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“Assuredly you can.”
She curled into his side, and he took that as an invitation to stroke her hair, so soft like silk between his fingers. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Today. This was one of the best days of my life. It’s one thing to read about these sites or to imagine them, but this entire day was like something out of my dreams. I guess with how hard I work, I never thought I’d get to see any part of the world that wasn’t Washington, DC. Although some of this Greek architecture could give the Lincoln Memorial a run for its money.”
He nodded and kept stroking her hair. “It could be like this all month, at least around the work I have to do.”
“And me. Just because we had a good day doesn’t mean I’m going to shirk my valet duties. Estelle would kill me, and I don’t…I like working. I’m always obsessed with what I have to do. ‘Type A all the way’ is kind of my slogan.”
“I don’t know if I can woo you while you work.”
She giggled. “That’s almost a song. I mean ‘Whistle While You Work,’ but at least your version has no dwarves.”
He frowned and let his mind process the reference, or try to. Alas, he didn’t have her encyclopedic movie knowledge. “Dwarves?”
“Snow White? 1937? Animated classic?”
“I lived here till I was six. My favorite kids’ classics were from Spain.”
She looked up at him, eyes large and limpid and her teeth worrying her bottom lip. “Then I overwhelmed you with my super geek movie knowledge.”
“Nah,” he said, kissing the crown of her head. “I think it was just right.”
“Well then, we’re still at an impasse,” she chirped. “I won’t just lie around and be a tourist when I’m actually your maid, you know?”
“I’d feel bad making you do things during the day.”
“Then what do we do?”
Xavier considered the fact he’d never just make any woman he cherished do things as menial as clean his villa or organize his dishes. Then it struck him, an inspiration as clear as a bolt of lightning. “I know what I want from you, while I’m at work.”
She snorted. “This so doesn’t involve some French maid outfit thing, does it?”
We can get to that later, if you want.
He pushed that thought away and then focused on his idea. “You work on a screenplay.”
She frowned up at him, her doe eyes wide. “What?”
“You said you want to make a movie. Well, let’s call this a fair chance. You write a screenplay or get started on one, and I’ll take it when it’s done to Javier. If he thinks it’s actually good, we’ll fund it. I’ll let my brother decide since he’s very critical, and that way you know it’s not just nepotism. Believe me, I can’t get Javier to listen to me about anything.”
“I…you’d give me permission to do that?”
“I’d be angry if you didn’t. I’ve seen your videos, more than I’ve let on. I’ve seen the passion and creativity you have just with small sketches and skits. You have something, Jules, and I think it’s worth you pursuing. I think it matters very much.”
She quirked her head at him, doubt clouding those gorgeous chocolate-colored eyes of hers. “Even if we are never more than just friends?”
“Yes,” he answered honestly. “One of us should be able to embrace our talent.”
“Then,” she said, “I do want it to be an even swap. Tomorrow, you take me out riding. It’s Saturday and there won’t be meetings then. We’ll go out towards sunset when it gets cool again, and you can show me what you’re made of. Show me what it is about horseback riding that drives you.”
His heart swelled at that thought, at the sad revelation that for the first time in his life, a woman he was with cared about what he really wanted. He’d tried a few times with his sparse long-term girlfriends to speak about how he wished he could retire, just hints dropped in passing. Tina had mocked him, called him a “wannabe cowboy.”
They hadn’t lasted a week after that.
But Jules cared. She could be his muse.
