The door to the next room down the hallway was open, and when she glanced in, she found Drew. He sat facing her, but all his attention was on the computer screen sitting on the dark wood desk. He’d taken off his jacket, and the top two buttons of his snowy long-sleeved shirt were undone, revealing the strong column of his throat. His dark hair was rumpled, as if he’d run his fingers through it several times.
His expression was intense as his fingers flew over the keys, and he wore a pair of dark-rimmed reading glasses. Seeing that small vulnerability, a lack of perfect eyesight, touched her heart. He was concentrating so hard that she hated to interrupt him.
But if she didn’t, no telling how long he’d continue to work. He looked completely engrossed. As she stood in the doorway, she spoke his name softly, not wanting to startle him.
His head came up immediately and he blinked. “Oh, Melanie. Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
“I was being quiet.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Not at all. The room’s beautiful and the bathroom’s to die for. But I’d like to call home before I take a shower and conk out. Someone needs to know I’m not staying at the place I gave them the number for.” She decided not to mention that she planned to call Astrid, in case he thought she was checking up on him, which she was. “Could I please borrow your phone again?”
“You bet. Come on in.” Standing, he picked the phone up from where it lay next to his computer, but it chimed before he could hand it to her. “Hang on.” He checked the readout. “That can wait. That old boy can leave a message.”
“But I don’t want to interfere with your—”
“You’re not.” He smiled and gave her the phone. “Sometimes it’s better to leave ’em hangin’ for a while.”
The warmth of his smile took her breath away. It also took care of any weariness she’d been feeling. Earlier he’d mentioned plans to go to the Louvre, but he’d interrupted that when he’d come to her rescue. She wanted to go now, with him. He probably knew the place inside and out.
Then again, he might not be free to traipse off with her. Come to think of it, she’d bought a ticket in advance for the Louvre, and it was gone, along with everything else in her backpack. She didn’t have money for a new ticket, even if she could get one.
But she was in Paris. Who took a nap when they could be exploring a city they’d wanted to visit forever? And how fabulous if they could have a guide who looked like Drew Eldridge?
He gazed at her. “You must really be looking forward to calling home.”
“Why?”
“Your eyes got all sparkly just now.”
“I wasn’t thinking about that.”
“Oh?”
She couldn’t very well admit that he’d been responsible for a good part of that sparkle. “It just hit me. I’m in Paris. To heck with sleep. If my money’s arrived at Western union , I’d love to go to the Louvre, although I’m not sure if I could get a ticket this late in the day. Even if the money’s not there yet, I could walk along the Seine, and through the Tuileries Garden, and . . .” Then she remembered that she’d interrupted his work. “But I don’t expect you to go. You helped me this morning instead, so you probably have work to do this afternoon. I’ll be fine on my own.”
“I’m sure you would be fine and dandy.”
And that statement was the biggest gift he could have given her. A lesser man would have reminded her that on her own she’d managed to get mugged. But the thing was, and this almost made her laugh, she had nothing left to lose. She wouldn’t be a target because she wouldn’t be carrying anything of value, except maybe a little bit of money if Western union came through.
He continued to study her. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather take a nice long nap?”
“I thought I would, but now I’m excited again. Sleeping in the car was probably like a power nap. Now I want to get out there and make the most of my time here. Besides, all the guidebooks tell you to stay up until bedtime to get over jet lag.”
He nodded. “That’s a fact. It helps if you can, but not everybody’s built that way. How about lettin’ me come along? I didn’t get my art fix today.”
“You can spare the time?”
“I won’t promise not to take any phone calls, but if you can put up with that, I can spare the time.”
“Then I’d love to have you come.” She was secretly relieved that he’d invited himself along. Although she’d sounded brave and self-sufficient, her recent experience had made her a little nervous about setting off on her own. “But please know that I intend to pay my own way. If the money hasn’t arrived, I’ll gratefully accept a temporary loan, and I’ll be reimbursing you the minute I get some money.”
He started to say something, but stopped and cleared his throat. “All right.”
She’d bet anything he’d wanted to tell her to forget paying him back. But he’d recognized that she had her pride and needed to stand on her own feet, financially. Swallowing his argument was the second biggest gift he could give her.
“Take the phone up to your room so y’all can have a private conversation. You can bring it back down after you’ve showered and changed.”
She hesitated, torn between making off with his phone when he probably needed to have it, and thinking of the info she could share with Astrid if he was out of earshot. “All right. I won’t be long.” Turning, she hurried down the hall.
“Take the elevator,” he called after her.
“I like the stairs,” she hollered back. Then she wondered if hollering was appropriate in a house with museum-quality furnishings and live-in servants. Oh, well. She was a gym-shoe-wearing Texas girl, not a sophisticated French woman. So far, Drew hadn’t seemed to mind.
The minute she got to her bedroom, she closed the door. Then she dialed Astrid’s number and walked over to the window that looked out on a quaint residential street lined with buildings much like this one. Window boxes filled with flowers brightened the view, and a man wearing a beret rode past on a bicycle. Yes, she had to get out there. Paris was waiting.
Astrid answered on the third ring, but she sounded suspicious. That’s when Melanie remembered that the readout would seem really strange to Astrid, like a voice from the past, maybe, because this was Drew’s phone, not hers.
“Astrid, it’s me! I’m in Paris but I lost my phone, so I’m borrowing Drew Eldridge’s.”
Astrid was silent for a beat. “Are we talking about Drew Eldridge, of the Dallas Eldridge family?”
“I hope so, because that’s what he told me. He said you two were at camp together and he stopped your runaway horse. Did he?”
“Oh my God. Yes, he did, but how in hell did you hook up with him in Paris, of all places?”
“It’s a long story, but I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Panic edged Astrid’s voice. “Why are you reassuring me? Did something happen?”
“I was mugged.”
“Oh my God! Oh, Melanie, no.”
“But Drew came to my rescue.” Melanie explained what had happened. “So I’m staying in his townhouse, at least until I get my new credit card, but if you have any reservations about me doing that, then—”
“Absolutely not. He’s terrific. At least he was when I knew him, and from what I hear from my parents, he continues to do good deeds. He’s big into charity events.”
“I’m not surprised, after the way he’s insisted on helping me out.” She didn’t like to think of herself as a charity, though, so she’d have to move on when she had the means to do so.
“He’s a good guy. I hate that this happened, but it sounds like you came out in pretty good shape.”
“I did. His townhouse is amazing. I wish I had my phone so I could send you pictures.”
“What about him? He was pretty cute as a teenager, but I haven’t seen him since then. Is he handsome? So-so? The Hunchback of Notre Dame?”
Melanie laughed. “He’s gorgeous. Tall, dark hair, and the bluest eyes. When he’s on his computer, he wears these dark-framed glasses that make him look all serious and scholarly.”
“Well, now. Sounds as if you have a crush going on.”
“Nah. It’s like drooling over movie stars. We’re from different worlds.”
“I’m not so sure about that. You and I are friends, and I’m from that world.”
“That’s different. We were sorority pledges together. We went through Hell Week. I’ve seen you at your worst.”
Astrid laughed. “That’s the truth.”
“Drew’s just being nice. He saw a fellow Texan in need.”
“Maybe, but you still don’t know that he’s not interested in you. Why are you writing him off as a lost cause?”
“Astrid, you haven’t seen him, or this place. My daddy is a cowboy, and my mama is a cowgirl, and my two brothers are both cowboys. We all know I’ll end up with a cowboy eventually. You might end up with a billionaire because you move in those circles, but I’ll be perfectly happy with some broad-shouldered rancher.”
“You haven’t been happy with one so far.”
“Jeff’s a bad example.”
“Before Jeff was Pete, and before that was Jeremy. I know you think a cowboy’s in your future, but I question that.”
“I just haven’t found the right one.”
“If you say so, toots. Like you said, you’re there and I’m not. But it sounds like a great setup for a romantic interlude.”
“Uh, no. But you’re welcome to your fantasies.” Melanie glanced at an ornate clock on the bedside table. “I need to get going. He’s offered to take me to see the sights this afternoon.”
“Uh-huh. Like I said, don’t discount the possibility that he likes you.”
“Okay, I won’t.” The thought that Drew might think of her as something more than a goodwill project sent squiggles of excitement through her stomach.
“Have fun.”
“I will. I’m in Paris!” She disconnected, set the phone on the nightstand, and started stripping down for her shower. But as she stepped into the elegant bathroom, reality intruded.
She might have stumbled into this fantasy world where Drew lived, but it was only a tiny blip in her life. When it came to men, Astrid might feel comfortable with guys like Drew. But Melanie had more in common with a cowboy of modest means, someone like her father.
Drew was kind, as evidenced by his interest in charitable causes. He might even want to think of her as a charitable cause, but she wouldn’t allow him to. Maybe she couldn’t pay him for the water and electricity she used while she was here, because she had no way of tracking what she owed. But whenever a receipt was involved, she would grab it and keep a running total. He’d never miss the amount if she didn’t reimburse him, but she’d never taken advantage of a generous person, and she didn’t intend to start now.
Four
Drew usually had an exceptional ability to focus. That ability had been recognized early by his tutors and had played a huge part in his financial success. But knowing that Melanie would be coming downstairs shortly so they could spend the afternoon together had blown his fabled concentration all to hell.
He could explain his fascination with her, but that didn’t mean he could eliminate it. She was so unusual to him because she clearly had no interest in cashing in on his wealth. She didn’t view him as a human ATM ready to spew cash and grant her every wish.
Instead she had the habit, both endearing and maddening, of wanting to balance the scales. He didn’t want to balance them. She was adorable, and he longed to shower her with anything she desired. Ironically, she didn’t desire a single thing from him.
If she’d had the resources, she would have left by now. Once her new credit card arrived, she would be able to leave. He didn’t want that, either.
It was a frustrating scenario. Any hotel in her price range would be inferior to having her stay here for the rest of her visit to Paris. She’d have to sacrifice location to get a reasonable rate, which would make it impossible for her to see the sights she’d come to Paris to enjoy. If she insisted on moving into a hotel, he’d want to check it out and see if it was decent. She might not let him. He was used to being in the power position, and with her he wasn’t.
But his lack of control over her living quarters wasn’t the only thing that had him pacing the floor of his office. As he’d told her, he admired her gumption. And that admiration was firing up his already hot physical reaction to her.
But he didn’t know what to do about that, either. God knows he didn’t want her to think that because he’d offered her a place to stay he expected sex in return. Some men in his position might work that angle and feel justified in doing it, but he recoiled at the idea.
So what was he supposed to do about his attraction to her? Any move on his part might be misinterpreted. He didn’t think she’d humor him out of gratitude, but the possibility was there and it made him wince.
This was why his friends had always told him to stick with women who had money, either because they’d made it or inherited it. That would even the playing field, they’d said. But he’d reached a financial pinnacle that few women had gained, and many of those who had were old enough to be his mother or his grandmother.
And frankly, the women he’d dated who were “acceptable” lacked the very quality he cherished in Melanie—a sense of wonder. When you had the resources to see and do whatever you wanted, keeping that sense of awe was a challenge many people failed to meet. Personally, he worked at it, which was one of the reasons he’d bought a place in Paris.