Free The French Aristocrat's Baby by Christina Hollis Page A

the enigmathat was Gwen. In her anger, she had revealed something that only made him want her more. Until he’d met her, he had been confident he knew exactly what sort of woman could abandon a happy family. Angela Webbington had shown him how it was done. Yesterday, he had seduced Gwen in the delicious belief she was totally different from his ex-fiancée. Now he didn’t know what to make of his little Welsh wonder. Last night she had held him spellbound. This morning, his sweet and tender stranger had shown him a core of iron. He now knew she had the determination to walk away from blood relatives— family! —because they cared about her too much.
    Etienne shook his head in silent disbelief. If he could continue humouring his stepmother simply because it was his father’s dying wish, why couldn’t Gwen see how lucky she was? He wondered how it felt to be part of a normal family. The appalling woman who styled herself ‘Countess Sophie’ continued to dictate shopping lists onto his dead father’s exclusive headed notepaper, yet Etienne let her get away with it. That woman was so far beneath his contempt he didn’t bother registering his annoyance. Gwen Williams, on the other hand, had run away from something he envied. Etienne’s idea of family was people who liked you because they wanted to, not because it was their duty or because they hoped you’d remember them in your will. Why had Gwen run away? From people who wanted her with them? Did she need saving from herself—to be shown how important it was to have people who cared? If she did, he was certainlythe man to do just that. It was just a shame she hadn’t realised it yet.
    She soon would. Etienne was completely confident of that.
    Gwen was so furious, she forgot all about her blisters until she reached her front door. There she kicked off her shoes and stood on the still-cool stones while she rummaged for her key. Etienne Moreau was the absolute limit. It had been so perfect last night and then he thought his money could buy everything, including her. She felt insulted. Stamping upstairs, she threw off her beautiful gown. She intended to shrug off that infuriating man in the same movement. It wasn’t quite as easy as she hoped. As she pulled on her working clothes it was impossible not to notice how soft and supple his expensive shower gel had left her skin. She lifted her arm and inhaled its heavy, floral perfume again. From that moment on, she would never be able to smell the fragrance of jasmine without being wafted straight back to the luxury of Etienne’s suite. And the memory of the night they had shared…
    Gwen caught sight of her reflection in her bedroom mirror and it shocked her. Overnight, the vigorous businesswoman who was always so quick to rebuke her from the glass had been replaced. A misty-eyed stranger gazed back at her now.
    She jumped straight back to life as a loud knock echoed up from downstairs. There was someone at the door.
    ‘Just a minute!’ she called, scrabbling around to collect the unpaid electricity bill, her house keys and bag before flying down to throw open the front door.
    It was Etienne. Dressed in another beautifully crafted suit, he pulled off a pair of slick black shades. They flickered in the morning sunlight as he closed the arms and posted them into the top pocket of his jacket. Stunned into silence, Gwen stared at the face she had seen transformed by pleasure such a short, painful time before. He was as unrecognisable as her reflection had been in the mirror upstairs. His eyes showed none of the soft sensuality she remembered so well. They now watched her acutely. The early stubble that had rasped against her naked skin was gone, but his freshly shaved face had lost none of its attraction for her. It made her want to stroke him. If ever a man’s body demanded a woman’s fingers to peel away his smart façade, it was Etienne’s. Despite her fury, Gwen could not help staring. She had an almost overwhelming