CultOfTheBlackVirgin by Serena Janes Read Free Book Online Page A

years. It was spectacular.”
    “Really?” Jo instantly warmed, in spite of herself. “I did that same hike, just last year. It’s an amazing part of the world, isn’t it?” She felt better now, excited to think that Luc had trudged the same paths and climbed over the same fallen logs that she’d stumbled over.
    “Yes, amazingly wet .” He laughed. “It rained every single day. Our camping gear and all my clothes got soaked and remained that way for the whole week.”
    Jo laughed too, having found her voice.
    “The rain was a problem for us, too. But at least it didn’t rain every day. It rains a lot in Seattle, so I guess I’m pretty much used to it.”
    Luc turned to smile at her without missing a step, causing her heart to pick up its pace. He seemed impressed she’d completed the challenging trail.
    “You carried all your own gear?”
    “I did.” She made no attempt to hide the pride in her voice.
    His blue gaze moved up and down her body appraisingly. “That’s quite a feat.”
    “But I whined about it the whole way. You should have heard me.” She laughed again. It felt good to laugh, as if she’d been holding her breath for a long time.
    She was pleased there was some common ground established between them now. He knew a bit about her world, and she was beginning to learn something of his. These snippets of information made him more real to her, less like a male animal and more like a human being. She was beginning to like him.
    What would it have been like to have met him in some other time and place? Before he was attached. Before I knew James. When we were both still free to act on our mutual attraction. Would we have become lovers? Would we have been good together?
    She glanced at the aquamarine on her finger and felt a wave of guilt for even considering these questions. A dull ache of loss, or regret, rose to the surface of her consciousness. Recognizing it, she quickly chastised herself for being a fool.
    You idiot! Don’t even go there!
    I should be celebrating my time here in France, not pining for something I was never meant to have.
    After their conversation Luc fell behind to walk with Ron and Marcie, and Jo could hear him asking Ron about his job at Scotland Yard. Under normal circumstances, she too would have been interested in what Ron had to tell, but not today. She walked the rest of the way alone, lost in her thoughts.
    Relief for Jo’s agitation came, finally, in the form of a one-hotel town—Lacave. Their accommodation was a modest guesthouse situated between the famous Grotte de Lacave and yellow fields of ripe grain. The fabulous Château de Belcastel looked down on them from its cliff-side, and the clear blue and gold air was full of the scent of freshly cut hay. The scene was completely enchanting. Her luggage was waiting for her in the lobby, and Jo was grateful to find a bathtub in her room. Soon, for the second time that day, she found herself all wet, thinking of Luc, all wet.
    Dinner was at eight, but everyone was eager to meet as soon as possible for Happy Hour drinks and to talk about their day. Most of the walkers enjoyed each other’s company, apparently. Jo, too, could barely wait to make herself up for the evening ahead. During the afternoon, she’d been content to be alone. She needed the time to sort out her feelings for the man she wanted but couldn’t have, and for the man back home she knew she should embrace. But now it seemed that after being away from Luc for only an hour she was eager to see him again.
    After stepping out of the bath she stood in front of a full-length mirror and toweled herself dry. Yes, her body was as good as it had ever been, even though she had just left her twenties behind. Her skin was smooth and taut, and yoga, pilates, and swimming worked together to keep her limbs strong and toned. Her breasts were still firm and high, her waist slender, her hips rounded. What would Luc think , she wondered. She’d seen rather a lot of his