Page 18 of Falling for Paris
“Pardon moi?” Stupid, really, how he couldn’t keep up with a simple conversation when she distracted him.
“See it through my eyes. I don’t have plans today. Why don’t we take a walk after this?”
“I, well,” he was about to reject the idea but he couldn’t come up with a reason.
“It’s part two of my mother’s advice, remember?”
“A glass of water or a walk outside. Or both,” he stated fondly.
“Exactly! Let’s go.” She gathered their plates quickly and was already halfway through tidying up before he jostled himself into action. At some point, while cleaning, he realized he was looking forward to this walk to…wherever.
Rafael braced himself. He hadn’t spent an afternoon alone with a woman in a while. But she was so strikingly unique. Brazen one moment, sweet the next. And endlessly enticing to be with. He didn’t mean physically, although that was undeniable, as his constant semi-hardness reminded him. He couldn’t remember fantasizing this much about anyone. And the way she yielded to his grip and blushed at his words made him want to hold her more and tell her every fantasy he had. So much for semi-hardness. He shifted uncomfortably, moving to hide his erection under the worktable.
Still, despite the intense reaction she drew from him, it was more than surface attraction. Shealteredhim. He was a gruff and serious man, made worse by his lack of socializing. But with her, he wanted to be different. Not to socialize, exactly; that still made his skin crawl. With her, it was more like moving through the day without dread.
I’m going to let things happen and hope for the best.
Rafael wasn’t convinced that this was possible for him but, surprisingly, he found himself willing to try.
He insisted on waiting in the street while she placed the dessert in the apartment fridge. Tori rushed, changing her sweaty shirt for a nicer blouse and dabbing a bit of lip gloss. She found herself fussing with her hair in front of the mirror before being startled into a renewed sense of hurry. What if he left because she took too long? Tori was upset just thinking about it, which made her feel silly.
She forced herself to slow down. One thing she promised herself after the divorce was that she would no longer be on a man’s schedule. If he left, he left.
She didn’t dwell on the rush of relief when she saw him casually leaning by a streetlight. Handsome and confident, Rafael drew tons of attention from people. It was like walking with a celebrity. They wandered side by side, his long strides almost languid in order for her to keep up. He pointed to a few landmarks before they entered a garden, the oppressive swelter of the city tempered by lush grass.
“Jardin des Plantesis beautiful this time of year.” Rafael pointed down a path flanked by wildflowers. “It houses the Natural History Museum, if you’re interested.”
“Maybe next time. I’d like to stay outside. I can’t get enough of these flowers,” she gushed. It was stunning, the lanes of color surrounding her with an explosion of pinks and yellows and oranges. The sound of rustling leaves and laughing children. The feel of grass between her toes when she removed her shoes. Everything around her felt new and exhilarating. And the man who walked beside her? He was the most exhilarating of all.
Now that they were alone, more of his personality peeked through. She knew about his sex appeal and haughty demeanor, his obvious brilliance and famous reputation. But now he was sort of sweet and maybe a little reserved, like he had a secret he was thinking of sharing. She craved that secret for herself.
“I miss my garden,” Rafael stated wistfully. “My house is in the country.”
“I heard you mention it to Helena; that you were spending the weekend away from Paris. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
“It is public knowledge that I have been away from Paris for a while.”
“Why is that?” she asked as they continued to stroll between fragrant shrubs, passing a family laying out a picnic. “Every guest chef mentioned a version ofglad to have you back, Rafael. Like you were a long-lost friend.”
He didn’t answer right away. It was clear that she treaded on sensitive ground. “You don’t have to answer that. I don’t mean to be nosy.”
“When I was diagnosed, I stopped cooking for people.” He spoke blandly. “I don’t know why I said that, since you didn’t ask. Ridiculous, really.”
She halted half step, forcing him to face her. “I’m sorry for your diagnosis. But even I know you can’t lose a skill like cooking, no matter the illness. You stopped cooking for people? That’s not ridiculous. It’s a tragedy.”
She refused to regret her impassioned statement. This must be why he lectured and interviewed and instructed but never cooked in front of the class. The knowledge made her heart ache a little. A man who dedicated his life to a craft he could no longer perform? It was heartbreaking.
His face contorted as if he was about to say something, but a second later, Rafael was as impenetrable as a stone. She realized that whatever she said right now would be construed as intrusion into his personal life.
“Where should we go next?” she asked, hoping to lessen the unease that darkened their sunny stroll.
“Have you seen the Pantheon? We aren’t far from the Latin Quarter.” He offered his shoulder to lean on while she slipped back into her flats. Tori tried not to think about the muscular ridges under her fingertips.
They continued through city streets. They passed by Pantheon-Sorbonne University, where young people gathered on patios with their coffees and books and chatter.
“Some of the most famous French authors and thinkers are buried here,” Rafael said while they stood outside the Pantheon’s impressive facade. “Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Marie Curie.”
“I love how French people honor their authors and intellectuals like they’re celebrities.”
