They walked slowly and separately along the gravel paths.
The air smelled sweeter in the garden. It was warmer, too. In fact, now that
they were on the ground, everything seemed more. The moonlight. The soft rip-
ple of the fountain. Jenna swore could even feel the brush of the air on her
skin every time Philippe’s arm moved. Without lifting a finger, he somehow
managed to feel impossible close. — Then again, he had lifted a finger when
they were on the terrace. If she concentrated, she could still feel his hands
on the back of her ankle. Philippe pointed to a line of bushes closest to the
fountain. “There’s your jasmine,” he said. While the petals on other flowers in
the garden had folded closed for the night, the jasmine’s tiny white blossoms
were open wide. “They bloom at night,” Philippe told her. “There’s a
horticultural reason for it, but I won’t bore you. Better to simply enjoy them
as they are.” Tonight, Jenna had to agree. Plucking a flower from its stem, she
twirled the blossom between her fingers and imagined the subtle scent drifting
upward. Maybe she’d go back to wearing perfume after all. Then when she wanted to remember this trip, she need only
inhale. “You said you grow these in Grasse?” she asked. ‘“‘We grow everything
in Grasse,” he replied. “Roses in the spring. Jasmine and lavender in the
summer. You can tell the time of year by how the air smells.” He lifted her
hand to smell the flower she was hold- ing, touching her for the first time
since the walk began. “Jasmine suits you,” he said. “What makes you say that?”
“Because it is sweet but subtle. Rose is too floral and lavender too heavy.
Jasmine, however, entices without overpowering. It doesn’t need to advertise
its beauty. Rather, it is perfect in its simplicity.”
“Are you saying I’m simple?” “Ma chére, you are far from
simple. But you are per- fect. And enticing.” While he was speaking, he slipped
the flower from her and traced it along her cheek. Jenna’s eyes fluttered shut.
“You’re trying to seduce me,” she whispered. The blossom brushed her lower lip.
“Is it working?” More than it should, and it frightened her. Opening her eyes,
she found herself staring into his, their color darkened to fine wine by the
night sky. So dark she could almost imagine the light reflecting in them was
from the stars. It left her feeling off balance.
Intoxicated. “Philippe...” “Shh.” He pressed the flower to her lips. “Don’t say no. Not yet.” Jenna didn’t want to say no. That was the problem. What she wanted was for Philippe to kiss her until she couldn’t breathe. The moment was right there. All she needed to do was whisper one word, and he would sweep her away.
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