She nodded, smiling. “That’s one of the things I enjoyed most about living in Paris. All the fresh foods available at the markets.”
“So, tell me, Victoria. What was the real reason you were in Paris that summer? I now know you weren’t really a student at the university.”
She turned to lean against the kitchen counter. “I was a student, but not at the University of Paris. I was working on my master’s at Tuskegee University and was awarded the chance to spend the summer in Paris to work at the botanical gardens.”
“And you speak fluent French?”
“Yes. My maternal great-grandmother was French. She and my great-grandfather met when he was in the area during World War II. She taught her daughter, who was my grandmother Adele, to speak it, and my grandmother taught me.”
“You have family here?”
“None that I know of. According to Gramma Adele, my great-grandmother’s family practically disowned her when she married an American and left Paris. Over the years, she lost contact with them.”
She paused a moment. “I’m surprised you didn’t ask Alexia and Quinn about me, once you discovered my identity.”
“I thought it best not to ask a lot of questions. Quinn and Alexia are both sharp and would have figured things out in no time. It was obvious from the way you handled our introduction that you preferred that no one know we’d previously met. Why was that?”
Even with the distance between them, he could see Victoria nibbling on her bottom lip, something he knew she did whenever she was nervous about something. “If my cousins, Sebrina, Monica, and Kennedy, had known we knew each other, they would have figured out you were the one.”
He lifted a brow. “The one?”
“Yes. The first guy I’d ever slept with. It would have placed both of us in an awkward position. It was bad enough that they couldn’t understand why I was avoiding you and you were avoiding me. I eventually told them the truth. So, it’s not a secret any longer.”
She didn’t say anything for a minute, and then asked, “What about your brothers? Do they know our history, as well?” Referring to their one-time tryst as history sounded a lot better than calling it a one-night stand.
He nodded. “Yes, Cobra and Colton know. When they arrived in Paris, they picked up on my foul mood. I told them about a girl I’d met named Adele, and how we’d spent one night together before she’d disappeared.”
He decided not to fill her in on the years in between quite yet. “The night I saw you at Alexia’s party, they knew me well enough to realize something was wrong…especially when I flew back to Savannah the next day. The three of us had planned to hang out in Los Angeles for a few days. They questioned my abrupt change in plans, and wouldn’t let up until I told them the truth — that you were the woman who’d run out on me in Paris.”
A guilty feeling rushed up her spine. But she couldn’t deal with it right now, so she changed the subject. “How do you plan for us to get to the market?”
He pushed away from the doorjamb and walked toward the kitchen area. “I’ve rented a car. It’s parked in the back.”
“Oh.”
He looked at his watch. “I thought you might want to rest up a bit before we go anywhere. I’m sure I don’t have to warn you about jet lag.”
She chuckled. “No, you don’t. The meals the flight attendants served were good, but I’m still kind of hungry.”
He nodded. “Then I suggest we leave now and go to a café and grab something to eat before heading for the market.”
“That would be great. Just give me a few minutes to freshen up.”
“Okay.”
He watched as she left the kitchen and walked toward the bedroom…the one they would be sharing.
CORTEZ TOOK VICTORIA TO a café that was located not far away from their villa for lunch. On the drive there, he told her the history of this part of Paris and how it was a favorite for vacationers because of the scenery. The last time she was here, she’d spent a weekend with other students harvesting grapes and had found the experience really interesting.
One of the things she’d loved most about Paris was its open cafés where people could sit outside. Although this was January, normally known for its rainy days and cold weather, today was an exception. It was bright and sunny and warm, so they decided to sit outside, taking in the view of the numerous vineyards.
She was surprised when Cortez led her to the two-seater sports car he’d rented. He claimed it would have room for any items they bought at the market, but she wasn’t so sure. But it did have a powerful engine. That was evident on the drive to the cafe.
“How’s your lunch?”
She glanced up from her plate to see him looking into her eyes. How long had he been watching her? More than once, his gaze had shifted from her eyes to her mouth. And when that happened, she could feel the heat of his gaze on her lips. Breaking eye contact with him, she glanced down at her plate again. “Everything was delicious. I love French food.”
“Me, too.”
She took a sip of her wine. “So, tell me. Did you ever come back to Paris after that time we met?” Victoria figured it would probably be best if she didn’t skate around that night she’d spent with him. They needed to talk about it if they were going to be able to put it to rest.
“No, but I had planned to come back the next year, to look for you.”
Victoria nearly choked on her wine.
“You okay?” he asked, concern in his features.
She cleared her throat. “Yes, I’m fine. Did you just say you were planning to return…to look for me?”
“Yes. The way you left that morning really bothered me. I even wondered if maybe I’d somehow hurt you. After all, it had been your first time.”
He took a sip of his drink and then added, “I was determined to find you, Victoria. The only reason I didn’t make it back was because I’d just taken a job with a law firm and hadn’t acquired enough time off to make the trip.”
She broke eye contact with him, considering his words. Surely, he’d known he hadn’t hurt her, especially when he had taken such good care of her afterwards. “You didn’t cause me any pain, Cortez. I assured you of that back then.”
“Yes, but you cried.”
Why did he have to remind her of that? He had asked her about that at the time. Now, it seemed, was a good time to explain things to him. He deserved that.
“The reason I cried was because you made my first time beautiful, Cortez. More beautiful than I had expected.” She thought about what Monica had said about her first time. “I’d heard so many stories about how awful it might be, how much it might hurt. But you made it special. You were kind, tender, and considerate.”
What she’d told him was the truth. The moment he’d realized she was a virgin, he had wanted to stop. She had been the one to encourage him to continue. He had been everything she’d just told him he was. He hadn’t rushed through it like Monica’s first lover had done. Nor had things been awkward, like Kennedy had said about her first time.
Sebrina had never shared any details of her first time with Wade, but Victoria had a feeling it had been pretty good. When Sebrina had been seventeen, she’d returned home from spending the summer with her father, proclaiming that the deed was done. She was in love. Then, a year later, right before Wade left for college, he had sent Bree a “Dear John” letter, breaking her heart.