Read Online Hot Basque: A French Summer Novel 2 by Laurette Long - Free Book Online Page A

scent perfuming the room.
    She turned to the door, hearing a creak.
    ‘No, Titus, no...’
    A doleful canine face looked back at her through the crack. She wagged a finger at the old Lab who gave a plaintive whine and began to shuffle out backwards, in slow motion, rump swaying, head down, ears brushing the floor. With perfect timing he paused at the last minute and rolled one hopeful eye upwards.
    Caroline had to laugh.
    ‘You’re a ham, Titus, that’s what you are, a ham. Should have been on the stage with that tragic doggy face.’
    Titus’s expression brightened, he raised his head hopefully, gave a small woof.
    ‘Alright then, come with me. But just one treat, do you hear? One. Otherwise Auntie M is going to tell me off.’
    She checked the letterbox as she walked through the hallway into the kitchen. Nothing yet. Several cards had arrived in the last couple of days. But there was one conspicuous absentee.
    Nothing from Annabel, not even a phone call.
    She pulled out her mobile, but there was no reply to the text she had sent her sister earlier that day. She gave Titus his doggie treat, then let him out on to the terrace where he found a patch of sunlight and collapsed in a heap. As she headed upstairs to change she wondered if Edward had heard anything from Julian. A feeling of anxiety was starting in the pit of her stomach. It wasn’t helped by the sight of the pile of books sitting on her bedside table. Half a dozen learned tomes on linguistic theory, all radiating an air of reproach.
    Exams started Monday. That was the day after tomorrow the last time she checked. She did some deep breathing, staring out of the window at the rose garden. In, out. Think positive MacDonald. Sometimes a break was good, wasn’t that what her friend and fellow-student Geraldine had said as they each headed off for their last weekend of freedom?
     
    ***
     
    Edward arrived late. The traffic had been mad. They had only a few minutes together while he got changed.
    She asked him if he had any news from Julian as he pulled on his trousers and she helped button his shirt.
    ‘Not since last week. I’ve been rushed off my feet. I should have phoned but there was only one person filling my thoughts. Sweet Caroline my petite chérie . God, I’ve missed you like mad.’
    ‘Edward, no, keep still, look at the time, your parents will be arriving any minute, stop that...’
    He was nuzzling her neck, licking her ear, the knot in her stomach was turning to something else. Lust.
    ‘You’re going to crease my dress, I only ironed it this morning–’
    ‘Aha! What have we here?’
    Somehow he’d managed to slide one hand underneath her skirt and was exploring her latest acquisition, an absolutely irresistible object called an itsy chikini that had arrived in the post three days ago and that she’d wasted an hour modelling in front of the mirror when she should have been studying multilingualism.
    ‘Edward...I can hear a car!’
    He reluctantly withdrew his hand and kissed the tip of her nose. She had a perfect, slightly up-tilted nose. Her face was flushed, dark eyes huge and languorous under those long lashes and those winged brows. God, she was beautiful and sexy. He wanted to rip her clothes off throw her on the bed and make love to her for a thousand and one nights. And days. He groaned.
    The weekend was going to be short. And hectic. Margaret’s birthday lunch today. Flight back to Toulouse tomorrow. Caroline’s exams Monday.
    And this afternoon...this afternoon he had something very special in mind.
    With a sigh he let her go.
    ‘So, MacDonald, this is the way it’s going to be now, after only one year? ‘You’re creasing my dress, we don’t have time and oh, is that a migraine coming on?’’
    He pounced on her again, pulled her close.
    ‘You do realise it’s a whole week since I’ve seen you?’
    ‘I know. And I’ve missed you too.’
    Somehow Caroline found herself pulling Edward’s shirt out of his trousers and