Weddings: The Proposals: The Brooding Frenchman's Proposal / Memo: The Billionaire's Proposal / The Playboy Firefighter's Proposal

It felt so wonderful to be free for a little, but she realized she wanted to be divorced as soon as possible, whatever it took. Though she could lie to herself all she wanted, one truth stood out from all the rest. Meeting Raoul had made her want to speed up the timetable.

Not because she had hopes of any kind of relationship with him. It wasn’t possible because, for one thing, he wasn’t free. Laura didn’t know the specifics, but some woman had a hold on him that had darkened his pysche, blighted his world.

Chantelle had said as much, although she hadn’t used those exact words. Since her brother-in-law definitely didn’t approve of Laura, her warning hadn’t come any too soon. There were times when she felt he despised her. But then there were other times …

The fact that she could respond so strongly to him in a man-woman way in spite of his enmity had taught her there could be a life out there for her. Laura just had to find the right man and she was sure that good men existed. Look at Guy!

There wasn’t a finer husband in the world or one more devoted to his wife. First, however, Laura had to be officially divorced, something she intended would take place as soon as she returned to Manhattan Beach.

Pulling the band off her ponytail, she went into the bathroom to brush her hair and arrange it in a loose knot on top of her head. A fresh application of peach-frost lipstick felt good after working in the sun over the past few days. That much exposure had brought out her California tan, something inevitable because of her life-guarding duties.

A few new lines around her eyes reminded her she wasn’t getting any younger. One day in the near future she wouldn’t have the stamina for that kind of work anymore. Life was passing. She’d be thirty next month. If she didn’t hurry and do something about it, she could miss out on the best part—like a loving husband and a family, a child to call her own. But whenever she thought about the few years left to try to have a baby, she got too emotional. She wouldn’t think about that tonight.

Right now a man who had ambivalent feelings toward her was downstairs where more devastating salvos awaited her. She was ready. She had put on her female armor and was prepared for the next skirmish with the enemy, a man she physically desired to the boiling point. Laura hadn’t been kidding when she’d admitted the truth to Cindy.

It was the farthest thing from love; in order for that to occur you had to like each other first. You had to develop a relationship based on trust and mutual understanding. There had to be respect and unselfishness. Admiration for the other’s accomplishments. Patience for the other’s imperfections. Without those qualities, the most torrid affair would burn up in the oxygen with no ashes to prove anything had ever taken place.

Laura went back into the room. Maybe she’d want a wrap later, but the upstairs was still warm from the day’s heat. She’d rather not be bothered with anything but her tote bag. After locking the adjoining door and the door into the hall, she headed for the stairway. On the way down, she saw a dark-blond guy coming up with a Team America logo on his pullover. He bore a superficial likeness to Ted.

The color in his cheeks plus the glaze filming his eyes indicated he’d been partying for a while. She’d seen that look at the beach too many times to mistake it for anything else. And of course he just had to put his hand against the wall so she couldn’t proceed.

“Hello, hello …” He smiled at her as if he’d just won the lottery. “Am I hallucinating or are you the most beautiful female I ever saw in my life, sweetheart?” He looked her over, not hiding anything he was thinking. She was used to it.

She had two choices. Use a maneuver that would cause him to fall down the stairs, or she could go back to the room until the drunken oaf was no longer in the hall.

Then to her surprise she didn’t have to make either choice because Raoul had come up behind him and put him in an arm lock with a mastery that made her shiver. “Go on down to the foyer, Laura. I’ll join you in a minute.”

Laura didn’t stay to hear any more. The guy was big, but he was no match for Raoul. She’d barely made it to the front desk when he joined her.

“Are you all right?”

She laughed gently, unable to suppress it, now that the irony of the situation had struck her. This was the first time he’d ever shown true concern for her welfare, but he couldn’t know that the only moments she’d felt threatened in Europe had been with him.

By his frown he was waiting impatiently for an explanation.

Her eyes searched his. “If you could have seen the look of fury on his face when you pulled a half nelson on him, you’d understand why I found it so amusing. Thank you.”

He didn’t smile. “How many times a day does this happen to you?”

Not that again—”Dozens! But as you can see, I’ve survived so far.”

“If I didn’t know better,” he said in a thick tone, “I’d think you were hiding out at Guy’s for protection.”

She looked away. Her only purpose for being there was because of Guy’s invitation, not to elude Ted, that had just been an added advantage. But this conversation was getting too close to certain truths. Though she and Guy had an understanding that she would try to help Chantelle open up and face her fear, he wasn’t forcing Laura to stay.

Naturally she could leave anytime she wanted, but then she’d miss out on these infuriating little moments with his brother that thrilled and tantalized her, forcing her to come back for more. Better to let him go on thinking the worst about her. “Can you offer a better place?”

“Let’s eat and we’ll talk about it.”

That sounded vaguely ominous. Maybe he was on an errand for Chantelle and had brought Laura to Alpe d’Huez to tell her she wasn’t wanted at Guy’s. Perhaps Chantelle hoped she’d be gone by tomorrow and had been the one to suggest Raoul bring her to see the Tour de France, making it sound as if it were his idea.

It hurt to think Chantelle might have been the reason behind this whole outing. She’d always loved her and wanted more than anything to help her overcome her problem since the accident.

Was everyone in the Laroche household playing a part, even Guy, who’d known from the beginning this experiment would never work and was in denial? She didn’t include Paul. He was too young and innocent.

When they stepped outside the hotel, she realized night came early to the mountains, yet everywhere she looked people were milling around. Lots of partying was going on. She saw lovers with their arms flung around each other.

It was the kind of summer ambience that brought back a rush of nostalgia for something she couldn’t name. Dreams still not fulfilled? The hope of youth long since past? Whatever it was, she felt an ache made worse because of the aloof male whose very existence filled her body with a painful hunger. Not that she could do anything about those feelings.

She didn’t like Raoul, either. Most of the time he infuriated her. It was very unfortunate that although he resented and insulted her, he was able to ignite her senses at the same time.

He turned his dark head toward her. In jeans and a light-gray Polo shirt, he looked sensational. “What do you feel like?”

In case he thought she expected dinner at a five star restaurant while she sponged off him, she glanced at the café across the street. “Coke and pizza?”

“You can have that anytime.”

“After the crab salad I had for lunch, I’m not that hungry, but we can go wherever you want.”

He gave an unconscious shrug of his broad shoulders. “Pizza’s fine.”

The place was filled with a noisy crowd and people dancing. They had to wait for a bistro table. To converse was almost impossible with the loud music. It wasn’t bad pizza but they served the Pepsi without ice and it tasted awful. All in all she’d made the wrong choice.

When she happened to look at him, his mouth broke into a white smile that transformed him, causing her heart to skip a beat.

“You knew how bad this would be!” She tossed a wadded paper napkin at him. To her amazement he caught it. “I only picked this place bec—”

“Because you were trying to prove you’re someone other than who you are,” he cut her off smoothly.

With a few hurtful words he’d destroyed a golden moment. The demons Chantelle had talked about were too much for Laura. “I’m glad you know me so well. Under the circumstances you won’t mind if I leave you to pay the bill.”

She stood up to get away from him, but he prevented her from leaving. “Where do you think you’re going?” His dark gaze challenged her. “I happen to know you deserve better than this place or the Auberge.”

Laura felt as if she’d suddenly been caught after being pushed off a high castle wall. She simply didn’t understand him. He blew hot and cold so fast she couldn’t keep up with him.

“We haven’t danced since the pool,” he reminded her. “You have to admit it didn’t last long enough.” His thumb caressed her palm, causing her body to go weak. Her heart pounded too hard to be good for her.

“I admit it,” she whispered. When Raoul was like this, Laura couldn’t think why she should be keeping him at a distance. For once she didn’t feel like fighting him. She couldn’t, not when he’d just pulled her into his strong arms. “I haven’t danced for so long, I’ve forgotten how.”

“Then we’ll do what everyone else is doing and simply move in time to the music,” he murmured against her lips.

With their bodies so entwined there was no air between them. His mouth was a temptation she couldn’t resist and didn’t want to. They slowly began savoring each other while they swayed to the music. Their bodies fit perfectly together. She felt as though they were one throbbing entity floating above the world. As the songs changed, so did the intensity of each kiss.

“Raoul,” she gasped softly, from needs that caused her to ache.

“Deny it all you want, but it’s been like this with us from the start,” came his husky response against her neck.

While she clung to him in the middle of the chaos going on around them, she heard some American say, “It looks like those two need a room.”