Page 89 of One Time in Paris
“Sometimes.”
She grinned. “Lucky for you, I like dangerous men.”
His hands slid into the back pockets of her jeans, and he tugged her closer still. “I’m trying to be a safe man for you, Miss Skye.” His lips grazed her jawline, then the soft spot of her neck, just below her earlobe.
She wanted nothing more than to sink into his arms and relax into his realness. He was late, but he washere.That counted for something. For a lot, really. But the last time she’d been hurt about him not calling and texting, she’d let him off the hook easily. Maybe too easily. Perhaps she needed to be clearer this time.
Drawing a sharp breath, she stepped back and set her hands on his shoulders. “So, I guess you didn’t catch that flight this morning? Did your phone stop working, too?”
“No. Well, the phone did die at one point, but that was partially because I missed my flight and then was on it for a while. I tried to get a standby on commercial and then I decided I’d had enough obstacles trying to get to you. So, I called the firm that handles our jet and then had to wait for the chartered flight out here. And then I had to drive from Nashville. I would have flown to a regional airport, but it wasn’t much closer, and the rental car selection was better in Nashville.”
She searched his face for a moment, her brain trying to put all the versions of him together. He was the wealthy CEO, the boy she’d known since childhood, son of an earl, military officer. In the blink of an eye, he could go from formal attire and look just as natural and suave in jeans and a T-shirt.
And he just chartered a flight on his private jet to get to me.
Maybe that deserved a kiss.
Her lips twisted for a moment. Or maybe she was looking for a reason to let him off easily.
She stepped back, guilt sloshing in her stomach as he quietly folded the kissing booth sign and slipped it into his pocket. “Did the negotiations go well?” she asked, forcing distance between them—not only physically, but with their discussion. She didn’t want him to suffer, but the last two days hadn’t felt safe—not even close.
“They...” Aiden sighed, then glanced around the carnival. “They were fine. Boring. Tedious. But they went well enough. Were you leaving?”
She nodded. “Boyd cut us out early and told us to enjoy the carnival.”
“If you’re tired, we can go,” he said gently.
“No, it’s fine. You just got here. I don’t want to pull you away from something fun and interesting.”
“The fun and interesting part of this carnival is standing right in front of me.”
She swallowed, reminded of what Tomas had said the day before. “Really? Tomas practically called me boring yesterday.”
“What does Tomas know? He was foolish enough to let you go, wasn’t he? The man’s judgment is clearly flawed.” He glanced around the booths. “What’s good to eat here? I’m starved.”
“Depends. Do you like your food slick with oil or covered in powdered sugar?”
Aiden’s lips twitched, and he gave her a wicked side-eye. “If you’re trying to tempt me to think about something other than food, you’ve succeeded.”
“Oh, stop.” She elbowed him in the ribs. “I’m serious. It’s carnival food. The options either come with the potential for a heart attack or diabetes—there is no in between. Don’t make it sexual. You keep talking a big talk anyway and then don’t put out.” Then because she couldn’t resist, she added, “Of course, maybe you prefer hot dogs. Maybe a good kielbasa or Polish sausage?”
He laughed and caught her by the waist, tucking her back against him. “I’ll show you a sausage, you lunatic woman.”
She squealed with laughter, squirming to get away from him, but he held her fast, the scruff of his jaw nuzzling her cheek. “You won’t be proving anything. You, sir, have not yet earned your way back into my pants.”
“Oh no?” Aiden released her and slipped his hand into hers. “What do I need to do? Win you a stuffed tiger? Offer myself as the victim at a dunking booth? Buy you some candy floss?”
“Mmm, I’ll take all of that and more.” She gave him an exaggerated wink, thrilled by the feel of his hand in hers. It felt so normal. So natural. So real.
“What does Tomas know? He was foolish enough to let you go, wasn’t he? The man’s judgment is clearly flawed.”
Truthfully, Aiden knew her better than most people, except Davy. He was also trying to look past their obstacles, and even though it took longer for him to get here, it was only due to circumstance, not choice.
Maybe I am being too hard on him.
“Did you ever imagine this? Us?”
He gave her a sidelong glance, his eyes both gentle and filled with a frankness that warmed her. “I imagined you. In fact, I’ve been imagining you quite a bit since that night at the guesthouse. But us? Not quite.”
