Dark. Thick.Nice.
Not bald like I had suspected. I mean why else would anyone be so obsessed with wearing ahat?
“Satisfied?” Hesmirks.
“Almost.” I point to hisglasses.
“Lauren, wait. I need to tell yousomething.”
Those words are never the start to anythinggood.
“What? You’re not quitting, are you? I’m just beginning to likeyou.”
He cocks his head and licks his lips. “Really? Justbeginningto likeme?"
“Jack.”
“First of all, my name isn’t reallyJack.”
Oh crap, is this where he tells me he’s some murderer on parole orsomething?
I put my spoondown.
He goeson.
“My name is Jaxson. Jaxson Malone. I, uh, came here to help my grandfather with the limobusiness—”
“Wait. You’re Peter’sgrandson? That actor / model he’s always braggingabout?”
He rakes his fingers through his hair. “Yep, that would be me. I-I didn’t know my grandfather spoke about me. Mycareer.”
“Every chance hegot.”
He flashes a grin. “Anyway, like I was saying, I came here to help Gramps with the business. Turns out they want to move to the South of France so Nana can pursue her art career. And I want to forget everything that happened back in thestates.”
“You mean that witch who broke your heart on TV? Yeah, I heard about that from your grandpa too. I myself have never watched that show…what’s the name of it again? Marry meafter—”
“Date Me, Then Marry Me,” he clarifies with a softchuckle.
“Yep, that’s the one. Anyway, were you talking about her? You know, when you said you came here toforget?”
“Yep. Believe it or not, I really loved Dixie Lane. But she used me to get ahead in her career. And I lost out on my chance of finding awife.”
I push my bowl of soup aside, this conversation the only sustenance I need right now. Besides, I can eat later when Simon takes meout.
“Jack—I mean Jaxson, why didn’t you tell me who youare?”
“I came to Paris wanting a different life. A new me. No more actor, no more guy who got dumped on TV. No media reporting about my love life. I came here and was—still am perfectly happy just being the driver. Although, the business is actually mine now so I guess I’m technically a CEOnow.”
We both laugh. He removes hissunglasses.
And I nearlyfaint.
Those dark and mysterious eyes have been embedded in my brain for the last two months. I had just dropped Arabella off at the airport departure gate area. I was wandering, my mind on God knows what. My phone rang. It was Arabella complaining the line was about eighty years long. We chatted for a bit, then hung up when she said the line began to move. I kept walking and was about to place my phone back in my purse whenbam.
A human-to-humancollision.
The wreck sent my phone flying out of my hand as I crash-landed onto the carpeted floor. Feeling a little dazed, a gorgeous man lifted me up, his arms so firm and strong. I just gaped at him like a crazy woman, mesmerized by his looks, hiseyes, so dark and practically hypnotic placing me under some sort of spell. Words wouldn’t come out of my mouth; all I could do was stare. Heat rushed throughout my entire body. Embarrassed, I let go of his manly arms, reached down, scooped up my phone from the floor, and dashed out of there without looking back. I think I heard him yell something about my scarf, but there was no way in hell I was going back. I thought for sure I’d never see himagain.
Untilnow.
