The From Paris With Love And Regency Season Of Secrets Ultimate Collection. Кэрол Мортимер

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      Charlotte wondered if the arrangement might be too much given that her grandmother had already said she needed a rest, but the sparkle in the elderly woman’s eyes chased away the worry that her condition was deteriorating and that this trip would prove too much for her.

      ‘Oh, look…the queue at the gift shop has gone. Let’s see what they have.’

      Charlotte was quite happy to linger and look at the souvenirs available. The more time they spent doing things like this, the less time she would have to spend with Nico, alone in their cabin while Gran had a rest.

      You could buy hand-blown crystal glasses and crockery with the Orient Express insignia. There were salt and pepper shakers, travel accessories in blue velvet, photo frames and even jewellery.

      Lady Geraldine chose a specially bound copy of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. And then she ordered Charlotte and Nico to choose a gift for themselves.

      ‘A selection of wine glasses would be a lovely engagement present,’ she suggested.

      ‘You are celebrating an engagement?’ The tall man with a heavy accent who ran the gift boutique sighed happily. ‘I tell everybody that this is the train of love…’

      ‘This trip is the gift, Gran. Remember? We don’t need anything else.’

      But the tall man was putting things on the counter in front of Nico. ‘For your beautiful lady?’ he murmured. ‘A special memory, perhaps?’

      Blue velvet cases were being opened to display pearl necklaces on silver chains that had clasps engraved with the train’s insignia. Silver and gold bangles were similarly engraved. A chain bracelet had tiny silver charms like a train carriage, a conductor’s whistle and a pillbox hat but Nico was picking up another bracelet. He held it up to show Charlotte.

      ‘Do you like this, cara?’

      Tiny silver hearts linked together. A delicate piece of jewellery.

      Romantic.

      Charlotte opened her mouth to tell him that she didn’t wear jewellery but out of the corner of her eye she saw the way her grandmother was pressing a hand to her throat. Holding her breath as she witnessed evidence of the love her granddaughter had finally found?

      ‘It’s…lovely.’ Let him buy it, she told herself. She could reimburse him later.

      Nico not only purchased the bracelet, he insisted on putting it on Charlotte’s wrist. His fingers brushed her skin as he fed the rod of the clasp through the silver circle engraved with the name of the train.

      He smiled at her then. Just the way he had when he’d sat at their table last night. As though she was the only woman in the world for him. As if he was so deeply in love that nothing else mattered.

      She knew he was going to kiss her. The tall man wanted it to happen. Her grandmother wanted it to happen.

      And, God help her, she wanted it to happen.

      It was just a kiss and her lips were ready for it this time, already soft and slightly parted. If she sat down at a piano any time soon again, she would probably find that her fingers were instantly ready for the release of music too. The pleasure to be found. The connections between her fingers and her brain and her heart had unexpectedly been woken up after a very long sleep.

      Like her lips had been?

      Not that it was a passionate kiss, of course. Just a gentle pressure. But the promise was there. And no matter how fiercely Charlotte told herself that she didn’t want this and couldn’t go there, her body was defying her. The shaft of desire was so much more intense after last night. How on earth was she going to cope with the rest of this journey? Where were some new barriers when she needed them?

      At least Nico left her alone to do some more exploring after Lady Geraldine was settled back into her cabin behind a closed door. It gave Charlotte time to try and rebuild her defences. To plan how she could get through the next hours. Maybe one of them could sleep in here, on the seat? At the very least she could choose the top bunk so that she wouldn’t have Nico climbing past inches away from her face. What did he wear in bed? Oh, God…imagine him climbing up wearing nothing but a pair of silk boxers or skin-hugging cotton knit underwear. And even with the highly unlikely possibility that he had a pair of flannelette pyjamas in his bag, she’d still be aware of him sleeping beneath her, wouldn’t she? She would hear his breathing. Feel the warmth of his presence. All night.

      Heavens, it was warm in here. Charlotte adjusted the central heating radiator beneath the window and even opened the top window a little for some fresh air. She was just beginning to feel calmer when Nico returned to the cabin.

      He was carrying a bottle of champagne in a silver ice bucket. Two crystal glasses dangled from his other hand. He leaned against the door with a smile of invitation curling the corners of his mouth.

      What woman would be able to resist?

      Charlotte, that’s who, with her grandmother safely shut away and all the good work of calming herself down undone in an instant.

      It wasn’t hard to glare at Nico as though he was committing an unpardonable sin. ‘What on earth are you thinking?’ she snapped. ‘I hope you’re not planning to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me again.’

       Again?

      Nico shoved the cabin door shut with his foot. The champagne had seemed like a good idea. They were supposed to be celebrating their engagement, weren’t they? They didn’t have to drink the damned stuff. And what was wrong with trying to make this journey as pleasant as possible, anyway?

      What was Charlotte’s problem?

      ‘Take advantage of you?’ He kept his voice quiet but allowed it to cool noticeably. ‘Is that how you see this?’

      Her voice was small. ‘No.’

      At least she had the grace to look embarrassed but it wasn’t good enough.

      ‘On balance, I suspect most people would consider you to be taking advantage of me right about now.’

      ‘You agreed.’ Charlotte had two bright spots of colour on her cheeks and her tone was accusing. ‘This was all your idea—’

      ‘I have gone out of my way to help you,’ Nico interrupted, dumping the ice bucket and glasses on the table by the window, oblivious to the glorious scenery of the Italian Dolomites rushing past in the distance. ‘And it is not because I have any intention of “taking advantage” of you. You are the complete opposite of the type of woman I find attractive.’

      A curious expression changed Charlotte’s features. She looked…hurt? Disappointed? Surely not. The expression was gone as quickly as it had appeared but it took the wind out of Nico’s sails. His anger evaporating, he sank down onto the seat beside her. ‘Do you want to know the real reason?’ he asked.

      ‘Mmm?’ The sound was somewhat strangled but Charlotte was looking at her hands, which were clasped tightly together in her lap.

      ‘You fascinate me,’ Nico said simply. An honest statement, dragged from a deep СКАЧАТЬ