Domaine de Mourchon

[Subo97]

Mark Anders

Beauracrats are as unpleasant as Art critics and gallery owners Mark thought as he leaned against the wall of the tax office, watching Nadine verbaly wrestle with the gray haired woman. He hoped she could keep the Domaine de Mourchon and rent it to him. The master bedroom would make a great atelier, the light was perfect, not to mention the comfort that big canopied bed would provide. For a moment, as he watched Nadine's back, he had a vision of her leaning against one of the bed's four posts, her auburn hair cascading over her bare shoulders. Best not to get too carried away......still she was beautiful

"The end of the month seems pretty fast," Mark spoke up as he saw Nadine's shoulders sag, "She just got the notice a few days ago."

"And who are you, monsieur?" the woman asked.

"I'm a potential tenant..and a friend." he replied, walking up to put his arm around nadine's waist. At that point, things got worse.

"Well, monsieur, " the woman replied icily, "I am only required to talk to the landowner. I do not answer to others, especially Americains" she said, mispronouncing the word in an irritating manner. "I only talked to the Americain woman this morning as a favor to madamoiselle Mourchon. Her family has been in this village for many generations."

"The potential buyer was an American?" Nadine asked, arching her eyebrows at Mark. He shrugged his shoulders in reply.

"Oui, Mrs Bakersfield, her husband owns a vineyard in the valley."
Nadine's look shot daggers through Mark as she looked at him.

"I know nothing about it," he defended himself, " but it sounds like Sylvie all right, trying to take advantage, even though she could afford to be honest.Not only could he not escape his heritage but now it was polluting beautiful things and people he cared about. This was getting personal

"Look," he said, turning her around and holding her shoulders at arm's length, "I don't know anything about this. I haven't seen Sylvie since New York, but I know how she works. If you want to sell the Domaine, that's fine, but do it from a position of strength." He reached out with one hand to place it under her chin and lift her head, so he could look into her eyes. "I won't let her take advantage of you. I've watched this bullshit all my life. Don't worry, just because I won't live in her world, don't think I don't know how to survive in it." he winked at her. "This might actually be fun."

"If I find out you're a part of this, I'll kill you," she growled

"I got out of it because it was killing me." he replied. "And it did kill my father." Taking her by the hand, he led her out the door, calling back to the gray haired tax collector, "We'll be back before the month is out."

Outside, he said to her, "Let's goback to the Domaine and talk, I think I might have a way for us to help each other out. Maybe we can stop at a grocer's and pick up a bottle of wine so we can relax while we plot our strategy." Not letting go of her hand, he tugged her in the direction of the car.

 

[chanaud]

Nadine followed in a daze. Mark lead her from shop to shop, choosing several bottles of wine, various cheeses and fresh fruits, and she continued to remain silent when he insisted she put her pocket book away and paid for it with a fistful of francs he had stored in his backpack.

When they drove up the long, winding driveway, the house came to view. Nadine finally broke her reverie and whispered softly.

“I can’t have her get the house.”

“We won’t let her, I promise.” Mark turned off the ignition and turned to her.

Nadine peered into his grey eyes, searching, and found nothing but sincerity.

“How can you be so sure? You say she is wealthy, yes? Wealthy people have a way of getting what they want..."

“I have a plan, and if I know Sylvie as well as I think I do, she will fall right into our little trap.” Mark interrupted.

Nadine shuddered at the thought of having to face Sylvie again, let alone outmaneuvering her.

“What is your plan?” She asked, her eyebrows tied into a know, her deep set eyes swimming with doubt.

Mark ran a finger along her jawline, and stopped right below her bottom lip. Depsite the warmth, Nadine shivered, her bottom lip quivered, her heart stopped beating. Instantly she knew what was going to happen next, and did nothing to prevent it. Instead she sat there, and waited for his lips to descend on hers.

 

[Subo97]

Mark

And what is your plan?

At the immediate moment, his pan was to kiss her. His lips pressed against hers and found them soft, warm and pliant. Lacking protest on her part, he let the kiss linger moving his lips slightly before breaking the kiss. "I've been thinking about that all day," he whispered, looking into her brown eyes and seeing confusion, concern and , perhaps desire. "I'm sorry I waited so long." With his hand still against her cheek, his thumb brushed her lips again. A sharp intake of breath parted her lips and he lowered his face to kiss her again, this time with more vigor. He allowed his tongue to slip past her open lips to find her own, brushing it with a light caress before retreating. Her tongue followed his, brushing against his lips, but she withdrew and pushed him away when his hand fell to brush against her breast.

"You presume too much, my Americain friend," she said, mimicing the tax collector's accent. He noted a softness less than anger in her eyes, though, and her hand lingered on his chest.

"Always," he smiled, reaching into the back seat for the bag of groceries. "What do you say we head up the hill and picnic while we talk?" Nadine sat still while he got out and rounded the car. He wasn't sure if she was shocked or testing his gallantry, but she did not move for a moment when he opened her door. "Come on," he said softly, reaching out his arm and making a pulling motion with his fingers, "It'll be fun." As she took his hand and allowed him to pull her out of the car, he could not help but notice the her skirt sliding up her tanned thighs.

As they walked to a small gate in the fence, she dropped his hand and exclaimed, "Ohh, look" and ran to open the gate to a field of lavender. Acres of the colorful herb covered the hill, topped by a lone oak tree. "You must paint this for me, Mark, promise me," and she turned to run up the small rise. He watched her run trough the lavender, her hips swaying in her green dress, saatisfied to walk himself, watching her bend from time to time to brush her fingers over the colorful herb.

"Oh, I want this so much," she sighed when she reached the top to look back down upon the Domaine, "Tell me about your plan. How will we beat that vile woman?"

"Well, it's not that devious," he laughed, " I'll have to call my brother and stimulate his greed. I'll do that tonight, as much as I'd like to call him now and disturb his sleep- he's in new York. I'll have to give him something of what he wants. I'll have to give him some paintings. For that promise, he'll advance enough to pay the taxes and a year's rent. I'll send him some landscapes and maybe a portrait. That'll drive Sylvie nuts."

"She's a woman who gets what she wants," Nadine answered fearfully.

"Well, that's true," Mark laughed, "but it'll really bug her if I do a portrait. Not only was she my father's mistress, she was his model, too. It seems poetic, somehow."

"You can do this?"

"Oh yeah." he shrugged, "I can't be my father, but that won't stop my brother from milking the relationship. All I need is a place to paint, the Domaine would be perfect. For your part, you just have to let me live and work here." He walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Oh, and it would help if you let me paint you nude."

 

[chanaud]

Nadine Mourchon

Nude. As if a thunderbolt struck her down, Nadine stiffened immediately, her spine stiff as a rod. Impossible!She thought, as her head shook slowly in contrast to her heart beating rapidly in her throat.

“I…I can’t. No…” She stammered, the blush had risen up her long neck and monopolized her creamy soft skin. “Impossible. I can’t pose nude.” With her back remained towards Mark, Nadine repeated.

“Oh, you must.” Mark replied instantly. “It’s the only method to get quick cash…to save your house, it’s what sells.”

“I can’t, Mark.”

As she whispered to the lavender field, his shadow grew before her, telling her he was inching near. Remembering how soft his lips felt, how his tongue tasted, and how the blood rushed through her veins, her voice rose an octave and her thoughts fogged making it difficult to sound determined. The butterflies tickled against her ribcage in anticipation. When two strong arms snaked around her waist, Nadine melted instantly resting her head against his should blade. She sighed.

“It’s what sells…” He interjected.

Her head spun instantly, auburn curls followed. Nadine’s flushed lips released a throaty laugh. “I understand that, Mark. It’s a very clever plan, and it would succeed. But you have failed to notice something…” Her eyes cascaded down her dress and to her shoes in mock contempt. “I am not a model let alone one to pose for … nudity. Can’t we find a professional, no? I am sure you can find someone who would be willing to sit for you, someone beautiful, someone who is worthy of your painting, yes?”

 

[Subo97]

Mark

Feeling her stiffen, Mark thought he had made one step too far, but when she softened and leaned back against him, he breathed a sigh of relief. With his armsaround her waist and her head on his shoulder, the softness of her body seemed to overwhelm his senses. It would be so easy to slide his hands up to cup her breasts, lift them gently, feel them overflow his hands. He did as she bade and looked down across her body.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," he replied. "there's plenty of time for that. But never doubt for a second taht you're not beautiful enough to model for me. Your beauty is real." He kissed her forehead. "It's real like the Domaine. That's something a model can't provide." Slowly, he moved his hands up to her ribs where he could feel the movement of her breath under his fingers. "It's not just the nudity, you know. It's just a way to use the Anders mystique. My father did a series of nudes of Sylvie. Caused quite a stir. Cost him a wife," Mark chuckled.

Aware of Nadine's soft behind touching his thighs, Mark pressed against her ribs with his hands, increasing the contact. "The Domaine will be the central theme, the buildings, the land, the sky. This mysterious woman, young and beautiful, as ageless as the land would pique a lot of curiosity. I know it would drive my brother and Sylvie nuts," he laughed softly. "I would paint you in the master bedroom, bathed in that white light, fire dancing in your hair and eyes..." Breathing deeply, he imagined her on one of the antique divans at the Domaine, leaning on her arm, auburn hair flowing down over her neck and breast, parted to reveal one pink tip. "I'd also paint you here, lying on your side in the lavender, try to catch the wind as it flows through the flowers and over your skin."

"Your beauty fits here. I think this land is in your blood. It is as beautiful as you are." He laughed out loud. "It's ironic, you know. I've spent half my life running away from my heritage and one day with you and I'm embracing it. No model could do that....And besides," he said, bending to kiss her neck, "I have ulterior motives as well." Kissing her with his lips, he touched the warm skin of her neck with the tip of his tongue and slid his hands up to cup her breast.