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PROLOGUE The poolside, Hotel Lézille, 8.30pm HE NOTICED her as soon as she appeared in the archway between the lobby and the pool, his eyes drawn there as if pulled by a magnetic force. A rare excitement stirred his pulse. He told himself that he hadn’t come especially to seek her out. She seemed slightly hesitant, unsure. She wasn’t the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, but she had a stunningly natural quality about her, which in his world was rare, compelling. In a simple black dress that outlined every slender curve and a generous bosom, she caught his eye again, and he couldn’t look away. Didn’t want to. The soft waves of her dark hair framed her face. Intriguingly, she seemed to be slightly self-conscious. Or perhaps, he thought with a hardened cynicism that had been honed over years, she carefully projected that vulnerable fragility. God knew she had managed to capture his attention in the street yesterday. Her huge, striking blue eyes had momentarily stunned him, rendering hi
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE Earlier that day… JANE VAUGHAN wandered up and down the bustling jetty with a frown appearing over the ridge of her sunglasses. She couldn’t remember exactly which gate she’d been at yesterday; now there were lots of bobbing boats and people lining up to get on board. The man she’d approached had taken no deposit, nor given her a ticket, but instead had reassured her that if she came back to him he would make sure she got on the right boat…the only problem now was that she couldn’t spot him anywhere. Bumping into that stranger in the street just afterwards must have scrambled her brain more than she’d thought. She shook her head wryly. She’d never thought herself to be the kind of woman that would spend a night fantasising about someone she had bumped into for mere moments. A newly familiar heat flooded her belly, however, as his tall, powerful body and hard-boned face swam into her mind’s eye, his image still as vivid as if he were standing right in front of her. She shook
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO ‘JANE! Meet Pete—he split up with his fiancée back home a few months ago and moved here to lick his wounds.’ Jane had to hold back a smile at Sherry’s effervescent indiscretion, and stuck out her hand to the other man. ‘Pleased to meet you. I’m Jane Vaughan.’ He was pleasantly attractive, with nothing overpowering about him—brown hair, brown eyes, nice smile. No chemistry whatsoever. Jane relaxed, and they settled into a light easy conversation. When the band struck up a slow jazzy tune Pete stood and asked her to dance. As she went into his arms on the dance floor she had to admit that it was all very agreeable. This was much more her scene than the messily overwhelming attraction she had felt for the stranger. Heat induced lust. This she could handle. That…She shivered at the thought. Pete tightened his arms around her. ‘Hey, are you cold?’ Jane immediately recoiled, surprised at the strength of her reaction. ‘No!’ she said, far too quickly, amending it with a smile. ‘No…
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE WHEN she woke the next morning Jane couldn’t believe she had slept at all—much less for…She consulted her watch in disbelief—ten hours straight. Which meant, she realised with a lurch of panic, that she had exactly one hour before Xavier was due to pick her up for lunch. She sprang out of bed and after a quick shower regarded her wardrobe, plucking a pair of white culottes from the messy pile, and a striped white and black halterneck top. She smoothed her hair behind her ears, and with espadrilles and a pair of hoop earrings was just about ready to go downstairs when the doorbell rang. Already! She took a few deep breaths and walked to the front door, trying to calm the butterflies in her belly. Be cool, be calm, be sophisticated. She opened the door, the smile on her face fading and her mouth going dry when she took in the man in front of her. Pure devastation. He was leaning against the doorframe, arms folded across his broad chest, showing his muscles off to perfection
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR BY NINE forty-five the next morning Jane was having second, third and fourth thoughts. In the cold light of day things were more stark. She would get burned. And not from the sun. She knew it. She heard an engine outside. He was early. As if he could hear the doubts that were in her private thoughts. Which was ridiculous. She took a deep breath and waited for the doorbell to sound. She was wearing simple shorts, flip-flops and a plain T-shirt. If he wanted her then he could have her as she was, unadorned. She lifted the small weekend bag that she had brought to carry home gifts, and suddenly it felt as if it held rocks instead of clothes and toiletries for the next few days. The doorbell rang. Her heart stopped. She could see his tall dark shape against the glass. The Prince of Darkness. The name made her shiver. When she opened the door his sharp eyes took in her slender figure in the plain clothes, and the bag clutched in one hand with her knuckles showing white. Instinc
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE GOODNIGHT, Jane…Sleep tight? Her eyes flew open. No! her mind screamed…he had let her hand go. A dark, bottomless pit threatened to suck her down. She had to do something. But even as she thought this, she could feel herself turning away, sudden doubts assailing her. Maybe he didn’t find her attractive any more? Maybe he was regretting having asked her to stay? Surely he would have tried to make love to her again? Then she stopped. She realised that she hadn’t heard him move behind her. She turned around slowly and saw his face. It told her everything she needed to know. Raw masculine arousal was stamped into every line. She felt every cell in her body jump in response. ‘Xavier—’ Her words were stopped as he hauled her into his arms. The relief made her dizzy as she locked her arms around his neck. ‘I swear if you had gone into that room I was going to come after you, ready or not…’ ‘Thank God…because I nearly did…’ ‘I couldn’t have spent another night in that bed, knowing
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX AN HOUR later, bag packed and ready to go, Jane waited by the front entrance of the castle. She turned around and drank in the view, committing it all to memory, sucked in the air deeply. The morning sun was gathering more and more heat. In late June its potency was powerful, and the distinctive smell of sun-baked earth wafted over her. The cicadas’ incessant chatter stopped, and then started further away every time she moved to try and catch them out. In the space of just one week she had come to really love this island. That first forbidding view had hidden something much more complex. It had a heart and a vitality that was artfully disguised by its appearance. Completely unique. Much like the man who was striding through the doors towards her now. Every line of his physique screamed dynamic…independent…successful. He reminded her of a lone wolf. Who would get to tame him in the end? Could any one woman do it? She schooled her features as he approached, and let him take h
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN HER smile faded fast when she saw who it was at the door. Sasha. His assistant looked sparkly and bright. As if she’d been up for hours. Before Jane knew what was happening, Sasha had sidled past her and into the room, looking around with interest. ‘If you’re looking for Xavier, he’s gone for a meeting—’ She turned and fixed Jane with cold eyes. ‘I know exactly where he is. I always know where he is.’ ‘I’ll tell him you called…’ Jane stayed by the open door and hoped she would take the hint. ‘Actually, I came to see you.’ Sasha sat on the couch, crossing one elegant leg over the other. Where was this going? ‘Did you enjoy last night? The pampering…. the restaurant?’ How did she know about that? Jane felt a stillness come into her body, as if it were preparing for some kind of attack. Her hand gripped the knob of the door. ‘Yes, thank you,’ she said faintly, dimly thinking to herself, Well, maybe she booked it for him, so she’d be bound to know… ‘Oh, yes! I nearly forgot a
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT Nearly Four Months Later JANE shouldered her way through the door of her one-bedroom ground-floor flat, shutting out the noise of the traffic and wailing sirens. She was soaked. Autumn was here with a vengeance. She dropped the bags of shopping and kicked off her shoes with relief, taking off her layers and leaving them to drip dry in the bathroom. She ran a quick hot bath and afterwards wrapped herself in her dressing gown, feeling a little better. She would have to be more careful. She sat gratefully on her sofa, placing a hand on her belly. She still couldn’t believe she was pregnant. But she was. She remembered the shock of that day when, after weeks of relentless nausea on her return from France and then no sign of her period, dread had settled in her heart. Finally, one day after work, she had worked up the nerve to buy an over the counter test. A positive result. Confirmed by the doctor. She hadn’t told anyone yet. Not even her mother. Even now she was barely able
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE TWO weeks later Jane was trying to contain herself as she felt an increasing sense of panic threaten to overwhelm her. Lisa and her mother fussed around her as she got ready to go to the register office, their chatter skimming over her head: ‘…and poor Dominic is heartbroken, but he happened to mention that Xavier is gorgeous…’ ‘Oh, he is, dear—wait till you see him…’ ‘And he really owns a whole island?’ ‘That’s nothing…his hotel chain…’ ‘Still waters, eh, Mrs V? Who would have thought our little Janey had it in her? And to think of all those holidays spent with him under my nose—the time I wasted on those waiters…’ Jane cut in with wry exasperation. ‘You know, I am here, guys.’ ‘Yes, dear, don’t mind us…now, let’s have a look at you.’ She was wearing a fitted cream silk jacket and a matching skirt that was cut on the bias and fell in soft swinging folds to her knees. The material clung to her curves, and the buttons on the jacket closed under her bust, with a lace camisol
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN THE next morning Xavier insisted on a day of sightseeing. In the early evening they emerged from the Louvre. Jane was bone weary, even though the ever-present limo had whisked them from place to place. Bone weary because at every opportunity during the day he had touched her—usually just the slightest glance of physical contact, a brush of a hand here, a light touch on her wist or shoulder…pressing close against her in the crowds. But it had been enough to set her nerve-ends jangling, almost as though he knew exactly what he was doing. His face each time she’d sneaked a look had shown pure innocence. By the time he took her hand outside the great museum she was worn down from trying to escape him, and just left it in his without a word. That contact, chaste as it was, was torture in itself. ‘I let Pascal go home…There’s a restaurant near here I thought might be nice for dinner. We can get a cab later.’ ‘I’m not dressed properly…’ She indicated her jeans and sneakers. ‘Don’t
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN ‘I PRESUME you won’t mind me leaving you to make some calls, as you’ve barely said two words over dinner…?’ Jane looked up sharply. In contrast to her tense form, spine as straight as a dancer’s, he lounged at the opposite side of the table, long legs stretched out, a brow quirked mockingly. ‘Not at all…’ she replied sweetly. The heavy potent atmosphere was giving her a headache. She was more than uncomfortably aware of him. His scent, his large body mere inches away across the table. During dinner she’d been transfixed by his hands, until she’d realised she was staring. Still in a state of shock to be back here…with him…again. In a way, she reflected when he’d taken his leave and her pulse had finally returned to normal, it would be easier to have people around. It would have been too much to have the slumberous heat outside and the entire place to themselves. Things were more formal with the staff here. There was none of the seductive easy intimacy of the summer…making
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE A MONTH later Jane was getting ready for the Winter Ball, which was that evening. Her hands shook as she put earrings in her ears, smoothed back her hair and flicked some lint off her dress. Her nerves were wound so tightly now that she jumped at the slightest sound or movement. The last few weeks had been an exercise in torture. Self-inflicted torture. On the outside she was the picture of a glowing pregnancy. The sleepless nights, waking with muscles cramping from tension, hadn’t yet told on her face, apart from faint dark circles. Xavier hadn’t touched her again since that devastating kiss in front of their guests, but she could hardly look at him for fear of him seeing the naked desire on her face. She avoided him whenever she could. Slept late or got up early. Whatever was required. He spent some nights on the mainland, and those were the only ones she slept. On a rational level she welcomed this, but on every other honest level she missed his presence with a physic
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN JANE lay in the bed, tucked into a curled-up position, for some time. Until the air began to chill her skin and she had to pull another blanket onto the bed to stop her teeth chattering. This was exactly what she had feared. Sleeping with him had opened her up, taken the scab off the wound…and now she was afraid there would be no way to stem the flow of blood. This intimacy had cracked her heart open completely. And there was no going back. No closing it off again. After this…she couldn’t. What had she done…? The next morning when she woke she was in the bed alone, and knew that Xavier hadn’t joined her at all. Her body ached with a betrayingly pleasurable ache as she got up and belted a robe firmly around her waist. When she went out into the suite she paled visibly when she saw him standing at the window, pristine in a dark suit. He ran a cool look over her as she emerged, feeling sleepy and tousled in comparison. Her heart hardened when she saw the lack of anythin
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN JANE opened her eyes slowly and realised that she was lying on their bed, dim light casting shadows into the room. Then she saw Xavier standing at the base of the bed, talking to some man in a suit. That was weird. Why was she on the bed? And what was that man doing in their room? She tried to speak and a croak came out. The men turned to face her. The older man hurried to her side. He lifted her hand and took her pulse. ‘Hello, my dear, you gave us quite a fright…’ His words meant little to Jane as she struggled to take things in. ‘What…what happened?’ She looked from Xavier to the man with a frown on her face. He sat on the bed and kept her hand in his. ‘Jane, I’m Dr Villeneuve. Xavier called me when you collapsed a short time ago. Luckily I was here on the island, doing my rounds, and was close by…otherwise you would have been taken to the hospital on the mainland.’ Suddenly it all came back—every single second of what had happened. Her hand went straight to her bel
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
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