Because if I was going to take her to dinner—if I was going to do this right—I needed to not look like a sleep-deprived lunatic with chocolate on my face.
I needed to go back to The Sanctuary. Get some actual sleep. Maybe shower. Possibly figure out what the hell I was doing with my life.
I signaled the waiter, paid the bill, and stood.
My legs felt heavier than they should have. My body was finally catching up to the fact that I'd been running on adrenaline and spite for the better part of two days.
As I walked back toward The Sanctuary, I replayed the afternoon in my head.
The kiss.
The coffee.
The way she'd looked at me.
The way her hand had felt in mine.
And somewhere between the cobblestones and the fading daylight, I realized something that should have terrified me.
I wasn't just protecting Mila because it was the right thing to do.
I was protecting her because I couldn't imagine a version of Paris—of my life—where she didn't exist in it.
Which was a problem.
Because men like me didn't get to keep women like her.
We just got to borrow them for a little while and hope we didn't break them in the process.
By the time I reached The Sanctuary, my body was screaming for sleep.
Ellsworth opened the door before I could knock, his expression neutral but his eyes sharp.
"Mr. Ward," he said. "You look like you've had an eventful day."
"You could say that."
He stepped aside, letting me in. "Shall I prepare dinner?"
"No," I said, heading for the stairs. "Just wake me up in four hours. I have plans."
Ellsworth's eyebrow lifted slightly. "Plans, sir?"
"Dinner," I said. "With a woman."
His expression didn't change, but I swear I saw the ghost of a smile. "Very good, sir. I'll ensure you're presentable."
I stopped at the top of the stairs and looked back at him. "Ellsworth."
"Yes, sir?"
"Do you know any good restaurants in Paris? Somewhere that doesn't involve orgies or pretentious assholes?"
This time, he did smile. "I believe I can manage that, sir."
"Good," I said. "Because I'm taking her somewhere nice. And I'm not fucking this up."
"Of course, not, sir."
