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“No. I’m meeting a new friend there.”
“Who?” Paul asked.
“Wyatt. You must see his designs.”
He grinned. “Okay. I’ll try to come back as soon as I can to see you.”
“Just like old times,” I murmured and hugged him. “Don’t make it too long.”
“I won’t, baby.”
He kissed me again, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Thank you for tonight. For all of tonight,” I whispered, and he held me tighter.
“We should go, too, Paul,” Ingrid called over. “I need to feed Bobby.”
“Oh, yes, Bobby,” Paul echoed, and they laughed.
“Your dog?” I asked.
Ingrid nodded her head. “Yes. He has a trainer that travels with me, but I like to do a lot of it myself.”
“So you came all this way with Paul for his short visit?” I said in a light tone.
She squinted but smiled. “I had things for Bobby here, so I took the ride. Anyway, it’s so nice to meet you.” Her tone was cheery, but it still felt dismissive.
Paul took my hand, bringing my attention back to him. “I’ll be right back.” He placed his arm around my shoulder, and I held on to his waist and we walked out of the house. “The visit was too short. Are you sure you can’t stay and have dinner?”
“I wish I could.” He kissed the side of my face. “You can call me anytime, and I’ll try to get back. Now.” He stopped us by the car door, took a deep breath, and held me at arms-length. His gaze washed over me, drinking me in, as his lips spread into a dazzling smile that struck me with awe.
“You’re so handsome,” I whispered.
“You’re beautiful.” His expression turned earnest. “Laurence will stay close by, okay?”
“That’s fine with me.”
“You’re so accommodating. It’s sexy.”
“It is,” I echoed. He kissed me and squeezed my waist playfully, and we laughed as he helped me into the back of the car.
He leaned his head inside. “Have fun and know it’s what I want for you.” His tone turned serious.
I cupped his face and rubbed the hair on his jaw. We kissed twice. “Go.”
“She’ll be fine,” Laurence whispered behind him. “I’m here.”
Paul moved back from the car door, and Laurence squeezed Paul’s shoulder and closed the door. But we stared at each other through the window. He went to stand in front of the house. Ingrid came and joined him. Her hand rested on his arm, but that wasn’t what bothered me—or at least, not the only thing. There was something about the way she looked at him that reminded me of the gossip magazines.
Yearning.
And I wasn’t sure if I should worry.
Nadia: I’m on my way.
Wyatt: à bientôt
See you soon. I’ll be fluent in no time.
The press and photographers were out, but they were being held back behind barricades with tourists by security. Goosebumps broke across my skin, and my pulse turned erratic. Where the stars went, the media came—or so the saying goes. I wanted to leave, which meant I needed to go on. I took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves. All I have to do is go inside. I’ll be fine.
