Chapter 28
DANNY
When my sister falls in love, she falls in love hard. Which is why a few days after she met Anya for the first time, she sends me a detailed itinerary signed ‘Have fun xoxo ’.
Scanning the itinerary in the back of the car with Anya, I laugh under my breath. Pip definitely goes all out.
“What?” Anya asks from beside me. She still insists on sitting far away from me and never touching. Oblivious to the looks Jaques sends me after every excuse she gives to follow me upstairs.
I wink at Anya and lean forward, “Jaques, can we go straight to Anya’s?”
She splutters beside me and her hand grabs my shirt pulling me back to my seat.
“No problem,” Jaques says, seamlessly turning up a side street to head to the sixteenth.
“What are you doing?” Anya hisses.
“It’s a surprise.”
She gapes at me and it doesn’t take long until we’re pulling up outside her apartment. She jumps out the car, closing the door firmly behind her. I hang back to speak quietly to Jaques before keying in her code and following her up the stairs. She’s left the apartment door ajar for me and I can already hear her banging about inside.
“I can’t believe you,” she yells from the kitchen, rummaging through her cupboards. “What is Jaques going to think?”
I can’t help the chuckle that escapes as I lean against the door frame, “He’s going to think ‘it’s a good thing I know the way because I’ve been dropping Danny off there for weeks.’”
Anya spins, the cupboard door slamming shut.
I step closer to her and close her gaping mouth with my finger, “How did you think I was getting here every night?”
She blows out a breath. “Bike?”
I laugh, “I wouldn’t be caught dead on one of those things.”
She groans and rests her head against my chest. “That’s three people that know about us now. We were supposed to keep it between us.”
I press a kiss to the top of her head, her shampoo invading my nostrils. After spending time with my sister and Cassie, seeing how well Anya could fit in with my life outside of these four walls, I don’t know if I want to keep it between us any more.
I just need to wait for Anya to catch up. I’ve waited my whole life for her, what’s a few more weeks?
“Jaques hasn’t spilled the secret yet.” I tilt her head back, cradling her head in my hands and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Good, get ready to go.”
“Go where? Back to your hotel?”
“I thought you said you trusted me?”
“I do trust you but first we’re telling people—”
“Three people, freckles.”
“—and now you want me to go outside—”
“Anya,” I cut her off, “We’re not going to walk naked down the Champs-élysées. It’ll be fine.”
An hour later, Jaques pulls up outside a glamorous storefront. I step out first, and offer a hand to Anya who squints at me suspiciously. She looks up and down the empty street furtively before taking my hand and climbing out of the car. The sun has almost disappeared behind the tall buildings and the street is quiet.
“ Bonsoir , je suis Gérard .” The gray haired clerk holds the door open for us. As soon as we step inside the elegant store, he clicks the lock behind us. Anya’s head spins at the sound and turns to me with wide eyes.
“Danny,” she hisses, inching closer. “What the hell is going on?”
I pull her closer by the hand, and whisper in her ear. “There’s no one in here apart from Gérard. It’s all Pip’s idea.”
“ What’s Pip’s idea?” she presses urgently.
I gesture to the room, “Whatever you want.”
Her brows scrunch adorably. “I am so confused.”
I laugh and pull out my phone, quickly texting Pip for backup.
Instantly, Anya’s phone vibrates. She reads it quickly before showing me the screen.
Pip: Go crazy! On me xx
Pip: Enjoy!!
“How did she even get my number?” Anya grouses, as her fingers fly across the screen.
“Come on.” I say, tugging her further into the store. Luxury handbags are displayed on mahogany shelves and clothes are evenly spaced on delicate rails. I recognize some of the items from Pip’s never ending closet, and I can’t imagine Anya will want any of it. “What would you like?”
“What do you mean what would I like? I’d like to not be here.” She glances at Gérard. “No offense.”
I laugh and gesture more at the racks. “Pip is a brand ambassador, anything you want is complimentary.”
Her eyes bug out of her head, “Anything? In the whole store?”
“Yes, freckles. You could take one of the mannequins if you want but you’ll have to explain to Jaques.”
“This feels so…wrong.”
“What will feel wrong is the harassment Pip will put us through if we walk out of here with nothing.”
“Well, what are you going to get?”
“Nothing.”
Anya throws her hands up. “This is ridiculous.”
I laugh, “What about these?” I direct her attention to the row of handbags lining a delicate trestle table.
She follows suspiciously and I gesture to the table.
Anya sighs and rests her fingers across the soft leather. “I’m more of a tote bag girl, I have way too much stuff to carry.” She flips the lid of a clear acrylic purse. “I don’t understand this one, everyone would be able to see your tampons.”
I told Pip that I didn’t think Anya was a luxury fashion lover, but she wouldn’t be told. If it wasn’t for the thought of finally being alone with Anya outside of her apartment or my hotel, I would have told Pip to back off. Plus, it’s amusing watching Anya be forced into accepting some generosity.
“Do you like it?” I ask in her ear.
She turns to me with a glare. “What do you think?”
“I think if you don’t get something, Gérard here is going to report back to Pip that her personal guest hates their lines. She’ll be devastated.”
Her eyes narrow as she hisses, “So you’re going to force me to buy a ridiculously expensive see-through bag, just so your sister doesn’t get upset?”
I shrug, “You said it.”
She huffs dramatically, “I know where she gets it from.”
She puts the bag down and wanders the store. She keeps her hands tucked by her sides as she wanders across the dark green carpet, barely touching anything like she’s in a museum. I watch as she sidesteps Gérard awkwardly and heads to the fragrance section. I step behind her and watch as she sniffs each bottle of perfume reluctantly. The third one she lifts to her nose twice before spraying it on a delicate wrist.
I clasp her hand and investigate for myself. My hand could wrap around both of her wrists easily. I bring her wrist to my nose and inhale, the floral notes invading my senses but not quite masking the sweet scent that is still distinguishably Anya.
I glance up to see her attention is fixed on where we’re joined. I press a quick kiss to the inside of her wrist, my tongue licking at the cloying scent.
“Hmm,” I say quietly, “I like it.” I run my nose against her arm, pressing gentle kisses along her skin, smiling when goosebumps erupt in my wake.
She gulps and I release her, stepping to the side to gesture to Gérard who quickly escapes to the store room to grab a bottle of the perfume.
“Are we done?” Anya says, her pink tongue flicking against her lip.
“You have to get something from Pip.”
“I just did!”
“No,” I say, resting my hand on her hip and whispering in her ear. “That was for me.”
A tiny moan escapes as I press a kiss to her cheek. “Keep looking.”