talked to him about it instead of agonizing over it and continuing to deny anything that might happen for what turned out to be no good reason.
We cuddled up together as well as we could with the armrest between us after that, and spent the rest of the flight watching a sitcom. Dane’s arm was slung around my shoulders and my head rested on his shoulder as we crossed the miles toward our destination.
When the lights of Paris became visible in the distance, Dane sat up and leaned across me to point out the window. “You see that? Tomorrow, we’re going to start taking it by storm.”
A thrill ran through me, a heady mix of excitement, fear, and nerves racing down my spine as I moved forward to take in the twinkling sprawl of lights below. The landing went smoothly and happened a lot faster than I’d expected.
Before I even knew it, the plane’s door was being opened and we were welcomed to France by the balmy air outside. The only noticeable difference between this airstrip and the one we’d taken off from was that most of the signs were in French, and I smiled when I realized my rudimentary grasp on the language was enough that I understood what some of the signs said.
“Excited?” Dane asked as we climbed into the back of another town car.
I nodded, my exhaustion after the flight dissipating as we headed into the city. My gaze was glued to the window, my mind struggling to comprehend that we had crossed the ocean and were now in a different country. On a different continent, even.
Much too soon, we pulled up outside of our hotel on a narrow street. Dane grinned when he saw the crestfallen expression I must’ve been wearing. “Sleep first. We’ll explore tomorrow.”
To my surprise, he took my hand as we walked inside, holding it throughout the checking-in process and all the way up in the elevator. The hotel was quintessential old-fashioned luxury and opulence.
Thick carpets covered the floors. There were gold accents everywhere, chandeliers hanging from the roof, and maroon drapes in front of the windows.
Dane handed me my room key when we reached our floor, tipping the porter as he rolled my luggage into the room and helped us offload it before he left. When we were alone again, Dane strode to the windows and motioned for me to join him.
“Tell me this view doesn’t make you feel so much better about everything,” he murmured when I went to stand next to him, his fingers linking with mine as we stared out at the view.
It was gorgeous. Orange lights reflected off the channel of the Seine, soft music filtered up to us from the street, and I could hardly wait to explore all the narrow paths and alleys I could see from up here.
Turning my head and looking up, I found Dane’s eyes already on me. “You’re right. This will be worth it even if I do end up putting my foot in it tomorrow.”
He chuckled softly, lifting a hand to tuck my hair behind my ear. “You won’t put your foot in it, Leah. I have complete faith in you, and so does Jefferson. Having said that, it’s getting late and we haven’t eaten. We should probably try to get to bed soon so we’re not completely jet-lagged tomorrow. Are you hungry?”
I shook my head, staring up him and seeing the lights from outside glittering in his eyes. The shadows made his features seem sharper, but the way he looked at me was all soft. He was so much taller than I was, but he didn’t tower over me. He just made me feel petite for once in my life.
“What are you looking at like that?” he asked, keeping his voice light as the backs of his fingers brushed my cheek when he withdrew his hand after tucking away my hair.
“You,” I said. “You’re beautiful.”
“Right back at you.” He smiled, then cocked his head. “So, dinner?”
“Not right now,” I said, bringing my hands up to his chest before winding one around the back of his neck. “Right now, all I want is you.”
His smile didn’t fade as he dipped his head lower, whispering against my lips before he claimed them. “Your wish is my command.”
The kiss started out slow and gentle, but we soon lost ourselves in it again. This time, when he moved to undress me, I didn’t stop him.