etched deep into her soul. I wished I knew why. I wished I could help.
“Next question,” I said instead.
She looked at the magazine article. “Who writes these questions, honestly?” she asked no one in particular. “Okay, would you rather travel by sailboat or by a cruise ship?”
That was a dumb question. “This time, you answer first,” I told her, topping up her glass. When she looked doubtful at the pour, I grinned. “I thought you wanted to drink on the train, Jenny.”
She rolled her eyes. “Drink, yes. Throw up, no.”
“I’ll hold your hair back, cherie ,” I assured her. “Come on. Sailboat or cruise ship?”
“That one’s easy,” she told me. “When I worked in the mall in Cleveland, I used to have a supervisor.” She shuddered. “Horrible, obnoxious woman. She was always watching me with her beady little eyes, letting me go on break five minutes too late, and wanting me back right away. She used to take one vacation a year on a cruise ship, but she'd never go on the shore excursions.” She grimaced. “The cities were always dirty or smelly or crowded to her. I think I’ll always associate a cruise with her.”
I laughed. “I’ll take you sailing,” I offered. “I learned how to sail in boarding school. We were right next to a lake.”
“Of course you did,” she said dryly, rolling her eyes at me.
Ah, we were back to teasing me about my wealth. “Come here,” I told her, gesturing to the seat next to me.
Chapter 7
Ellie / Jenny:
I moved and sat next to him. A familiar heat settled over my body. For most of my life, sexual desire had been terrifying to me, but with Alexander, I didn’t feel afraid, just wanted. No hidden agendas, no secret plots.
Bullshit , I scolded myself. Of course we both have secrets. I just don’t know what his are.
I had to keep reminding myself I was here only for Dylan. Alexander was starting to become a major distraction. The professional in me rebelled at this deviation from the plan. All I should have cared about was getting to Hanoi.
But underneath the professional was a woman who, against all odds, could still feel arousal and need. That woman wanted this. She wanted to lean against his body and pretend that nothing else existed. I hadn’t known I was weak this way. The night with Alexander in Paris two years ago should have given me a clue, but there had been no one since and some part of me had dismissed that warm summer evening as an aberration. Yet being with him now proved it hadn’t been an aberration at all. No matter who he was, no matter how reprehensible his chosen companions were, I still wanted Alexander.
“A hundred thoughts are churning through your brain,” he said quietly. “Relax, cherie . Read me another question from your book.” His fingers tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. He held a piece of cheese to my lips. “Eat.”
I opened my lips and swallowed the morsel, whimpering in appreciation as the flavours swirled around my tongue.
“Ah, Jenny, you are going to drive me insane.” He took a sip of his wine, his eyes locked onto mine.
I gulped. Desire rose, swift and certain, as I took in the heat in his eyes. But we were on the train and Alexander’s bodyguards were only a compartment away. We were bound to be overheard. Besides, while I wanted him, I also wanted to take advantage of his current mood. He was talking to me and answering my questions and there was so much I wanted to know about him.
The mission is the most important thing, I reminded myself. He could reveal something that could be useful to Lucien.
“Another question?”
He smiled a slow, panty-melting smile. “Doesn’t your magazine have any more?” He gestured to the issue of Cosmopolitan I held between my suddenly nerveless fingers.
I brought my attention to it with difficulty. “What did you want to be when you grew up?”
“A therapist,” he replied. His fingers reached for another of the boxes Elodie had packed
“Next question,” I said instead.
She looked at the magazine article. “Who writes these questions, honestly?” she asked no one in particular. “Okay, would you rather travel by sailboat or by a cruise ship?”
That was a dumb question. “This time, you answer first,” I told her, topping up her glass. When she looked doubtful at the pour, I grinned. “I thought you wanted to drink on the train, Jenny.”
She rolled her eyes. “Drink, yes. Throw up, no.”
“I’ll hold your hair back, cherie ,” I assured her. “Come on. Sailboat or cruise ship?”
“That one’s easy,” she told me. “When I worked in the mall in Cleveland, I used to have a supervisor.” She shuddered. “Horrible, obnoxious woman. She was always watching me with her beady little eyes, letting me go on break five minutes too late, and wanting me back right away. She used to take one vacation a year on a cruise ship, but she'd never go on the shore excursions.” She grimaced. “The cities were always dirty or smelly or crowded to her. I think I’ll always associate a cruise with her.”
I laughed. “I’ll take you sailing,” I offered. “I learned how to sail in boarding school. We were right next to a lake.”
“Of course you did,” she said dryly, rolling her eyes at me.
Ah, we were back to teasing me about my wealth. “Come here,” I told her, gesturing to the seat next to me.
Chapter 7
Ellie / Jenny:
I moved and sat next to him. A familiar heat settled over my body. For most of my life, sexual desire had been terrifying to me, but with Alexander, I didn’t feel afraid, just wanted. No hidden agendas, no secret plots.
Bullshit , I scolded myself. Of course we both have secrets. I just don’t know what his are.
I had to keep reminding myself I was here only for Dylan. Alexander was starting to become a major distraction. The professional in me rebelled at this deviation from the plan. All I should have cared about was getting to Hanoi.
But underneath the professional was a woman who, against all odds, could still feel arousal and need. That woman wanted this. She wanted to lean against his body and pretend that nothing else existed. I hadn’t known I was weak this way. The night with Alexander in Paris two years ago should have given me a clue, but there had been no one since and some part of me had dismissed that warm summer evening as an aberration. Yet being with him now proved it hadn’t been an aberration at all. No matter who he was, no matter how reprehensible his chosen companions were, I still wanted Alexander.
“A hundred thoughts are churning through your brain,” he said quietly. “Relax, cherie . Read me another question from your book.” His fingers tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. He held a piece of cheese to my lips. “Eat.”
I opened my lips and swallowed the morsel, whimpering in appreciation as the flavours swirled around my tongue.
“Ah, Jenny, you are going to drive me insane.” He took a sip of his wine, his eyes locked onto mine.
I gulped. Desire rose, swift and certain, as I took in the heat in his eyes. But we were on the train and Alexander’s bodyguards were only a compartment away. We were bound to be overheard. Besides, while I wanted him, I also wanted to take advantage of his current mood. He was talking to me and answering my questions and there was so much I wanted to know about him.
The mission is the most important thing, I reminded myself. He could reveal something that could be useful to Lucien.
“Another question?”
He smiled a slow, panty-melting smile. “Doesn’t your magazine have any more?” He gestured to the issue of Cosmopolitan I held between my suddenly nerveless fingers.
I brought my attention to it with difficulty. “What did you want to be when you grew up?”
“A therapist,” he replied. His fingers reached for another of the boxes Elodie had packed
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