Innocent in His Diamonds (13 page)

She found him at the dining table, showered and dressed in a blue shirt over which he wore a black sweater. She couldn't see the rest of his attire from where she lingered in the doorway, but she knew it would be no less immaculate. His head was bent over his newspaper, a lock of dark golden hair falling over his brow.

The yearning rushed back, fiercer than ever. Ana stood frozen in the doorway as the realisation of how much yearning she seemed to do around Bastien hit home.

He raised his head and speared her with those mesmerising eyes. With a casual flick of his wrist he discarded the paper, rose and approached her.

One hand traced her jaw, caressed it slowly until he captured her nape. Holding her still, he kissed her, deep and long.

Every single thought fled her head.

‘Bonjour,'
he greeted her when he lifted his head. ‘You slept well.' It wasn't a question.

‘Yes.'

He smiled. ‘You must be hungry.' He led her to the table, waited until she'd sat, then offered fruit and poured her a cup of coffee. Slicing open a croissant, he buttered it, added a light spreading of jam—just the way she liked it—and passed it to her.

‘Thank you,' Ana murmured, and took a bite, confusion warring with the flames of desire in her belly. She'd expected Bastien to return to his impassive best now that their night of passion was over. Instead he was being charming, pleasant.

‘The production crew arrive tomorrow,' he said, biting into a halved peach. ‘So today's your last day of leisure. What would you like to do?'

She blinked. ‘Uh, if you don't mind I'd like to take Rebelle out for a ride.'

‘That's one idea.'

His gaze drifted over her, triggering a blush that flooded her whole body. Her hands shook as she lowered her cup to its saucer.

‘What's another?'

He casually reached out and traced her cheek with gentle fingers. ‘I can ask Chantal to prepare a picnic lunch. We could take the boat on the lake this afternoon.'

Surprise followed by pleasure lit through her. ‘Okay, you win. That sounds wonderful.'

His smile widened, causing her heart to hammer wildly.
‘Bien.'
He motioned for her to eat and picked up his paper. ‘I have a few things to attend to this morning. Meet me down at the pier at one.'

‘Okay.' She half cringed at the breathy anticipation in her voice.

He quirked an eyebrow at her. ‘What are your plans for the rest of the morning?'

‘I noticed you have some audio books in your library. You don't mind me borrowing one, do you?' she asked.

A light frown touched his brows. ‘Of course not.'

‘Thanks.' Ana finished her meal and pushed back her chair.

‘Wait.' He stood and walked her to the door.

Her heart dropped. Had she unwittingly given her secret away with her request? ‘Yes...?'

Leaning forward, he dropped another kiss on her lips. ‘Don't forget to dress warmly. The weather might be milder than expected but it can change, especially further north.'

Relief made her smile. ‘Thanks.'

Ana escaped, her confusion rising to colossal proportions. Evidently morning-after etiquette didn't include a post-mortem of the night before. But did it include long, passionate kisses that reminded her of everything they'd done in bed together?

She wanted to ask him what he was playing at, but part of her was afraid that he'd stop. And the way she was going she wasn't above begging for a repeat performance.

The vibration of her phone as she entered the library brought welcome relief from her thoughts. Sliding it out of her pocket, she answered.

‘Oh,
finally
. I've been trying to reach you since last night,' Lauren said.

Knowing why she'd been unreachable, Ana's face flamed. ‘Sorry, my phone was set on vibrate,' she mumbled.

‘I just wanted a quick catch-up. You normally call to discuss every clause in your contract, but this time you didn't. I was wondering why...'

She launched into her signature staccato burst of speech, forcing Ana to concentrate.

At first Ana couldn't believe what she was hearing. Dazed, she gripped the phone tighter, her heart sliding with dread into her stomach. ‘Sorry, Lauren, can you repeat that, please?'

Lauren sighed and launched into another rapid-fire delivery.

By the time Ana ended the phone call she felt as if every single drop of blood had drained from her veins. She clutched the back of an armchair, struggling to breathe as Lauren's words rang through her brain.

Vaguely she heard the door open and close. Heard footsteps draw closer and Bastien's harsh curse.

‘Ana! What's wrong?'

He sounded...
concerned
. But she knew she couldn't be hearing right. Knew it was a lie. How skilfully he'd fooled her!

From feeling faint, now she felt almost supernatural strength surge into her veins. She whirled and faced him.

‘You bastard! You vile, despicable bastard.'

CHAPTER NINE

B
ASTIEN
'
S
FACE
HARDENED
. ‘I'm sure I can prove you wrong on the bastard issue, just as I'm sure you're about to enlighten me on these “vile, despicable” things I'm supposed to have done.'

‘You know exactly what you've done.
More or less
—those were your words! God, how could I have been so stupid!'

Ana couldn't control her shaking or stem the deep well of pain springing up in her heart. She'd trusted him. She'd dropped her guard and given herself to him.

One brow lifted. ‘I'm afraid you're not making any sense. Try again.'

‘My contract!' Why couldn't she hold her voice steady? Why did it have to break now, when she needed to be strong? ‘I trusted you.' She'd felt safe with him, foolishly let herself believe he wouldn't hurt her.

He exhaled slowly, a wash of bleakness blanking his features before he blinked it away. ‘What about your contract?'

‘You said it was “more or less” the same as the other one. Except you lied. It's so much more! Sleeping with me—was that a reward to yourself for successfully tricking me?'

His eyes grew arctic-cold. Stalking to where she stood, he grabbed her arm. ‘You debase yourself with that assumption, Ana, and you debase me,' he breathed in soft, dangerous tones. ‘I've never slept with anyone to secure a business deal.'

‘A way of congratulating yourself for a job well done, then?'

He let go abruptly, as if he couldn't stand to touch her. ‘I'm assuming this is how you feel about your contract. But I'm still in the dark as to how you think I've tricked you,' he incised.

‘You
know
what you've done. My last contract was supposed to finish next month. Instead you've tied me into a contract for another year!'

‘And I'm guessing you have a problem with that?'

‘
No.
I'm flinging insults at you just for the hell of it. Deep down inside, Bastien, I'm actually dancing a jig.'

‘Facetiousness doesn't suit you.'

‘No? Perhaps you'd prefer me to come over there and claw your eyes out?'

Her voice broke again. And, damn it, tears welled in her eyes. They grew faster than she could stop them and spilled over before she could blink them away.

She swiped her cheeks with an angry hand. ‘How
could
you, Bastien?'

‘It's just business,' he replied coolly, but something flitted through his eyes, a slight softening as he traced her tearstained cheek.

‘My
life
isn't just business. My
future
isn't just business!'

His brows clamped together. ‘
Je ne comprends pas.
You read the contract. Why did you sign it if you didn't agree with the terms?'

Her tears spilled faster, her shame closing in on her in a thick cloud of despair. She tried to look away, but Bastien's gaze had locked on hers with unwavering intensity. Her throat clogged with even more tears, her heart sinking as he came closer and grasped her shoulders.

‘Why did you sign the contract, Ana?' he demanded.

She tried desperately to wrench herself out of his hold but he easily restrained her. More tears slid down her cheeks. She swallowed another sob, knowing there was no place to hide. ‘Because I...I didn't want to admit that I...that I can't...'

His grip tightened. ‘That you can't what?'

‘That I can't
read
!'

His eyes widened. His jaw dropped along with his hands.

At any moment Ana knew his astonishment would be replaced with disgust. And she couldn't bear that—couldn't stand to see his revulsion at the realisation that he'd slept with someone who couldn't string two words together on a page.

Brushing past him, she fled the room. That he didn't stop her or even call out to her spoke volumes.

Ana didn't stop until she was outside, gasping in lungfuls of air as if they would stem the tears rolling freely down her face. But sobs continued to surge through her chest, released in agonising sounds that ripped through the morning air. She stumbled into the garden. Bypassing the koi pond, she ran until she found a bench on the far side of the grounds. Sinking down onto it, she dropped her face into her hands.

The secret she'd carried with her for more than half her life was out. Part of her felt relief that she no longer had to carry the heavy burden. But a larger part of her would have given anything to take it back. Because Bastien would never look at her the same way again. A man in his position wouldn't want to associate himself with anyone with her handicap. Who would want an illiterate model representing his world-class diamonds?

Fresh sobs clogged her throat. Defiantly, she swallowed them down. He'd lulled her into a false sense of security by letting her believe everything was above-board. It didn't sit well to acknowledge that part of it was her fault. She'd been so inclined to believe the good in Bastien that she'd dropped her vigilance when it came to her career.

She heard his approach a second before he emerged from behind a rose bush. Tall and powerful, he blocked out the bright sunshine when he stopped in front of her.

She turned away, hoping the curtain of her hair would hide her blotched, tearstained face.

‘Go away, Bastien.' After all that had happened, after trusting him with her body, she just couldn't face him.

He didn't respond. Instead a square, neatly folded handkerchief appeared before her eyes. Mutely, she stared at it, wondered why it made her want to cry all over again.

She snatched it from him with curt thanks, tried to repair as much of the damage as possible and cringed when a hiccup escaped.

He folded his large frame on to the bench next to her and awareness of a different sort scythed through her as his thigh brushed hers. Surreptitiously she eased away.

If he noticed he didn't comment. Neither did he break the silence. It screeched on her nerves until, unable to stand it, she glanced furtively at him.

He was studying his hands, folded between his thighs. Sensing her gaze, his eyes locked with hers.

‘The newspaper and the audio books?' he asked simply.

Face flaming, she nodded.

‘Tell me,' he coaxed gently.

Her lips quivered and she looked away. ‘I'd rather not.'

‘It's nothing to be ashamed of,
ma petite
.' His voice was a low rumble. ‘Dyslexia is a common—'

‘I don't suffer from dyslexia. I can barely read or write because until I took matters into my own hands a year ago I'd never been taught how.' She waited for his revulsion, fresh tears stinging her eyes.

It never came. His eyes remained steady on hers, curiosity the only emotion she glimpsed in the silver depths.

‘Why not?'

She heaved in a breath. ‘At the time of my parents' divorce Lily was still modelling. When my father lost the custody battle he was devastated. He returned to Colombia and she immediately pulled me out of school with the excuse that she was taking me travelling and would hire tutors for me. And she did in the beginning. But she wouldn't pay the tutors and they would leave after a couple of months.

‘I...I let something slip once to my father. She burned all my toys and called me an ungrateful child. After that she didn't bother to hide it from my father. She knew it would deeply upset him. He's a professor and education is his life. He reported her to the authorities a few times. She responded by banning me from seeing him for two years. When she signed me up with a modelling agency she warned me that if I let on about my lack of education I'd never see my father again. I was too scared to risk it so I...I lied to the agency when they asked if I was being tutored. Once I asked her why. She told me I was pretty enough. I didn't need an education.'

Bastien cursed under his breath. ‘You mentioned a year ago. What changed?'

She took a deep breath. ‘That's when I decided to stop modelling. My father was discussing his latest find with me. It was fascinating, and I told him I'd love to volunteer on one of his projects. But even as a volunteer I'd need basic qualifications. I found myself a tutor, and I've been making steady progress, but I get...overwhelmed under pressure.'

He gave a slight shake of his head, his eyes fixed on hers. ‘And my asking you to sign a time-sensitive contract yesterday...' He cursed under his breath.

‘I suppose you're disgusted?'

‘
Mon Dieu
, of course I'm not disgusted,' he said, and the admission was faintly tinged with something else—something that sounded a lot like...admiration.

Ana inwardly shook her head. She was imagining things.

Abruptly, Bastien looked away. His gaze tracked two butterflies chasing each other from flower to flower. Then he reached into his pocket and extracted a sheaf of papers.

Ana's heart lurched as his large hands unfolded the document. She recognised her contract immediately.

‘This agreement is made between Diamonds by Heidecker Incorporated, a subsidiary of the Heidecker Corporation, and Miss Ana Duval of—'

‘Bastien, what are you doing?'

‘I'm doing what I would've done if you'd told me. I'd never violate your trust,
ma petite
. If you don't believe anything else, believe that.'

He carried on reading, his deep, beautiful voice low and hypnotic. Blinking back tears, she listened, her heart trembling as realisation sank in.

Bastien wasn't disgusted. He wasn't scornful that she couldn't read.

He was helping her.

Feelings, deep and inexplicable, flooded through her.

He read on, pausing every now and then to make sure she was paying attention. When he'd finished he glanced at her. ‘You understood all that?'

Biting her lip to keep back the tears that seemed determined to ruin her, she nodded. ‘Yes. You extended it by another year because you're thinking of serialising the ad campaign.'

‘Yes. Would you have signed this contract if you'd known what you know now?'

She hesitated for a split second. ‘No. I want to go and work with my father.'

He nodded. Then, without taking his eyes from hers, he tore the contract in two. Her gasp settled on the air before disintegrating against the sound of continued ripping. He shredded the paper until the sheets were tiny, insubstantial squares. Rolling them into a ball, he stuffed it in his pocket.

‘Why?' she asked around a throat clogged with choking emotion.

His gaze turned sombre. ‘You had no idea what you were signing. I won't take advantage of that.'

Simple words. Such simple words. Yet Ana felt the ground shift beneath her. Felt something cataclysmic rush through her, bringing back that sense of foreboding she'd felt as they drove through the gates of the chateau five days ago. But this time she caught a glimpse of what it meant before the moment was lost again. And she wasn't as frightened. What she
did
feel was an overwhelming need to touch Bastien, to connect with him—somehow convey this inexplicable feeling she couldn't give voice to.

Before she could stop herself she placed her hand on his cheek. ‘If this carries on I'll start to think you're not as hard as you make yourself out to be.' Her voice emerged deeply husky, a result of her tears and the feelings roiling through her.

A small smile lifted one corner of his mouth. ‘Don't fool yourself. I'm still the same.'

Her soft laugh wrapped around them. ‘Maybe, but you're not so scary any more.'

He sobered. ‘I scared you?'

‘For a little while—and only because I didn't really know you well enough.'

‘And you think you know me now?' A hint of wariness laced his tone, but he didn't move away.

‘I'd like to...if you'd let me.' Knowing she was straying into forbidden territory made her shiver. But she forced herself to hold Bastien's gaze even when it hardened slightly.

‘There's nothing to know. I told you: I'm a simple man.'

With deep undercurrents of emotional baggage.
Ana let it go, but she couldn't stop herself from leaning forward to kiss him lightly on the lips. He immediately deepened the kiss, stamping his mastery on the act until they both had to come up for air.

‘Thank you,' she muttered when she could speak.

‘What for?' he breathed against her lips.

‘For listening and for not being repulsed by my inability to read.'

He twisted his head, kissed her palm and folded her hand in his. ‘Being unable to read or write doesn't define who you are. Don't be ashamed of it.' Standing up, he reached for her. ‘We'll discuss your new contract later. I need to make a few calls before we head out for the picnic.'

‘We're still going?' she asked, surprised.

‘Nothing has changed, Ana.'

Her heart lifted, but almost immediately sank again. He might have just shown her that the kind, considerate fifteen-year-old she'd caught a glimpse of still existed somewhere in the adult Bastien. But that was as far as their situation went.

Their one-night agreement still stood. She was still his employee. And he was still giving out ‘Do Not Trespass' signals.

And yet Ana knew
she
had changed. And with that change had come a deep yearning to fight for what she wanted.

And she wanted Bastien.

The truth of the statement hit her like a bolt of lightning.

As she walked beside him through the garden back to the château she couldn't help glancing at him. He wasn't as closed-off as he'd been a few days ago. The tightness around his mouth and eyes had eased, and the impassive look she'd associated with him at the beginning had dissipated. But she'd seen another side of him now. Perhaps, with time, he might even let her in.