With a wave of her hand, Cecile said, “Okay, before you give my friend a heart attack, I’m calling a halt to this.”
My attention remained on Wren. I leaned a little closer, lowered my voice, and asked, “Sorry, am I coming on too strong? So I shouldn’t ask you to leave with me? Have a meal. Just the two of us?”
While gulping down more water, Wren began to choke. Her face went deep red. She stood and gasped for breath between coughs. I walked around to her side of the bar. Concern momentarily replaced desire. “Are you okay?”
I gave her back a pat, and she belched. If she’d been embarrassed before, she looked ten times that when she realized how loud it had been. It was adorable.
“Oh my God. It’s the bubbles from the champagne,” she croaked. “I don’t usually drink at all.”
“Those bubbles will get you every time.” I laughed. “Okay now?”
The deep breaths she took brushed the side of one of her breasts against my arm, and heat rushed through me. I stepped back because it was already too tempting to kiss her despite our disapproving chaperone. Alone with Wren, that bar would have been the perfect height for how I was imagining starting my exploration of her.
Her tongue flicked across her bottom lip. Oh yes, we were on the same page. Time to lose Cecile. I cleared my throat. “So, work will keep Felix off the grid for a while. He said he’d call you when he’s feeling—when he’s back in town.”
In the throbbing silence that followed, Cecile sighed. “I don’t believe you about where Felix is, but if he doesn’t want me to know what he’s up to, I’m reasonably certain I don’t care to hear the details. You can tell him I’ll be out of here in the morning, and he is welcome to call me, or not, when he returns.” She stood and walked over to the door of the apartment. “Thank you for delivering his message.”
Wren opened her mouth, then shut it as if changing her mind. “Nice to meet you, Mauricio.”
I wasn’t one to give up that easily. I looked around, found a pen, and wrote my number on a paper napkin. As I handed it to her, I purred into her ear, “I’m in Paris for several more days. Call me.”
I heard the catch in her breath and saw desire flame in her eyes. I didn’t need to pursue. She’d call.
I told myself to step back and walk out of there with a clear victory. I remained rooted, though, looking down at her until I gave in to the pull and brushed my lips over hers. Softly. Just a taste.
Her mouth opened slightly, and my tongue swept in. Hers danced with mine briefly. Hot honey and fire. I was barely in control when I lifted my head and stepped back.
She raised a hand to her lips. I waited. Would she leave with me? She wanted to. “Goodbye, Mauricio,” she said in a husky voice.
It was a struggle not to kiss her again. “Talk to you tomorrow,” I said, then winked.
Cecile opened the door as I approached it. She was shaking her head with disapproval. As I passed by her, she placed a hand on my chest to halt me. “I’ll get my own place, but I’m not leaving Paris. I invited Wren for a visit, and her safety is my responsibility.”
I frowned. “I’ve never hurt a woman in my life.”
She lowered her voice so only I could hear. “I know your history, Mauricio. Stay away from my friend. You’re not her type.”
“Shouldn’t that be her choice?” I couldn’t help but add, “Or are you jealous because I’m the one she won’t turn down?”
She dropped her hand, and a smooth, cold smile stretched her lips. “There are very few people I give a shit about, but Wren is one of them. Break her heart and I’ll kill you.”
“Her heart? I’m not looking for anything that intense.”
“I know.” With that, Cecile closed the door in my face.
CHAPTER FIVE
WREN
No matter how far I was from home, what I’d just realized was that I was still painfully, awkwardly, myself. I don’t know what other women do when they encounter drop-dead gorgeous men who show interest in them. I hid, said almost nothing, nearly choked to death, belched, kissed him like I knew him, then said goodbye as if everything that had happened was normal.
I looked down at the napkin in my hand. “Talk to you tomorrow,” he’d said with a wink. Cocky bastard. Oh yes, because whatever I’d come to Paris for, he was certain he could deliver.
Physically impressive? Yes.
Humble? No.
But that kiss . . . it had lit something in me, a yearning so strong that not kissing him back hadn’t been a possibility.
Cecile came to stand beside me. “Don’t even think about it.” She reached for the napkin, but I stuffed it in my jeans pocket.
“I’m not going to call him.” Even as I made the affirmation, I wasn’t sure I meant it.
Hand on hip, she challenged, “Listen, I’m the last one to judge anyone’s decisions. You do what you want, but that guy—he’s a player. You’ll only get hurt.”
Okay, hang on. “Didn’t you just tell me I needed to loosen up? You have a fuck spa. One you invited me to dinner at. How would seeing this guy be worse?” I made a pained face. “Not that being with you and Felix would have been bad, just crowded.” I stopped there because it was uncharted territory to me and I didn’t want to offend her.
She threw up her hands. “You don’t need to justify your refusal. It was just an offer I tossed out. Let’s move past it.” She walked behind the bar and poured herself a glass of rosé. “Want one?”
I shook my head. “I caught a buzz from the champagne.” I groaned. “I can’t believe I burped in front of Mauricio. It’s really not hard to figure out why it’s been so long since I’ve had sex.”
Wineglass in hand, Cecile sat down on the white leather couch. “Stop. You’re beautiful. All you need is a little confidence. Men are not complicated. Feed them. Fuck them. Let them have their freedom. Really, that’s it.”
I sat beside her, tucking my feet beneath me. Despite loving her as I did, I wasn’t sure Cecile was my best choice as a relationship guru. “I’d like to think there’s more to them than that.”
Cecile laughed. “Maybe it’s me, but I prefer to keep things simple. I like my men the same way. Mauricio fits the description of my type, and that’s how I know he’s wrong for you. If Felix had come back and you had stayed, that would have just been about having fun. Tomorrow, maybe things would have felt a little awkward at first, but we’d be solid. Sex. No sex. We’d still be friends. Mauricio’s the kind of guy who sweeps you off your feet for a week, feeds you a whole fantasy, then doesn’t know your name the next time you meet up. Look me in the eye and tell me you could handle that.”
My shoulders slumped. “I don’t know. I’ve never been swept off my feet. I’ve had sex. No sweeping. Nothing worth bragging about.”
Cecile took another sip of wine and pursed her lips before she said, “I do think you need to get laid. And you could do a lot worse than that guy. Maybe I’m wrong. I’d just hate to see you get hurt.”
When your wild friend cautioned you not to do something, it was hard to dismiss her concerns. Objectively speaking, I didn’t know a single thing about Mauricio. Couldn’t even claim we had exchanged witty dialogue that won me over. Anything I might have with him would be purely on a superficial level. “You’re right. Sleeping with him would be wrong.”