Page 93 of Her Devils

He kisses the tip of my nose. “I’m the king of the no strings attached deal. Friends with benefits are a way of life for me. I guess you could call me the OG heartbreaker.”

I give his solid chest a playful slap. “Ha. That heartbreakers bullshit made it all the way to France, huh?”

JeanLuc nods, a mischievous look in his hazel eyes. “I know you were staying away from social media last year, butchérie, we have Facebook and Instagram in France.”

I tease him mercilessly. “Really? Do you guys even have TikTok?”

He releases me from his hug, keeping my hand in his. “If there’s anyone who can tame the heartbreakers, I think I’m looking at her.”

I hope he’s right. “Even the OG?”

He threads his fingers through mine. “You know I think you’re beautiful, Len. I always have. And this new version of you is incredibly sexy. I’m not talking about the makeover yourgrand-méregave you. I’m talking about this new confidence you have. I can see how your new friends helped you find that confidence. Maybe what we need to find out is if you helped them discover a part of themselves they didn’t know they had. As for me, I just haven’t found the woman who makes me want to stop chasing all the others.”

“Maybe that woman doesn’t exist,” I provoke him.

“I’ve never really felt the need to find her until recently,” he admits, his expression suddenly serious.

“Really? You’re tired of having a woman of the day?”

He shrugs. “I used to look up to Patrick, as you know. The last time he visited Paris, I was allowed to drink champagne with him and my father. The wine made them nostalgic, and they were remembering their teenage years when my father got yours that role as a stuntman in one of his blockbuster movies. He joked that yourpapàhad more women than him, and that tarnished his French movie star and heartthrob status. I used to look up to Patrick, as you know, and I was surprised to hear that. I’d always seen him as a family man, totally in love with Gina and smitten with you, so I asked him what made him change.”

I hang onto his every word. I’m always eager to hear Mom’s, Kyle’s, and anyone else’s tales aboutPapà. Through their memories, I get to know him better and see sides of him I didn’t notice as a child. I get to see him not only as my wonderful father, but as a best friend, a husband, and a mentor.

“What did he say?”

JeanLuc shrugs. “That the moment love with a capital L slapped him in the face, he had no choice but to grab it with both hands. That yourmamangrounded him, and ironically, that emotional stability gave him the drive to step up his career and dare more in the skies.”

I think about it for a second. That sounds exactly like something mypapàwould say.

“Maybe I’m starting to reach that stage too, Len. I’m taking my career to new heights with the BASE jumping project and facing my third consecutive victory at worlds in skydiving, but I feel like I’m missing that anchor Patrick was talking about, so I slowed down on the number of women I hang out with.”

That surprises me. It must be a recent change, because he certainly wasn’t slowing down a few months ago. “So now you have a woman of the week rather than a woman of the day?” I tease him.

He shakes his head. “Would you believe me if I told you that since the last night you were in Paris, when we almost kissed, I haven’t been with anyone?”

His gaze is suddenly intense, and I don’t know what to make of it. “Really?”

“Yeah. When I didn’t kiss you, I realized that I wanted someone who meant more than getting off and moving on. I knew it could never be you,chérie, because your heart was taken, so I’ve been looking around, but I haven’t met anyone who piqued my interest until the other night at the party after nationals.”

I’m immediately curious. “Really? Who?”

“Your blonde friend, Sarah. She’s beautiful, and I wanted to ask you if you could invite her to come to Paris with us.”

What?

I mean, Sarahisgorgeous, but I need to make sure JeanLuc is serious about this. “I don’t know, JeanLuc,” I say, losing all the mirth of a few moments ago. “I’d love to bring Sarah to Paris, but I don’t know if I should.”

He looks taken aback. “Pourquoi?”Why?

“Because, JeanLuc,” I bite out, “you say I’m not the fling type, but Sarah isn’t either, so if you’re just looking for a quick fuck with an American girl, I suggest you go out clubbing tonight.”

He looks straight into my eyes when he assures me, “I’m not looking for a quick fuck, and Sarah gave me her number when I asked the other night, but I think an invite to Paris this soon might give her the wrong message. It would be different if it came from you.”

I look at JeanLuc. Just like Darrius, he’s known me my whole life, and I know him like the back of my hand.

“I’d love to have Sarah with us, but you have to swear to me that you’re going to treat my best friend the way you’d treat me,” I say, using my scariest tone. “Hurt her, and your parachute failing during a jump will be a desirable outcome compared to facing me. Are we clear?”

He knows me too well to be seriously intimidated, but he knows I mean business. “Crystal.” His hazel eyes shine with honesty. “I have no bad intentions. I want to get to know her and explore the spark I felt when we met the other night. If I think, at any point, that I’m not feeling it, I’ll be honest and let her down gently.”

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