30. Iris
30
IRIS
I pushed through the trees that led to the river, my heart in my throat. What would Luc say? How would he be? I knew I looked a mess, but would he have the same dark smudges under his eyes as I did?
The crispy, late summer leaves crunched under my feet, but when the first glimmers of water reached my eyes, I took a steadying breath. He was there, in the same spot we’d come to before. Apollo snoozed in the sun down on the bank, and the bees hummed in the wildflowers.
Luc leaned against an old log and worked on something that rested on his lap. He had no shoes on and wore a midnight blue cotton shirt, unbuttoned, so his sculpted chest lit up like gold in the dappled sunlight. Yes, it was a hot day, but way to put me at a disadvantage, Luc. I found it hard to resist his solid pecs at the best of times.
A branch cracked under my feet and Luc’s head snapped up, his eyes finding mine like a laser. The shot of blue sent a shiver through my soul, and I wound my arms around my body. As I picked my way through the tufts of grass at my feet, he put down his work and stood, wiping darkened fingers on his trousers.
I stopped in front of him, my chest on fire with need. Just being close to Luc sent a pulse of energy somewhere low in my belly. He raked his azure eyes over me, and I clamped my hands against my ribs even harder. I didn’t trust I wouldn’t reach out to him.
Luc shifted from foot to foot on the edge of the blanket. “I didn’t know if you’d come.”
I gave a tiny shrug, dropping my arms. “I didn’t either.”
Silence pricked between us, shimmering in the sultry air, and our chests rose and fell in time. After a fleeting pause, he reached out his hand and gently curled his fingers around mine. I sucked in a breath at the contact, and he took a step forward.
“I’m so glad you did.”
I looked into his face, into his eyes. There was no smoulder in them today, only a soft glow. The corners of his lips tipped up, and he opened his mouth to speak, but my words came first. “I wanted to say thank you for rescuing Stuart. I don’t know how you did it, but both of us will be eternally grateful. Particularly if he discovers the cheese in the kitchen. He’s taken on my dairy obsession over the years.”
Luc gave a hint of laugh, before he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around me, his warm breath weaving through my hair. “I’ve missed you, Iris.”
I gave a little sigh as his warm chest touched mine and I weaved my arms around his solid back, pulling him closer. So much for playing hard to get. “I’ve missed you, too.” And I had. I’d missed his closeness, missed his touch and the smell of his skin. Despite everything that had happened these last few days, even though we'd only known each other a short time, when he held me like this, it felt like coming home.
We stood, pressed together, breathing the same air. Finally, Luc bent down to kiss the top of my head before pulling away. “Will you sit?”
Try to stop me. I’d Velcro myself to his side, given the chance.
Luc took my hand and guided me onto the rug. I settled, tucking my legs underneath me. “I have to ask, how did you get Stuart back? I know my ex can be a pain. How did you even know where he was?”
Luc smiled, his eyes glowing brightly. “You forget, I’m a man of means. Influence. It only took a few phone calls, a few bribes…”
“Chloe told you?”
Luc wrinkled his nose. “Yes. She’s a good friend.”
“The best. Although I’m annoyed she didn’t let me in on your plan.”
“I asked her not to, in case you didn’t want to see me again. I didn’t want you to think I’d used your cat as bait.” Luc ran his thumb over the back of my hand. “And please promise me, you’ll never be with a man who can treat you so badly again. You deserve so much more.” He gripped his lip in his teeth. “You deserve the world.”
My heart pulsed. Luc was everything that Nathan wasn’t. Kind, protective, generous. But if he offered to give me the world, would I take it?
Avoiding his gaze, I looked at the charcoal sketch laying on the rug. It was a study of the river and the willow tree, its branches dipping into the water. I’d forgotten how talented he was. “You know, you really should sell paintings under your own name.”
He chuckled. “I may have to. When my grandmother turns eighty and I’m unmarried, I may have to get creative about how I support myself.”
My pulse skittered. He was joking, wasn’t he?
Luc reached out for my hand. “I’m serious. I want to be with you, regardless of the consequences.” His voice was only a whisper, but every word seeped into my heart.
I pushed out a slow breath. Even if he was serious, I’d walked out on a hot mess the other night at the opera. And just like I’d said in the car, before the dinner, nothing had changed.
I squeezed his hand. “I was a disaster the other night. Your sister had every right to call me out as a liar. I don’t want you to lose your family because of me. You have a duty to them, and to your name, and regardless of how I feel about you, I’d never ask you to give it up.”
Luc shook his head slowly. “I know you wouldn’t. And you were far from a disaster. You were incredible.” He moved closer before running his fingers down my cheek. He’d done it so many times before, but every touch still sent a shiver across my skin.
Luc paused before speaking again. “Almost my whole life, I’ve never felt good enough. Until I found you. You didn’t judge me. You even laughed at me and showed me that life should be fun, not a prison to be endured. I know I come with a whole ball of strings attached, but you don’t know how much you’ve helped me.”
I grimaced. “Setting off World War three at our fake-engagement dinner didn’t feel much like helping.”
Luc chuckled and brought his fingers to the back of my neck. He ran his eyes over my face. “It’s crazy how important you’ve become to me in such a short time. If I lost you and married someone my family wanted, yes, I’d keep Marsan, but I’d gain nothing that mattered. For all that I own, all the money I have, I’ve never felt like I belonged. Until now. With you.”
Luc looked down for the longest beat before bringing his eyes up to mine. “Finally, I see a place for me. A place for us. And I’d give up a million Marsans for your love.”
I sucked in a breath, and I swear I felt my pupils dilate in time with the beating of my heart .
“I mean it. I love you, Iris, and I’m not willing to give you up—not for a name, not for a building, not for anything.” Luc’s head dipped slightly, and a tiny furrow crept between his brows. “Please say you’ll have me.”
Butterflies beat their wings in my chest. Luc’s offer sounded so idyllic, so perfect, but doubt nibbled at my gut. Would I be enough for him? I hadn’t been enough for Nathan, and as far as I knew, he hadn’t had heiresses and models flinging themselves at him. In the shine of a new relationship, Luc giving up Marsan probably seemed reasonable. But how would he feel further down the track?
I met his eyes. “Would you resent me? Hate me eventually, when you realised what you’d given up?”
Luc shook his head. “Never. If you gave me the choice now, next year, or in ten years. I’d always choose you.”
My breath thinned.
“But would you choose me , Iris? I know Nathan hurt you, but would you trust me with your heart?”
Blood sang in my ears, and I stared at his lips. We’d only known each other for a heartbeat, but could I imagine not kissing him again? Not lying in his arms or laughing about something Apollo did or Thierry said?
I couldn’t.
Life without Luc would hurt. Agreeing to his suggestion seemed like madness, but why shouldn’t I take a chance?
The hot summer breeze rustled through the trees, as I teetered on the edge of decision, uncertain about so much. But then, Luc looked up, his blue eyes burning into mine, and at that moment, I knew.
“Yes,” I whispered. “I’d choose you.”
Luc’s breath faltered, and he closed his eyes for what felt like an eternity. Finally, he opened them again, saying just two words. “Thank you.”
My heart swelled like it would burst from my chest. I threw my arms around him, pressing my lips to his. Luc met my pressure, but there was no urgency in his kiss. Instead, he was gentle. He opened my mouth with a sweep of his tongue before curling it around mine. He moved slowly like he savoured our taste. With each glide, flames curled low down in my belly. I wanted to drown in this man, be pulled down deep and never come up for air.
All too soon, Luc broke our kiss, bringing his lips to the tip of my nose before moving them to my neck.
“Are we crazy?” I asked. “We only just met. What are people going to say?”
Luc pressed his mouth to my skin. “I don’t care what people say. I feel like I’ve known you for a lifetime. Thierry once told me that when I find the person I should be with, I’d feel it.”
I pushed away from Luc, searching his face. “What about Thierry? Does he know? Have you told him about the codicil? Us being together will tear him from Marsan.”
Luc pulled me into his arms, breathing into my hair like he was soothing a baby. “We’ll speak to him, together. If I know Thierry, he’ll tell us to stop worrying about him, and trust in our decision.” Luc smiled, tipping his head to one side. “He said you were perfect for me, the day we bumped into each other at the winery.”
My tummy flipped. I’d known they were talking about me at the time, but I had no idea why. “I hope you’re right.”
Luc let go of me and laid back on the rug. He reached out and brought me into his arms. I rested my head on his chest, running my fingers over the soft smattering of hair on his stomach.
“Thierry is one of life’s good people. I can’t tell you the countless times I wished he’d been my real father. And, like any good father, I believe he’ll give me his blessing to choose my own path.”
I brought my lips to Luc’s skin, laying a tiny kiss against the beat of his heart. “But your family. If you give up Marsan, it’ll devastate your grandmother.”
Luc huffed. “I think she was more devastated when you ran off. I can’t understand it myself, but she likes you.”
I lifted my head, about to ask what the hell he meant, but he met me with a glorious grin, and my frown melted, along with my heart. I laid my head back down.
Luc pushed my hair behind my ear. “I’ve spoken with my grandmother.Of course, she’s disappointed she may lose the house, and she’s hurt by our lies, but as she says, she wants me to be happy. And she does like you.” He smiled again, drawing a pattern on the outside of my arm with his fingertips. “She said you had the right spirit to keep me in check. In return for her acceptance, all she asked for was yodelling lessons and a promise that you’ll take her with you next time you buy shoes.”
My giggle matched the birdsong from the woods. I batted my hand against Luc’s stomach. We had no right to laugh at a time like this, but it was hard to resist when my heart was so happy.
“And there’s something else.” Luc’s voice dropped, and the skin on the back of my neck prickled.
“My grandmother may have bought Marsan some more time.”
“What do you mean?”
“Grand-Mère visited my father’s lawyer. She asked to see a range of documents, including his will and the codicil.”
My tummy rolled. “Why would she do that?”
He huffed a wry laugh. “Why does my grandmother do anything? But in the meeting, she poured herself a glass of water and accidentally spilled it over the codicil.”
I blinked. Something nagged at the back of my brain. Something about the codicil. And then a surge of energy filled my chest. “Your father hand-wrote it.” I remembered that detail from when I agreed to help Luc. I remember thinking his father must have written it in a hurry.
Luc chuckled. “He did. Well, what’s left of it.”
I let my mouth drop and looked at him. “She destroyed it?”
“Not entirely, but most of it is unreadable now.”
“Didn’t the lawyer make copies? Isn’t that standard practice?”
“Apparently, not for him, though he may from now on. He and my father were old friends. The pompous old fool probably took it for granted that nobody would ever contest the will. When the time comes, my grandmother will do just that.”
I practically clawed my way up Luc’s chest, widening my eyes with every move. “But she destroyed the document. Wouldn't that be a problem? If she benefited from destroying the codicil, her contesting the will wouldn't hold up in court.”
Luc shrugged, a warm smile on his lips. “She doesn’t stand to gain from the will, only I do. And never underestimate my grandmother. For all her eccentricities, she has a lot of influence and friends in the right places. As she reminded me, the legal wheels turn slowly here. In its present state, the codicil could take years to argue in court. That would give Thierry longer to make plans.”
I shook my head, my mind spinning. “Why didn’t she just do something like that in the first place? It would’ve saved you all a lot of heartache.”
Luc leaned down and kissed the top of my head. “If she had, I’d never have been back at Marsan, and I’d never have met you. Despite my grandmother’s efforts, the codicil is officially still in place. Even if she locks it up in court for years with me unmarried, Marsan could still be sold, but I appreciate her effort.”
I shook my head gently. I’d suspected that under the taffeta and the haughty jaw, Luc’s grandmother was a kind woman. That she’d even tried to destroy the codicil for her grandson, when she had so much to lose, spoke volumes. A burn crept into the back of my throat. “But what about your sister?”
Luc sighed, throwing an arm behind his head, letting out a deep sigh. “Delphine can be tiresome and rude, but deep down, she means well. She’ll take longer to come around to the idea, but I don’t care. We only have one chance at life, and I’ve been living in the dark for so long.”
We fell silent, Apollo’s snores by the river pulsing through the air. “What about your family?” Luc asked. “What do you think they’ll make of me?”
My mind flashed to our little semi-detached house in suburban Upminster. Right about now, Mum was probably wedging some whining school kid’s feet into a pair of lace-ups, or rifling through the storeroom at work, trying to find the right size for a pushy customer. And Dad? Dad would be on the work site, humming along to the radio and making good the cement that no doubt seeped between the bricks he’d just laid.
The corners of my mouth lifted. “I think they’d love you. Mum would probably want to knit you a million bad sweaters. As long as you keep me in the manner to which I’ve become accustomed, they’d give us their blessing.”
Luc kissed the top of my head again. “What manner is that?”
I drew circles on his chest with one fingertip. “Oh, you know, free access to all dairy products in the castle, full pool rights and an open-door policy to the hottest painter in town.” Luc chuckled, his ribs shaking underneath me. I hadn’t mentioned regular trips to the Garden of Girth in the dark, but I could always build that into the agreement later. I mean, we had six months before he turned thirty.
I gripped his shoulders and pulled myself up his chest, kissing him. Harder this time, more insistent. He brought his arm around my waist and pulled me on top of him. Abandoning his lips, I pushed up, straddling his hips, grinding into him just a little.
Luc sucked in a breath and closed both his hands around my buttocks, his eyes sparkling in the light. “So, you’ll stay with me here at Marsan? I don’t want you to feel any pressure.”
I moved against him again. “Oh, believe me, if the pressure feels like this,” I pressed my hips against the hardness in his trousers, “I’ll book myself in for an extended visit.”
Luc’s lips bowed, and he nudged his hips against me. “I’ll order you some fresh towels.”
“Besides, I think too much upheaval is bad for cats. They’re very sensitive. I think it would be wise for Stuart and I to stay a little while. If there’s room, of course.”
I gave one last roll of my hips, and Luc let out a low groan. “Merde,” he said, moving his hand to the underside of my breast, tracing its curve through the cotton of my sundress. “There’ll always be room for you,” he whispered.
My nipple pebbled, and I put on my most coquettish smile. “I’m sorry. I’m probably covered in cat fur.”
Luc let out a throaty chuckle, his hand closing around my breast, heat seeping into his eyes. “I don’t mind that you’re covered in cat fur, but I’d prefer you naked, in my bed, covered in me.”
My heart jumped, and desire danced low down in my belly. “That can be arranged,” I said, gripping the hem of my dress. Slowly, I drew it up over my head, dropping it to the side. Luc’s eyes filled with fire.
“Iris,” he ground out, raking his eyes over my body. “You look incredible. Let me draw you. Properly this time.” The corner of one side of his lips slowly crept upwards, leaving me in no doubt what “properly” meant.
I thought of the canvases stacked in Luc’s tower. The pictures of beautiful women—all naked, all goddesses. Only this time, my gut didn’t pull. My cheeks didn’t heat. This time I wanted to be one of his goddesses. His only goddess. I wanted him to make me look beautiful, too. And did I really mind about the other women he’d drawn? He was here, now, for me . Saying he loved me. That he wanted us to make a life together.
“Okay,” I whispered.
A smile grew on Luc’s mouth, and he reached up, untying my ponytail. My hair fell around my shoulders, fanning over my breasts. Luc ran his fingers through it before lifting me off his hips and gently laying me next to him. He kissed my shoulder, and the sound of our breath mingled with the hum of insects and the gurgle of water.
“Do you trust me?” he asked, eyes glued to mine.
I nodded. Luc kissed my forehead, then sat up and dragged over his sketch pad.
He bent down to his knees, and it took all of my self-control not to pull him to me. Instead, I watched his face as he took my hands and raised them, outstretched over my head. His eyes drifted to the hardened peaks of my breasts. He wet his lips, and the tiniest heat simmered in my cheeks. After the days apart, I’d forgotten how sensual he could be.
Luc lifted his eyes from my breasts and brought them to meet mine, their icy blue was mesmerising. Still holding my gaze, he moved his fingers to my hips, tucking his thumbs under the waistband of my knickers.
“I’m going to have to remove these, too,” he murmured.
And I wouldn’t stop him. Hell no.
With his smoulder dialled up to one thousand, Luc slowly peeled my underwear down my legs, removing my knickers with a wolfish smile. Next, he sat on his heels, appraising me, before he rocked forwards, placing his fingertips on my inner thighs. He gently nudged them apart.
I tensed under his touch, but Luc reached up to touch my face. “Remember to trust me,” he whispered. “You’ll look beautiful. I promise. ”
With the tiniest of nods, I settled back, trying to relax, my heart hammering in my ribs. The two of us weren’t exactly strangers in the bedroom but as Luc leaned back and picked up his charcoal, my heart sat well and truly in my mouth.
Initially, his scrutiny of my body confronted me. The scratch of his charcoal was jarring. In fact, the intense concentration of his stare made me want to grab my dress and run straight back to Stuart. Could Luc tell how nervous I was? Surely, the rapid rise and fall of my chest gave me away. Being drawn naked, down by a river, wasn’t my average Tuesday afternoon activity. We weren’t Jack and Rose—and hopefully, our relationship wouldn’t resemble the plot of Titanic .
After a time, though, I relaxed under his gaze and my breath settled in my chest. An occasional smile twitched on Luc’s mouth. At other times, open desire burned in his eyes. I found the way he looked at me, the way he considered my body, strangely erotic. Hot. He didn’t conceal the need in his eyes. Instead, they bore into me as if he could see into my soul, robbing me of my breath.
Time seemed to stand still, but when his sketch was complete, Luc put down his pad and looked at me, a smile on his lips.
“Can I see?”
He shook his head slowly. “Not yet. There are a few details I need to check first. I like to be accurate. Precise.”
Luc’s eyes sparkled, and he covered the short distance between the two of us on his hands and knees. He came to rest, his lips inches from mine. “You were a perfect model.” He brushed my hair behind my ear, kissing a path from my neck, along the side of my breast, over my hip and down to my buttock. “I need to thank you.”
I writhed under his touch, the muscles under my skin jumping as his lips moved lower, smattering goosebumps. “You’re so beautiful,” he said, stopping at the top of my thighs, before moving lower. I sucked in a breath, holding it somewhere in my throat. Then, with a chuckle, he gave me the hot, fiery touch of his tongue I so wanted.
I moved my hips, desperate to meet his mouth. When he found my centre I gasped, tangling my fingers through his hair, pulling him into me. The force of his lips, and every movement of his tongue drove me on, had me pushing his shirt away and raking my fingers across his shoulders.
Maddeningly, Luc kept his pressure against me light, and his unsteady breath tickled against my skin. He kissed and teased me, holding back on giving me what I wanted. But as the ache low down in my belly demanded satiating, I couldn’t bear it anymore.
“I need you inside me.”
Luc looked into my eyes, his lips glistening in the sunlight, his hair deliciously dishevelled in my fingers. He gripped his bottom lip in his teeth and pushed up to kneel in front of me.
“Then take what you need.”
I kneeled too and brought my hands to the button at his waistband, undoing it with trembling fingers. With my breath thinning, I pulled at his zipper, tugging down until his cock sprang free. I tipped an eyebrow. “No underwear?”
He shrugged, his eyes blazing hot. “Why waste time?”
“You must have been pretty sure I’d agree to stay, then.”
Luc reached out and ran his thumb over one of my breasts. “I hoped.”
I sucked in a breath at his touch and tugged down his trousers, taking him in my hand. As my fingers closed around his length, he touched my cheek, then lowered his head to my chest, taking the peak of my breast into his mouth, biting down gently on my skin. I gasped at the delicious mix of pleasure and just a little pain, gripping his cock harder, clasping my lip with my teeth .
“If you were so sure I’d agree to stay. Did you come prepared?”
One of his gloriously dark eyebrows shot heavenward, and he stood. Damn, he looked incredible. Sinful, half undressed and definitely ready for action. He dug into his pocket before slowly kicking out of his trousers. Luc turned his back to me, rolling on a condom. Lit by the sun, the muscles of his buttocks flexed under his skin as he worked.
“You know, you really have the most beautiful body, Luc. I think I should be the one drawing you.”
He sent me a sexy smirk over his shoulder and turned around, joining me on the rug. “Be my guest, but right now, I have other ideas.”
“Oh, really?” I replied, leaning back.
“Yes. Either you can let me clean you up, or you can let me fuck you.”
“Sorry?”
I followed Luc’s gaze down to my body. His charcoal-coated fingers had left black fingerprints and streaks on my stomach and thighs. Lord only knew what my face looked like. I probably should care that I looked like a modern art portrait or like I’d been in a fight with Colin McGregor, but Luc’s second option was all I could think about. I smiled, reaching out my hands. “I think I’ll take my chances. Fuck me.”
Luc chuckled and brought his body to settle between my legs. “Good. I like you filthy.”
He leaned in and kissed me, his tongue nudging into my mouth. With his hand at my breast, Luc gently teased my nipple, adding to the mass of black smudges. With a pull at my core, I reached down, taking one of his buttocks in my hand, pulling him in closer. I found his neck with my teeth and peppered his skin with tiny bites.
As I explored his neck, Luc brought his hand down to my centre, circling his fingertips over the bundle of nerves there. When I tipped my head back a little, taking the skin of his neck with me, he groaned. “Let me have you slowly this time. I promise you’ll like it.”
I considered his request. I was partial to faster-paced sex. Who didn’t enjoy a relentless rhythm? But then again, what was the hurry? We had all the time in the world, and the thought of Luc grinding into me, leisurely and full of need, made my toes curl.
My lips bowed. “I’m willing to try it.”
With a searing look, Luc positioned himself over me, the heat of his chest permeating into my skin. I reached down to find his length, and with the tiniest shift of my hips, he drove in deep. The second he filled me, I threw my head back and moaned. But Luc didn’t move. Didn’t rock into me. Instead, he brought his lips to my neck, trailing kisses from my throat to my ear. He whispered words in French. Words my school lessons never covered, but then, he moved. Slowly, his hot breath on my shoulder, igniting a searing burn between my legs. In my soul.
The leisurely rub of Luc inside me drove me mad, sending tongues of fire to my core. His unhurried strokes filled my mind, pushing out any other thought, any other sensation that dared enter. Time and time again, he ground into me, rotating his hips, bringing his lips to my breast.
As Luc moved, his ragged breath became louder and harsher, but he never sped up. The glacial pace of his strokes left me dizzy. Like every muscle and every nerve ending in my body was focused on the pleasure he was giving me. With every deep thrust I wanted to pull him into me even further. Fill me up and push me over the edge. Destroy me from the inside out.
Every time our skin dragged together, a pulse of desire throbbed at my centre, and I spread my hands across his buttocks, drawing him in. But no matter how much I encouraged him, he kept the same sedate pace until I thought I’d explode. My body was a shuddering mess now. The gentle slap of his skin against mine and the pull of his breath were all I could focus on.
Finding my mouth, Luc spoke against my lips. “I’m going to come soon. Are you ready?”
What did he mean? Was I ready? The way my body felt right now was akin to a hair trigger—one well-placed touch, and I’d go off.
Luc kissed me hard, his tongue matching the pace of the rest of his body, his mouth the only thing stopping me from screaming out. I’d never had a man control my every move, my every sensation so expertly, and I was ready to sign up for the masterclass.
I gripped his shoulders, digging in my nails, bringing my mouth to his neck. “I’m ready. But please, go deeper, please… holy hell…”
My voice tapered, mixing with my breath to become a rasp. With a blistering smile on his lips, Luc whispered in my ear. “For you, Iris, anything.”
I opened my eyes, my lashes fluttering until his beautiful face came into focus. “I love you,” I whispered. And it was true. I loved everything about him and everything I had yet to discover. There was no going back.
The tiniest flash went off in Luc’s eyes before he closed them and brought his lips to my forehead. His kiss was soft, but moments later, he brought his fingers to my clit. I moaned at the pressure, and, with the deepest growl, Luc pushed deeper inside me.
He moved slowly, relentlessly nudging me nearer to release. To bliss.
Stars erupted in my brain, and my body heated to a furnace as my skin tingled with delight. Luc was all I could feel, see, and think about, and with one last drive into me, he came, taking me with him.