Page 29 of It Happened In Paris

“Yes, truly.” I mirrored the gentle curve of his smile. Unbeknownst to us, we had grown so close that our breaths mingled. Every inch of space between us became charged with electricity, as if the memory of that one unforgettable night we shared in Paris had bonded us more strongly than I realized.

I swallowed hard and glanced down at his lips as he lightly licked them. The scent of him filled the confines of the closet like an intoxicating pheromone. My mouth went dry, longing for his touch, even as another part of me stirred with desire, soaking my panties.

“So I’ll stay then.” In a sexy move, he pressed a palm above my head, inching himself closer.

“Good. Then stay. I want you to.” I agreed, breathlessly, repeating myself, but not caring at this point.

The back of his knuckles caressed my cheek. “Because you wantme.Admit it.”

My heart raced with lust. “I… um…”

He drew his hand through my hair, landing at the back of my neck. His lips brushed against my earlobe while whispered words tickled my skin, “You do. I know it.”

Suddenly, applause and shouts of“Bravo!”echoed from the common room, a jarring reminder of our lives beyond this stolen moment in a closet. The reality set in—I was a single mother with an ailing daughter, and I shouldn’t be risking too much with this captivating man in a room cluttered with bleach bottles.

I gently pressed against his pecs creating space between us. “Tell you what—go on and take care of whatever you need to in the suite, but come back later to say goodnight to Paris. We can talk more after she falls asleep, okay?” I suggested.

“Then I will. Now—come here.” He tugged at my waist, drawing me into his embrace where I fit so right under his chin, our bodies aligned.

I rested my head on his chest. His strong heartbeat echoed in my ear, likedéjà vu;it reminded me of the last time we’d shared such closeness, lying in his arms in our night of passion in Paris. I couldn’t pinpoint when or where exactly, but the anticipation of it happening again tingled through me.

My body buzzed with the possibility of another union, though a small voice wondered if this was merely a fantasy. Did I deserve happiness when my daughter’s life hung in the balance?

12

CAUGHT IN THE ACT

VIVIAN

After dinner,Keaton and I relaxed in the common room, watching Paris play with Jessie, a new little friend of hers who was also waiting for a kidney transplant. We finally had time to catch up, and as close siblings who shared every detail without reservation, I held nothing back, telling him all about Richard—from the first night we met, to our reunion at Chelsea’s wedding, to now.

“That’s wild how you ended up meeting again,” he couldn’t believe it.

“Yes. And you know it’s difficult for me to let someone in after the way Adrien treated me.” I hated dredging up the darkest night when Paris and I left him for good.

“Trust me. I remember the countless phone calls I got from you.” He shook his head and finished off a candy bar from the cafeteria. “But once you told me exactly how he treated you, I’d have flown all the way to France to sort you out—and to kick his ass.”

I laughed, adding, “Not sure that would have helped. If Adrien wouldn’t change for me and Paris, he wouldn’t change for you, no matter how charming you are.” I reached over andtousled his hair, a habit from our childhood that he always pretended to hate.

“Stop, stop—don’t ruin my image in front of all the nurses,” he protested with a mischievous wink.

“As far as relationships go, Adrien will always be my biggest regret, but not a mistake. Because it brought me Paris.”

“I think every person on the planet has to go through one bad relationship to get to a good one,” he mused.

“Oh yeah? Enough about my love life. Tell me what’s up with yours. Did you end up skiing in Denver with what’s her name?” I teased, knowing he had already cycled through half the women from that dating show.

“Cassandra? Nope.” He looked away. “She and Anthony got together the day before I arrived, and that was it. Before I left to come back here, he told me he thinks she’s the one. I texted her and asked how serious it was, and she sent kiss emojis back like it’s a game. Like she forgot how she totally flirted with me by both text and phone before I flew out there, only then to snub me the entire time in favor of him. Whatever. I’m over it.” Yet, he didn’t seem over it at all.

“Texting? Seriously?” I patted his hand. “I wish you’d find someone closer to home, though I realize that might be selfish on my part. It’s only because I don’t want to see you swept away by some semi-famous woman who takes you far from Holly Creek and me. You know Paris would be devastated, too.”

“No matter where life takes me, I’ll always be the best uncle Paris has.” He glanced over at her and they shared a smile across the room. I loved how they’d bonded since we moved back here from France.

“Richard’s really great with Paris, too. I think you’ll see that. He has a big, generous heart; not one of these billionaires stingy with their money—not that I’d ever take advantage of him. I think I should open up to him. What do you think?”

“I think you already know what you want. You’re just too scared to act on it.” He shrugged. “I wish I had all the answers. Do what makes you happy. If he makes you happy, I’m happy. If he makes Paris happy, even better.”

“That’s a lot of happiness,” I elbowed him with a twerk of my lips.

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