Love Story Next Door!: Cinderella on His Doorstep / Mr Right, Next Door! / Soldier on Her Doorstep

“I’ll get it fixed tomorrow.” When he started to get up she asked, “Would you like the light to find the spare?”

“Thank you, but I don’t need it.”

He opened the car door to trip the trunk latch. Except for her sleeping bag, there was nothing else inside. That made it easy to retrieve the smaller tire and put it on. After he’d tightened the lug nuts, he lowered the car and put the flat in the trunk with the tools.

She walked toward him and handed him the flashlight. “You did that so fast I can’t believe it.”

“All it takes is practice. Over the years I’ve gotten a lot of it driving trucks out in areas where you have to do the repairs yourself or walk fifty miles.”

“Thank you for coming to my rescue, even if you pretend it was nothing.”

“It was my pleasure.” Unable to help himself, he briefly kissed those lips that had been tantalizing him. They were soft and sweet beneath his. He wanted so much more, but not out here on the road in view of any passerby. “Now let’s get back to the château. I’ll follow you.”

He helped her inside the car, then he jumped in the truck. She made a U-turn and headed for Rablay-Sur-Layon only a short distance off. Once they’d turned onto the private road, he pressed the remote so they could drive through the gate.

The noise it made clanking shut was the most satisfying sound he’d heard in a long time. It signaled that they’d left the world behind. For the rest of the night it was just the two of them.

Chapter Five (#ulink_28e1c754-ecc6-5b8e-95ac-addb9cad574d)

ALEX’S unexpected kiss had done a good job of melting her insides. She’d been wanting it to happen, but he’d caught her off guard out there on the road where other people could see them. To make things even more frustrating, he’d ended it too soon for her to respond the way she ached to do.

Dana had almost suffered a heart attack when she’d seen him walk toward her car dressed in a charcoal shirt and gray trousers. His rugged male beauty electrified her senses.

By the time he parked next to her in front of the château, she was feeling feverish with longings she couldn’t seem to control. If she didn’t get a grip, he’d be convinced he was dealing with a schoolgirl instead of a mature woman.

As she started to get out, he opened the back door and reached for her suitcase.

Being on her own so much, she had to concede it was wonderful to be waited on and taken care of. When she looked back on the dilemma she’d been in before he’d phoned her, a shudder rocked her body. He’d spoken the truth. She wouldn’t have been safe inside the car or walking back to the château alone.

Alex used his remote to open the front door. Once they were inside he put down her suitcase and turned on the lights. She felt his dark-eyed gaze rest on her. “Food before anything else, I think.”

“I like the way you think.”

By tacit agreement she followed him through the foyer past the staircase to a hallway leading to the west wing. He turned on another light. Dana hadn’t been in this part of the château before. They passed a set of double doors.

“May I see inside?”

“Of course.” Alex opened them for her. “This is a drawing room that opens into the grand dining room. As you can see, boards have been nailed over the broken windows. When they’re repaired, they’ll look out on the front courtyard.”

The beauty of the interior caused her to cross her arms over her chest and rub her hands against them in reaction. “I’ve never seen anything so lovely. The ornate walls and ceilings make me feel like I’m in a palace. After this, you wonder how your mother adapted to life in a normal house.”

“I’m sure my father did his share of worrying about it, but they had a good marriage which hopefully made up for a lot of things.” Just then he sounded far away.

“Believe it or not, my parents had a solid marriage, too, albeit an unorthodox one. Mom had to make most of the concessions, but she must have wanted to, otherwise she would have left him because he’s quite impossible.”

Dana followed his low chuckle back out to the hall and down to a turn that opened up to the kitchen.

“How incredible!” It was massive with a vaulted ceiling and an open hearth fireplace that took up one wall. Modern appliances had been mixed in with the ancient. A long rectory-type table with benches sat in the middle of the room. She estimated sixteen people could be seated there comfortably.

“Through that far door on the right are the steps leading down to the wine cellar. The door at the other end of the kitchen leads to a pantry and an outside door. Another leads to a bathroom.”

“You’ve reminded me I need to wash my hands after ineptly handling that jack. Excuse me for a moment.”

She darted through the pantry stocked with supplies. A new washer and dryer had been installed in there. The pantry was big enough to be a master bedroom. Beyond it she found the bathroom Alex had upgraded. It wasn’t quite as large as the one upstairs, but it had every accoutrement.

The tiles covering the walls and ceiling were the same as the ones lining the counters in the kitchen. Each was an original and had been hand-painted on a cream background to depict grapes, apples, pears, all the fruits probably grown on the estate.

Continually charmed by everything she saw, Dana was in a daze when she returned to the kitchen. She’d been gone so long, Alex had already put their meal on the table. He was standing next to one end with a bottle of wine in his hand.

“Sorry I got detained, but the tiles were so adorable I had to study them.”

“Now that I’m getting to know you better, I find that entirely understandable. Sit down and I’ll serve you.” As she took her place, he uncorked it and poured the pale gold liquid into their glasses.

Their eyes met. “Is this a special wine?”

“It is now.” His deep voice sounded more like a purr. He sat down opposite her and lifted his glass. “To us. May our unexpected month together hold many more pleasant surprises.”

He’d just laid down the ground rules. She wasn’t to read more into that kiss than he’d intended. After the month was over, this season of enchantment would come to an end. She smiled through her distress at the thought and clinked her glass against his. “To you, monsieur. May you outlive any regrets for your magnanimity.”

With her emotions in turmoil, she forgot and drank her wine like it was water. Too late she realized her mistake and tried to recover without him noticing, but it wasn’t possible considering she was choking. His dark brown eyes smiled while he munched on a croissant. “When you’re able to speak again, tell me how you find your wine.”

Embarrassed, Dana cleared her throat. “It’s sweet like the one we had the other night, but it’s not the same domaine, is it? This time I tasted honey.”

“That’s very discerning of you. When you seemed to enjoy the one we had at the Hermitage, I bought this bottle for you to try. It’s another Layon wine called Chaume from the Domaine des Forges. I’m told it’s the sweetest of all.”

She got this fluttery feeling in her chest. Anxious not to appear disturbed by him, she bit into the quiche he’d warmed for them. It wasn’t just his words, but the way he said them. Here she’d promised herself not to get carried away, but being alone with him like this caused her to think many forbidden thoughts.

“You were very thoughtful to do that. Now that I’ve sampled both, it makes me wonder what the Belles Fleurs wine tasted like.”

“We’ll never know…” His voice trailed. “Every bottle has disappeared from the wine cellar. I suppose there are a few connoisseurs who bought them up. They might still have them stored in their wine cellars for a special occasion. Good dessert wines can last for decades.”

“It seems so sad there’s no more wine being made from the grapes grown on your property.”

He stared at her, deep in concentration. “I’m afraid I’m not a vintner. It’s a whole other world that requires the best oenologist you can hire. A wine expert doesn’t come cheap, nor a vintner and crew.”

“What do you suppose happened to the records kept by the vintners of this estate?”

“I have no idea. Possibly they’re hiding in one of the tons of boxes holding the contents of the library. You haven’t seen that room yet. It’s in the right wing next to the music room.”

After she finished off her quiche, she asked, “Are the books upstairs with the furniture?”

“They’re in one of the third floor turret rounds.”

She peeled an orange and ate several sections as she digested what he’d told her. “Alex—aren’t you curious about them? About the history of this place?”

He ate some cheese before swallowing the rest of his wine. “Not particularly.”

“Why?” When he didn’t immediately answer her, she felt terrible. It was clear he didn’t want to talk about his family’s past. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. It’s none of my business.”