Gwenyth’s voice turned wistful. “A beautiful village. Perhaps the loveliest in all of France, which is saying a lot. I’m certain you and Granddad will enjoy spending time together there.”
“I’m certain we will as well. Do you think Sam will enjoy it?”
Gwenyth’s face flushed. She cleared her throat, but her trill tone gave away her racing heart. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
Verlene chuckled. She clucked her tongue in a gesture of mock exasperation. “Sugar, we all know. We have eyes, you do realize.”
Gwenyth frowned into the phone. Her grandmother was obviously referring to Sam’s proprietary behavior toward her at Harry’s campaign dinner. The memory of the way he’d possessively monopolized her presence should have annoyed her. Instead, it caused this ridiculous warm feeling to trickle through her veins. “I do realize.”
A charged silence followed. Finally, Verlene broke it, albeit hesitantly. “What do you plan to do, sugar?”
Gwenyth sighed. “I just don’t know,” she admitted morosely.
“You’ve always loved him, sugar.”
“I know.”
“But?”
Gwenyth audibly blew out a breath. “But I don’t know that he feels the same way about me.”
Verlene snorted rather inelegantly.
“I’m serious, Grandmama.” She tapped the pen impatiently on the notepad. “He’s never come out and said that he feels anything other than just lust for me.”
Verlene was silent for a moment. And then, “have you given away the milk yet, Gwen?”
“Grandmama!” Gwenyth’s cheeks flamed. “I refuse to discuss such an awkward topic with you!”
“Uh huh. You’ve given him the milk.”
Verlene sighed deeply, inducing Gwenyth’s blush to brighten further. “Are you disappointed in me, Grandmama?” she asked quietly.
“Heavens no, Gwenyth Marie! You know I’d be the last person to balk at a little tussle between the sheets.”
“But?”
“But please Gwen, don’t bring home any fatherless calves, hm?”
Gwenyth winced in reaction. She could understand her grandmother’s concern. “I’m on the pill. Don’t worry about that, Grandmama.”
Ten minutes and a lecture on responsible sexual practices later, Gwenyth hung up the phone and lifted the room service menu from the cradle of the desk. Ravenous was the only word to describe the hunger pangs gnawing at her belly. She hadn’t eaten much on the plane, seeing as how airline food had never been high on her list of must-haves.
Gwenyth’s concentration on the room service menu in front of her was broken when a pounding on the hotel room door jarred her attention. Sighing, she rose to open it. The pounding grew louder, causing her blood to all but boil over. Agitated, she called out a couple words of warning. “I’m coming!”
The pounding resumed.
Gwenyth gritted her teeth and stalked toward the door. Halfway there, she came to a sudden halt. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. The pounding wasn’t coming from the front door. It was coming from a connecting door, from the suite next to her own. Curious, and more than a little anxious, she walked apprehensively toward the door that connected the two suites. “Yes?”
“Open up, Cupcake.”
Sam.
Gwenyth’s heart beat accelerated to a degree she found annoying. And damned if those little butterflies didn’t start flickering around in her belly again. What was he doing here? “Sam?”
“Open up!” he bellowed. “Now!”
Gwenyth’s jaw dropped open in shock. Shock soon evolved into annoyance as she glared at him through the closed door. She crossed her arms over her breasts and scowled. “Maybe I don’t want to.”
