Page 94 of The Paris Roommates: Dean
“That’s a relief.” His laugh came through a tight throat, and when she took his hand and squeezed it, the move felt like her own declaration.
Her gaze stayed on him, and the rest of the room fell away. “He has so much to offer, but he’s still not completely sure he doesn’t have to entertain others or win them over to get it. I’d say he has one of the biggest hearts I’ve ever come across, and I’m really lucky we’re together.”
He touched her face and then decided to kiss her softly on the lips because he couldn’t form a simple sentence after that exceptI love you, and this was not the moment to say those words out loud for the first time.
“Nice, Jacqueline,” Madison announced, giving her a little salute as he came back to reality. “You’ve pegged our Dean.”
“Down to the whole big heart thing,” Brooke said with an appraising look. Dean hoped she saw something that would help her worry less. “We’re really careful with him because of that.”
Kyle snorted. “Not always, but we’re getting better at the whole supportive thing. Right, man?”
They shared a glance. All their differences seemed to fall away. They were just two guys who wanted the same things: love, friendship, and success. “Yeah. Come on. Let’s party. Little sister is only thirty once.”
The presents came out early at Brooke’s insistence, and Thea cried out in delight at the leather hand-tooled shoes she opened, which matched a sunny yellow dress and a frilly one in pink.
“Open mine next, Thea,” Dean called out, his arm slung around Jacqueline’s waist.
Ever the organizer, Brooke handed her the correct gift after eyeing the name tags. Thea was grinning as she carefully opened the wrapping paper, Jean Luc standing beside her. When she opened the box, she looked up, her eyes swimming with tears. “Oh, no, you didn’t.”
“What did he do?” Brooke asked, leaning in and then giving a huge gasp. “Wow, Dean. That might be the best gift ever.”
“They’re all great,” Thea said as she held up the new chef’s uniform he’d had made for her with the name of her bakery emblazoned on the front with the new logo he’d helped her design. “But this is going to make me cry buckets. Thank you, Dean! It’s like holding my dream in my hands. I can’t wait to walk into my bakery wearing this and bake my first bread.”
She crossed and kissed him on the cheek, hugging him tightly. “You’re welcome, sweetheart. But you should look in the box again, because there’s another little present that goes with it.”
Flying back to the unwrapped box, she ruffled through the white paper and started to laugh. “It’s one for Pierre. Oh, this is fabulous! Pierre, consider yourself a member of my new staff. That is, when Madison can spare you.”
The parrot squawked as she walked over to where he was perched on Fabiana’s shoulder. Hopping onto Thea’s arm, he seemed to grin as she took off his cape and fitted him with his new bakery uniform. “I adore it!” he called with a whistle, flapping his wings for dramatic flair.
“He’s so happy,” Jacqueline murmured to Dean. “You really do know how to give gifts, don’t you?”
“I consider myself a man who senses what someone really wants and tries to give it to them,” he answered, thinking about the cave and how both of their dreams were now wrapped up in it.
“You’ll have to see what I got you later,” she whispered to him as Thea tore into another present. “It’s not a housewarming present per se, but when I saw it, I thought of you.”
Touched, he kissed her again, but quickly since the party was going on around them. “I can’t wait.”
They watched Thea finish opening her presents, the last of which was a beautiful rose gold necklace fitted with antique enameled flowers that had her hugging Jean Luc tightly.
“Vintage. Art Deco.” Brooke touched the necklace Thea held and whistled, not caring that the couple was embracing. “That’s a gorgeous find, Jean Luc.”
“Brooke,” Sawyer called, “I know how you love shiny things, but let the couple have a moment.”
“I have a final present,” Nanine said from where she’d been sitting silently in the corner.
Come to think of it, she’d been awfully quiet since the day Kyle had shown them the new house. He studied her thoughtfully. She held her champagne flute in the crook of her arm, and while her beautiful face sported her favorite Chanel red lipstick, she looked tired. Was it her heart? Or was she having trouble adjusting to them moving out? Maybe she was even worried about the auction tomorrow? Then he thought about all she’d gone through with the betrayal of her daughter and the changes with the restaurant and wondered whether she was simply feeling the blues. Or cockroaches, as it were.
Kyle picked up a large present from the corner with a grunt.
“Need help there, Kyle?” Madison asked snarkily.
He shot her a look and then walked over, extending the present to her. “Feel free.”
Her breath puffed out as she took it from him. “Okay, I’ll withdraw my shot at you. Nanine, you rob a bank of gold bars or something?”
She set it down carefully on the coffee table as Thea and Jean Luc broke apart. Dean noticed Thea was now wearing her necklace as well as that dreamy look she’d had since first meeting Jean Luc. He wondered if he looked that sappy with Jacqueline and then chuckled. Didn’t he have a handkerchief on him for drool emergencies?
Thea tried to lift the present and grunted, but she managed to heft it. “You’re not kidding. I wonder what it could be, Nanine.”
