Am I that needy? That full of myself that I think I can change a man just by virtue of forgiving whatever darkness lies beneath the surface?
Well, no. I just know that humans are complex creatures. That we make snap judgments of one another all the time, without really knowing why people behave the way they do, without understanding their motives. If you’d asked me ten years ago where I’d be today, never in a million years would I have said I’d be a call girl, earning money for my sister’s future. If you’d asked me a month ago where I’d be, never would I have imagined I’d be in Fabien’s bed in a stately home in Paris about to earn two million dollars.
Life is funny like that.
“You’d better finish that up. You have some… how did you put it…comfortable clothes that fit you perfectlyto put on before we head into town.”
“Do you have perfect recall?”
He nods. “Something like that. I remember details.”
“Ah. I suppose that suits the line of work that goes hand in hand with that closet full of disguises, then?”
“It does.”
“It’s an interesting… side job for someone of your stature, though, isn’t it? What do your brothers think? Your mother?”
“Of what?” He’s fully clothed in casual pants and a tee that fits him so perfectly I want to run my hands along his sculpted biceps and pecs.
I decide to go for broke. He hasn’t lied to me, so I won’t lie to him. “That you’re a con artist.”
“Oof. When you put it that way, it sounds terrible.”
“Well then, let’s not talk aboutmyjob.”
“Deal. And to answer your question, only my brothers know because I’ve used my specific skill set before. My mother has no idea, and she really prefers to not be involved in any of our business.”
“That’s fair. Not sure I’d want to know what my mafia sons were doing either.”
He snorts.
“Alright, so I know I said on the plane a perfect day included shopping. Well, since we’re here in Paris... I’m thinking that I’d like to modify that a bit. Do we have enough time before the wedding?”
He glances at his phone. “We do.”
“Alright, so instead of shopping, which I could do literallyany dayand totally will once I make two million dollars, I was thinking that I’d rather give those disguises a go. Maybe we can even call it… practice.”
When he turns to me, there’s a fire in his eyes that stokes my own curiosity. “That’s probably the sexiest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
A warmth of pleasure courses through me at his approval. “Is that right? I’ve said a lot of sexy things, so that’s really something.”
Seconds later, the breakfast lies forgotten and Fabien shows me exactly how he rewards sexy talk.
“I thought…” I say, panting, my body sweat-slicked and so sated I want to crawl under these covers and sleep again, “we had to go.”
“We do,” he says into my ear. “Why aren’t you dressed yet?”
I grin. “Let’s come up with a plan.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Fabien
An hour later,Nicolette and I walk hand in hand along the Seine. Near the metro station, facing Quai Saint-Bernard, we stroll past Le Jardin des Plantes,the Parisian botanical gardens. Many tourists like to visit here, as it features a museum of natural history as well as a zoo and tropical hothouse. Nicolette is all about the gardens, though. Sometimes I wonder if she’s part fairy.
An open-air sculpture museum catches her attention as well, as dancers have begun to practice.
“We could pretend to be salsa dancers,” she whispers to me.
