Page 97 of Succumbed

Pausing to kiss the top of my head, he drops into the chair next to mine with a wide grin. Early morning light fills Paris around us, a warm glow suffusing the lush space outside our suite. It’s stunning. How is this the first time I’ve seen more of France than my hotel or a conference room?

“I like bikes of all kinds.” I take his hand and squeeze it. “Thank you for this, by the way. I can’t believe you conspired with Miles to clear a full day.”

I can’t remember the last time I truly took a day off. Linc confiscated my phone earlier, promising to give it to me if something urgent comes through, but otherwise adamant about it being off limits.

“Thank Shane for that bit.” Linc shudders. “Your assistant is terrifying.”

I laugh, not denying it. “So, bikes?”

He gestures grandly toward the city. “There’s so much to see and not much time to see it.”

Shane appears in the doorway and makes his way toward us leisurely, two cups and saucers in hand. He offers one to me with a gentle smile.

“Where’s mine?” Linc blinks big puppy eyes up at his friend.

“Inside.”

Pouting, Linc stands and brushes by him. “Rude.”

Shane drags a chair closer to mine with an indulgent grin. “Sleep okay?”

He wraps an arm around my shoulders, and I melt into him. He opted for a fitted navy henley today, the top two buttons open and showing a flash of his ink, and dark jeans. I’m tempted to throw Linc’s plans out the window and drag them both to my bedroom.

“Yeah.” I nuzzle my face into his neck, breathing him in. “It’s lonely in there, though.”

He snorts. “Your choice, Lex. Linc and I are more than happy to keep you company.”

Sighing, I take a sip of coffee. While I recognize boundaries are a good thing, it’s getting harder to abide by my ‘no strings’ rule. And staying overnight with one of them feels like a massive fucking string, let alone both.

“Pretty sure Declan would’ve lost it if we’d all piled into a room together last night,” I murmur.

Surprisingly, the flight to Europe was lovely. After Declan scraped his jaw off the tarmac and boarded Athena’s jet, we all fell into easy conversation. We took a few hours to go over the presentation plans, refining each of the guys’ roles and giving Declan a chance to rehearse until he recited it flawlessly with an easy smile.

Once the business was done, Linc leaned over the table eagerly, a sparkle in his caramel eyes.

“We’re going on a date tomorrow,” Linc announced. “All day.”

My eyebrows rose. “What?”

“Dec did a fellowship in Paris during his MBA, so he hooked us up.”

“Did you really?” I turned to the man in question.

He shrugged. “Got to know the city pretty well. Still have some friends there.” His emerald eyes bored into mine. “You deserve to experience the city properly, at least once.”

My breath had stuttered at the sincerity in Declan’s gaze as he delivered that weighty line. We spent the rest of the flight talking about Paris. I shared more about the clients I’d traveled for and, when he wasn’t regaling us with memories of the city, Declan listened intently. He asked questions about the people I’d worked with and where they were now. It was the most we’d ever conversed without a biting remark, and something warm and fragile bloomed in my chest.

As we were beginning our descent, talk turned to logistics. Miles had shared the name of the hotel on our itinerary weeks before, but I’d kept the details to myself. I did it partly for the surprise, but mostly because I was a bit embarrassed by my extravagance.

“The hotel looks central.” Linc smiled. “Made it easy to plan. How are we rooming, by the way?”

“I had Miles book the penthouse. It has a terrace with the best view in the city. Supposedly.”

“Whoa, that’s dope. Will you let us crash?”

I chuckled. “The terrace alone is over three thousand square feet, Linc. I think we’ll all manage to fit in the same four-bedroom suite.”

Shane presses a kiss to my head, bringing me back to the present.

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