“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said dryly. “But I have recently discovered I can read all my newspapers on this infernal thing.
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. That made him sound every bit as old as his nine hundred years. I kept the thought to myself. Of course, he wouldn’t be doing anything as silly as games. I’d seen the stack of newspapers his assistant brought to his room the morning after our first night together. “It’s a bit more convenient.”
“Indeed.” He dropped the phone into a cup holder and turned toward me. “We have a day or two until the first event. There seems to be some question about the official schedule.”
“Oh.” I blinked as I processed this. “I thought we had to be here by tomorrow.”
“Time operates differently in Paris. Anyway, this will give you a moment to acclimate to the jet lag,” he said, “and perhaps shop.”
“Shop?” I raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin.” Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined shopping in Paris. Mostly because just going to Paris had seemed so out of reach. “I’d rather be with you.”
Julian leaned closer, angling his head to plant a kiss on my neck. “It’s too tempting when you wear your hair up,” he warned me. Then he sighed. “We have all night, and I suspect you will need to add some items to your closet before the events begin.”
“Is there something wrong with my clothes?”
“No, you are perfect.” Another dizzying kiss. “But you will need more than one dress.”
“Oh.” That made sense. “Sorry, I’m not used to anyone noticing me. I’m usually stuck in a corner with my cello.”
“I suspect you’ve been blind to the attention you receive,” he said.
“I doubt that.” It was laughable. I’d never had anyone so much as offer to buy me a drink at an event.
“I do not.” His eyes raked over me, slowly erasing any doubt he meant what he said.
But I was preoccupied with something else he’d said. “Oh no.”
“Is something wrong?” He went rigid, already on guard to deal with whatever troubled me.
“I should have brought the cello!” Why hadn’t I thought of it? I’d been too preoccupied with my underwear and toiletries. It was just more proof that I was an amateur traveler. “We’re here for two weeks. How will I practice?”
“I’m sure we can find one in Paris.” Julian dismissed it like the oversight meant nothing. “I’ll have Celia see to it.”
“Promise me it won’t cost half a million dollars,” I said firmly. I didn’t care how much money Julian had, even if by all indications he had a lot. I didn’t need to run around collecting priceless instruments.
“If you wish.”
I narrowed my eyes. That was too easy. “Or more than half a million.”
This earned me a low chuckle. The sound buried itself in my stomach and grew warm tendrils inside me. “Ahhh.” Julian tipped my chin up with his index finger and kissed me. “Now you’re learning, pet.”
Before I could make further stipulations regarding his generosity, the Bentley pulled to the curb in front of a limestone building that rose four stories up. In a city like San Francisco, it might look short, but in Paris, it stood proudly amongst its neighbors. The street itself was quiet, compared to the city we’d driven through so far, and comprised of a dozen similar buildings. Each with its own beautiful doors and wrought iron balconies.
“Allow me to get the door,” Julian murmured before vanishing with superhuman speed out his side of the car. I waited dutifully, eager to avoid any more growling if I could. Philippe seemed nice, and I didn’t want him to lose his head by upsetting the overprotective vampire. My door opened, and Julian extended his hand. I took it, noticing as I rose from the car that Philippe had stayed far away from my side of the car. Apparently, he didn’t want to lose his head either.
“It’s beautiful,” I said softly. The building’s arched door boasted a swirling Art Deco design that looked so Parisian I could scream. Above it, a pair of balconies distinguished each individual floor. Bright-pink flowers grew in planter boxes hanging from each railing. In the twilight, the whole thing took on a rosy glow that made me feel strangely content. I’d been here all of an hour, and I already felt at home.
“Shall we?” Julian guided me toward the entrance.
Before we reached it, an older gentleman opened the door and stepped to the side gracefully. “Welcome home, sir.” He paused, tipping his head to greet me. “It is a pleasure to have you with us, Mademoiselle Melbourne.”
“Thank you,” I said brightly, reaching to shake his hand.
He blinked rapidly as he took it, and I realized I’d made my first American mistake.
“Am I supposed to kiss his cheeks?” I whispered to Julian.
His laughter bellowed through the massive, two-story entry and bounced off the marble floors back at us.
“I’m sure that Hughes would prefer you did not.”
“The master is correct,” Hughes added, shifting uncomfortably. “I am just a butler.”
I managed a smile, wondering if I could look up proper French greetings online.
“Would you like the tour?” Hughes said.
I opened my mouth to respond, but Julian beat me to it. “Please.”
The butler led us farther into the foyer, where a grand piano sat untouched next to a pair of double doors. Heavy drapes hung around it, pulled to the side with thick braided cords. But it was what I glimpsed just beyond the glass that stunned me.
“Is that…”
“The reason I bought the place,” Julian said, taking my hand and leading me over to the doors. He opened them to a stone terrace. Unlike the iron ones facing the street, this one looked out over a long green space, and just past it, the Eiffel Tower rose in the evening sky. Julian urged me onto the balcony so I could get a better look.
I had expected to find the tourist landmark cheesy. How could it not be? But just as we stood there, it flashed into a thousand points of light, the beginning of a spectacular light display.
“I’m told the locals hate it,” Julian whispered as he moved behind me. His strong arms wrapped around me and drew me close to him. “It’s for the tourists.”
