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Why does that idea suddenly excite me?
“Champagne!” Matis yells as one of the servers passes by his table. She nods her head at him before scurrying off toward the bar.
It takes some shuffling of seats, but soon, Ronan and I are sitting in the round booth with Matis and a few of his friends. Except, as we were arranging ourselves in the seats, somehow, I ended up next to Matis with two people between me and Ronan, who is currently flanked by two stunning women.
And just like that, I’m the one feeling territorial.
Matis puts his arm around me. “Is this your first time in a sex club, little flower?”
My lips tighten in a tense smile. “I work in a sex club,” I reply, turning toward him. His eyes widen as he glances back at Ronan.
“Are you a performer?” he asks, and I break out in a laugh.
“I’m a server.”
He reaches out a hand and strokes my hair out of my face, looking into my eyes as he murmurs, “You could be a performer. Such a sweet little flower.”
I’m practically in a trance, staring at him as he caresses my hair. There are conversations happening around us, but for just a moment, it feels like it’s only the two of us. Then I sense a pair of serious brown eyes laser-focused on our every move.
When I glance toward Ronan, I have to admire how collected he appears to be. Reclining in the seat, one arm resting on the back of it and one leg folded over the other. His body language says unbothered, but I know his face well enough by now to know that if Ronan isnotsmiling then he’s angry.
Well, actually, I don’t know if angry is the right word to describe it. It’s more like he’s…unsettled. Wired. On edge. If he didn’t want Matis touching me or talking to me, he’d be hauling me out of here over his shoulder. I’ve learned that much about him.
But he’s not yanking me out of my seat, and his friend hasn’t taken his hands off of me since I sat down. So either Ronan really doesn’t want to upset his business partner, or he’sokaywith me being fondled by a stranger—a stranger to me, at least.
“So, what do you think of Paris so far, little flower?” Matis asks.
I turn toward him, biting my bottom lip and tasting the shimmery pink lip gloss. “I love it.”
“Has he taken you to the Eiffel Tower yet?”
“Not yet,” I reply, glancing toward Ronan with a playful glare. “But he promised to.”
“Make him,” Matis says with sincerity. “It’s the most romantic city in the world. A perfect place to fall in love.”
My breath catches in my chest as I stare at Matis, those words feeling heavy and frightening.
When he says it like that, it sounds both exhilarating and terrifying. Life-changing and traumatic.
Perhaps because I know I’d fall first. Maybe I already am. Which is insane, when I remember how far apart we are in age. I’d be far more excited about falling for him if I wasn’t harboring a secret about Ronan that will shatter it all.
I’m building a house of cards around my heart, andwhenhe learns the truth, it will all fall apart.
“Don’t look so frightened,” Matis whispers, leaning in closer. “You’ve never been in love before, have you?”
I shake my head, gazing up into his eyes.
“I’ve known Mr. Kade for many years, and I can tell you I’ve seen plenty of women fall in love with him. He makes it very easy.”
If that was supposed to make me feel better, it doesn’t. I’m willing to bet every single one of those women, probably even my own mother, wanted to feel special to Ronan. As if they were different. As if they deserved all of his time and attention. But where are they now?
I don’t want to fall in love with him if that’s what will happen to me. I’ll be replaced by the next starry-eyed girl to come along.
“Although I’ll admit,” Matis adds, “I’ve never seen him look at any of the other women like he’s looking at you right now.”
I glance over at Ronan and see him leaning forward now, his eyes focused on my face, his mouth set in a straight line.
When I feel Matis’s fingers drift over my bare shoulder, a shiver runs through me.
