âI believe I was meant to meet you,â Leonie said. âThat you were meant to show me that Iâm still alive.â
Jacques lifted his head and looked at Leonie the way no man had ever looked at her before. His gaze roamed all over her, making her feel exposed and desired.
He stepped forward, took hold of her shoulders, and lightly touched his lips to hers. He kissed her with all the passion she could have wanted. As his mouth drifted over hers all the questions sheâd asked herself, all the debates sheâd been having with herself, the constant back-and-forth, should-she-shouldnât-she? ended in that one exhilarating moment.
He gathered her into his arms and she sank into him, savouring his taste, inhaling his warm, masculine scent, feeling the heat of his body and the strength of his arms encircling her. His kiss sparked into life parts of her that had been dormant for a very, very long time.
Like many authors, Claire Baxter tried several careers before finding the one she really wanted. Sheâs worked as a PA, a translator (French), a public relations consultant and a corporate communications manager. She took a break from corporate communications to complete a degree in journalism and, more importantly, to find out whether she could write a romance novelâa childhood dream. Now she canât stop writing romance. Nor does she plan to give up her fabulous lifestyle for anything. While Claire grew up in Warwickshire, England, she now lives in the beautiful city of Adelaide in South Australia, with her husband, two sons and two dogs. When sheâs not writing, sheâs either reading or swimming in her backyard poolâanother childhood dreamâor even reading in the pool. She hasnât tried writing in the pool yet, but it could happen. Claire loves to hear from readers. If youâd like to contact her, please visit www.clairebaxter.com
Dear Reader
If youâd had one sweetheart for your entire adult lifeâfrom high school to raising a family and building a business, through illness and finally his deathâand youâd never had a momentâs doubt that he was the love of your life, what would you think were the chances of falling in love again?
No chance at all? Thatâs what Leonie thinks too.
Falling in love for the second time after thirty years with one man is scary. Itâs like going skydiving again after crashing into the ground the first time. It takes courage, but itâs exciting, and it can be surprisingâ¦
Falling in love is fabulousâat any age.
Best wishes
Claire
IT WAS so good to hear her daughterâs voice. Leonie cradled the phone against her ear and wondered what sheâd been thinking when sheâd enrolled in a course on the other side of the world.
Yes, her children were legally adults, but they still needed her. And she needed them too. Sheâd never been separated from them before. Not for this long. No longer than a school camp, really.
âYou could have sent me a text message, Mum. You didnât have to ring me again.â
âI just wanted to check that youâd worked out how to operate the washing machine. Itâs tricky if youâre not used to it.â
âYes, Mum. Your instructions were spot on.â Sam hesitated, then asked, âIs that the real reason you called, Mum?â
âOf course!â Leonie winced at the fib. Samantha had always been the sensitive one. Even as a toddler sheâd had the ability to pick up on her motherâs moods. âWell, to be honest, darling, I just wanted to make sure you were all right.â
âYes, Mum, Iâm all right. You donât need to worry.â Sam stressed the last few words.
âAnd your brother?â
âKyleâs fine too. Well, heâs as obnoxious as ever, but weâll manage till you get home. Itâs only a matter of weeks, after all. This is your time, Mum, and you deserve it. Enjoy it.â
Easier said than done.
âItâs not a matter of weeks, itâs nearly three months! Thatâs what a trimester means.â
âAnd thereâs only four weeks in a month,â Sam said, laughing. âIt will fly by. Thatâs what you used to tell me when I didnât want to go back to school after the holidays, remember?â
She remembered. Oh, yes, she remembered. If only she could have that time over again. Fighting back tears as she said goodbye, Leonie clicked off the call, then went to the wide-open French doors that led to the single-person balcony of her oneroom apartment. She couldnât see much of Nice, only the buildings across the narrow street. That was her fault for choosing to stay in the old town instead of a modern apartment in the city.
Sheâd rejected the idea of living in the residences at the language school just outside Nice, in favour of renting her own furnished apartment, figuring it would make for easy sightseeing. But she wasnât sure now that sheâd made the right choice.
The apartment was so much smaller than it had looked on the internet. Sheâd thought it would be quaint, and it was, but to someone who was used to a spacious family home on a generous block of land in suburban Australia this apartment, with its kitchenette in one corner and a tiny shower off the main room, was quite a shock. As was the local custom of hanging washing on poles outside the window. She wasnât at all keen on displaying her underwear for passers-by to inspect.