It was like a trigger had been pulled, and finally, Emily broke down, sobbing into the crook of his neck.
Nicolas rubbed at her bare back as she cried out her insecurities. “Silly woman.”
His right hand went up to comb through her hair as the other held her tightly to him.
“I’m going to love you anyway. Until the day you tell me not to. Even then, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop. For as long as I live and love, I will never not need you in my life, baby. So don’t hold all these insecurities in your heart.Please.It tears me apart.”
She lifted her hand to caress his stubbly cheek. “I’m sorry.”
“My satisfaction comes from you understanding, not apologizing.”
She nodded before pulling him in for a sweet kiss. “I get it. I won’t do it again.”
47
The car drove through the service entrance of the Louvre, its tinted windows reflecting nothing but the glow of the outside lights.
Nicolas stepped out first, offering his hand to Emily. He had been adamant on her having at least one more memorable experience before they went back home. Apparently, the first stop was the closed off museum.
David and the now four bodyguards followed them closely as they made their way inside.
“Are we…allowed to be here?” Emily whispered, even though she knew the answer. Nicolas’s team seemed like they could make almost anything happen at this point.
He smiled, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. “For tonight, we are.”
They wandered through the galleries, guided by lights. Two staff members stood in close proximity, making Emily look up at Nicolas.
“Don’t worry about them. It’s precaution.”
She leaned into him, her voice barely above a breath. “I’ve never seen it like this,” she said, referring to not onlythe Da Vinci painting, but the entire space. It felt magical. Even with his bodyguards a feet away.
“That’s the point,” he murmured. “You deserve a version of Paris no one else gets to see. Paparazzi or not. It’s still your honeymoon.”
“Ourhoneymoon,” she corrected him.
He grinned. “Sorry, baby. Our honeymoon.”
They kept moving, the bodyguards on their tail, before they paused in front of the Winged Victory of Samothrace. The statue towered above them like a guardian. The air smelled faintly of stone as they glanced up at it from a few steps below.
She turned to Nicolas as his hands settled on her hips. “You must like this one. I know you’re a fan of Greek mythology. From the figures in your study and the paintings on the walls at home. That’s why I got you the gift I did from Leon.”
“I am a huge fan.” Her lips began to spread slowly at the look he was wearing. “But I’m an even bigger fan of that smile on your face. Are you happy, Em?”
“Sohappy. Thank you for taking me here.”
She had been here before, but somehow it had become even more special with Nicolas present.
“My pleasure,” he said.
They spent a couple more minutes looking around, appreciating the arts before Nicolas aired, “Like I promised, this isn’t the end of your sightseeing.”
He ushered her back outside and into the waiting car. She tried to guess where he could possibly take her now. The museum felt like the most private place possible outside their hotel. Unless he’d rented out a restaurant or something.
Minutes later, when the car slowed in a parking garage near the port, Emily realized she’d been thinking far toosmall for a grandiose man like Nicolas. She really shouldn’t have been given the scale of his proposal.
“We’re here,” he announced, getting out and opening her side again.
When they reached the waters, the bodyguards swept through the boat first, making sure everything on board was as it should be. Meanwhile, David spoke with the captain and the two crew members. A moment later, he gave Nicolas a small nod, a silent confirmation that everything was clear.
