Three Rich Men: House of Midnight Fantasies / Forced to the Altar / The Millionaire's Pregnant Mistress. Michelle Celmer
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correct.”
The suspicion didn’t subside from her face. “Then I take it you two are getting along well.”
Damn well, and he planned to get to know her better later this evening. “I’m getting used to her being here.”
She propped both hands on her hips and took on her motherly stance. “I know what you’re up to. I see it in your face. You’re going to use that charm of yours to seduce her.”
If he lied, she would know. Glossing over his intentions seemed the best alternative. “What I do is my business. You don’t have to concern yourself.”
“I am concerned, Adrien. She’s a nice woman. You need to be careful, otherwise she’ll be just another one of your casualties.”
Adrien could see that she regretted the comment the moment it left her mouth. “I’m not going to force her to do anything she doesn’t want to do,” he said.
“You don’t have to force her. All you have to do is look at her a certain way and she’ll follow you anywhere you want her to go. She’s vulnerable.”
“She’s tougher than you think.” Tougher than Adrien had first assumed, and he liked that about her. “Now go pack a bag.”
“Anything else?” she asked in an overly sweet voice. “Perhaps draw you a bubble bath, light a few candles after I prepare your dinner?”
“That’s not necessary. We’re only having dinner together.” And that’s all Ella needed to know right now. He did have a few more plans, but he didn’t require candles or warm baths to execute those. He only needed Selene’s trust, and he planned to have it tonight.
Ella released a long-suffering sigh. “Okay. I admit it, I’m looking forward to seeing my brother and my nephews.” She pointed a finger at him. “But I’m only going to stay the weekend.”
“Stay a week, Ella. Or two. You deserve it.”
“But—”
“That’s an order.”
She held up her hands in surrender. “Fine.” She left out the door, letting loose a string of Cajun oaths directed at him.
Now that the plan was in motion, Adrien only had to set the stage, beginning with dinner. And after dinner, he intended to keep Selene occupied for at least an hour, if not longer.
Five
Selene was surprised to find the evening meal set out in the formal dining room, not at the small dinette in the kitchen. But she was even more shocked to see Adrien seated at one end of the rectangular table, wearing a crisp white shirt that matched the tablecloth, his dark hair framing his shadowed jaw in soft waves. His very first appearance at dinner.
When she noticed only one other place setting aside from his, she asked, “Is Ella not joining us?”
“She’s already had her dinner.” He picked up a knife and ran his fingertips along the blunt end of the silver blade. “She’s about to leave.”
Another surprise among several, and one Selene wasn’t certain she welcomed. “Where is she going?”
“Why don’t you ask her?”
“I will.”
Once in the kitchen, Selene found Ella sliding two plastic containers inside the refrigerator, a lone paisley bag set out on the floor not far way. “Going somewhere?”
Ella straightened, closed the door and faced Selene with a smile. “To visit my brother and nephews in Shreveport. I’m about to leave as soon as I finish up here. A car’s waiting to take me to the airport.”
“When did you decide to do this?” Selene heard uneasiness in her voice and tried to temper it when she added, “I don’t remember you mentioning a trip.”
Ella grabbed a dish towel, wiped her hands and then tossed it aside. “That’s because I only decided to go this afternoon.”
“Not a family emergency, I hope.”
“No, dear, just a visit that’s long past coming. I’ll only be gone a week, maybe two.”
A week or two? Selene resisted wringing her hands from a nervousness she couldn’t control. In a matter of moments, she would be in the house with Adrien, completely alone. That created some more cause for concern, although admittedly the thought excited her. “When you return, we need to discuss some of the particulars on the restoration. I have a few ideas I would like to run past you.”
“I look forward to it.” She picked up the bag and gestured toward the refrigerator. “I’ve prepared several meals for you to heat up. Just make sure he eats on occasion. He’s lost too much weight as it is. He’s too thin.”
Granted, Adrien was lean, but Selene wouldn’t exactly describe him as thin. Not in the least. “I’ll try, but I don’t know if I’ll make much headway.”
“All I ask is that you try. The rest is up to him.” Ella patted Selene’s cheek. “Now see me to the door, then you can eat before it gets cold.”
Silently they walked past the dining room where Adrien was still seated, then through the angel rotunda and into the vestibule. At the front door, Ella turned to Selene, concern calling out from her eyes. “Remember what I’ve told you. Stand your ground with Adrien. Don’t let him talk you into anything.”
Selene clasped the hem of her blouse and held it tightly. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not one to do anything I don’t want to do.” Not in this lifetime. Not any longer.
“And you don’t have to worry about Adrien doing you any harm.”
“That’s good to know.” When Ella’s gaze drifted away, Selene’s worry increased. “What is it you’re not telling me, Ella?”
“He is a very persuasive man, skâ. Many a woman could attest to that. But no one knows the real man behind that steel exterior. Take care to protect your heart.”
Selene released a humorless laugh. “Believe me, Ella, falling in love is the last thing on my mind. Let’s just say I’m rather jaded when it comes to that sort of thing.”
“Falling in love isn’t always a terrible thing.” Ella studied Selene a moment longer, looking thoughtful. “But now that I think about it, you could be the one.”
“The one?”
“The one who saves him from his isolation. Saves him from himself, in a manner of speaking. It will take a strong woman, but you could be that woman.”
After a brief hug, Ella walked out the door, leaving Selene to analyze her assertions. She’d never seen herself as being all that tough, at least not in recent years. Yet it had taken a good deal of strength to walk away from the only home she’d known and set out on her own. But was she strong enough to prevent her emotions from overtaking good sense if she did become further involved with Adrien?
He is a very persuasive man…. Many a woman could attest to that ….
All along, Selene had acknowledged she would be only another conquest. Another woman among heaven only knew how many more. But then, if she viewed it logically, he could be her conquest, too. Her ticket to the adventure of a lifetime. For that reason, she intended to explore all the possibilities with him, beginning tonight. She could play it safe and always wonder what she might be missing, or she could gain firsthand knowledge of his skill as a lover. She wanted that firsthand knowledge. She wanted to know what it would be like to have a man pay complete attention to her needs, as she knew he would.
Driven by anticipation and adrenaline, Selene made her way back through the house at a fast clip. She only paused to take a brief look at Grace’s portrait, questioning again if the young woman had been, in fact, the journal’s author. If