Page 16 of Angel Eyes

She continued to watch me, her eyes iridescent in the sunlight, and I held on to her gaze, soaking in every shade of green, the flecks of yellow at the center.

“I lost it,” she said after a long silence. “Your number, that is.”

I stared at her, my shoulders plummeting as I registered what she was telling me. She lost my number. She didn’t call because she lost my number. I kept my face impassive even as my chest exploded with relief.

“So, I was thinking, if your offer still stands, maybe we could check out an art museum sometime?” She reached into her canvas bag and retrieved a folded piece of paper, handing it to me. “Here’s my number since, you know, I obviously can’t be trusted with yours.”

“Thanks,” I said, my voice suddenly hoarse.

“Cool,” she said, her lips curving into a smile so pretty it came dangerously close to giving me a heart attack. “Well, see you around maybe.”

Tucking her bag under her arm, she started down the street, and I watched her go, my heart speeding up the farther away she got.

It wasn’t too late to forget this whole thing. I could let her walk away and never call, let the past week fade into a distant memory. Everything could go back to how it was before.

Before her.

“Hey.” I kicked off the door, striding toward her. She slowed, glancing at me over one shoulder, and I dragged a hand through my hair. “You hungry?”

Six

Gabriel

“Fermé pour renovation.” Juliet hooked a thumb into the waistband of her shorts as she peered at the sign hanging in the restaurant window. “And that means …”

“Closed for renovations.”

I fished my phone out of my jeans pocket, the muscles in my jaw working as I suppressed a groan. Just my luck that my favorite restaurant would be closed on the one day I wanted to bring someone here.

I was a regular at this spot in the Saint Germain des Prés district, having developed a taste for its classic French cuisine with an innovative twist shortly after moving to Paris. The food was phenomenal, but the best part was it was often overlooked by tourists because of being tucked away on a narrow side street, thus making it the perfect spot to enjoy a meal in peace. It was the first place that came to mind after Juliet agreed to grab lunch with me, but now I wished I’d thought of a backup. The last thing I wanted was to take her to just any old bistro.

I wanted to take her somewhere memorable.

Juliet shaded her eyes with her hand, the sunlight catching in her hair, and I swiped a bead of sweat from my brow, scanning the search results for restaurants in the area.

Nothing looked appealing.

“Is it too late to make a reservation somewhere else?”

I looked up to find Juliet’s face arranged in a hopeful expression. I grimaced. No doubt my expression was one of regret at having blown this outing with her so spectacularly.

“Unfortunately, most places will be closing soon until they open again for dinner, so …”

I was about to suggest we take a rain check when she shrugged, smiling at me as if she wasn’t at all bothered by this information. “That’s okay, we can just go back to my place.”

My mouth hinged open before I could stop it, and I snapped it shut again as the beginnings of a blush dotted Juliet’s cheeks.

“Oh, my God. Talk about an embarrassing case of word vomit. I didn’t mean to imply—that is, I only meant we could go to my place and I could cook us something. Only if you want to, of course. No pressure.”

I watched her fidget for several seconds, suppressing a grin before finally taking pity on her. “All right, I’ll agree on one condition.”

Her brows lifted. “Oh? Um, okay …”

“Give me another chance to bring you here.” I bobbed my head toward the restaurant, and her gaze followed mine to the darkened windows, our eyes meeting in the reflection.

She watched me for a long moment and I thought she might say no. But then her lips tilted into a smile. “Deal.”

Juliet’s apartment was the picture of Parisian style with high ceilings, herringbone floors, and tall double windows overlooking the street. I stepped into the foyer as she closed the door behind me, my eyes sweeping over the place she called home.

---