Chapter 9

"Just remember that this was your idea", Jen hissed while she got in the car. Driving Devlin's Porsche was not something she expected to do but he insisted. When Alex heard that she couldn't drive he laughed and then persuaded her to try. It took him several days to convince her but his strongest point was that he would teach her himself.

While Jen secretly longed to spend more time with him, she was really afraid that being in a vehicle alone with Devlin was not a smart move. After all, he still planned to get in her pants; Hannah's disappearance may have put things on hold but it wouldn't stop him permanently.

"Are you sure about this? The Porsche-"

"It's just a car. And cars are not important". He rubbed his jaw and urged her to get in. "Besides, you have to drive. What if something happens to me or Hannah?"

"You have a driver, remember?", she hissed as she put her sun-glasses on but he just laughed and sat down. The car was smaller than she realized because he was too close to her, so close that she could almost touch him.

"Jen you are a grown woman. Surely you trust yourself enough to drive?"

What would happen if she punched him? Probably nothing. Devlin would still be calm as usual and she would hate herself afterwards. "It's you I don't trust", she said instead.

"Oh ... You wound me", he replied touching his chest.

"Next time, I'll aim better", she promised grinning.

"And what will your target be?"

"Your heart Mr. Devlin".

He laughed looking handsome and dangerous. "But I don't have one Miss Lawson. Haven't you heard?"

Bastard! He could make her heart pound when he said stuff like that. She should be more wise but she couldn't. Devlin had the power to affect her and nothing could change that.

Jen put the key in the ignition and obeyed his instructions. Luckily for the next hour he was focused on her driving and there was no time for more roguish remarks. At first she was too scared to make a turn but gradually she managed to relax. Maybe it had nothing to do with driving, she thought. Maybe it was difficult to relax because of him.

At some point they talked about Hannah. Devlin spent a whole day with her showing her pictures, talking about Sarah and finally revealing that he was not her real father. Hannah took it better than they had expected. Later, she confessed to Jen that for the time being she didn't feel the need to find him. She was just happy that Alex trusted her enough to tell her the truth.

Maddy, on the other hand, was not doing so well. Alex did not allow her to work but her condition hadn't improved. She looked frail and for the first time she was not in a good mood. The days that followed were disappointing until Devlin thought of a plan. He contacted Maddy's family and arranged for them to come visit hoping that it would be a pleasant surprise. The Sarraute sisters would arrive in two days and Maddy was already out of bed baking cookies and making the necessary preparations.

"Are you hungry?", he asked suddenly.

"I could eat", she replied casually but the truth was that she was famished.

Devlin told her to stop the car and they changed places. "There is a small town nearby. You will like it".

He drove in silence and Jen admired the view. They were leaving the mountains behind them and she could see the Atlantic ocean. The water was sparkling and people were sun-bathing. It was beautiful. Devlin knew all about Normandy's history and he answered all her questions gladly.

"You will notice, however, that nobody is actually in the water", Devlin remarked.

"And why is that?"

"Because of the sharks", he said shattering all her dreams of swimming there.

He laughed and said, "You look disappointed. Don't you find my pool satisfactory?"

"Satisfactory or not, it's not the real thing".

He parked the Porsche and Jen got out feeling excited. She wanted to see everything, go shopping and meet new people.

"Let's eat first and then we can take a walk", he said. Jen nodded because he was right so she followed him inside a little bistro. Devlin ordered for both without asking her what she liked. She should have been irritated but she found out that she wasn't. She decided to let him take control for once. The waiter returned shortly with their order and they started eating in silence.

"Miss Lawson...", Devlin began saying but then he saw the puzzled look on her face and stopped. "What's wrong?"

She shrugged. "Well, when you start a sentence with these two words I know that you're going to say something I won't like", Jen explained.

"Apparently you can read people very well", he said amused. "It would be useful in my line of business".

Jen just sipped her wine so he continued, "Anyway, I know that you're not going to agree at first but that doesn't mean that I won't try to change your mind".

The problem is not that you're going to try, she thought. The problem is that you will most likely succeed. But out loud she said, "We'll see Mr. Devlin. Just tell me what you want and I promise to think about it".

"At least we're making some progress", he admitted but paused looking uncertain about what he was going to say next. "In your resume you wrote that you can speak French and Spanish fluently".