Follow Your Star by Jennifer Bohnet (best romantic novels in english .txt) 📕
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- Author: Jennifer Bohnet
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‘What a mess,’ he sighed. ‘If only he’d tell me what was going on I could help. I’m not without connections. I know people in the right places as they say.’ He shrugged and looked at Nanette helplessly.
‘Mathieu thinks I could help,’ she said slowly.
Jean-Claude was instantly alert.
‘How? Has he asked you to do something?’
‘Zac has – and Mathieu thinks it would be a good idea for me to do it. I think I’ve already decided what I’m going to do, but I wanted to talk to you about it first.’
Quickly she explained about Vacances au Soleil and the job offer that Zac had made her.
As she finished speaking, Jean-Claude reached out for her hand and held it tightly.
‘Nanette, listen to me. I can’t forbid you to work for Zac, but please don’t. I don’t care what Mathieu says about it helping him – he is so wrong to try and involve you.’ He looked at her intently. ‘Promise me you won’t even think about it. I don’t want you in any sort of danger. I’d never forgive myself.’
Shocked by the intensity of his words, and the look in his eyes, Nanette could only whisper, ‘I promise, JC,’ as the waiter arrived with their meal.
The news of Zac’s victory in the British Grand Prix was on the car radio late Sunday afternoon as they returned to Monaco.
‘It is possible he makes champion this year,’ Jean-Claude said thoughtfully. ‘He’s driving really well.’
Nanette nodded.
‘He’ll be on a real high when he gets back on Tuesday,’ she said. ‘Making him accept no for an answer to his proposal will be difficult.’
‘Would you like me to tell him for you?’ Jean-Claude asked.
Nanette smiled at him gratefully.
‘Thanks for the offer but I think it’s something I must do myself.’
As Jean-Claude stopped the car outside the apartment, Nanette leant across and kissed him gently on the cheek.
‘I’ve really enjoyed today, JC. Thank you.’
Jean-Claude looked at her steadily before unexpectedly placing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her towards him. His kiss was gentle and undemanding and a surprised Nanette was totally unprepared for the emotions it unleashed within her.
As they drew apart she stared at him.
‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ Jean-Claude said, eventually releasing her. Wordlessly Nanette got out and closed the car door. Jean-Claude gave her an enigmatic smile before turning the steering wheel and driving away.
Nanette, her thoughts in turmoil, watched as the car disappeared. Had that kiss meant the same to him as it had to her? Or was she over-reacting to a gesture that was maybe just a gesture of loving friendship from an older man?
The following morning Mathieu left on his business trip and Nanette’s day slipped into its normal routine imposed by the twin’s school timetable.
With the memory of Jean-Claude’s kiss fresh in her mind, Nanette felt strangely shy when she took the twins up to his villa for their routine after-school swim. But she needn’t have worried. Jean-Claude, always the perfect gentleman, greeted her and the twins in his normal manner.
It was only when they were alone for a few minutes as the twins dried and dressed themselves, that he took her in his arms and gently kissed her.
‘How are you today, ma chérie?’ he asked. Nanette smiled at him shyly, as her heart skipped a beat at his use of the endearment. She hadn’t imagined it; the kiss had meant something to him as well.
‘Do you have any plans for tomorrow evening?’ he asked. ‘I thought maybe you’d like some company after the twins are in bed,’ he added.
Realizing that Jean-Claude had remembered that tomorrow was the third anniversary of her accident, Nanette nodded.
‘Please.’
‘I have a business meeting early evening but I should be with you by about nine o’clock,’ Jean-Claude said.
‘The twins have a school play rehearsal. I have to collect them at eight-thirty so by the time we’ve walked back that would be perfect.’
‘Good. I think we have things to talk about, ma chérie.’ Jean-Claude said softly.
The streets were quiet as Nanette walked slowly through Monaco to collect the twins the following evening. It would be another half-hour before the rush of people out to enjoy themselves for the evening began to make their way to the restaurants and nightclubs.
The hall where the twins were rehearsing was part of the modern apartment block where Zac had lived years ago and Nanette found her footsteps dragging the nearer she got to the building.
Having deliberately avoided this particular area of Monte Carlo since her return, Nanette couldn’t help thinking how ironic it was that it should be this evening of all evenings that she was once again having to come to this particular building.
Nanette tried to push thoughts of the past out of her mind and concentrate on present-day aspects of her life – the twins, Jean-Claude, particularly Jean-Claude – but as she crossed the road towards the apartment block, images from her past began to merge with the present-day ones.
The lights were on in various apartments, including No.5 where she and Zac had spent so much time together. As Nanette glanced up, a glamorous woman came to the window, drawing the curtains, shutting Nanette and the world out.
Standing in the middle of the small service road that led to the underground garage, Nanette stared up at the window. Three years ago she and Zac were in that apartment getting ready to go out and celebrate her birthday before he left for the next Grand Prix.
She remembered how happy she’d been as they left the apartment. Stepping hand in hand with Zac into the lift to go down to the garage. Walking across to her new car and driving slowly up out of the underground exit, making for the auto route and their dinner reservation in Mougins.
The start of what had been a perfect evening with the man she loved – and whom she’d thought loved her.
An unexpected shiver racked her body and Nanette took several deep breaths trying
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