Chapter 28
LAILA
As I sat next to Gabriel on the rooftop ready for the winners of the competition to be announced, my heart raced.
It was kind of crazy how invested I’d become in us getting first place, but like I’d said from the beginning, it’d be nice to do well at something for a change.
‘Do not worry.’ Gabriel reached for my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
I should be concerned that someone might see us, considering as far as the Love Alchemists were concerned, Gabriel and I had made a pact just to be friends, but feeling his big, warm palm resting on mine felt too good, so I didn’t move.
‘Hi, everyone!’ Sammie said. ‘It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. In just a few moments, we’ll crown the winners of the Paris Love Hunt. Claude wants to say a few words first.’
‘Thank you, Sammie. I would just like to tell you how impressed we have all been with your commitment to completing the tasks. I hope you enjoyed visiting the stunning locations in this beautiful city with your match. Now Sammie will reveal the results.’
‘Merci, Claude! I feel like a TV talent show judge. Shall we go to a commercial break and reveal the results afterwards?’ Sammie and Romeo laughed.
Claude, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow which said: Just get on with it, woman.
‘Soz! I got carried away. As I was saying, the competition winners are… drum roll, please… Laila and Gabriel!’
‘Oh my God!’ I jumped up. ‘That’s us!’
‘Oui!’ Gabriel grinned. ‘Allons-y!’
Gabriel took my hand and led me to the front where all of the Love Alchemists were standing and clapping. The other guests were politely clapping too although, judging by the scowls on a few of their faces, I could tell that they wished it was them.
‘Congratulations!’ Sammie threw her arms around us, whilst Romeo and Claude patted Gabriel on the back.
‘We were very impressed not just because you completed all of the tasks and visited lots of extra locations,’ said Claude, ‘but also because of the originality of your photos and the chemistry that they showed. I know that you had a difficult start, but it is clear from the pictures and the way that you have interacted over this past week that you have overcome them. We feel like you are building a very strong foundation for a long-lasting relationship.’
Really?
My eyes popped. The whole long-lasting relationship comment was a bit of a stretch. Like I’d said to Gabriel earlier, this was just something casual, but I agreed that we’d worked well together.
‘Th-thank you,’ I stuttered. ‘I mean, merci.’
‘Merci beaucoup,’ Gabriel added.
‘Now you probably want to know what you’ve won, right?’ Sammie asked.
‘Yes, please!’ I replied.
‘I’m delighted to tell you that you’ll be jetting off to the South of France for the launch party of the Love Hotel’s brand-new resort, tonight! Woohoo!’
‘Wow!’ My mouth fell open. ‘That’s… amazing!’
Technically, now that the competition was over, I should go back to London, but I was enjoying myself too much. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I didn’t want to miss it.
‘That’s not fair!’ one of the other guests called out.
‘We want to go to the South of France too!’ cried another.
‘Everyone, please stay calm,’ Claude said.
‘Do not worry. You will all have the option to stay at the hotel for your second week. Please see Romeo afterwards and he will make the arrangements. But as winners of the competition, Laila and Gabriel will leave this afternoon to go to the party, a day earlier than everyone else.’
‘Fair enough,’ said another guest.
‘Oh, and here’s your completed Love Passports,’ Sammie said. ‘It has all of the memories and photos from your week here.’
‘Thanks so much,’ I replied.
‘And your playlist should be complete now too, but feel free to add to it during your stay in the South of France.’
‘We will,’ Gabriel said.
‘Follow me and I’ll fill you in on all the deets,’ said Sammie, leading us over to a quieter area of the rooftop, where Gabriel and I sat down.
‘So, your flight to Nice will leave this afternoon, so if you can get yourself packed ASAP and be down in reception by noon, that’d be great.
Once you arrive, you’ll be driven to the resort where you’ll be staying together in a luxury villa. ’
‘Together?’ I asked.
‘Yep!’ Sammie confirmed and my stomach tightened. ‘It’s standard procedure at the Love Hotel. During the second week the couples always stay in the same villa to give them a taste of what it’d be like to live together in real life. Well, if you were loaded and lived in a fancy house, of course!’
Sammie laughed. I didn’t.
I was still trying to get my head around what she’d just said.
Hooking up with Gabriel was one thing. But living with him twenty-four seven would be intense.
I wasn’t ready for that.
It was too much, too soon.
‘I—’
‘Don’t worry,’ Sammie jumped in. ‘It’s a two-bedroom villa, so you don’t have to share a bed. Although something tells me you’ve already ticked that box…’ she grinned. ‘Sorry! Was that inappropriate? I’m just so happy for you two!’
‘Merci,’ Gabriel acknowledged, whilst I wondered how Sammie knew.
Then again, the way we raced into the lift together, it would’ve been obvious to anyone who spotted us what we were about to get up to.
‘Yeah, so anyway,’ Sammie continued, ‘you’ll get settled into your villa and in the evening, there’ll be a swanky launch party for the new resort.’
‘Where is it based?’ Gabriel asked.
‘I think it’s called something like Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat? It’s between Nice and Monaco. You’re gonna love it! It’s super-glam and everything’s brand new! And there’ll be a celebrity performing at the party tonight!’
‘Who?’ I asked.
‘My lips are sealed. You’ll just have to wait and see. It’s gonna be amazing. I’m so jealous!’
‘You’re not coming?’ I said.
‘Nah. I have to stay here. But my friend Jasmine will be there. She’s a Love Empress at the Love Hotel in Spain, but she’s working at the resort with her partner Alejandro who’s a Cuisine King.
Jasmine’s in her forties too and Alejandro’s several years younger than her and they’re crazy in love…
’ A mischievous grin spread across Sammie’s face.
‘That’s nice,’ I said. I knew Sammie mentioned that because she thought it’d stop me from worrying about getting involved with Gabriel, but it wasn’t the same. The dynamic between us was completely different. I was pretty sure that Jasmine wasn’t best friends with her boyfriend’s mother.
‘It is a shame that you and Romeo will not be there,’ Gabriel said.
‘I know, but hey, can’t complain! Staying in Paris is pretty cool. Anyway, you two have a lot of packing to do, so I better let you get on! Congrats again and I’ll see you later before you go to the airport.’
‘Thanks for everything,’ I said.
‘You’re welcome! And don’t forget to invite me to your wedding!’ Sammie grinned and before I had a chance to tell her that was never gonna happen, she was gone.
‘So we won!’ Gabriel said as we got up and headed to the lift.
‘We did!’ I grinned.
‘We make a great team.’
‘Can’t argue with that,’ I said as we stepped inside and the doors closed.
‘Merci, Laila.’ Gabriel stroked my cheek and my whole body lit up from his touch.
‘What are you thanking me for?’
‘For staying. For giving me a chance. For making me a very happy man.’
‘I’m the one who should be thanking you. I’ve had a fantastic time. And I’m sure you already know how happy you made me from the amount of times I screamed your name last night.’
‘I cannot argue with that,’ he said, repeating my words. ‘And now we will go to the South of France.’ Gabriel smiled.
‘Yeah…’ I paused. ‘I should really go to London. Once I’d visited the Eiffel Tower I’d planned to head back home, but then… I kind of got sidetracked.’
‘Sidetracked?’ Gabriel dipped his head, then brushed his lips over mine.
‘Oh, God.’ I squeezed my eyes shut as waves of pleasure rippled through me. How was it possible that I wanted to have him again? ‘We shouldn’t…’ I said weakly, as the lift doors sprang open and he took my hand and led me to my room. ‘We’re supposed to be packing.’
‘We have time,’ Gabriel said. ‘I would tell you I can be quick, but I think that you would prefer if I went nice and slow.’ He smirked as I opened my room door and pulled him inside.
‘Okay, but this has to be the last time…’ I said.
* * *
An hour and a half and two epic sex sessions later, I was scrambling around the bedroom, chucking my clothes into a suitcase.
Gabriel had just left to shower in his room and pack. We knew that if we went in the bathroom together, we’d end up getting up to no good again, so we agreed it was best if we got ready separately.
Half an hour later we were in the car on the way to the airport.
Excitement bubbled in my belly. I couldn’t believe we were jetting off to another part of France. This trip really was a dream come true. I couldn’t thank Juliette enough for giving me this opportunity.
Guilt washed over me as I thought about what Juliette and everyone on our street would say if they knew what I’d been doing.
It’d been days since I’d heard from Juliette and although I was relieved about not having to tell her about my match, I still felt terrible. She’d been so supportive. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t even be here. I’d betrayed her in the worst way.
But I was having the time of my life. I’d finally got to see Paris and I’d enjoyed the most incredible sex with a man who wasn’t just gorgeous, but also kind and caring and so easy to be around. And this was only the first week.
Imagine what week two would be like. I hoped I’d get to stay to find out.
‘Are you excited?’ Gabriel asked.
‘Definitely! I can’t wait to see what the South of France is like and to go to this party tonight. Sounds like it’ll be a great celebration.’
‘Speaking of celebrations, is it not your birthday on Tuesday?’
My jaw dropped.
‘How did you know that?’
‘I told you, I remember a lot of things about you.’ He tapped the side of his head.
Gabriel never ceased to amaze me.
‘Consider me seriously impressed. Yours I think is 13 February, right?’
‘Now, I am impressed,’ he said. ‘How did you remember?’
‘You told me that you considered thirteen to be lucky instead of unlucky and I remembered that it was just before Valentine’s Day.’
‘C’est vrai,’ Gabriel nodded. ‘We must do something to celebrate your special day.’
‘Just being in France is enough. At least my forty-first will be an improvement on my fortieth.’
‘What did you do for your fortieth?’
‘Sat at home with a takeaway and watched Netflix.’
Gabriel shook his head.
‘This year you will have a proper celebration.’
‘Don’t worry about it. I don’t want you to go to any trouble.’
‘It will not be trouble. I want to do something great for you. D’accord?’
‘Okay.’
I’d never had anyone offer to do something to celebrate my birthday, so I wondered what he had in mind.
The devil that was dancing on my shoulder told me that a repeat of last night (and this morning) would be the perfect present, but more orgasms from Gabriel were off the table.
I know that I’d said before the briefing that we couldn’t sleep together again then my willpower dissolved faster than an aspirin in a glass of hot water the second he kissed me in the lift, resulting in us fucking twice, but I really meant it this time.
There would be no more kissing, no more screwing. At the villa we’d sleep in separate rooms and behave ourselves.
At least that was the plan.
Here’s hoping that I could stick to it…