Chapter Thirteen
A WEEK LATER they lay in the shade of a huge tree, drowsing after a picnic and the best sex of his life.
Adam grinned. The best sex ever. That was saying something, considering how amazing their honeymoon had been. Intimacy with Gisèle was on a whole different scale to anything he’d known before.
Because she matters to you more than any lover ever has.
‘What are you smiling about?’
He turned his head. She lay on the blanket wearing only his discarded shirt, her legs bare in the afternoon heat. Despite the estate being private and protected from intruders, she was still cautious about lolling around naked, unlike him. But she hadn’t been prudish when he’d set about seducing her.
Through the fine cotton he saw the thrust of her nipples and the shadowy triangle of hair at the apex of her thighs. He’d never known a more stunning woman.
Inevitably his body stirred. ‘You can’t guess?’
Her smile was pure cat-that-got-the-cream. ‘You’re very predictable.’
Yet he didn’t miss the sly way she stretched, making his shirt part over creamy flesh. Adam rolled onto his stomach, propping his weight on his forearms, enjoying the view. ‘It doesn’t look like you mind, beautiful.’
His smile widened as, instead of flinching at the word, Gisèle shrugged. That was progress. ‘Why should I mind? You’re a wonderful lover.’
‘And I intend to be an excellent husband.’ He revelled in the fact she enjoyed intimacy. But lover sounded too temporary for his liking. ‘Where do you want to live, Gisèle?’
‘I assumed you’d worked that out. You’re the one with the multinational business.’
‘But we agreed we’d discuss everything.’
He still enjoyed making her blush, describing what he’d like to do with her. Even better was the way Gisèle took that agreement seriously too, voicing her own demands and suggestions. There was something incredibly arousing about this gorgeous woman describing what would give her pleasure, including having her way with his body.
‘I have a house in Sydney, and apartments in New York and Singapore. But I thought for now, France. Which would be better, Paris or the south, handy to your research team?’
Gisèle propped herself on one arm, eyes wide. ‘Paris makes more sense for you.’
‘But the south means you can be with your unit most days. I can telecommute. It’s easy enough to get to the capital when I need to.’
‘Adam, are you serious? We spent so much time before the wedding out in public. I assumed...’
‘That would be our life?’ He shook his head. ‘It’s okay for short stints and I did have connections I wanted to pursue. But mainly I liked going out with you at my side. Now I’ve got that permanently.’
He couldn’t repress his smug smile.
‘You’re serious!’
‘Never more so. I’ll still have to travel sometimes. There’s a deal I’m looking at in the US and another in Brazil, so I’ll need excellent telecommunications. But I can be based anywhere. Whereas it makes sense for you to be with your team. Would you like that?’
Gisèle sat up and wrapped her arms around her bent knees. ‘I’d love it. I can do society events when I need to but I’d rather focus on my real work.’
Adam nodded. He had some inkling now of how little she liked the limelight. It was a measure of her dedication to the company and her determination that she did it so well.
‘That’s settled then.’
Except it seemed it wasn’t. His wife chewed her lip, frowning. Adam sat up and stroked a finger over her brow. ‘Is there a problem?’
Her gaze dropped to his groin and he stifled satisfaction at her blatant interest. But sex could wait. This was important. He wanted Gisèle to be happy.
‘Just when I think I understand you, you pull out another surprise.’ Her eyes searched his. ‘You said part of the reason for wanting the House of Fontaine was to prove you’d reached a social as well as commercial pinnacle. That you’d made it. But now you don’t seem interested in furthering your social position. Even before the wedding you couldn’t be bothered cosying up to that prince in Paris.’
The memory made his fists tighten. ‘He was overrated. I understand men being attracted to you but he was blatantly ogling. I couldn’t work with him.’
Gisèle’s frown didn’t shift. She covered his bunched fist with her hand.
‘You really are the most complex man. It seems so long ago that you came stomping into my life, turning it upside down. I thought I knew you then but you keep proving me wrong.’
Adam kept his tone light despite the heavy thud of his pulse. ‘In a good way?’
Her slow curling smile was like a spill of pure sunlight. ‘Definitely in a good way. You’re not like I first thought. In fact I have hopes for you.’
‘Because I’m a phenomenal lover?’
‘That could be part of it.’ But instead of listing his good qualities she said, ‘I think you’ve been lying to yourself, Adam.’
That startled him. He prided himself on his honesty, with himself and others. ‘How so?’
‘Don’t look stern. It’s not an insult.’ She stared at their joined hands. ‘You wanted to prove yourself to the privileged elite who looked down on you. But you admit you no longer worry what those old enemies think. You’ve risen beyond them.’ She shook her head. ‘You’re very much your own man.’
Her fingers laced with his. ‘I think the person you’re really trying to convince is you. You’ve carried the memory of being looked down on though no one does it any more. You keep expanding the company, looking for more and more profits. But when will you be satisfied? When will enough be enough?’
Adam wanted to pull his hand free. He’d shared something utterly personal and she was twisting it.
Or was she? Was it possible Gisèle was right?
Something inside stilled as he sifted her words.
For years he’d been so caught up in the need to prove his value that he’d driven himself phenomenally hard.
His family kept telling him to ease back and enjoy the fruits of his success. Yet it wasn’t until now, with Gisèle, that he’d allowed himself time off from his frantic striving for more and better.
Heat filled him. Had he used past hurts as an excuse to feed his ego? To drive himself, and others, relentlessly?
A soft palm cupped his cheek. ‘Adam?’
‘You’ve given me a lot to think about,’ he muttered.
What if the pressure he put on himself, and his high expectations of employees, were because he secretly feared his success couldn’t last? That he was doomed to failure and poverty?
Gisèle’s eyes turned misty, the way they often were during intimacy. It struck him anew that he’d manoeuvred her like he’d manoeuvred so many business opportunities.
Had she forgiven him for his actions? They’d reached a truce based on mutual need. But was that enough to sustain the relationship he wanted?
‘Tell me about Julien,’ he said abruptly. It was time to be totally honest. He couldn’t bear any more secrets between them. ‘Is he unwell?’
At the wedding her brother had looked thin and drawn.
Gisèle sat back but Adam captured her hand. ‘You can trust me, sweetheart.’
She nodded and he felt the pressure on his chest lift. Because she was willing to share this. She wasn’t retreating.
See, what you share is far more than sex.
‘He was diagnosed some time ago.’ She bit her lip. ‘The prognosis wasn’t good but he’s responded well to treatment and we’re hopeful.’
‘I’m glad he’s improving.’ Adam squeezed her hand. ‘That’s why he withdrew from the company and installed you in his place, isn’t it?’
Silently he berated himself for not guessing earlier. He’d briefly wondered if a breakdown might have caused Julien’s withdrawal. But he’d been inclined to assume it was something more frivolous, believing the siblings had inherited their jobs without the competence to handle them.
What an arrogant fool he’d been!
Just because he’d met some like that, he shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. He’d even felt a self-righteous satisfaction at rescuing the House of Fontaine from the siblings he’d assumed had mismanaged it.
‘That’s right. Though I wasn’t really CEO.’ Her smile was wry. ‘As you know, I don’t have that skillset. The company was managed by some executives who have since left.’
‘Because their mistakes almost destroyed it.’
Luminous eyes met his. She nodded.
Nausea stirred. ‘Leaving you both in the lurch.’
‘Not just us. Everyone who’s dependent on it.’
Adam shook his head, sick at the situation she’d found herself in. Then he’d barged in, throwing his weight around, demanding not just the company but her.
Would it have changed things if he’d known? He grimaced. He told himself he’d have been gentler with Gisèle, pursuing her without pushing her into a corner. But he’d still have acquired Fontaine’s.
‘That’s why you wanted to convince the world we were falling for each other? To keep the truth from Julien?’
She inclined her head. ‘I didn’t want him to realise what I was doing. He would have told me to walk away, but I couldn’t do that. He supported me through the toughest times. I was determined to do the same for him. You don’t know him yet but when you do, you’ll discover Fontaine’s is his life. His passion. I thought it would kill him to lose the company and every connection with it.’
Adam felt her shiver and drew her close. ‘So you’d have done anything to ensure he stayed in the company.’
Even marry a stranger.
His mouth filled with the taste of metal filings. So much for believing Gisèle could have walked away from the deal if she’d really wanted. That secretly she’d wanted him from the first too.
Nor had their deal been about money for her. Her focus had been on family and fear for her brother. Pain sheared through him as the enormity of her sacrifice for Julien hit.
How blithely he’d taken from this woman and how generously she’d acted.
You don’t deserve her.
But he wasn’t letting go. Incredibly she snuggled close, burrowing against him, her head on his chest. As if he weren’t the man who’d threatened to rip the firm from their grasp and who’d initially intended to sack them both.
As if she drew comfort from him.
It was remarkable. Adam drew in a shuddering breath and held her to his thudding heart. Things had changed so much between them. It gave him hope for the future.
He vowed to make it up to her. All the stress and worry. He’d do whatever it took to make her happy.
‘It’s all right,’ he murmured, rocking her gently. ‘Julien’s doing well. He’s going to be fine.’
Adam couldn’t countenance the alternative, knowing it would tear Gisèle apart. It was clear how much she loved her brother. What she’d done for Julien humbled him.
‘I know. Things really are looking up. But sometimes I still worry.’
Adam realised how little opportunity she’d had to be with her brother these past weeks, because he’d insisted on keeping her with him. ‘Do you want to visit him? Or have him stay here?’
Gisèle tipped her head back, eyes wide. ‘Really? You’d have him here? On our honeymoon?’
Adam had already planned to extend their honeymoon. A week was nowhere near long enough. But he could adapt. His wife needed his support. ‘We can have time alone in the future whenever we like. If I’d known the situation with Julien I wouldn’t have monopolised your time so much.’
‘It’s okay, Adam. We have regular video chats. He didn’t want me fussing over him in person. He prefers to recover in private.’
Much like Gisèle. Both siblings valued their privacy. How much of that was due to the blare of public interest that they’d faced from birth?
‘Nevertheless, I’m sure he’d love to spend time with you. He’s based outside Paris, isn’t he?’ She nodded. ‘Why not call him today?’
They stayed on at the chateau for another ten days. Gisèle had regularly visited her brother, insisting on the third visit that Adam accompany her. He guessed it was to reassure Julien about the man she’d married. Adam hadn’t missed the muted but definitely negative vibes from his brother-in-law on the day of the wedding.
The visit had gone well. Even in the time since the wedding, Julien seemed stronger, a better colour in his complexion. After some initial stiffness he and Adam had achieved a level of ease, talking over Fontaine’s, finding a surprising amount of common ground.
Gisèle had been right, her brother knew the business and had a quick, insightful mind. He’d be an asset when he returned to work in the executive team.
That visit had also been interesting for the presence of Julien’s friend, Noemie, a pretty, kind-hearted woman who clearly thought the world of him. They’d met when he’d been in hospital receiving treatment as had Noemie’s daughter, who was now well enough to spend the day with a friend.
Was it Noemie’s presence that had made the visit so easy?
Or the fact Gisèle no longer wore the slightly strained look she had prior to the wedding? Presumably Julien had noticed it too, the sparkle in her eyes and her ready smile.
Adam knew that, if Angela wanted to marry, he’d consider no man good enough until he was assured he was decent, honest and intent on making his sister happy.
He didn’t begrudge Julien that assurance. In fact he went out of his way to make it clear how much he valued and cared for his bride.
That compulsion he’d felt the first time he’d seen her hadn’t dimmed. It had grown, morphing into not just need, but appreciation, caring and a desire to make her happy.
Marrying Gisèle Fontaine had been the savviest move of his career. Not for business reasons but because she made him happy in so many ways.
A month later Adam’s life had settled into a new routine. Early morning runs with Gisèle, if they had any energy after dawn lovemaking. Leisurely breakfasts before she left for Fontaine’s while he worked from home, rarely needing to be elsewhere to run his enterprise.
After their discussion he’d thought carefully about what drove him and had to concede his relentless push for success after success wasn’t necessary. He was trying to reprioritise and take time to enjoy all he had.
Living with Gisèle made that easier. They socialised but enjoyed evenings in, preparing dinner together, making love or watching films. Weekends saw them on the yacht, swimming and lazing in their private garden, or exploring mountain villages in his sportscar.
He couldn’t recall ever feeling so contented.
They stayed in the Cap Ferrat villa rather than Gisèle’s apartment, but Adam had found a house he thought she’d like. It sat in the hills near the Fontaine premises with magnificent views over the coast. It was a remodelled farmhouse that retained its traditional bones but with modern refinements. Sympathetic extensions provided space for entertaining, an enticing mix of luxury and cosy comfort and, should they need it, space for a family.
The prospect excited him. He itched to show it to Gisèle. If she liked it he’d show his mother too. She’d stopped in after her travels to visit them before returning to Sydney.
‘I’m so happy for you both,’ she gushed when they were alone, her smile the widest he’d ever seen. ‘I had doubts in the beginning about the pair of you and how quickly you married. People from different countries, different cultures, who hadn’t known each other long. And at the wedding I thought there was some constraint on Gisèle’s part.’
Adam’s smile faded. Of course there’d been constraint. Things hadn’t been right between him and Gisèle. But he’d hardly admit that to his mother. ‘I’m glad you’re satisfied now. Believe me, we’re very happy.’
He couldn’t remember feeling better. Life with Gisèle was beyond anything he’d imagined. As lovers, partners, friends and even occasionally opponents in some argument, they were well-suited.
She made life richer and more satisfying. And she was happy too. He tried hard to be a good husband and she was thriving, being back with her team. Each day their understanding of each other, their respect and enjoyment, grew.
In the early days he’d thought with his libido and his business head. Somehow they’d led him into a relationship that went far beyond sex and work. With Gisèle he felt content. He could be himself and increasingly she let him into parts of her life that had hitherto been hers alone. That was a privilege and a joy.
‘I can see that,’ his mother said. ‘I watch your expression when you look at Gisèle and it reminds me so much of your father when we were together. And I see the way she looks at you. It’s obvious that you’re both deeply in love. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.’
In love?
Adam struggled to hide his shock.
He’d never been in love. Never even thought about it.
He’d always been too busy. His focus on building success left him no time for establishing a relationship. Instead he’d enjoyed passing liaisons.
Until Gisèle.
It was true he cared for her deeply. But love?
And as for her loving him...
He discovered the idea was strongly appealing. His pulse thudded, a frisson of excitement rippling across his flesh and down to his fingertips.
‘Adam?’ He swung around to see his mother grinning. ‘It’s good to see you’ve finally found someone who can distract you from building an ever-greater commercial empire.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with focus and hard work.’
‘Of course there’s not, darling. But some things are far more important.’
His mother gathered her bag and rose from the sofa. ‘My taxi will be waiting. Gisèle is finishing work early to help me choose a new outfit for your cousin’s wedding. But don’t worry, I won’t keep her late.’
It was a measure of Adam’s shock that he didn’t argue about his mother taking a taxi. Usually he’d insist on driving her.
Instead he watched her bustle out, his head spinning.
He had a conference call soon to discuss the American acquisition, but for once business couldn’t hold his attention.
Adam drew in a ragged breath and turned to pace the sitting room, trying to digest her words.
Love! Could it be?
An image filled his mind, of Gisèle, flushed and sweating after their morning run, her hair in a damp ponytail, eyes bright from exertion. Gisèle, chewing her lip as she pondered a report she’d brought home. Gisèle standing in the bow of the yacht, laughing as they skimmed over the dark sea. Of her in his arms, hugging him as they took each other to the edge of bliss and beyond.
His heart thrashed against his ribs, so hard it felt like it tried to escape.
He’d been thinking of a family with her. Now he pictured them together through the years, growing older and slower. She’d be as dear to him, he realised, when age wrinkled her skin and greyed her hair. Dearer, because a lifetime’s intimacy would only bring them closer.
Adam stood stock still, picturing it, feeling it in every pore of his body.
He loved her.
He’d loved her so long, he realised, but hadn’t seen it. Yet once acknowledged there was no doubt. No wonder he’d been single-minded in his pursuit.
How did she feel about him?
Was it possible she loved him?
Or was she making the best of the situation? He shivered in dismay.
He’d known from the first that his behaviour was outrageous. He’d wanted her and insisted on having her, taking advantage of circumstances to get what he wanted.
Adam sank onto a chair, shaky fingers raking his hair as he revisited his actions.
You knew what you were doing, forcing her hand. But that didn’t stop you. Even when you discovered she’d been an innocent, and how she’d been taken advantage of before, you didn’t stop. Your conscience smarted but you didn’t miss the wedding, the chance to tie her to you.
Somehow he’d convinced himself that, because she was happy now, the past didn’t matter. She’d forgiven him, or at least decided not to hold it against him because she wanted him as much as he did her.
But it did matter. It always had.
Adam loved this woman and he wanted her to love him too. Of her own volition. He wanted it to be real.
How could he expect that when he’d used her so badly? When he’d triumphed over her and her brother at one of the lowest ebbs in their lives?
How could he continue to take advantage? Their relationship was built on his demands, not mutual feelings.
Gisèle had made him take a hard look at his priorities but he’d only gone so far. He’d refused to take responsibility for his actions.
His skin itched with self-disgust. His triumph over Fontaine’s was no triumph at all. Suddenly he saw himself, not as the conquering hero, turning around a failing company, but as someone no better than the smug, privileged people he loathed. He’d wanted, and hadn’t given a toss for what anyone else deserved.
Adam shot to his feet to pace. Self-knowledge was a damnable thing.
He’d done so much wrong and it was time to make amends.
He dragged in oxygen, trying to feel relief at the decision, knowing exactly what he had to do. Yet his breath was shallow with panic. His course was clear. But he feared that, once Gisèle was free to choose, she might no longer choose him.
Adam had never been so terrified in his life.