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She prided herself on being so much better than many of the promiscuous Hollywood party types. Hell, she’d even managed to keep her clothes on in her movies so far. She was a serious actress, a deep person who rescued pound puppies rather than spending a gazillion dollars on a vanity pet.
And yet at the first sign of heartache, she’d thrown away her clothes and inhibitions.
Speaking of clothes, she needed something to wear. She would settle for the robe, if need be—
Her gaze fell on a stack of clothes resting on the gold-striped sofa, Muffin resting her head on top of the pile. Bella raced across the room for the jeans and frilly top—hers. Sam must have sent someone into her room.
She scruffed Muffin’s head before gently moving the dog aside. “Sh…Stay quiet, sweetie.”
Under the dog’s head, a room card rested on top of the clothes. Thank goodness. With a little luck and a lot of stealth, she could make it out of here undetected with her pet.
She scooped up the clothes. Sam’s thoughtfulness tugged at her.
Or was Sam just eager to see her leave by making sure her clothes were ready? Insecurity nipped her heels harder than Muffin bounding after her, bell around her neck chiming.
“Shhh, shhh, shhh, Muffin.”
Bella took off the collar so the bell wouldn’t chime and alert him to her escape. She would put it on again once she returned to her room.
No way in hell did she plan to be featured in any photos—or relationship—with one of the world’s most eligible bachelors.
She slipped on the clothes and her gold Escada sandals quickly, tucked Muffin back in her carrier and made a beeline for the door. Half in, half out, she stared back at the bathroom door. Wistfulness whispered through her. What if they’d showered together?
God, she was a sucker. “What if” nothing. They’d enjoyed amazing sex, two adults who wanted no ties.
It was over.
She closed the door behind her and took the elevator to the penthouse floor. Almost home free. She should walk Muffin, but she wasn’t ready to be seen in public yet. She turned to the elevator operator….
He nodded. “Do you need help with your little pet, mademoiselle?”
She loved it when people read her mind. “Yes, thank you. She just needs a quick walk. Her leash is looped on the side of her cage here,” she rattled off instructions at light speed as if that would bring about her escape all the faster. She passed over Muffin’s carrier, blowing a kiss to her little sweetie.
The elevator dinged, the doors opened and she raced the last few feet to her door, ready for a shower, fresh clothes—and a new hotel. She whipped her key card in and out, shoved open the door.
And she came face-to-face with the last person she expected to see.
Four
Bella gripped the door to her hotel suite, resisting the urge to bolt back into the hall. It wasn’t like she had to face a pack of wolves. Seated on the floral loveseat was her cousin Charlotte, thumbing through a newspaper, one of her favored Jamin Puech beaded purses beside her.
A cousin who was actually her half sister since they shared the same father.
What a convoluted family tree. Bella had three brothers she’d grown up with, and now her two cousins were actually half siblings.
Charlotte Hudson Montcalm lived with her French aristocrat husband at the Chateau Montcalm, a palatial estate outside Provence, a fair ways from this port city. What in the world was she doing in Marseille?
And more particularly why was she in Bella’s hotel suite, sitting there as serenely perfect as the white calla lilies on the coffee table in front of her?
She loved Charlotte, but wasn’t ready to deal with their changed relationship. Sorting through the tumultuous emotions would take time. She wasn’t ready to see anyone associated with her tangled family tree.
Then why had she decided to hide out in the very country where her cousin/half sister lived with her husband Alec?
Bella sighed, wishing that annoying voice of reason niggling at the back of her mind would take a nap. Freudian slips were a real pain in the butt.
She closed the door behind her and stepped deeper into the sitting area. Light streamed through the window, whispery gold curtains pulled wide to reveal the harbor with sailboats and ringed with quaint whitewashed buildings.
Pulling a smile, Bella opened her arms for a hug, determined to act as normal as possible. “Hello, Charlotte. What a pleasant surprise to find you here waiting for me.”
Her cousin’s signature perfume reminded her of summer vacations together, staying up late and trying out makeup together.
“And hello to you, too.” Charlotte stood, her stomach large with her advanced pregnancy. Still the blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty carried herself with her usual sophistication. They were the same age and during their teenage years, Bella had felt freckled and chubby next to her willowy cousin.
Bella hugged her taller cousin—sister. Damn, it was tough to rewire a lifetime of programming.
Easing back, she reminded herself none of this was Charlotte’s fault. “What are you doing here so far from home?”
Bracing a hand behind her on the arm of the sofa, Charlotte lowered herself back to sit again. “Alec and I flew over this morning to shop for the baby and learned you were here, too.”
An odd coincidence, but Charlotte’s serene smile showed no sign of subterfuge. Alec had planes at his disposal ready to be used at a moment’s notice.
Charlotte pulled back, her brow puckered with worry. “Why didn’t you tell me you were in Marseille?”
Bella sat in the tapestry wingback chair. A light breakfast had already been laid out on the antique tea cart—small baguettes, jams and fresh fruit beside a carafe of coffee, starched linen napkin lying beside the silver tray.
The thought of food churned her already nervous stomach. “Would you like something to eat?”
“Does a bird sing? Of course I would like something to eat.” She grinned. “I’m pregnant.”
Bella watched as Charlotte tore off a piece of bread. “How did you find out I’m staying at the Garrison Grande?”
Charlotte smoothed her hands over her baby belly. “Alec heard it from one of his business contacts.”
The truth exploded in her mind. “From Sam Garrison.”
Charlotte’s silence and neutral smile answered clearly. She swirled the silver knife through the glistening preserves and smoothed a dollop of raspberry jam on top of her bread.
But when would Sam have had time to do this? They’d only met up the night before and they’d spent every waking moment together….
Charlotte speared a melon ball. “Okay, yes, he called early this morning.”
While she’d been sleeping, before his shower. The only question was had Charlotte truly already been here shopping or had she dropped everything to fly over just because Sam sent up an SOS. Regardless, her half sister had gone to a lot of trouble for her. Bella poured a cup of black coffee and took a sip to wash down the lump in her throat.
“I appreciate your stopping by, but why would Sam call you?”
She barely knew the man and already he was tampering with her life. She’d come here to feel closer to her grandmother. If she’d wanted to see her sister, she would have called her. Now she was stuck in an awkward situation where she appeared rude.
Charlotte waved the silver jelly knife lightly. “Who knows what men think most of the time? I do know that you shouldn’t be staying at a hotel. You should be at the estate with Alec and me.”
Damn, damn, damn Sam for interfering. “I didn’t want to risk bringing the media down on you. Stress is the last thing a pregnant woman needs.”
“I’m completely healthy—and ravenous.” She popped the last pinch of bread into her mouth. She chewed slowly before saying, “Are you staying away from me because of our father?”
Bella snapped back in her seat. She hadn’t expected ever-poised Charlotte to be so blunt. Hearing the truth of her parentage still cut straight through to her heart.
“Why would I do that? Mother and Uncle—” she winced “—David are the ones at fault, not you. They’re the ones who cheated on their spouses.”
“Looking at me could make you remember we’re half sisters rather than cousins.” Her blue eyes darkened with pain.
For the first time, Bella considered how all of this must have hurt Charlotte. David Hudson hadn’t been much of a father, always too busy to spend any time with Charlotte or her brother, but he was still their father. The way he’d torn apart the fabric of their family with his betrayal was terrible.
Bella mentally kicked herself for being so self-centered in her grief. Charlotte deserved reassurance. She reached past the wooden tea cart to squeeze her hand.
“I loved you before; I love you now.” As she said the words, she realized they were true.
Her issue was with their father, David. How strange to think she wouldn’t be here without him, yet at the same time it felt as if he’d stolen her real father from her—Markus, the man who’d brought her up, the man who’d declared her Daddy’s pampered girl, the man who’d been kept in the dark for years just as she had.
Until the whole ugly secret had come to light.
Blinking back tears, she snatched the rolled linen napkin from the silver tray and dabbed her eyes. She was tired of crying over this. She needed to quit feeling sorry for herself and move on. “I’m sorry. You’re right that I was avoiding you. I have to confess, I wasn’t sure if I could even speak to anyone about this without crying.”
