Love Story Next Door!: Cinderella on His Doorstep / Mr Right, Next Door! / Soldier on Her Doorstep

He’d decided to give her until ten o’clock. It was five to now. After putting his purchases in the truck bed, he returned to the hotel. Mademoiselle Brusse’s room was on the third floor at the end of the hall. This experience reminded him of musical chairs, a game he’d once played in elementary school. Tonight, however, the adults had decided to make it musical bedrooms minus the accompaniment.

“Dana?” he called to her as he knocked. “It’s Alex. I know you’re using this room, so it would be useless to pretend otherwise.”

“Why would I do that?” came a familiar voice behind him. He swung around in surprise to see her coming toward him in the same clothes she’d had on that morning.

The humidity had brought a flush to her cheeks. Her hair had little golden curls with more spring when she walked. His fingers itched to play with them. She was clutching a carton in her arms. Her eyes questioned his without flickering. “If you wanted to talk to me, why didn’t you phone?”

He sucked in his breath. “Would you have answered?”

“Of course.”

Since he hadn’t tried, he couldn’t accuse her of lying. “Why didn’t you tell me you planned to leave the estate tonight?”

“Didn’t you get my note?” She could play the innocent better than anyone he knew. “I left it by the kitchen sink.”

“I saw it,” he clipped out. “I’m talking about this morning.”

A tiny nerve throbbed at the base of her throat. “If you recall, we were…interrupted.”

“My memory’s perfect,” he murmured, unable to look anywhere except her mouth. She’d started a fire with it at the vineyard. “What about at lunch when you came and went so fast I wasn’t aware of it.”

She averted her eyes. “I didn’t make the decision to stay in town until later in the day.”

He glanced at the carton. “What have you got there? You’re holding it like it’s a newborn baby.”

The color in her cheeks intensified. “Actually it’s something very old and priceless.”

Alex couldn’t imagine. “In that case let’s take it home in my truck where it will be safe and we’ll enjoy that delicious dinner you made. The aroma that filled the kitchen was mouthwatering.”

Her startled gaze flew to his. “Then you haven’t eaten it yet?” She sounded disappointed.

“I ate part of it, but when I realized you’d gone, I put the rest of it in the fridge for us. After the trouble you went to, I didn’t want to eat all of it alone.”

It frustrated him she still wasn’t convinced. When he didn’t seem to be getting anywhere with her, he tried a different tactic. “Why don’t I hold the carton while you gather your things. Tomorrow I’ll drive you back for your car. I have to come in town again anyway on business.”

She bit the underside of her lip, increasing his desire for her. Hopefully it was a sign she was weakening. “All right,” she finally sighed the words, “but please don’t drop it. I couldn’t replace it for a long time.”

That sounded cryptic. At this point he was consumed by curiosity.

“I promise I’ll guard it with my life.”

It could be your life, Alex.

With her heart hammering, Dana handed him the carton. A few minutes later she’d packed everything in her bag and they left the hotel. In truth she hadn’t wanted to stay here at all and had dreaded returning to the sterile room after accomplishing her objective. For him to have shown up tonight thrilled her to her tiniest corpuscle.

When they reached the truck, she lowered her bag behind the cab, then took the carton from him while he opened the doors with the remote. “Let me hold it again until you climb inside.”

Alex could be so sweet. When she was settled, he gave the carton back and carefully shut the door. After they left Angers he flicked her a penetrating glance. “Did you discover anything of interest when you were opening boxes today?”

“Without tools I couldn’t see inside one of them and none are marked. It was very frustrating, but tomorrow’s another day. How’s your orchard going?”

“Thanks to those lunches, I’ve accomplished two more hours of work this week. At this rate I should be finished by the end of the next one.”

The days were going by too fast. Dana was starting to panic. “What’s your next project?”

“To tackle the undergrowth between the château and the winepress building.”

Before long everything on the outside would be done. That left the interior. With his work ethic, he’d have the place ready for tourists in no time.

She felt his eyes travel over her. “What are you thinking about so hard?”

“All the work you’ve been doing without any help.”

“It’s the kind I like.”

Dana admired him more than she could say. “You obviously love the outdoors.”

“I’ve always needed my freedom.”

Oh—she knew that. Alex had already defined the boundaries of their relationship to the month of August. How else had he managed to elude marriage all these years? Deep in thought she didn’t realize they’d entered the estate until she heard the gate clank behind them. He drove around to the side entrance and turned off the engine.

When he got out of the cab and opened her door, he flicked her what looked like a mysterious smile. “I’ve been looking forward to a midnight supper with you. It appears tonight’s the night.”

She’d dreamed of such a night. “Aren’t you tired after slaving out in the heat all day?”

“On the contrary, I feel energized.” On that exciting note he used his remote to let her in the château and turn on lights. While she hurried through the pantry, he followed with her bag and some purchases of his own.

“Where do you think you’re going in such a rush?” He’d taken the pot out of the fridge and placed it on the stove to heat.

“I thought I’d put this away first.”

He eyed the carton. “It’s dark upstairs. You might fall and break whatever it is you’re guarding so jealously.”

Dana couldn’t afford for that to happen. “You’re right.” She put it down on the counter.

“Why don’t you sit on the bench while I wait on you. After slaving over our dinner, you deserve a rest.”

“I’d rather help, but first I need to wash my hands.” She walked to the sink where she saw the note she’d left. When she’d written it, she never dreamed Alex would have come looking for her to bring her back. Her pulse was off the charts.

His actions had to mean something, but she was a fool if she thought he wanted more than a few weeks pleasure with her under his roof. Like this morning when she’d succumbed so easily, she could do it again and that frightened her.

Dana had been the one to ask if she could stay at the château. If anything, she’d been the one to take advantage of Alex, not the other way around. Whatever happened from here on out, she would have to accept the consequences and live with them.

Soon the smell of the meat wafted past her nostrils. When she turned, she noticed he’d already set the table. Along with French bread and the bottle of the wine they’d enjoyed the other night, he’d added an old silver candelabra with new candles.

Once he’d lit them, he turned off the kitchen light, transforming the room into an incredibly intimate setting. His eyes beckoned her to come and sit. The gleam in those dark depths sent a tremor through her body.

She twisted her napkin nervously as he brought the contents of the pot to the table in a wonderful old round bowl with handles. After sitting down opposite her, he ladled a portion for both of them onto their plates. “Bon appetit.”