Page 64 of Enemies to French Kisses
“But… but…” None of this makes sense. “What happened?”
Charlotte appears out of thin air, standing beside me. “Anaphylactic shock.”
“I had an allergic reaction?”
“A bad one.” Marc pulls me up to my feet as one of the first responders slips a stretcher under me. “Fortunately Charlotte saw it happening and kept your airways open.”
“She did?” I look at the woman who just earlier this week was ready to toss me on the street and take my place with my man.
My man.
“The paramedics have given you epinephrine to reduce swelling,” she says. “But you need to get checked at the hospital.”
“I don’t know how to thank you.”
She smiles in reply. It’s genuine and proud. Who knew a high society gal could keep an airway open?
Marc runs his finger along my cheek, brushing an errant lock of hair aside. “The good news is you’ll never have to eat a snail again in your life. In fact, you’d better not, or it will definitely be your last.”
“That would be a very disappointing last meal.”
He settles me onto the stretcher and I realize just how tired I am.
“Rest,” he whispers in my ear. “It’s my turn to take care of you.”
CHAPTER26
Marc
The nurses assureme she’s going to be fine. They say that the shot of epinephrine will calm the reaction. In fact, they’ve said many things that my brain couldn’t register because all I could see is the woman of my dreams in a hospital bed, weak and ever-so fragile. It doesn’t even matter that Guillaume came by to give the good news that the Dutch are moving us to the next stage of the proposal process—a face-to-face meeting in our office next week. I heard Guillaume speaking, but I wasn’t listening.
If there was a doubt in my mind before about my feelings for Laura, they’ve flown off like dust in the wind. It’s not a crush. It’s not a childish fling. It’s not even the sum of my admiration for her swirling into a misguided sense of romance.
I am in love with her.
And now that she’s at her weakest, I can’t do a thing about it.
Yes, I lied to her face. And in those moments, guilt swept over me like the Mediterranean waves. It all made sense when I could just sustain the act, but seeing her now, I wish things could be open between us. Life is too short.
She takes in a deeper breath than normal, and I watch as her chest rises then falls again. Is that supposed to happen?
“Excusez-moi?”I look into the hall and a nurse comes right away.
“Yes?” She goes straight to Laura’s side and checks her pulse. “What happened?”
“She took a deep breath.”
“She took a deep breath?”
“Yes, like this.” I demonstrate for her, the same deep breath in and out like Laura did.
The bemused smile on the nurse’s face is no comfort. When she reaches out and touches my arm, I can tell she’s done this many times before. “The husbands are always the most worried. Just remember, breathing is agoodsign.”
She gives me a wink and then chuckles back to the nursing station.
Husband.
There’s still some truth telling to be done, given that I put the cart a little too far before the horse. What are the chances she’s forgotten about all of that?
