“A warning?” he asked her.
“Something like that,” she answered, not wanting to go into the symbolism at the moment.
“Later?” he asked, taking the half-empty glass from her.
“Yes.” She smiled and pulled him back onto the bed.
This time, as they moved together, she paid very close attention to his needs. She’d been too wrapped up in her pleasure earlier.
“Let go,” he urged her. “When you’re pleased, I get my pleasure,” he said next to her ear.
It was all the encouragement she needed. She shifted and focused on what he was doing to her body. Instantly, she felt herself building up once more.
“Yes,” he encouraged her. “That’s it.” He kissed her until she felt herself slip gently off the massive cliff that was her orgasm. This time, however, she felt Blake join her. His body tensed above her own and then moments later, he shifted to lie beside her.
“I don’t want to move,” she said with a sigh.
“Then don’t,” he said next to her ear.
“Hm, I have to be back in the city in the morning. Filming starts pretty early.” She inwardly groaned.
“You could get a few hours of rest first. Then I’ll drive you back to your hotel myself,” he suggested.
She thought about letting herself fall asleep in his arms. Taking the time to enjoy the feeling of sleeping next to the man who had just pleased her three times in the past hour. Sighing, she laid her head on his chest. “A few hours.” She closed her eyes.
“Alexa, set an alarm for three hours,” Blake said just as she drifted off.
The alarm woke them both, and she was far more refreshed than she would have thought she’d be. Stretching, she leaned up and kissed Blake just before he rolled out of bed.
“How about a shower first?” he asked, his eyes running over her.
“I would love a shower.” She followed him into the large, attached bathroom. “You wouldn’t happen to have a change of clothes somewhere?” she asked.
“My sister’s room is just through there.” He motioned to the door directly through the bathroom.
“Sister…” She thought for a moment, trying to remember the logistics of his family.
“Ann and Ethan, her husband, visit at least twice a year with their three kids,” he said, turning on the shower. “She’s bound to have something in there that will fit you.”
He pulled her under the warm spray. “Ahh, so it’s not true what they say about these old castles and their plumbing.”
He chuckled. “My mother and I spent an entire summer remodeling these rooms.”
She glanced up at him in surprise. “You did?”
He rubbed shampoo through her long hair, and she practically purred at the touch.
“Yeah, I was ten and was still struggling a bit,” he said, a slight strain in his tone.
“Because of your kidnapping?” she asked, feeling relaxed in his hands. He tensed for a moment, but then answered after he sighed.
“Yeah. My mother figured that if I was busy working, I wouldn’t have time to think about what had happened to me.”
“Did it work?” she asked, glancing up at him.
He smiled. “Yeah, I still use the method. It’s why I built my place outside of Atlanta.”
“You built your home? Yourself?” she asked. She’d seen several pictures of his massive barndominium. The place was picturesque.
“Yup. Turning an old barn into a home was nothing compared to working with plumbing and electric that was several centuries old,” he joked.
“I bet.” She glanced around. “I wondered why your rooms and the bathroom were much newer looking than the entryway and the other parts of the house that I’ve seen in pictures.”
“The rest of the château is preserved for events and historical purposes. But here, in the family wing, we did what we wanted to make it more comfortable.”
“I like it.” She ran her hands over his chest. “I like this too.” She enjoyed the way his muscles seemed to jump under her light touch.
“You’re driving me crazy,” he said before he kissed her.
“Good.” She sighed and wrapped herself around him.
The drive back into Paris seemed to take longer than the drive out to the château. Maybe because this time she wasn’t entertained by Blake’s kisses? Instead, she watched the dark countryside. Less than ten minutes after they started driving, the sun rose over the city.
“Wow. I’ve been to Paris more times than I can count, but I’ve never seen the sunrise over the city before,” she admitted.
“It’s a lot different than a sunset,” he said. “For one, there are a hell of a lot fewer people out and about.”
“Somehow it makes it a lot nicer,” she admitted as they drove through the empty streets.
“In an hour or so there will be thousands of tourists and locals rushing around. But for now, it’s all ours.” He reached over and took her hand.
She sighed and wondered if he knew just how romantic he was.
When they pulled into her hotel, she was thankful that he parked along the empty street and pulled her into his arms to kiss her.
“I’d like to see you again,” he said, and she felt her heart skip with joy.
“I’d like that too.” She thought about her schedule. “I’m shooting from eight to noon the next five days. Then I have two days off. It switches to noon to eight the following six days.”
“Where are you filming?” he asked.
“All over, really. Two days we’re in the Champ de Mars, then we’re at the Louvre. They’re trying to secure the Château Versailles for the last week of shooting, but I hear it’s not going well. We may have to finish the last week in a studio back in the States.”
Blake frowned slightly. “What if…” he started but then stopped.
“What?” she asked, not wanting their time to be cut short or, for that matter, for them to be talking about her work.
“What if you could get your hands on another château?”
She blinked and, maybe it was the lack of sleep, but at first she didn’t understand him. Then she gasped. “For real?”
He chuckled. “It would be a perfect excuse to see you again.”
She kissed him and then sighed. “I’d hoped to see you again tonight.”
He frowned slightly. “I have a meeting that will probably run late. If I can swing it.” He glanced up at the massive hotel building.
“I’m in the deluxe suite. I’ll add you to the approved list of guests.” She smiled. “And…” She pulled out her cell phone and sent him her contact info. “Not that I’m desperate or anything,” she added with a smile.
He chuckled and pulled her back for another kiss. “The thought hadn’t crossed my mind.”
Two hours later, she was sitting in makeup being berated by Carlos about the bags under her eyes when Blake’s first text came through.
“We forgot your dress this morning. I’m having it delivered to your hotel suite now. Along with a little something else. Don’t read too much into it, or, well, if you like it, do. Thanks for bumping into me last night.”