”
Emma couldn’t take her eyes away from his lips—lips that had kissed her with such passion only moments before. A new wave of heat rushed through her. She looked away before he noticed her staring. “This is delicious,” she said, taking a bite of the omelette.
“Merci.” He grabbed a bottle of white wine from the wooden wine rack and took two glasses from the cupboard. “Would you like some?”
“Oui, please.”
He chuckled and poured the golden drink into a simple water glass. She liked simple things.
Her hand trembled slightly as she brought the glass to her lips. Why can’t I stop shaking? She cursed her reaction to Laurent. He saw her studying him. His intense gaze made her warm all over, or was it the wine heating her blood?
“Shouldn’t we be going into town?”
Laurent filled her glass and then his. “Not in this weather. We will go in the morning.”
Emma turned her head and looked out the window. The mixture of snow and strong winds had reduced visibility. She could no longer see the treeline behind the cabin. Her whole body trembled now, but not with fear. A shiver of excitement ran down her spine. She would spend tonight with the handsome French police officer. What would they do?
“Mademoiselle Walker.”
She jumped at the touch of his hand on her shoulder.
“Emma, are you all right?”
She nodded.
“Forgive me.” He kneeled at her feet and took her trembling hands. “What is wrong?”
Emma saw the concern in his eyes. She looked away and tried to regain her composure. She didn’t want Laurent to see her vulnerability. She smiled. “Nothing to worry about. You just startled me.”
He stared into her eyes and touched her cheek. The heat of his fingers felt good. Leaning into his palm she closed her eyes. Her head told her to pull away before she lost her heart to him. She felt him run his thumb along her bottom lip like he had done in the restaurant.
Emma opened her eyes. She saw honesty in his and something else. Would he kiss her? Her heartbeat raced with anticipation. Laurent’s head inched closer. She could feel his hot breath against her cheek, and his scent teased her nose. With a feather light touch, his lips slid along her cheek until he reached the corner of her mouth.
Emma dared not breathe as she waited for his next move. His mouth lingered near hers. Her shaky hands found the hard wall of his chest. Then, without warning, he captured her lips, moving gently across her mouth. She gasped softly as the tip of his tongue glided along her bottom lip. A warm, honeyed sensation pulsed within her depths. It had been so long since a man had awakened her body.
Laurent released her lips and cupped her cheeks. He looked into her eyes and brought her shaky fingers to his lips. She bit her lower lip to stifle a cry. Why was he being so gentle and so nice to her? Was it his French charm or his deep brown eyes that made her unable to think straight?
“Are you cold?”
She shook her head.
He held her hands between his long, lean fingers and kissed her fingertips again, one at a time—slowly, tenderly. The heat from his mouth penetrated her skin, radiated to her arm and spread throughout her whole body. Slowly, she removed her hands. As wonderful as it felt, she wasn’t ready to give in to Laurent’s charms.
“I’m sorry,” she said with trembling lips.
Emma stood up and moved away from the sofa and Laurent. She tried to slow her breathing, but the feel of his lips on hers lingered. Her back to him, she touched her mouth and smiled. She walked to the window and stared at the falling snow covering the landscape. It was a magical sight. For a moment, she missed home. It was her first winter away, and the city wasn’t the same as the house in the country where she’d grown up. Happy memories soon replaced her momentary loneliness.
Laurent startled her. “Beautiful, non?”
Instinctively, she put a hand over her heart. “Yes,” she replied. “Your home is lovely.”
“I’ll be happy to show you around,” he whispered.
“I’d like that.”
“Hungry?”
Emma turned her head and saw him sifting through the refrigerator. He pulled out some eggs. “I can make us an omelette.”
“Need any help?”
“You are my guest here. Please, sit.”
She sat at the rustic wooden table and watched him prepare their meal. It was the first time since she left home that someone had cooked for her. His kindness unsettled her. Everything about him stirred her body and her blood. Part of her wanted to jump into his arms, to feel his body against hers. The other part screamed, Don’t get close.
“Thank you,” she said as he placed her plate on the table.
He smiled at her. “Bon appétit!”
Emma couldn’t take her eyes away from his lips—lips that had kissed her with such passion only moments before. A new wave of heat rushed through her. She looked away before he noticed her staring. “This is delicious,” she said, taking a bite of the omelette.
“Merci.” He grabbed a bottle of white wine from the wooden wine rack and took two glasses from the cupboard. “Would you like some?”
“Oui, please.”
He chuckled and poured the golden drink into a simple water glass. She liked simple things.
Her hand trembled slightly as she brought the glass to her lips. Why can’t I stop shaking? She cursed her reaction to Laurent. He saw her studying him. His intense gaze made her warm all over, or was it the wine heating her blood?
“Shouldn’t we be going into town?”
Laurent filled her glass and then his. “Not in this weather. We will go in the morning.”
Emma turned her head and looked out the window. The mixture of snow and strong winds had reduced visibility. She could no longer see the treeline behind the cabin. Her whole body trembled now, but not with fear. A shiver of excitement ran down her spine. She would spend tonight with the handsome French police officer. What would they do?
