Chapter twenty
Luc
I’m French, baby.
I saw it. She probably hoped I didn’t, but I saw the hurt flash in her eyes—and I felt it, too, a sharp ache that cut deeper than I expected. Somehow, my words struck a nerve, and I need to understand why. That forced smile she wears, the one that doesn’t reach her eyes, I hate seeing it. She doesn’t need to pretend with me. I want to know what’s hidden behind her beautiful eyes.
It’s strange how much she affects me. I want to be the moon in her darkness, just as she’s already mon soleil, even if she has no idea. Part of me wanted to go after her and demand she talk to me, but I can tell she’s had enough for today. There’ll be time.
The more time I spend with her, the more certain it becomes that she belongs in my life. Fifteen months wasted. I should’ve gone after her when she left without saying goodbye, but my ego got in the way. I was angry the first few months. I thought she felt it, too. That connection . She felt like home, and I got lost in her.
But then she just left.
My father had his stroke, and taking over as CEO took everything I had. But even with all the chaos, she never left my mind. Not for a second. But now that’s she’s back, I’m not planning on letting her go. Not this time.
A video call request pops up on my iPad, and I’m thankful for the distraction from everything with Rylee. “Hey, Sophie,” I say, answering the call.
“Sorry to bother you, but Ruby wanted to say hi.” She laughs, holding up my dog, Ruby, to the screen.
I laugh. “She said that?”
“Yes, she did.” Sophie grins, and right on cue, Ruby barks in response. Sophie gives me a look that says, see?
“Sounds like someone’s using Ruby as an excuse because she misses me.” Sophie sometimes takes Ruby for a couple of days, and she loves her just as much as I do.
“You wish.” She sticks out her tongue, then her face softens. “So, when am I meeting your new girlfriend?”
“Girlfriend?” I never said I had a girlfriend.
“Yeah, you seemed so confident when you told Mom and Dad you’d find someone to marry in six months. I know you, and you wouldn’t marry someone unless you have feelings for her. I figured you’re keeping her a secret.”
“Well…” I rub the back of my neck, trying to figure out how much to tell her. “There’s someone, but we’re still figuring things out.” I can’t exactly tell her the truth. I don’t want to put her in a position where she has to lie for me.
Her eyes narrow on the screen. “I knew it. Can’t believe you didn’t tell me about her.”
“We wanted to keep it quiet in case things didn’t work out.”
“But I’m your best friend.” She pouts, crossing her arms. “I tell you everything.”
“Yeah, maybe too much,” I tease. She knows I love how open she is with me, but there are definitely a few things I could go without knowing. She’s still my baby sister, even if she’s practically an adult now and does adult things (which I don’t want to hear about).
Ruby jumps excitedly on her lap, tail wagging, and Sophie laughs, running a hand over her fur. “Who is she?”
“Her name is Rylee, and she’s American. We’ve been long distance, but we weren’t official. Until I hired her as our new Head of International Marketing and she moved here.” The lies taste sour in my mouth, but I force my eyes to remain steady. “But you can’t tell Mom and Dad yet. I’ll tell them myself.”
“But why? She doesn’t need the job. You’re one of the top billionaires in the world.” She raises her eyebrow, and Ruby barks as if she’s agreeing with her.
“Trust me, I know, but that’s the only way she agreed to come. She said she ‘wants to earn her own money and not depend on a man.’” I can’t believe the lies coming out of my mouth right now, but knowing Rylee, that is something she would say for sure. I’m still going to spoil her, no matter what.
“I can respect that.” Sophie nods.
“Alright, I need to get ready for a meeting.”
“Fine, but when can I meet her?”
I roll my eyes. “Soon! Bye now. Give Ruby a treat from me.”
“Will do! Talk soon.” She waves, and the screen goes dark, leaving me with a small smile before I return to work.
I check my watch. It’s two o’clock, and my meeting isn’t until four. Plenty of time for what I have in mind. I press the button on my phone, calling Camille, my assistant. “Can you print the expansion budget reports and bring them to Miss Rylee? I need her to review the key sections, so highlight and organize them for her.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll get that done right away.”
Perfect. That’ll take her about five to ten minutes, just enough time.
I make my way to Rylee’s office, about to knock, but she sees me through the glass and gestures for me to come in.
“What can I do for you, sir?” she says with a serious expression, though I catch a hint of a smirk at the corners of her lips. If she wants to call me sir, I can make sure she’ll be saying it in no time and screaming it for everyone in the building to hear.
I smirk, pushing her chair back slightly to lean against her desk. “I need to kiss you.”
Her eyes widen. “What?”
“Camille’s bringing over some papers in a few minutes. She needs to ‘catch’ us kissing. Trust me, she’ll spread the word.”
“Do we really have to kiss?” Her breath stutters. “Can’t we just pretend?”
“That’s not gonna work. It has to look real.” My gaze drops to her lips, and she exhales, chest rising and falling rapidly. “You have about two minutes. I won’t kiss you until you tell me it’s okay.”
Her eyes flick to my lips before they meet mine again. Eyelids lower, pupils dilate, and lashes flutter against her skin. I know this look, I’ve seen it before, and she needs to decide right now.
“Fine. But no tongue.” The words slip past her lips in a shaky breath.
I laugh. “I’m French, baby. I don’t kiss without tongue.”
Before she can argue, I gently pull her up from the chair, positioning her between my legs. My hand slips to the back of her head, bringing her mouth to mine. The second our lips meet, I’m gone.
The kiss starts soft at first, as I familiarize myself with the curve of her lips before slipping my tongue past them. Her lips respond to mine, letting me in. Her hands find their way around my neck as our mouths move together, each kiss deeper than the last. There’s nothing fake about this. I’ve been parched for her, and finally, I get to drink her in.
A small knock at the door barely registers, but Rylee pulls away, breathless, as we turn to find Camille standing just outside the office.
Rylee opens the door, smoothing her hair as Camille hands her the papers. “Mr. Lucien wanted you to review these before the meeting. I highlighted the key points,” she says in French, casting a quick glance at me.
“Thanks… uh, merci.” Rylee smiles, a little flustered, before Camille nods and walks away.
Once the door closes, Rylee turns back to me. Her eyes narrow, lips pressed into a tight line, giving me a look that says that’s not happening again. But I know she felt it, too, by the way her breath catches. She was as lost in that kiss as I was.
She can pretend all she wants, but I’m sure this kiss will not be the last. I’ve got a taste of her again, and I want more.