Chapter Fifteen
GENEVIèVE
As I’d hoped, the stairway opened to the roof, where we found a deck. My breath swirled as I skipped over to the railing and looked out.
“Wow. Not a bad view.”
Roux stepped up beside me. “Not bad at all.”
The treetops of the Bois de Boulogne stretched out before us, an unmade bed of dark, lumpy blankets. City lights twinkled beyond, all the way out to the sharp lines of La Defénse, the modern archway that mirrored the Arc de Triomphe. And if I leaned out to look right—
“Oh! Look!” I caught a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower before Roux leaned out and blocked the view.
“Oh. Nice,” he agreed.
I inhaled his fresh, herbs-of-the-jungle scent. Very nice, indeed.
Below us, traffic lights changed colors, and cars painted lines of red or white light. From up here, it all seemed distant, even peaceful.
“Have you ever lived in Paris?” I asked.
“Only for a few months.” He reached out and tapped the skyline. “Somewhere around…there. See that church spire?”
“No. I see old TV antennas, though.”
He stepped behind me and pointed over my shoulder. “Start from the tall building, go three roofs left…”
“That one?”
He shook his head and leaned closer. “Over there. See that tall building?”
His chest warmed my back, and I couldn’t resist leaning into him.
“Oh, I see it.”
“Now go left…”
I raised my hand, and he guided it.
“Oh! I see the church,” I said.
“I lived in the next building over.” He dropped his arm to the railing but kept the other on my shoulder, boxing me into a nice, cozy space. “On the second floor, with a view of a wall outside the only window.” He chuckled. “Have you ever lived in Paris?”
I nodded. “No. Just visits to Gordon. Auberre suits me better. More space, more peace…”
“Suits me better too,” he murmured.
Was that a note of yearning in his voice or wishful thinking on my part?
“You don’t get bored out there?” he asked.
“No. Not as long as I have good company.” Then I blushed. “That sounds like a bad pickup line, but it’s true. It doesn’t take a lot of people, just the right person. I mean…” I sputtered, embarrassed.
Roux’s chuckle warmed my neck. “I know what you mean, Geneviève.”
And, oh. There it was again — that three-syllable serenade he sang just for me.
My cheeks warmed, and I rested my hand over his on the railing.
It shouldn’t have been a night for tingles and warm feelings, but my synapses pulsed, sending happy signals to every corner of my body.
I’d put that down to static electricity, but now, I knew better. This was sheer, animal attraction — and it had been, all this time.
I swallowed hard, not quite ready to process what that could mean.
On the other hand, I was very ready for more contact, so I leaned back and rested my head on his shoulder. He stroked the top of my head with his chin, and I couldn’t help picturing one tiger nuzzling another.
I couldn’t help picturing a lot of things, but I wasn’t sure how to engineer any of them on a cold night on a Paris rooftop.
Roux dipped his head, nuzzling his way from my ear to my cheek.
I held out as long as I could, then twisted just far enough to kiss him. Our timing probably didn’t coincide with the sparkly light show at the Eiffel Tower, but it sure felt like it.
Spinning slowly to face him would have been the natural thing to do, but I enjoyed the feeling of a solid wall behind me too much for that. What a relief to feel secure and protected after what felt like days of unknown enemies sneaking up on us from all quarters.
“Not too cold?” Roux slid his hand from my shoulder to my ribs.
I shook my head. “No. You?”
He chuckled. “Feeling pretty warm, actually.”
Me too. All over.
I slid my eyes shut as he skimmed his hand over my body, from the hard ridges of my ribs to the softer zone in the middle.
Higher, I nearly begged. Higher…
I wasn’t normally one to exaggerate my…er, assets, but I found myself curving into an S-shape, nudging my rear toward his groin and my chest forward. Was he getting the message?
Yes, because he slid one hand up and the other down, touching me where I ached for him most. Kneading. Kissing. Whispering…
“You okay with this?”
And how.
I popped the top button of my jeans. “Okay with this too,” I murmured, guiding his hand inside.
Seconds later, I moaned and widened my stance, giving him better access.
“Okay?” he whispered.
“Yes. But summer romances definitely have their advantages.”
He chuckled. “I think we can make do.”
I did my best to facilitate things, reaching back to pop my bra one-handed. And, oh. His hand was warm, and the circles he drew over my skin made my nipples peak.
Our breaths condensed and swirled together before fading into the darkness. My heart rate accelerated, and tiny moans escaped my lips as he worked me with both hands, one down low, the other up high.
Roux went a little breathless too, but I took the prize, especially when he eased one, then two fingers inside.
I gyrated against him. “So good…”
A huge understatement, but I wasn’t at my most coherent just then.
He did a fair bit of grinding too, and my mind fast-forwarded to getting it on on all fours with him behind me. When and where we might make that happen, I had no idea. But I added it to a growing list of fantasies.
Normally, fantasies like that were a way to escape reality. Now, they were only a little supplement. Because man, oh man. The things Roux did to me. Like a talented artist, he made a few simple strokes, et voilà! A masterpiece.
“Oh…oh…” I cried in time with the thrusting of his fingers.
“Shh,” he cautioned.
“You’re the one driving me wild,” I murmured, not at all upset with him.
He chuckled. “Want me to stop?”
“Don’t you dare.”
I rested my foot on the lower bar on the balcony railing, setting off another burst of lights in my mind.
“Oh…”
“Shh…”
“Remind me to say that when I get my turn and give you a blow job,” I murmured.
He halted, then cracked up. “When you get your turn, huh?”
“Just don’t get it in your head to rush this,” I ordered, guiding his hand to my other breast.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
That was the last either of us said for a while, which wasn’t to say the noise ceased. On the contrary…
“Oh…” I rocked desperately against him. “Yes…”
A wave built inside me, rising, rising…
I gasped and shuddered, racked by a blinding orgasm.
Roux kept up the pressure until I slumped, panting. He held me in my new favorite place — up against him — and went back to nuzzling patiently.
Man. Tiger. Soldier. Friend. I caught glimpses of every side of him, each a different facet of a fascinating gem.
I closed my eyes, savoring the moment. Warm. Cozy. Safe. Satisfied. Would I ever feel this good again?
He tightened his arms around me, promising he’d do his damned best — the only way Roux did anything.
Slowly, I turned and looked up into his eyes.
Wow, I nearly breathed.
He tilted his head. “What?”
His eyes were glowing bright, the color of a harvest moon.
“Eyes that beautiful shouldn’t be allowed,” I whispered.
He snorted. “Beautiful?”
I nodded. “Beautiful.”
And I didn’t just mean the color. I meant the soul shining within them.
“I promise I won’t tell.” I chuckled.
His lips quirked, then closed over mine. And, oh. The man even tasted good.
It started out soft and sweet but quickly grew harder and hungrier. I yanked the tail of his shirt out of his pants and ran my hands along his back, eager for more.
But the door squeaked, and someone called up the stairs.
“Il y a quelqu’un?” Is someone there?
We both froze. I glanced over Roux’s shoulder as someone reached for the door. They didn’t come all the way up the stairs, thank goodness. They just muttered something about careless neighbors and yanked the door shut.
I listened for a long time after their footsteps faded, then relaxed into a hug.
“Let’s just hope that door doesn’t lock from the inside. We could be stuck here all night,” I joked.
“I can picture worse.” Roux chuckled, squeezing me back against his chest. Then he sighed and drew away. “But we might be pushing our luck if we stay.”
I groaned and dropped my head against his chest. “I hate it when you’re right. Any minute now, my sister is liable to charge up here with a search party.”
With a sigh, he released me and helped straighten my clothes.
“How’s my hair?” I asked, running my hands through his.
His eyes sparkled. “Perfect.”
His lips twitched, and I eased his suffering with a long, hungry kiss. Then I drew a deep breath and took in the view over Paris, wondering how future me would look back on this moment. The first step toward something truly special, or the beginning of another disaster?
Roux brought my hand to his lips and kissed it, erasing those thoughts.
“Bonne nuit, Paris,” I whispered.
Roux led me to the door and gingerly tested it.
“Whew. Unlocked.”
“Damn,” I muttered.
He grinned and led me inside. We descended to the level of Henrik’s apartment and kissed outside his door. I held on to that kiss for a long time, cementing it into my mind. Then I cleared my throat, checked my clothes, and stepped inside.
“Is that you, Gen?” Mina called from the bedroom.
“Yep. The roof has a nice deck.”
I nearly added, You should take Marius up there sometime and let him do what Roux did to me. Then we’d both be glowing like a couple of spotlights.
“Good view?” she asked.
I drew a hand along Roux’s cheek, whispering, “The best.”