The Unexpected Bride (Montana Born Brides) (16 page)

He inserted another finger and she squirmed against his hand as he thrust into her and moved up and down. She felt a rush of heat and her breath caught in her throat.
He inserted another finger, probing and stretching her. “C’mon, baby, come for me,” he whispered, as his thumb sought her bud, rhythmically stroking. At his steady, sure touch, her insides clenched and spasmed, and she shattered into a thousand tiny pieces, floating down with deliciously weakened limbs in a heated haze of satisfaction.

She lay serenely in Laurent’s arms, while he was relaxed, too, beside her, covering her face with tiny kisses.
He pulled back and looked down at her. “You’re so lovely,” he muttered, brushing her hair from her face.

For a fleeting moment, she felt extreme happiness, and total calm.
This was where she belonged, where she was complete. With Laurent…

Emma stirred, feeling Laurent’s weight and body warmth on her.
She must have fallen asleep. The sensation of his even breathing told her that he still was. She stretched as well as she could, and their lovemaking came flooding back to her in a wave of pleasure. Early morning sunshine was flooding in through the windows, and she moved her head so that she could see Laurent’s face. He was beautiful in repose, with his thick dark hair mussed, and five o’clock shadow on his chin.

Then she remembered again that she would be leaving him in a few days.
The realization hit her like brick with a silent thud in her chest, and her resolve to leave began trickling away. Had she made the wrong decision? She had never really allowed herself to embrace the fact that Laurent found her attractive, because she’d focused on the fact that love wasn’t part of his equation. But the explosive passion between them still pulsed through her mind and her body…

It would be rash to base a change of heart on something as unstable as desire…but nothing had felt so right to her for a very long time as being here, peaceful in Laurent’s arms.
If it could be like this…? She tried to remind herself of the weight of sadness she’d experienced when she’d accepted that he didn’t love her…but, as her dad would say, from little acorns oak trees could grow; surely when passion and affection were present, there was a chance that love might develop?

She stilled her rushing thoughts.
She was letting her natural optimism run away with her, romancing when she needed cold, clear clarity. She’d made mistakes in a relationship before, because of her tendency to wear rose-tinted spectacles.
Get a grip, Emma. Get a grip
!

Her wrestling thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Bobo’s muffled barking. She shifted as much as she could and craned her head.
The dog was outside in the backyard. How had he got out there? She had left him upstairs guarding Jerome, in the toddler’s bedroom. She gently pushed against Laurent’s chest to wake him.

“What--?” Laurent’s eyes fluttered open and he looked at her sleepily.

“Bobo’s got out into the yard.”

Laurent raised himself on one arm, leaned over Emma and peered towards the kitchen. “Damn.
I must have left the door open. I went to check on something in the workshop while you were putting the kids to bed,” he explained at Emma’s puzzled expression. He hauled himself up, and Emma felt an unexpected pang as their bodies separated. “I’ll go and get him in.”

After he’d got off the couch, Emma sat up and rearranged her clothing.
She could smell the scent of Laurent’s lemon cologne, and she blushed as she felt some intimate discomfort and remembered how he’d caressed her there with strong, sure fingers. She leant back against the cushions, eyes closed, and recalled how he’d touched and coaxed her.

“Emma!”
Laurent came running into the den, Bobo galloping behind him. In his hand lay Pierre, Jerome’s rabbit, covered in mud. She leapt up in alarm as he pushed the toy into her hands, turned and charged out to the foyer and thundered up the stairs. She followed him to Jerome’s bedroom.

“He’s not here!”
Laurent turned to her, his eyes wild with alarm. He went to push past her but she grabbed hold of his arm.

“Laurent, hold on a moment.
Let’s not panic—“

“I’m not panicking,” he grated, “I just need to get out there and look for my son.”

“But he may not have left the house. Let’s search every room first.”

“His toy rabbit was lying in the yard, for Christ’s sake!”

Emma looked down at Pierre’s soiled knitted form lying forlornly in her hands. “Bobo could have dragged it out there on his own,” she suggested.

Laurent groaned.
“And Jerome could be halfway across Paradise Valley by now. He could have fallen down a hole, into the river…”

Emma took hold of his hand and clasped it.
He hesitated, then curled his fingers around hers. “Tell me what you need me to do,” she said calmly.

“Search the house and call my dad.
Get him to talk to Harrison Pearce, the county sheriff. I’ll start with the yard and the outbuildings, then I’ll start out across the valley.”

She squeezed his hand once more.
“It’s going to be okay. Think positive.”

He gave her a cross between a grimace and a half-smile, then without warning pulled her to him, burying his face in her hair.
She didn’t resist and felt his lips touch her scalp.

“Tell me again,” he whispered.
“Tell me it’s gonna be okay.”

“It’ll be okay.” She touched his face with her hand.
“It will be.”

Then he bounded down the stairs and, shortly, she heard the back door slam shut behind him.

Evie had woken up and was standing on the landing, tearful and bewildered, with Bobo sitting quietly beside her.

“Come here, darling,” Emma said, bending down and holding her arms outstretched.
The little girl shuffled into them and Emma held her as tight as she possibly could. She felt a cold nose on her hand and a weight on her thigh, and saw that Bobo was standing on his hind legs, wanting to join in. She kept hold of Evie with one arm and welcomed the terrier.
This is all my fault
, she thought, patting his rough furry body.
I caused this. If I hadn’t decided to leave, then Jerome would still be in his bed, safe and sound…

Thankfully, Jerome hadn’t got far.
Laurent had spotted him within minutes, toddling out across Paradise Valley, and had carried the child home, kicking and protesting loudly. “Don’t want Blinda! Wanna see the bear!”

Emma was waiting in the kitchen for them, blankets and hot drinks at the ready, with Evie glued firmly to her side.
“Oh, thank goodness!” she cried, as Laurent came through the door. Evie hurled herself at her father’s legs, and Bobo bounced up and down on his hind legs, barking excitedly. “He was going to see the bear,” Laurent explained, bending down to place his son on his feet on the floor.

Emma scooped Jerome up with a blanket and kissed him on the top of his head.
“You silly sausage! Why were you going to see the bear?”

“Don’t want Blinda, wanna see the bear,” Jerome said crossly.

“Thank heaven he didn’t get too far down the valley.” Laurent rubbed the back of his neck wearily. “I need horsewhipping for leaving the door open.”

“Don’t say that!” Emma said quickly.
She bent her head into Jerome’s. “He went looking for the bear because he’s unhappy that I’m leaving him,” she amended quietly.

Laurent didn’t reply, but just exhaled heavily.

“When Linda and your parents get here, I’d like to talk to you. Privately,” Emma said.

Laurent’s chin lifted slightly as he
recognised the urgency in her voice. “Sure,” he agreed, and gave her a shrewd look. “I’ll just go call Harrison and tell him there’s no missing person report.”

Pascale and Robert arrived soon after, quickly followed by Linda.
The housekeeper capably began preparing breakfast, while Pascale supervised a bath for Jerome and Robert helped Evie to get dressed. Bobo sat looking a little hang-dog in his kitchen basket, as if he was aware that he had partly been the cause of all the rumpus earlier.

Emma brewed fresh coffee and tea, then presented Laurent with a mug of the former.
She and he made their way silently out to his workshop for their conversation, Emma’s cup of tea steaming in the fresh morning air.

Once inside, Laurent pulled out the battered armchair for Emma, then perched on his desk next to her.
Emma nursed her mug of hot tea. Even now, slightly disheveled and unshowered, he looked incredibly sexy, his hair rumpled and a visibly dark growth of beard on his chin.

“So, Emma, what gives?”

“I’m thankful that Jerome is okay but, to be honest, his little…adventure has made me reconsider my decision to leave.”

Laurent leaned back slightly and folded his arms.
“You have? Well, that’s good, I guess. So you’ll be staying on as nanny? We’ll need to contact Wilton’s today to cancel Belinda.”

“We will.
But I won’t be staying on as nanny. I…I’ve decided to accept your proposal of marriage.”

Laurent surveyed her coolly and she felt a little unsteady.
This wasn’t how she’d thought he’d react. “Okay.” he said levelly. “What made you change your mind? Jerome making a break for the border?”

Emma took a deep breath.
He didn’t look exactly thrilled, but then what did she expect after she’d already turned him down? “A number of things really. But especially Jerome going missing.”

“And what about your previous conviction that you needed a marriage based on love?”

“I’ve thought about what you said. There are solid foundations that we can build

on—
a shared love of the children, friendship…a mutual attraction…” She blushed as she said this. “Maybe it’s better to love than to be loved.”

Laurent’s expression warmed and softened.
His arms dropped by his sides momentarily, then he reached out and stroked her cheek in that way that made her insides melt. “That sounds fine to me. Come here.” He pulled her into the warmth of his body and she rested her head against his shoulder. “Welcome home, Emma.”

She smiled to herself as she nestled in his embrace.
Home, sweet home…in the arms of the man she loved. Because he might not yet love her, but now she knew for sure that she had fallen in love with him…