Accidental Heiress. Nancy Thompson Robards

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СКАЧАТЬ him if it came to light that his daughter had a hand in the prank.

      But shouldn’t a man who had no time for his family feel a little embarrassment? At least he’d have to make time for her—even if it was to reprimand her.

      But Margeaux’s father wasn’t the only one who’d gotten a surprise that day. After Henri had set the snake free in the lobby and Margeaux had sufficiently delighted in the way people had screamed and scattered like handfuls of tossed marbles, Henri had run back to the dark hallway, backed her against the wall and kissed her senseless. She’d never seen it coming. She’d certainly never thought a boy who played by all the rules would ever do something so bold and out of character.

      The unexpected feel of his mouth on hers had sent her reeling. She could remember it as vividly as if it had happened yesterday. Henri had kissed her boldly, ravenously, and she’d kissed him back, in awe at his hunger. It was as if they’d both done it before, though neither of them had.

      Somehow, following instinct, they just knew what to do.

      Over the next three years, instinct would lead them to new, uncharted territory. They’d explored together and discovered just how well they’d fit.

      Their hands.

      Their mouths.

      Their bodies.

      Henri was no longer the shy, hesitant one.

      Margeaux had liked these new paths down which he coaxed her and she’d followed willingly.

      Until finally, they’d reached a dead end.

      Now Margeaux felt anxious. Her nerve endings were like live wires, burning under her skin. She put her fingers to her lips, remembering the feel of that first kiss. More than once when she’d kissed another man, she’d found herself fantasizing that the man was Henri, only to suffer the letdown when she’d opened her eyes to discover the familiar stranger in her arms.

      The memory of that first kiss took her back. Tonight it was as if she were seeing everything for the first time, and it had an unforgettable emotional impact.

      Henri was somewhere on this island, and she had a sudden urge to find him and rediscover some of those paths.

      But the newly discovered rational side of her reminded her that it had been a long time since they’d talked, much less kissed or…He certainly had a life by now. Probably a wife. Maybe even a family.

      She hadn’t kept up with him because it hurt too much. Too much history, too much…too much. She’d been lying low for the past couple of years trying to play the “out of sight, out of mind” game with the press. It had worked. The paparazzi had finally moved on to the newest celebutante train wreck.

      Rehabilitating one’s self was not “sexy news.” Nobody cared that Margeaux Broussard had finally grown up and was making her own way. That she wasn’t stupid—it was dyslexia that had held her back. After that heaven-sent discovery she’d made with Pepper’s help, everything had changed. It was as if the world that had always been blurry and nonsensical had finally snapped into focus.

      She wasn’t stupid. She was sober and productive and some had even deemed her talented. Through photography, she’d finally found her voice and her vision.

      That was what had given her the strength to come home. Finally, she could prove to her disapproving father that she wasn’t the fille sauvage—the wild girl—as he’d written her off. It would take a while, but she was prepared to go the distance.

      “Margeaux, come on!” called Caroline. “Hurry up.”

      The girls waited for her at the entrance to the casino.

      She took one last wistful look at the hallway and glanced around the lobby. She’d come back here and photograph the hotel lobby, she decided as she walked toward her friends. This would be the first of many places and people she intended to get reacquainted with.

      Knowing that Margeaux Broussard was back in town made everything about St. Michel feel different to Henri Lejardin.

      As he and Sydney entered the lobby of the Hotel du St. Michel, he was glad to have hands full of the materials they’d need to do a final edit of the copy for the show catalogue during their working date.

      He’d made a final call to the curator of the Musée d’Orsay, pressuring him about the missing paintings. When the curator couldn’t assure their arrival by Wednesday, Henri decided to cut the pieces from the show.

      It may have been a rash decision, but he’d been impatient all day and wanted closure on this project, so that they could move forward with plans for the opening.

      Knowing that Margeaux was back had only added to his anxiousness. He’d kept thinking he was catching glimpses of her out of the corner of his eye. A mane of long, straight, blond hair here, a flash of long, strong, tanned leg there. But they all proved to be specters.

      Maybe his rush to tie up loose ends with this show was so he could finally call her and get the inevitable out of the way. When it came to Margeaux, he’d always been reckless and impulsive. Obviously, nothing had changed.

      He hadn’t seen her in years, but her presence permeated his being like a spirit.

      He glanced at Sydney, feeling a little guilty for bringing her here tonight, even if it had been her suggestion and she hadn’t budged when he’d recommended other options. If he was fully honest with himself, he hadn’t vetoed her choice of meeting location because he hoped he’d run into Margeaux.

      Tonight.

      The sooner the better.

      So, it almost came as no surprise when he heard a lovely brunette call from the entrance to the casino, “Margeaux, come on! Hurry up.”

      He turned his head, and there she was. Looking like a grownup version of the girl he’d once loved so deeply. A vision in a black evening dress, her blond hair smoothed back into a sophisticated up-do that accentuated her crystal blue eyes.

      She took a few steps toward her friend, and then her gaze snapped to the right as if he’d called her name.

      He hadn’t. Not out loud.

      It had always been like that between them.

      Just as he’d somehow known if he came here tonight, he’d see her.

      After a split second of pure joy, his heart sank. What the hell was she doing at the casino her first night in town when her father was in the hospital?

      Worse yet, why had he known in his heart he’d find her here?

      “Henri? Is that you?” For a moment, Margeaux was frozen in her tracks, but then she found her footing and her legs carried her to him.

      He didn’t even have to say anything. He simply flashed that smile.

      Yes! It is.

      And before either could say a word, they were in each other’s arms.

      The contact was brief but intense and it stole her breath. Even though a lifetime had passed since СКАЧАТЬ