would we want to be hidden?”
“Because that’s when I plan to kiss you.”
Her head drops to my shoulder. “And here I’ve been waiting since we finished dinner.”
This woman has surprised me all day. From the flower choice this morning to her going along with my plan at the Louvre to her asking me on a date right before I was going to ask her out, and then agreeing to give me her next twenty-four-hours, I think I’ve underestimated her all along. I’ve met many women here in Paris over the years and become fairly good at figuring out their motives before they hit on me.
That’s not Beth, which makes me wonder if she’s truly ready to spend the night with another man. For me, I’m already planning how to see her again, but I’m not sure where she stands. The last thing I want to do is cause her more pain. It took me years to snap out of the daze I’ve been living in. How can I expect her to move on just a few days after her breakup?
The car stops, and the driver comes around to open the door. As I help her from the back seat, I notice her eyes go wide, and a glint of excitement is bright in her irises. Every new adventure with her is like Christmas morning. She makes something I’ve done a million times feel like the first time all over again. She makes me feel alive.
As the private boat cruises down the river, Beth ping-pongs from side to side, front to back, and every other way as though she’ll miss something if she doesn’t. God, she’s gorgeous. Along with her red lips, the thought of kissing her has consumed my mind. I’ve had so many opportunities, but I’m starting to realize she comes alive when she’s living in the moment versus a romantic plan.
Not that all plans are bad. Some are necessary. But a first kiss needs to be special and at the perfect time in the perfect place. So I take the pressure off and just enjoy the scenery. When we return to shore, we hop back in the car. “I’m not sure how you’re going to top that first dinner with a view, then a romantic cruise. We could end the night now, and it would still be the best night of my life.”
“Mine too.”
Caressing her cheek, I lean forward. Her eyes staring into mine, her lips quickly licked, and she leans in. When she closes her eyes, I embrace her lips with mine, kissing her as I’ve wanted to since the moment we met. Just as I thought—delicious.
Chapter Five
ROB
I should feel bad, really awful.
I don’t.
Seeing her sitting across from me at my favorite hideaway with bee-stung lips flush from kissing me on the car ride only gives me a sense of pride. I run my thumb over my lower lip in a poor attempt to hide my smile.
Beth snaps her compact closed. “Well, I always wondered what I’d look like with lip injections.”
“Gorgeous both ways, though I don’t think you need the injections.”
“Definitely not with you around. But on that note, what do I need?”
Cocking an eyebrow, I reply, “That’s a loaded question.”
“What can I say? I’ve decided to live my life in the implications.”
I rest forward, entirely enchanted with her. “You have me curious what that means?”
“It means that maybe I need to stop caring about what others think and do what feels right for me.”
“That’s excellent advice,” I say, taking hold of her hand. “Your boss?”
“Nope. That’s all me. You can quote me on it.” She winks. Her laughter is lighthearted as her delicate fingers entwine with my rougher hands. A lifetime of harvesting grapes will do that to your skin. I used to hate spending those months doing the labor, but now I see the value. It’s easy to get caught up in New York life— the fast pace, the endless energy, and the pressures of carrying my family’s winery forward for the next one hundred years.
There’s something really beautiful about producing something from the ground up—literally. “I think I’ll join you.”
“Rob?”
“Yes?”
“Following my heart means revealing it. I like you.”
“I like you too.”
She laughs, dissipating the tension that could’ve built between us. “We’re here, so I figured that part was mutual.”
“But? I feel a but coming on.”
“But I have a feeling you’d be easy to fall for, and that worries me.”
She stares at me, her smile gone, but our connection is still electrifying. I want