Falling For Her French Tycoon
No one in the family—including his parents—had had a good or happy marriage, souring Dominic’s taste for the institution. Early on he’d made up his mind to study business and carve out his own future. It had been imperative he get away from the family dynamics to survive. His dreams had gone far beyond being a vintner and he’d left home for Paris under the threat of being disinherited, but he hadn’t cared.
He’d begged his brother to go with him, but Etienne had held back, too unsure to challenge their father and grandfather. Their older sister, Quinette, had already been married off.
Ultimately, Etienne stayed and Dominic had left alone, putting himself through college. After graduation he’d studied investment banking in Paris and, in time, he’d worked for a firm there where he’d made a considerable fortune in investments, coming home only for vacations and various events.
He would have stayed there permanently, but four months ago he’d received a frantic call from his mother that his father was seriously ill with pneumonia and might die. Dominic had intended to return to Vence only temporarily but his grandfather immediately insisted Dominic take over his father’s position as funds manager while the older man was ill.
Still hesitant to remain in Vence, it was Raoul, now vice president in charge of marketing and sales for the Fontesquieu Corporation, who’d been the one to beg Dominic to take the job and not go back to Paris.
The two of them had been best friends growing up, always watching out for one another. Over the years they’d always stayed in touch, Raoul visiting Paris when he could. In the end, Dominic hadn’t been able to refuse Raoul and so had stayed on while his father was recovering.
He was no fool though. Ever since his return, he’d known his grandfather had an ulterior motive in wanting Dominic to take over the management of funds. Because of a bad year of frost and rain two years ago, the vineyards in France had suffered severe financial losses and even their family had been impacted despite their assets in other businesses.
Dominic knew his father and grandfather were plotting for him to marry Corinne Herlot, who’d bring the fabulous Herlot industrial fortune with her. She’d been at several family parties, but he could never be interested and had planned to leave for Paris by the time the harvest was over.
At least that was what he’d intended until today when Nathalie Fournier had appeared. Now there was no way in this world could he leave yet...
Nathalie could hear the sound of jazz outside the swinging doors of what turned out to be the Guinguet bistro. There were people going in and out, enjoying the balmy Friday night air with its hint of fruit from the vineyards. She could well understand the lure this atmosphere had held for her stepsister.
Easing past couples, Nathalie walked inside the crowded establishment filled with small round tables and people slow dancing to the music. In the romantic atmosphere, she realized she hadn’t had a date since breaking up with Guy three months ago.
It had hurt that he wouldn’t want to take on anyone else’s child, whether it was Alain or a child they might adopt after marriage. She couldn’t imagine a childless union, but knew that adoption wasn’t an option for everyone. She’d hoped Guy would be open to it but he couldn’t have made his feelings against it clearer.
She’d learned of her condition at the age of twenty. Nathalie had ovulated only once by then. That was seven years ago. Since that time, she’d ovulated only twice. After what had happened with Guy, her natural worry was that any man she would meet in the future might have reservations about adoption, but she couldn’t think about that now. Nathalie knew it had been the right decision to stop seeing Guy and didn’t regret it.
Her mind kept going over what had happened to Antoinette. Her stepsister had fallen madly in love with a man she’d met in this very bistro. She’d loved him so much she’d had his baby.
Today Nathalie felt certain she’d met her stepsister’s lover inside that tent. One look at him and she’d understood the chemistry. Love at first sight, sweeping Antoinette away. But clearly the fire had been only on her stepsister’s part because he’d disappeared on her.
He couldn’t have known he’d left her pregnant, could he? After meeting him, Nathalie knew he was the kind of man who could have any woman he wanted. Antoinette had likely been a dalliance for a month, then nothing more.
Now that Nathalie had met him, she feared that if he was Alain’s father, he wouldn’t want anything to do with a baby he hadn’t intended to sire. Nathalie was beginning to think this had been a terrible idea and she should leave this whole thing alone. Alain had a surfeit of love from her and his grandmother. That would have to be enough.
“Mademoiselle?”
A man’s voice caused Nathalie to turn around. She’d been admiring some of the paintings of the Fontesquieu chateau and gardens adorning the walls.
“Perhaps you remember me?”
She blinked. “Yes. You were the man handing out applications earlier today.”
“That’s right. When I saw you walk in alone just now, I thought I’d say hello and offer to buy you a drink. My table is right here.”
This was probably how it had happened for Antoinette. Her lover had approached her in exactly the same way. Nathalie had to do some fast thinking. If she accepted the invite, she could at least learn the name of the man who had interviewed her. But she wasn’t attracted to this man and didn’t want him to misunderstand.
“Thank you, but I only came in to look around.”
“You can do that right here.” He pulled out a bistro chair for her so she would sit down. Then he took the other seat. “Have you been in here before?”
“Never.”
“My name is Paul Cortier, by the way.”
“I’m Nathalie Fournier.”
“Eh, bien, Nathalie, please allow me to order you the specialty of the house, although you may not like it. Guinguet is an acquired taste.”
“Guinguet? Like the name of the bistro?”
“C’est exacte.” He signaled for a waiter who took their order. “The word comes from the guinguettes that were popular drinking places on the outskirts of Paris years ago. They served local sour white wine, a tradition this bistro keeps up.”
“Who makes the sour white wine here?”
“The Fontesquieu Vineyards.”
“Of course. Your employer.”
“That’s right. They make enough of it to keep the owner here in business.”
“Even though their grapes are red?”
Paul chuckled. “There are lots of secrets about red grapes I’d be happy to explain to you on another occasion. Perhaps on a tour of the winery itself? I’d be happy to arrange to show you personally.”
She shook her head. “Thank you, but just so you know, I’m not interested in a relationship with anyone, Paul.” It was the truth.
He squinted at her. “At least you’re honest.”
The waiter brought them each a small goblet of pale white wine. After he walked away, Paul lifted his glass. “Try it and let me know what you think.”
Nathalie, who didn’t actually like wine, took a sip, then struggled not to make a face.
Paul laughed. “Somehow I knew that would be your reaction. It’s not for everyone. But since you’ll be helping with the harvest, I thought you’d like a sample. Sort of a christening for you.”
She took another sip to please him. “I may not be hired.”
“Unless you have a police record, I don’t see any problem. Please tell me you don’t.” He was a charming flirt who never gave up.
She chuckled. “Not as far as I know.”
“That’s the best news I’ve had since I handed you an application.”
“I guess I’ll find out Monday morning if I made the cut. My interview didn’t last long since the man saw on the application that I knew nothing about grape picking.”
He cocked his head. “Is that true?”
“Yes, but I think it would be interesting to learn.”
“It’s hard work.”
“Ooh. I’m sure there’s a great deal to learn and endure.” She took one more sip, but knew she could never acquire a taste for it. “Now I hope you don’t mind, but I have to get going. When you spoke to me, I had only come in here to take a look around because one of the people in line told me about this place. It was very nice of you to buy me a drink.” There was no sign of the striking French god who’d interviewed her earlier.
“I’m sorry you have to go. Let me walk you out.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“No problem. I’m leaving too.” He cleared their way through the crowds and walked her to her car, where she got in.
She spoke to him through the open window. “If I’m hired, we’ll probably see each other again.”
“I’m planning on it. Otherwise I’ll ask my boss why you didn’t get the job. He’ll go to Dominic for an explanation.”
“Dominic?”
“Dominic Fontesquieu. He’s one of the family heads who interviewed you earlier today.”
What?
“He rarely does any interviewing, but his brother, Etienne Fontesquieu, director of the vineyard, has been ill. If there was a problem with you, Gregoire will get it straightened out with Etienne so you will be hired. You can trust me on that.”
“Thank you very much, Paul. Bonne nuit.”
CHAPTER TWO
NATHALIE DROVE AWAY with her heart in her throat. Could Alain be the son of Dominic Fontesquieu? A man who came from one of the most prominent, titled families in France?
Had it been an illicit affair on his part that he didn’t want getting back to his family? Had he sworn Antoinette to silence because of his name?
Maybe he’d been married and couldn’t afford a scandal that would make the news. If he were divorced now, it could explain the lack of a wedding ring. Or maybe he didn’t like to wear rings. She wondered if he’d kept his name a secret from Antoinette.
Suffused with more questions than before, Nathalie drove faster than usual, needing answers. Fifteen minutes later, she entered the house and found her mother in the family room watching TV while she worked on some embroidered blocks for a quilt. All was quiet, which meant Alain was asleep.
Nathalie sat down on the couch. “I’m glad you’re still up, Maman, because I’ve got something of vital importance to tell you.”
Her mother took one look at her and turned off the TV.
“Please don’t be upset with me if I tell you something that might make you angry.”
“Why would you say that?”
For the next ten minutes, Nathalie told her about her talk with Claire a month ago and her plan to look for Alain’s father. She explained about her visit to the Fontesquieu vineyard to apply for work, and ended by telling her about today’s discovery.
“This afternoon I found a man I believe could be Alain’s father and learned his name.”
Her mother leaned forward. “Good heavens, Nathalie. What do you mean you think you’ve found him?”
When Nathalie told her what had happened today, her mother jumped to her feet looking startled. “Alain could be a Fontesquieu?”
“Yes. If the man who interviewed me is the one, I can see why Antoinette fell for him. He’s...so incredibly attractive, I can’t believe it.” Nathalie had been mesmerized by him.
“I’ve never heard you talk this way about a man before.”
She drew in a breath. “That’s because I’ve never met one like him in my whole life. It would explain what happened to Antoinette.” She cleared her throat. “On the drive back just now, I decided that if I’m hired on Monday, I’ll work there long enough to find out his marital status. If he’s divorced or single, then I’ll approach him. But if he’s married and has children, then for the sake of his wife and family, I’m not sure how I’ll inform him.”
“Oh, Nathalie.” Her voice shook. “Darling... You’re going to have to be careful without positive proof.”
“There is proof if you compare the two of them, even without a DNA test. The resemblance is uncanny. And there’s something else. Dominic Fontesquieu has the same small birthmark as Alain.”
“I’m afraid that still doesn’t prove paternity.”
“You’re right.”
Her mother seemed anxious.
“Don’t worry, Maman. I promise to talk everything over with you before I make any kind of a move.”
“You honestly believe this Dominic could be the one?”
“In my opinion, yes. Just think—if he knew he had a son and wanted him—how wonderful it would be for Alain to get to know at least one of his parents. He’s such a treasure, I would think any father worth his salt would give anything to claim him.”
“I agree, but I’m afraid to credit any of this because—”
Nathalie got up and hugged her. “Because it would be a dream come true if Alain’s father wanted him and they could be united.”
Her mother nodded. “But darling, it could be a nightmare if there isn’t a good ending to this story.”
“I know, Maman. Not every man would welcome that kind of news. I won’t do anything until we’re in total agreement.”
Dominic was already awake at five Monday morning when his phone rang. He checked the caller ID. Something had to be wrong for his brother to call this early.
“Etienne? Have you taken a turn for the worse?”
“Non, non, but the doctor won’t let me go to work for a few more days. Desolé, Dom.” His voice still sounded an octave lower than normal.
“I’ll be happy to fill in until you’re better and will help Gregoire.”
“Thanks, brother.”
Nothing could have made Dominic happier since he wanted to get to know Mademoiselle Fournier. “Stay in bed and relax. Theo did all the background checks on Friday’s applicants and informed Gregoire. No red flags on anyone.”
Which meant none on Mademoiselle Fournier, whose image refused to leave his mind. She’d never been in trouble. No parking infractions or car accidents, no warrants out for her arrest. He hadn’t really expected anything negative to come up on her but relief had swept through him when he learned she was squeaky clean, even though he still had the feeling she’d come to the vineyard for a hidden reason. He planned to get to the bottom of it.
“That’s good considering we need workers,” Etienne murmured. “This is a bigger harvest than last year, Dieu merci. Such news will make Grand-père happy.”
“I’ll drive to the tent now.”
“Paul will be there to help. Thanks, Dom.”
“Au revoir.”
After hanging up, Dominic quickly showered and shaved. On his way out the door dressed in jeans and a fresh white shirt, he grabbed a plum and a baguette to hold him over until lunch.
Hurrying to the main garage on the property, he picked one of the trucks rigged with gear to help the workers and headed for the tent at the base of the western terroirs. Judging by the temperature outside, it was going to be another hot day, which meant the bulging grapes needed picking now.
Mademoiselle Fournier was in for some hard, menial work. By the end of the harvest he’d discover why she’d really come to the vineyard. With more excitement than he should be feeling, he parked near the tent where Gregoire and Paul were addressing the latest crop of new workers.
Though dressed like the others in rainproof layered clothing and gum shoes to protect themselves from the morning dew, she stood out from everyone else. Her height plus the feminine mold of her body made it impossible for him to look anywhere else.
This morning she’d tied her shimmering hair back at the nape of her neck with a band, revealing high cheekbones and a softly rounded chin. He’d studied the enticing shape of her mouth on Friday and the image had stayed with him all weekend, making him wonder how he’d last until he’d be close to her again.
He parked next to the other two trucks and waited until Gregoire gave final instructions to the workers. One by one they climbed into the truck beds with the aid of ladders. From here they’d be driven to the vineyard needing attention.
At that point Dominic got out of his own truck. He lowered the tailgate and attached his ladder so the last ten workers being ushered by Paul could climb in. He was happy to see the pharmacist among them and watched as Paul said something to her that produced a smile before she climbed in. Paul was a gossip, the last person Dominic wanted around their new worker. He would make sure that ended fast, he thought as he shut the tailgate.
Gregoire waved to Dominic before driving into the vines. Paul followed and Dominic brought up the rear. When they reached the designated terroir, he shut off the motor and walked around to open the tailgate.
After the workers used the ladder to get down, he climbed up and opened the locker. “Before you follow the others, I’m handing out scissors, gloves and knee pads for all of you to use while you work here. For those of you who have done this before, you know the gloves help prevent stains, but it’s your choice whether to wear them or not. I presume you’ve brought water bottles and sunscreen.” Everyone nodded and waited their turn.
“At the end of the day, more trucks will be here to take you back to the tent area.”
In a few minutes they were ready and followed Gregoire and Paul’s groups, lining up and down the rows of grapes to get started. Dominic took a walk along another row, satisfied to see that the trailer had arrived for the collectors who gathered the picked grapes to transport to the winery.
When Paul had to leave to help some of the other workers, Dominic took advantage of the moment to catch Mademoiselle Fournier alone. She was kneeling on the pad and had started cutting grapes. He noticed her gloves stuck in one of the back pockets of her jeans.
“Bonjour, mademoiselle.”
She looked up in surprise, giving him the full view of her light green eyes. The woman’s beauty took his breath away.
“Bonjour, monsieur.”
“You prefer not to use gloves?”
“Maybe I’ll put them on later, but I need to practice without them first to get a feel for the work.”
He was surprised as that’s what he would have advised. Paul had obviously shown her what to do and already she’d put some grapes in the bucket provided.
“Did you apply sunscreen already?”
“I did at the last minute.”
“That’s good. The heat is already building. You don’t want to get a sunburn before the end of your first day. You’ll also likely find you need an over-the-counter painkiller to deal with aches and pains tonight.”
An enticing smile broke out on her lovely face. “I brought some just in case. That’s very kind of you to be concerned.”
“He, Dominic.”
“Salut, Paul.” The other man had come back. Dominic still held her green gaze. “Just remember not to kill yourself off today. You’ll need your strength for tomorrow.”
She smiled. “I appreciate the warning. Merci, monsieur.”
Dominic nodded to Paul, then walked toward the truck in the distance. On his way back to the office, he ate his snacks, but he’d need coffee. To his relief Theo had already made it for both of them.
No sooner had Dominic poured himself a cup and walked into his private office to get busy than Raoul arrived. All the family offices were in the same building.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes, mon vieux. Come on in and shut the door.”
“I was hoping you’d be here.” He’d brought a cup of coffee with him and planted himself on a leather chair opposite Dominic’s desk.
“Anything new at the conference in Saint Tropez?”
Raoul shook his head. “The Provencal vineyards seem to be doing marginally better, but it’s going to take years before every vintner in France recoups losses from two years ago. Dieu merci for the personal investments you’ve helped me make.”
“You’re not worried about money, are you?”
“I might be.”
“That sounded cryptic.”
“Let’s just say I’d like you to go over my accounts and let me know what I’m worth. I might need some of it before long.”
Dominic sat forward. “I’ll look into it before the day is out. But promise me you’re not thinking of doing something drastic.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Like leaving the way I did, maybe?”
He knew his cousin’s marriage had been in shambles from the start, and that both Raoul and his wife carried a deep sorrow from losing their little girl, Celine, who had died at one month from a bad heart. Dominic wondered how much longer the two could keep up pretensions.
“My greatest regret is that I didn’t go to Paris with you years ago. Let’s face it, Dom. You were the only one in the family with the guts to get out before being swallowed alive.”
“But I’m back now.” For how long he didn’t know. It depended on Nathalie Fournier, who’d swept into his life on Friday, bringing a beauty and charm that had put some kind of a spell on him. His desire to get to know her had stoked an unprecedented hunger in him, though his cousin didn’t know that.
Raoul stared hard at him. “Yes, but you’re still free to make your own decisions. Nobody owns you and your life is intact.”
“No one owns you, Raoul.”
“You’re right. I take ownership for my guilt and mistakes with Sabine.”
Dom let out a troubled sigh. “As you can see, the tentacles brought me back temporarily.”
“The day you came home was my salvation.”
“You’re mine, Raoul. Whatever you’re planning, don’t leave.”
“Not yet anyway. I need to know where I stand financially before I do anything.”
“I’ll get busy on it.” Something serious was going on with Raoul.
“Thanks. Now enough about me. I hear Etienne is still sick.”
“He’s finally getting better. I’m filling in for him a while longer, but something odd has come up I want to talk to you about.”
“Go ahead.”
Dominic told him everything, but didn’t reveal the strength of his attraction to the pharmacist. “Am I being paranoid that she’s up to something questionable?”
Raoul studied him for a minute. “Being an undercover freelance reporter is a big stretch from being a pharmacist. But I’d trust your instincts as they’re rarely wrong. If you feel something isn’t right, then it isn’t. What’s your plan?”
“I’m going to get to know her.”
“After a few days you’ll know if she’s out for a scoop on the business. It has happened before. Grand-père forced the perpetrators to pay stiff fines and do jail time.”
“That’s our grandfather.” Dominic didn’t want her to have to face that type of punishment for trespassing. If that was what she was doing.
Just then, Raoul received a text. After reading it, he looked up. “I’ve got to get over to my office.”
“I’ll call you tonight.”
“What would I do without you in my corner?”
On that note, he dashed off.
Dominic sat back, pondering his cousin’s counsel to follow his instincts about Miss Fournier. He planned to find out what made her tick.
After pulling all the information on Raoul’s investments, he did some figures and prepared a form to give his cousin. By afternoon he’d finished his work, so he drove his car back out to the terroir. Dominic made sure he’d shown up early enough to catch sight of the woman who was constantly on his mind.
Paul and Gregoire kept moving up and down the rows to help the workers. At 4:30 p.m. he saw her and several others leave the vineyard, though she walked down the road rather than climb into one of the trucks.
Dominic called to her as he pulled his car alongside her on the road. “Mademoiselle Fournier?”