Page 92 of Angel Eyes

My lips quirked. “Not a chance. You already owe me a rain check to visit your favorite restaurant. You’ll have to make good on that promise first before I give you any more.”

He chuckled, tucking me under his arm. “Fair enough.”

The train whisked into the station, tossing leaves and debris in the wind as it came to a stop with a screech, and we crowded inside along with a few dozen other people.

“There’s a seat here,” Gabriel said, guiding me to the rear of the car. “You take it.”

I shook my head as the train lurched into motion. “I don’t want to sit if you’ll have to stand the whole way.” Last I’d checked, it was a thirty-minute journey.

The corners of his mouth twitched. “Well, you could always sit on my lap.”

My gaze snapped up, noting the silent challenge in his eyes. Did my belly flutter at the thought of spending half an hour in Gabriel’s lap? Yes. Was I about to back down when he so obviously thought I would? No way.

I lifted a shoulder. “Sure, why not?”

His face fell in open surprise and I smiled, relishing the satisfaction of catching him off guard. Planting a hand on his chest, I gave him a gentle shove down into the seat, and his eyes flared with heat. “Careful, angel.”

I slid into his lap, pushing my hips up his thighs until I heard his sharp intake of breath. I peeked over one shoulder. “Why’s that?”

“Play with fire and you might get burned.” As if in demonstration, he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of my shorts, dragging his thumbs along the crease of my hips. I pressed my lips together, sealing off a moan. If he was trying to get me to wave the white flag, he was doing an expert job of it.

I swirled my hips in retribution and Gabriel groaned against the nape of my neck.

“How about a truce?” I whispered, eyeing a vacant seat. “I can move across the aisle.”

“I don’t think so.” Gabriel shifted beneath me and every soft place on my body turned molten when his hard-on pressed against my ass. “If I’m not getting relief, neither are you.”

“Seriously?”

He smirked, folding his hands behind his head. “Starting to regret your life choices?” I rocked on his lap again and let out a squeal when he banded an arm around my waist.

“Behave,” he hissed in my ear. “Instead of making my life flash before my eyes, why don’t you tell me what you want to see while we’re in Versailles?”

“Well, the Palais Royal, for starters.” I paused, hesitating.

Gabriel nudged my cheek with his nose. “Come on, Chandler, don’t be shy. If I know you, you’ve already thoroughly researched the entire palace and its history.”

“All right, but just remember you asked.” I extracted a guidebook from my bag. “I’m interested in touring the private apartments of the royal family, particularly those of King Louis XIV. Did you know he was called the Sun King because he identified with Apollo, the sun god?”

“I did, but tell me about it anyway. I love it when you talk nerdy to me.”

Warmth rose in my cheeks, though whether it was at the mention of the word love or the way he dragged his unshaven jaw against the crook of my neck while saying it, I couldn’t say.

“Well, apparently, the king’s bedchamber was strategically placed so it faced east toward the sunrise. Every morning, he had a rising ceremony where a valet would draw back the curtains and address the king with the customary phrase, ‘Sire, it’s time.’”

Gabriel huffed a chuckle. “Humble guy.”

“Right? I think his preference for gold décor really drove the point home.” I flipped the page. “Besides that, I’d love to see the Chapel, the Opera Royal—oh, and the famous Hall of Mirrors. And then, there are the gardens, the groves, the fountains, and the orangery, which has over one thousand trees, including palm trees, pomegranate trees, Eugenia—” I let the book fall to my lap. “We might not have time to see it all.”

“Yeah, it might be difficult, but I’ll do my best to make sure you see everything you want.”

Everything I want.

“What do you want? It’s not just about me, you know.”

He tugged me closer, his arms tightening around my center. “I already have what I want.”

“I’m serious,” I said, ignoring the way my heartbeat spread throughout my entire body. “I want to know what interests you too.”

---