Page 76 of The Paris Roommates: Dean
“God, he’s so bossy,” Brooke said as they rushed forward.
No, he’s horny, Sawyer thought, and then decided he’d prefer to wipe that thought from his mind.
They all followed Kyle down an arched but cobbled entryway big enough for a small car that led to a garden of spent roses, autumnal flowers, greenery he didn’t know by name, and a few small trees. Kyle fitted a brass key he extracted from his pocket into a lock. He pushed the towering door open with a grunt and held it open.
Sawyer followed everyone into the well-lit entryway. A sinuous staircase with wide stairs, very Art Deco, dominated a space lined with large windows, one of which was done in stained glass in the shape of a peacock. A dazzling antique chandelier suspended from the vaulted ceiling beamed captivating prisms on the walls.
Fabulous. Sawyer wandered to the right, where there was a salon, empty of furnishings but sporting a jaw-dropping white marble fireplace with feminine curves under a vintage golden mirror. The whole place had a Haussmannien style to his eye, with its understated white walls, intricately carved wall and floor crown molding, black iron balconies visible outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, herringbone parquet floors, and French doors between rooms. His artistic soul loved it.
Kyle cleared his throat before saying, “Welcome home, guys. I…had to jump on it. It has six bedrooms, a rarity in Paris—”
“Oh my God!” Brooke exclaimed, running her hand along the mantel. “On the way here, I figured you might be taking us to the apartment, but I thought I had to be wrong when you let us into this place. You bought an entirehôtel particulier? How did you not say anything?”
Sawyer watched as Thea and Madison’s mouths dropped open along with his. Yeah, he hadn’t suspected either.Thiswas their new home? “Holy shit, Kyle!”
“It is a very nice accommodation,” Jean Luc said in his French way, “and incredibly rare to come by.”
“Exactly.” Kyle cleared his throat again. “It’s also close to Nanine’s and Thea’s bakery and Jean Luc’s. I had to—”
“Of course you did!” Brooke launched herself at him, hugging him and giving an uncharacteristic chortle. “It’s awesome! You so have to let me chip in.”
He kissed the top of her head, his eyes scanning the others. “We’ll talk about it. We have plenty of space for an office. The courtyard makes a second entrance possible. Sawyer, come with me, please. Madison, will you stay right here? I’ll be right back. The rest of you can wander upstairs only right now. Okay?”
“More secrets?” Brooke hugged herself. “Kyle, this is the best thing you have ever done!”
“What she said,” Sawyer breathed as he tried to take it all in. “How old is this place?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” Kyle answered with a grin. “I have the complete history for you to read, but it was built in 1632.”
“You’re spoiling me, Kyle,” Sawyer said, clutching his heart. “I’m never going to want to live anywhere else.” But he still had almost a year to figure that out…
“That’s the idea, Doc, because I can’t imagine life without you again,” Kyle said, making his throat tighten. “Brooke, I’m hoping you’ll work with everyone to decorate it for us,” he told her.
“Are you kidding?” She practically jumped in her heels. “It would be an honor.”
He glanced back to where Madison stood stock-still, clearly speechless. “There’s a reason you can’t come up here yet, Mad, okay? A good one.”
“Mad?” Brooke arched her perfect brow. “Is that a new pet name?”
“Come on.” Sawyer slung his arm around Brooke’s shoulders and guided her to the stairs. Brothers had to stick together. “I’ve got dibs on the biggest closet.”
“Oh, no, you so do not,” Brooke told him with a happy gasp.
“My feet fit the staircase!” Thea exclaimed and then gave a delighted shriek.
Sawyer found himself cracking a smile. “Jesus, Kyle, this crib is ridiculous. Like rap-star ridiculous.”
“Actually, the former owner was a Russian mogul who got his assets frozen and had to liquidate,” Kyle informed them. “Ambre called me and I made the deal in under fifteen minutes.”
“When was this?” Brooke asked. “I could never have kept this to myself.”
“Hurry, guys!” Kyle took the top steps two at a time. “I don’t want to leave Madison alone for too long. This is the first floor with bedrooms, but we’re going to the top floor.”
“Four levels.” Brooke was breathy, and it wasn’t from the hike up the stairs. “Is there an elevator?”
“There is,” Kyle said, running up the stairs now. “You can take it down. I thought you’d want to see the floors on the way up.”
Sawyer’s heart was already pounding from the flight up the stairs, but if Kyle and Brooke could do it, so could he. God, he’d never been one to obsess about being in shape, but his long walks around Paris surely didn’t count as cardio.
