Although they’d spent the entire day together, Brianna was in no rush to return to the hotel.
“Do you like Jacques Dubois movies?” Collin asked, his smile oh-so-sexy. “His new movie, Irresistible, is playing outdoors at the Parc de la Vilette, and I was hoping we could check it out.”
“I think I better pass. His films are sexually explicit and I’d be mortified if I ran into someone I know.” Or a crafty photographer, she thought. She could see the headline now: Brianna Hamilton Spotted at Public Orgy in Paris! Brianna didn’t want her time with Collin to end, but she wanted to keep a low profile, not end up on the front page of the New York Post.
“You seem to care a lot about what people think.” Collin touched her hand and ever so gently stroked her warm skin. He wore a puzzled expression, and his voice was filled with curiosity. “Why is that? Why does it matter so much to you?”
His fingers grazed the inside of her wrist, and Brianna almost moaned out loud.
“Everyone cares about how they’re viewed by others,” she said, her tone breathy and thick. It was a struggle to talk when he was touching her, especially when all she could think about was how much she wanted him. “Don’t you?”
“I used to, but after my marriage fell apart, I stopped caring about a lot of things, and the public’s perception of me was the first thing to go.”
“You were married? For how long?”
“Five years and some change.”
“Do you have children?”
“No, but not for lack of trying.” Collin chuckled, but his laughter sounded forced. “Family is important to me, and I hope one day to find a woman who feels the same way. Someone who wants to live a normal, quiet life and have a bunch of kids....”
Brianna felt an ache in her chest, and the pain quickly spread to her heart. Her hands were shaking, but she managed to pick up her water glass and take a long sip. Brianna didn’t believe in love and thought the notion of everyone having a soulmate was a crock of bull, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want children.
She did. Badly.
Having a child out of wedlock wouldn’t go over well with her parents, but she’d recently met with a family counselor to discuss the adoption process. Brianna was shocked to discover agencies frowned on single-parent homes, and when the counselor encouraged her to return once she was married, Brianna scowled. That was never going to happen again. Not on her watch. She wasn’t interested in being in a serious, committed relationship. They didn’t work and didn’t last, and Brianna was smart enough to realize the only person she could depend on was herself.
“Would you ever get married again?”
Brianna puckered her lips and furiously shook her head. “No way. Been there, done that. Advancing my career is my top priority—not finding Mr. Right and riding off into the sunset.”
The waiter returned with their bottle. “More wine?”
Collin nodded, and once the waiter filled their glasses and departed, he raised his glass. “To escaping,” he said, proposing a toast.
“And to a day at the spa because Lord knows I need it!” she said, hoping to lighten the mood.
They clinked glasses and tasted their wine.
“It sounds like you could use some serious R & R before heading back to the States.”
“And some gourmet chocolate from Pierre Hermé,” Brianna added, licking her lips. “Their desserts are to die for, and it doesn’t matter how stressed out I am—one bite of their scrumptious gingerbread cake and I’m happier than a shoe addict in Carrie Bradshaw’s closet!”
“I’ve never heard of the place.” Collin scrawled his signature on the bill and slid his platinum credit card back into his leather wallet. “But I have heard of Ben & Jerry’s. Want to check out the one on the second-floor platform?”
“You know it. I love ice cream almost as much as I love Dating in the City!”
Chuckling, Collin strode around the table and helped Brianna to her feet. “When do you have time to watch that crazy reality show about those bougie socialites from NYC?”
“I record it and watch it on the weekends. I wasn’t kidding when I said I had no life.”
“You like to kick it at home after a long day at work. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“That’s what I keep telling my family, but they think I’m turning into an old maid.”
“You’re too fine to be an old maid, and besides, if you were, you wouldn’t be here with me.” Collin flashed her a smile and offered his right arm. “Ready to go paint the town red?”
Brianna laughed, but leaving Le Jules Verne on the arm of the best-looking man in the restaurant thrilled her. Near the door, a group of twentysomething women were enjoying dinner, but the table fell dead quiet as she and Collin approached. Someone whistled and then all of the women were talking at once.
Ooo la la!
Il est absolument délicieux!
Ils sont le couple parfait pour avoir un trio!
Brianna shook her head. Right, she thought, rolling her eyes at the slender redhead wearing last season’s stiletto boots. As if I’d ever share this gorgeous man with you and indulge in a tawdry threesome. On Saturday, when Brianna left Paris, Collin would be a distant memory, but tonight he was hers—all hers—and she wasn’t interested in adding another woman to the mix. Not even a woman wearing an RHD dress. A dress she’d personally designed for their fall collection.
Ten minutes later, Collin and Brianna left the Eiffel Tower, holding ice cream cones and each other. “Let’s walk over to the Rue Saint-Dominique,” Collin said. “Our ride should be waiting.”
The streets were filled with students, businessmen on their way home clutching designer briefcases and doting mothers fawning over their children. Lights glowed in the distance, car horns blared and the air held a sweet, fragrant aroma. Brianna appreciated the city’s rich heritage and vibrant culture, but what she loved more than anything was observing the fashionably dressed Parisians strolling the tree-lined streets. She could spend hours sitting on a café terrace with her trusty sketch pad, watching Parisians amble by and never grow restless or bored.
Paris was still considered by many the fashion capital of the world, but New York was poised to knock the city of lights off her throne, and Brianna was prepared to do whatever it took to make it happen.
“How was your ice cream?” Collin asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin and tossing it in a nearby garbage can. “Did it hit the spot?
“Yes, but now I’m stuffed.” Brianna patted her stomach. “When it comes to sweets, I have absolutely no restraint, so please stop buying me delicious, high-calorie treats!”
They shared a laugh as he took her hand in his and stared into her eyes. Brianna was so overcome with emotion she felt her heart swoon. It was amazing that such a simple gesture could make her feel so special, so cared for.
Every time Collin touched her, Brianna had to remind herself to breathe.
Brianna heard music playing and spotted a guitar player sitting under a lamppost. Collin stopped and tossed fifty euros into the man’s tattered plaid cap placed by his feet for tips. A small crowd had gathered around the musician, and although he sang off-key in a hoarse, throaty tone, Brianna recognized the Beatles tune and hummed along. She was singing to herself when it happened.
Collin slipped his hands around her waist,