Page 94 of The Last Kiss

“What’s on the agenda today? Are the cows all happy?” I ask to fill the gap his inspection has left hanging in the kitchen.

“Fuck the cows, Julianna.” His lips lower to mine while I can sense the burning glance of our audience.

“Well, if that’s what you like to do, I’m not one to judge.”

God, that smile. It curves, luscious pillows of pink temptation. “You’re a wicked temptress, ma petite.”

And he thinks I’m the tempting one—I’ll never get my head around that, will probably spend the rest of my days trying to work it out.

“Exactly, so just kiss me already and make this day start again.” Delicately brushing my mouth over his, I make an erstwhile wish that every day could start with a Henri kiss. I’d happily slip into Groundhog Day if it began with a single kiss from him.

It’s chaste and sweet, even so I sense the avid attention of our audience. “How do you feel?” His words brush my mouth, his eyes still closed.

“Better,” I lie.

Midnight shines over me, hotter than the scorching sun through the open patio doors. The tilt of his head confirms my fib has been caught.

“A day at the beach,” Henri gives a confirming nod, “that’s what you need.”

I break out into a panicked sweat.

“The beach? I didn’t bring any swimwear.”

“You came to the South of France without swimwear?”

Admittedly I feel a little stupid, but I wasn’t anticipating lounging on the beach if I didn’t find him or found that he no longer wanted to see me.

“I wanted to go back into town. It’s so beautiful there and I hardly got a chance to see it.” This is the truth. I want to crawl back over those small, winding streets, absorbing the geranium in the air, the tang of ‘different’ I’ve never really known.

“Oui, and you shall, but today you rest.”

It’s like he knows without knowing and I don’t really know what to do with that. I could just bombshell the truth right now… but then if he doesn’t know, and this is just a caring side of his personality that runs the show, I’d ruin this slice of heaven before it really got going.

Luckily my stomach fills in the gap by growling loudly. The midnight gaze settles on my face. “I haven’t fed you.” That beautiful face clouds with dismay.

“I’m a grown woman. I can fend for myself.”

Sometimes.

That achingly beautiful smile spreads as he lifts his arm from where he’s holding me close and broadly swipes it in the direction of an old range cooker and cream painted cupboards. “Then please don’t let me stand in your way.” His gaze glints. “I haven’t eaten yet either.”

Ah, a challenge. I push up my imaginary sleeves and worm my way out of his grasp. Challenge accepted.

Right. What do I know how to cook?

Henri, with the serene face of a saint in marble, sits down at the big oak table and stretches before reaching for a newspaper sat folded in the middle of the table. Momentarily mesmerised, I wait for him to open it with his newspaper loving ways, but first he shoots off undecipherable French at Odile who looks at me sharply and then gets up from her chair squeezing his shoulder as she passes him by, collecting Simone on the way out of the kitchen door.

“Where are they going?” I narrow my gaze.

He shrugs, bloody Frenchman.

Knowing that’s the best answer I’m likely to get, I turn for the cupboards and rifle through. Hmm… limited skill set… unlimited resources.

Henri’s lips teasing a smile are almost tangible through the air. Eventually I settle on some flour, eggs, and milk. Yes, pancakes. I’ve got distant memories of my mother making them for us on Shrove Tuesday and she’s always just shook the ingredients in. Seems easy enough.

First go is rather cement-like, so while I try to loosen the whisk I’ve got stuck in the mixture, I splurge in more of Henri’s milk which makes the whisk plop free and splash grainy liquid onto my face. There’s a snort from behind me followed by a press of warm lips onto my neck.

“Julianna.” Reaching long arms around me he takes the whisk and the milk from my hands and lays them down on the side before turning me in his caged embrace. His smile when he sees the mess I’m in brightens my entire universe.