Luc was silent and she knew she’d hurt him. He was offering her so much and she couldn’t give him anything back.
‘Luc, this … this is lovely but there was always an end— I can’t just pack up my life and start again for … for a man.’
‘For me, you mean.’
‘Not you personally, no, but I’ve done it before. What if it didn’t work out? I’d be stranded in France with nothing.’
‘But what if it did work,’ he said, stubbornly.
‘I can’t be reliant on you.’
‘I’m not asking you to be reliant on me. You’re your own person. We could be a team.’
Something twisted hard and sharp in her stomach. It would be so tempting to stay here. She loved it. She loved Luc.
‘Luc,’ she said gently. ‘I can’t.’
Neither of them slept well and when, at five, Hattie finally faced the fact that she wasn’t going back to sleep she carefully pulled back the sheet so as not to disturb Luc.
‘I’m awake,’ he said.
‘Sorry.’ She sat on the edge of the bed and turned to look at him. The sheets were pushed down to his waist and her eyes roved over his body, regret punching through her. A longing to run her fingers across his chest and down to his waist spiked through her, a match strike to lust. One thing, for sure, was that she’d never get enough of him.
His lips curved in a slow smile, reading her so well, and he reached for her, catching her hand and tugging her down. He rubbed his nose against hers. ‘There’s no reason why we can’t make the most of the time we have left. I respect your wishes, Hattie. Let’s not fall out.’
And that right there was one of the reasons she’d loved him. His generosity of spirit and open, fun-loving attitude to life. This had been a magical interlude, and she should enjoy every second until she finally said goodbye. With a sudden jolt she realised that after the wedding there was no reason for her to be here any longer. The hollow feeling in her stomach floored her. Instead she let herself be distracted, burying herself in his kiss, and when she finally let go, she held on to him tight. While she could, she would hold him close. She needed to bank a lot of memories.
They both fell asleep and when they woke again it was nearly eight, which was a lot more civilised. Luc took a quick shower, pulled on his jersey boxers and sat on the edge of the bed. There were still drops of water on his shoulders and Hattie gave in to the quick temptation to kiss them away, reflecting how easy and confident she felt with her nudity around Luc.
He turned and smiled at her. ‘Some of us need to go and do some work.’
‘I know,’ she said, ‘but I couldn’t resist.’
‘It’s a problem I frequently encounter.’
She gave him a teasing nudge. ‘Of course you do. You’ll be replacing me in no time.’ It was supposed to be light-hearted banter, to hide her true feelings. ‘I mean, you were sleeping with Marine before me.’ It was supposed to be a light dig but as soon as she said it, she realised she was punishing him. She wished she could take it back.
He sat bolt upright, his back suddenly rigid.
‘I did not sleep with Marine. I’m not like that.’ His eyes flashed with anger. ‘I don’t go from one woman to the next so easily.’
‘Sorry,’ said Hattie, realising that she’d given in to her insecurity and jealousy. Luc hadn’t deserved that comment.
‘She slept in a different bedroom. Why would you assume I slept with her?’
‘She seemed very…’ Hattie squirmed with mortification.
‘She wanted to. She made that clear. But I’m not some dog that eats every plateful put in front of him. I thought you knew that.’
Hattie blushed bright red, realising she’d seriously hurt his feelings. ‘I’m sorry. I… I…’
Luc had retreated, folding his arms across his chest. His blue eyes had darkened and his jawline was taut with tension. She didn’t dare touch him.
‘Luc, I’m sorry.’
‘Sex is about quality, not quantity,’ he said in a flat voice as if he were talking through clenched teeth. ‘And caring that your partner has as good a time as you do. I’m quite choosy about who I go to bed with.’
Hattie wanted to cry. She’d got it so wrong. She huffed out a breath.
