Awaken the Senses

  * * *

  WINE COUNTRY COURIER

  Community Buzz

  A Frenchman roams the vines at Ashton Estate Winery. He takes notes. He seduces the owner’s niece….

  No, it is not a plot to sabotage the Ashton Estate Winery. Nor is it the premise of a made-for-TV movie. It is Ashton Estate Winery’s real-life attempt to improve their already popular wines—well, except for the part about seducing Spencer Ashton’s niece!

  Alexandre Dupree, a successful winemaker from France, has been consulting at Ashton Estate for several weeks. This, one can only assume, is to counteract the growing popularity of their rival winery, Louret Vineyards.

  However, seducing Charlotte Ashton, Ashton Estate’s florist, seems to be a strictly extracurricular activity. But we wonder, would Uncle Spencer approve? Or is he ruthless enough to use his own niece as the means to his own ends?

  * * *

  Dear Reader,

  This May, Silhouette Desire’s sensational lineup starts with Nalini Singh’s Awaken the Senses. This DYNASTIES: THE ASHTONS title is a tale of sexual awakening starring one seductive Frenchman. (Can you say ooh-la-la?) Also for your enjoyment this month is the launch of Maureen Child’s trilogy. The THREE-WAY WAGER series focuses on the Reilly brothers, triplets who bet each other they can stay celibate for ninety days. But wait until brother number one is reunited with The Tempting Mrs. Reilly.

  Susan Crosby’s BEHIND CLOSED DOORS series continues with Heart of the Raven, a gothic-toned story of a man whose self-imposed seclusion has cut him off from love…until a sultry woman, and a beautiful baby, open up his heart. Brenda Jackson is back this month with a new Westmoreland story, in Jared’s Counterfeit Fiancée, the tale of a fake engagement that leads to real passion. Don’t miss Cathleen Galitz’s Only Skin Deep, a delightful transformation story in which a shy girl finally falls into bed with the man she’s always dreamed about. And rounding out the month is Bedroom Secrets by Michelle Celmer, featuring a hero to die for.

  Thanks for choosing Silhouette Desire, where we strive to bring you the best in smart, sensual romances. And in the months to come look for a new installment of our TEXAS CATTLEMAN’S CLUB continuity and a brand-new TANNERS OF TEXAS title from the incomparable Peggy Moreland.

  Happy reading!

  Melissa Jeglinski

  Senior Editor

  Silhouette Books

  AWAKEN THE SENSES

  Nalini Singh

  Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Nalini Singh for her contribution to the DYNASTIES: THE ASHTONS series.

  This one’s for all my buddies in RWNZ. I’d be lost without your support, humor and encouragement.

  I’d also like to acknowledge the assistance provided by the following people during my research for this book: Cheryl Heermann, Gordon Lindsay, Melissa Moraven, Tom O’Sullivan and Sarah Stephenson. Any mistakes are courtesy of this author and her artistic license.

  Books by Nalini Singh

  Silhouette Desire

  Desert Warrior #1529

  Awaken to Pleasure #1602

  Awaken the Senses #1651

  NALINI SINGH

  has always wanted to be a writer. Along the way to her dream, she obtained degrees in both the arts and law (because being a starving writer didn’t appeal). After a short stint as a lawyer, she sold her first book and from that point, there was no going back. Now an escapee from the corporate world, she is looking forward to a lifetime of writing, interspersed with as much travel as possible. Currently residing in Japan, Nalini loves to hear from readers. You can contact her via the following e-mail address: [email protected]; or by writing to her c/o Silhouette Books, 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279.

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Prologue

  Thirty-One Years Ago

  “We need to talk.”

  Spencer looked up from the papers on his desk as Lilah walked into his office. Irritated by the interruption, he frowned. Normally, that would’ve shut her up.

  She continued to speak. “If you don’t divorce Caroline, I’m going to leave you.” Her voice shook, but in her eyes he glimpsed determination that felt dangerously close to a threat.

  Anger blazed inside him, dark and far more violent than anything Lilah could summon. It took no effort to rise and move around the desk until his body was almost touching the reed-thin redhead who’d had the audacity to give him an ultimatum.

  Her blue eyes widened. Tall as she was, Lilah had no trouble meeting his gaze. He wondered what she saw there that gave her the courage to straighten her spine. If she’d understood the depth of his fury, the silly chit would’ve been cowering in fear.

  “You’re beautiful, Lilah.” He saw her pride awaken and almost laughed at how easy it was to manipulate her. “But the second you walk out that door—” he thrust in the verbal knife and twisted “—ten nubile young things will be standing there begging for my attention.”

  He enjoyed Lilah, enjoyed her body and her face, enjoyed the way she gave in to all of his wishes. Completely under his spell, she would do anything he asked. Now, he watched her swallow and savored the sight of her already shaky confidence seeping out of her.

  “I mean it, I want you to leave Caroline.” Though that husky, little-girl voice shook, her blue eyes sparked with possessiveness. “You’ve been with her for six years—it’s my turn now.”

  The sexual attraction he felt for her flared at this display of just how much she wanted him, but coldly, clinically, he squelched it. “And if I don’t?” His voice had gone quiet. A warning.

  Her slender shoulders squared. “Then I’m going to find another man. You can hire yourself a new…secretary.” The last word was a taunt.

  Nobody walked away from Spencer Ashton. Nobody. Certainly not a female whom he’d bedded and had yet to tire of. Reaching out with one hand, he grasped her hair and pulled her body hard against his, not caring if he hurt her. When he tugged her head back, her eyes met his, fear dawning in the blue.

  Tightening his grasp, he leaned in very close and whispered, “What did you say?”

  She whimpered as he pulled her head even further back. “I’m s-sorry, Spencer. I d-didn’t mean it.”

  The panic in her eyes acted as an aphrodisiac. He was suddenly very sure that he was going to have Lilah Jensen spread out under him within a few minutes. “Good.” He ran his finger down her throat. “What was that about leaving me if I didn’t leave Caroline?” Her skin was soft under his spreading hand, her neck fragile.

  “I—I’m s-sorry,” she said again. “I’ll make it up to you.” Tentatively, her hands touched his chest, beginning to undo buttons. “It’s just that I want you s-so much.”

  He smiled, aware that she really did want him that much. She was a beautiful thing, he acknowledged. And very accommodating in bed. He might end up marrying her after he got rid of Caroline, but that was for him to decide. Lilah had to learn her place here and now, before he gave her anything, much less the right to bear his name.

  “I’ll do anything you want, Spencer.” Lilah’s blue gaze was a little less afraid, a little more sexually enticing.

  He found the combination seductive, but despite her charms, he wanted her to be very, very aware that this had been her last chance. Keeping one hand clenched in her hair, while the other moved to rest
over her breast, he whispered, “A lot of people have tried to threaten me over the years.” He kept his voice casual, thrillingly aware of the power he held over this woman.

  Her lips parted as she tried to speak. He squeezed her throat slightly. She shut up.

  “Not a single one has succeeded in turning threat into reality. Not a single one.” He smiled gently and leaned down to kiss her parted lips. “Do we understand each other?”

  Lilah nodded, not attempting to speak. He liked her total consent to his will, liked that she’d finally acknowledged and accepted the place she occupied in his life. To him, she was property. He owned her like he owned his car and his home.

  Lust awakened inside him, fed by the fuel of her fear and perhaps even by the way she wanted him. Pressing her closer, he said, “Now…why don’t you show me how sorry you are.”

  One

  Alexandre wondered if he’d made a mistake in accepting Trace Ashton’s invitation to stay at the estate. It had seemed like the convenient option, given that he’d be spending large amounts of time at the Ashton Estate Winery in the coming weeks.

  His arrival last night had been unremarkable. The elegant Lilah Jensen Ashton had welcomed him to her showcase of a home and ensured that he was comfortable. Spencer Ashton hadn’t made an appearance, but having met the man previously, Alexandre hadn’t been the least disappointed. The Ashton patriarch was an arrogant bastard who Alexandre didn’t particularly care for. Of course, he thought with cynical amusement, some would apply the same label to him.

  He stalked through rows of vines bathed in the early morning sunshine, still dewed with the light rain that had fallen earlier. The soil was a rich brown, the entire vineyard full of life. Fresh green leaves covered the ropey vines and flowering was well in progress. He paused for a second to examine some of the flowers, judging that fruit set would begin soon. But the thought didn’t distract him for long, his mind still on his living arrangements.

  Though he was an early riser, this morning his slumber had been interrupted by loud voices in the second floor hallway. Soon after he’d come fully awake, a door had slammed and shut out the altercation, but what he’d heard had been enough to tell him that Lilah and Spencer’s marriage wasn’t exactly on solid ground.

  The fact that just before he’d left for this walk he’d seen Spencer drive off at a furious speed, had only cemented his conclusion. That realization didn’t particularly throw him off his stride. He’d seen far worse society marriages. But, if this morning had been any indication, it was highly likely that the atmosphere in the house was going to be uncomfortable during his stay.

  His other concern was that he might inadvertently become privy to family matters when he had no desire to get caught up in the turmoil surrounding the Ashtons. He was here to advise Trace on the estate’s winemaking processes—nothing more. Frowning, he knelt down between the vines, testing the soil with his fingertips. The gesture was instinctive, barely impinging on his thoughts.

  As a stranger, he didn’t understand all the emotional undercurrents running through the house, but he could make an educated guess given the scandal that had erupted last month relating to Spencer’s first marriage.

  Alexandre was a winemaker, not a socialite, but it had proved impossible to avoid hearing that bit of news. His maman thought it her business to keep him informed of his business rivals’ and friends’ weaknesses. He smiled at the thought of the woman who’d been the only constant in his life, such as she was, flaws and all.

  A strange sound, followed by sudden movement to his left, caught his attention, shifting his thoughts away from his troubled hosts. Irritated at the prospect of having his solitude disturbed, he paused in the act of rising to his feet, wondering who else was awake at this hour. Seeking privacy, he’d deliberately walked away from the main house and the likelihood of company.

  “Why are you making that funny noise?” a soft female voice asked. “I gave you a full checkup yesterday!”

  Eyebrows raised, Alexandre stood and stepped out of the vines into a narrow abutting lane that he hadn’t noticed earlier. The cause of the disturbance was immediately visible. Delight replaced his earlier irritation. Now, this wakeup call was far more to his liking.

  She was petite, he thought—her body small but with no lack of curves. One of those lush curves was currently outlined beautifully by well-worn denim as she knelt on the ground and peered at the front wheel of her bicycle. Long, arrow-straight black hair shifted like thick silk as she moved, brushing her bottom again and again.

  Interest sparked low and deep in his gut, a sharp hunger that was at odds with the jaded boredom that had crept up on him over the past year. “Do you need assistance, mon amie?”

  Charlotte spun around so fast, she almost toppled her bike. Not having expected anyone else to be up and about, she was startled to find herself looking up into the most gorgeous male face she’d ever seen.

  An amused light in his dark eyes, the stranger held out a long-fingered hand. “My apologies. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  Swallowing, she let him help her to her feet. His hand was strong, his fingers curling around her own until she felt engulfed…owned. Heat sizzled up her spine and burned through her cheeks. She tugged her hand away the moment she was up, unable to cope with the explosive fire shooting through her body.

  “We haven’t been introduced,” he said, his voice accented in a way that was so very deliciously French, her knees threatened to give out. “I’m Alexandre Dupree.”

  Alexandre. It suited him. A strong, masculine name for a man who was just that.

  “Char—Charlotte,” she managed to say around the lump of fascination stuck in her throat.

  “Charlotte,” he repeated, and on his lips, her ordinary name was suddenly exotic. “And what are you doing here so very early, petite Charlotte? You work on the estate, oui?”

  Perhaps she should’ve been insulted that he thought her a worker, rather than a member of the privileged Ashton family, but then she’d never wanted to be a member of that family. “No.” She hadn’t ever met a man like him, one who exuded sexuality like other men breathed. It made rational thought difficult.

  “No?” His full lips curved into a coaxing smile that was just this side of sinful. “You wish to be a mystery?”

  “What about you?” she blurted out, the compulsion to know more about him overcoming her nervous shyness.

  Who was this man who’d smiled at her and in a single moment succeeded in shaking all her beliefs about her own ability to experience passion and desire? She could feel her body sparking with life, embers of something hot and sensual glowing deep inside her. It was as if she’d been waiting for this man since the day she’d become a woman. Was it any wonder no one else had ever measured up?

  His eyes, dark as the bitterest chocolate, lingered on her lips and she wanted to ask him to stop, but the words wouldn’t come. It felt like he was kissing her with nothing more than a look, making her feel things that should be illegal this early in the morning.

  “I am working with Trace Ashton.”

  A winemaker, she thought, well aware of Trace’s ambition to produce award-winning Ashton Estate vintages. Yet, Alexandre didn’t appear to be anyone’s idea of an employee. Though he was dressed casually in black slacks and an open-necked white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, she could tell that the clothing was of the finest quality, as was the steel watch strapped to his wrist.

  “Where do you go, ma chérie?” He looked down the pathway, where it curved through the vines. “Would you like some company on your journey?”

  Her eyes widened. “N-no,” she stuttered, flustered by the charm of his smile, the sinful beauty of his eyes. “I—I have to go. I’m late.” Straddling her bike, she pushed off the kickstand and began to pedal away.

  Crackle, clunk, crackle.

  Her face flushed as the noise sounded, a reminder of why she’d stopped in the first place. Halting, she was about to get off when she became
aware that Alexandre had moved in close.

  “Stay, Charlotte. I can see the problem.” Leaning down, he twisted the back reflector, his strong fingers making quick work of the task. “It had shifted so it rubbed against the spokes of the wheel,” he explained when he saw her peering over her shoulder.

  Another blush heated her cheeks. She knew that even her darker skin tone wouldn’t have hidden that appallingly vivid indication of her complete inability to deal with him. “Thank you.”

  “You are welcome. Bon voyage.” The teasing smile accompanying his words made her want to bite her lip. Or maybe she wanted to bite his…

  Taking a ragged breath, she started pedaling, aware of his gaze on her back until she turned the corner. Only then did she exhale and allow herself to think back over the knee-trembling encounter.

  Had he been flirting with her?

  A second later, she shook her head at that silly idea. Men as deliciously sexy as Alexandre Dupree didn’t flirt with shy gardeners like her. But for the first time in forever, Charlotte found herself wishing that a charming, sophisticated and way-out-of-her-league male had indeed been flirting with her.

  Alexandre couldn’t stop thinking about his early-morning encounter as he went through the day. A bit of subtle investigation on his part had revealed two surprising bits of information. His shy beauty was an Ashton—Charlotte Ashton to be precise.

  Her connection to the troubled Ashtons should’ve made him wary, but he was intrigued instead. The woman he’d met had been easily flustered and uneasy in his presence, yet she was a member of this privileged family.