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Chapter Twenty-Three

Eva

I look around my room in a panic. I’m supposed to be leaving for Paris in the morning with the man I have absolutely fallen in love with. The same man who made me agree to no feelings.

What the hell am I doing?

Spending a couple of nights in the City of Love isn’t going to make it any easier to keep my feelings separate.

A loud knock on the door brings instant relief.

“Oh, thank God,” I mutter to myself as I run to the front to open it.

Jessie walks in, quickly following me back to my bedroom, holding a large overnight bag.

“All right. Let’s get you packed. I’ve brought some great options for you. I thought about giving you some of my lingerie. I know we’re close, but I’m not sure anyone should be that close.”

“Yeah, I’ll pass on the lingerie. I just need you to pack for me. I can’t even think straight.”

She plops down on my bed. “How many nights will you be there?”

“Three nights.”

“Okay. So, some daytime outfits that are cute but offer some comfort. A couple of business professional outfits. Those are easy—I know you have a ton of those. Then, for the nighttime, you need options. Fine dining, casual but sexy, fancy and flirty.”

“What if he brings a weekend bag and I bring a massive suitcase? He’ll think I’m insane!”

She shakes her head. “Wrong. He’ll think, my girl is going to do Paris the right way. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for me .”

“But I’m not his girl. I’m his … secret.”

“Okay. Here’s the deal. This is PARIS. This is your DREAM.

You are flying to Paris to design a luxury hotel.

You are going to go, get your work done, live your dream, sleep with your hot-as-sin boss.

Then you are going to come back here, and we are going to talk about how you move forward with him and tell him that you’re in love with him. ”

My breath nearly gets stuck in my throat. “What makes you think that?”

“I know you. You don’t act like this over guys. But we aren’t going to worry about that right now. Right?”

I nod my head. “Right.”

“Do you have an itinerary yet?”

“All I know so far is that we get there tomorrow around two in the afternoon and that we are staying at his hotel.”

“So, this is very informal. Got it. Well, let’s go through your options that you have so far.”

I pull out a couple of dresses that I laid out for a fancy night out. One is a floor-length yellow dress that cuts low in the front and has diamond-studded straps along the back.

Jessie purses her lips as she studies it. I hold it up by the hanger as I watch her eyes move along the length of it.

Finally, she shakes her head. “Nah, it’s giving prom dress.”

I toss it to the ground. “Gone. Next one.”

I grab the hanger and lift it up like I did the first one. This is another floor-length dress, but it’s red. It’s a mermaid cut, tight all over, and flares slightly at the bottom around my calves. It cuts low in the front and has a crisscross back with spaghetti straps.

“Damn. That’s a winner. That’ll look killer with a nice shade of red lipstick. Perfect for a night in Paris.”

Sometime later, we’ve got a good process going. I only need to pick out one more daytime outfit.

“How did you not tell me you met his family?” she gasps, eyes wide as she leans against my headboard with a glass of wine.

I dig through some of the options she brought, shrugging my shoulders. “I mean, it wasn’t planned. It’s not like he brought me there as his girlfriend. I was more like … a friend slash employee.”

She rolls her eyes harder than I do at Roman. It makes me think of the night we got back from his mom’s house. A shiver runs through me. That man knows how to punish a girl—in the best way possible.

“Oh, right. Because billionaires usually bring their employees to their mother’s house for dinner with all their siblings. Both of you guys are delusional.”

“Hey, I thought we agreed to deal with that part when I got back.”

She sighs. “True. I’ll keep my mouth shut. Okay, let’s get this done. I’m drunk, and I need some food.”

After we finish picking out the last outfit, I look down at my suitcase. It’s filled to the brim with clothes. At least I already packed everything else, like makeup and other essentials.

Jessie leaves shortly after, bitching the entire way out because I insisted on calling her a car because I don’t trust her walking home.

I brush my teeth and wash my face, then crawl into bed with my phone. As I’m scrolling through articles, a text comes in.

I’ll come to your apartment around 5:30. Don’t forget to pack some nice things to wear. I want to take you out and spoil you while we’re there.

I giggle to myself. Men are completely clueless.

I think I packed a couple of options. Can’t wait to see Paris.

His response is almost immediate.

Can’t wait to see you.

My heart feels like it’s going to beat right out of my chest. I like his response, too afraid to reply with my own words. This is getting dangerous.

I set my alarm for five and put my phone on the charger. It takes some meditation and breathing exercises for me to calm my body down enough to fall asleep. The nerves about what comes next—what is all means for me and Roman— still linger in the back of my mind.