Read Online No More Lonely Nights by Nicole McGehee - Free Book Online

while. Anyhow, I told my mother I’d quit my job next spring when it was time for us to go to France.”
    Stephen looked startled. “That’s disappointing!” His features settled into a scowl.
    “But you—the British, I mean—are pulling out of the Canal next year, aren’t you?” Dominique looked down, then reached for her glass and twirled it absentmindedly on the tablecloth. Talking about the future with Stephen disturbed her because she knew that after next year, she’d never see him again.
    But Stephen’s next words lifted her spirits. “As you know, there’s some discussion about how quickly and completely we’ll pull out. Nasser, of course, wants us all gone by March. We’d like to keep a small force here for several more years.” He sighed. “We’re negotiating.”
    They were interrupted by the arrival of the waiter with their appetizers, escargots in garlic butter. When he left, it was Stephen who spoke first. “I’ve been wanting to do this for some time.” He gave her a sidelong look.
    Dominique stammered, “I… you never…”
    Stephen shrugged and stabbed an escargot with his fork. “I didn’t want to spoil a good working relationship.” He put his fork down and looked squarely at Dominique. “But I was afraid—with things as they are now—that if I didn’t take the opportunity, I might lose it altogether.”
    Dominique stopped with her fork halfway to her mouth. “I don’t understand. I thought you said there was no cause for alarm yet.” She heard the sound of metal on china before she realized she had dropped her hand to the table.
    Stephen’s smile faded. “That doesn’t mean that my stay here is indefinite. We may not get what we want from President Nasser. Things are changing every day. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be stationed here.”
    Dominique’s stomach flip-flopped. Her fingers released their hold on her fork. It slid from her hand and lay askew on the edge of her plate. “I would think you would be one of the last to go,” she said in a constricted voice.
    Stephen’s jaw tightened. His expression was tense. “I’ll probably be one of the last sent back to England, but there’s trouble all over the Middle East. I may be assigned elsewhere in the region.”
    Dominique looked down at her plate, trying to hide her dismay. Suddenly the sight of the snails swimming in garlic butter made her feel ill. She pushed the dish away and took a sip of wine, trying to cover her distress. She was so happy working with Stephen. Why did things have to change?
    “In any event,” Stephen continued, “we’ve worked together for almost two months and… how shall I say this?”
    Dominique held her breath and lifted her gaze to his. Stephen’s expression relaxed—his eyes flamed with warmth. He drew closer and said, “I wanted to know you better.” He paused. “You are… unique.” Very briefly, he brushed her hand with his index finger, then withdrew. “When I first saw you, I thought, ‘This won’t do at all.’” He gave her a mischievous smile. “I was certain your looks would be a distraction.”
    Dominique regarded him skeptically. For the second time that evening, she mentally compared herself with the two blondes in his life.
    Stephen gave her a questioning glance. “You don’t seem convinced.”
    Dominique said nothing. Solange had indoctrinated her with the notion that she was less than attractive, but Dominique had learned enough about the allure of confidence to hide her insecurity. She didn’t fish for compliments to bolster her ego, because she felt it betrayed weakness. Instead, she met Stephen’s eyes with a challenging look. “Then why did you hire me?”
    “Don’t you remember the state of my desk?”
    They both laughed at the picture his words conjured.
    Then he continued. “When I saw your application, I knew you were smart. But I expected you to be frivolous and… well, like any other debutante. I didn’t expect to be able to