Page 14 of Troubled Skies (Blue Skies #3)

Before Adrian was able to respond, the first employee returned with several Louis Vuitton bags on a dolly but said he’d been unable to locate Adrian’s suitcase, and all luggage was now off the plane.

The other employee immediately picked up the phone to call the carrier while assuring Adrian they would do everything in their power to locate the missing bag.

She asked where he would be staying, and Adrian provided her with the name of his hotel, dismayed at the potential loss of his clothing.

“We’ll deliver it as soon as we’re able.”

Adrian thanked her, then followed Ren as they exited the lounge behind the man with Ren’s luggage. “I don’t have anything to wear for dinner.” When Ren’s eyebrows met in question, he added, “For this exclusive restaurant.”

“Oh.” Ren’s expression cleared immediately.

“Poussin, you could be naked at this particular establishment, and no one would mind.” Now it was Adrian’s turn to be confused.

“We will be dining on the yacht,” Ren explained.

“Rachel is a Michelin-starred chef. As well as being a close friend.” Ren leaned back and took Adrian in from head to toe.

“Though, I am sure you would like to change out of these clothes, so we will make a stop at one of my favorite boutiques to pick up a few necessities. ?a te convient?”

Adrian could only nod, completely overwhelmed by how easily Ren took what could have been a disaster and turned it into a minor hiccup.

If competency was a kink, Adrian definitely had it because he found Ren’s attention incredibly comforting.

He felt cherished in a way he hadn’t for some time now.

Staying with Luis and Darius might have been close, but he had felt uncomfortable asking them to do as much as they had for him.

For some reason, he didn’t feel that way with Ren at all.

Plus, he hadn’t been attracted to Luis or Darius the way he was to Ren.

He felt his earlier concerns fade and moved closer to Ren so he could take hold of his hand.

“That sounds wonderful,” Adrian said. “Thank you.”

“It is my pleasure.” Ren leaned over and kissed Adrian’s cheek as they passed through a pair of sliding doors, emerging from the quiet interior of the airport to the bustle of newly arrived passengers greeting loved ones and the noise of car engines and horns.

Without direction from Ren, the man with their luggage turned to his left and headed for a surprisingly modest car where a woman with brightly dyed red hair leaned against the passenger-side door. She pressed a button on the key fob she held, and the trunk popped open.

“Ma chérie!” Ren called out. He dropped Adrian’s hand and walked toward her with his arms open wide. “Why did you not tell me it would be you who liberated us from this hell?”

The woman left the side of the car and embraced Ren, placing kisses on both his cheeks. “I needed to run some errands in town, so I said I would fetch you. And who is this, Henri?” She nodded to Adrian as he caught up to Ren.

“May I present Monsieur Adrian…” Ren trailed off, eyebrows rising as he no doubt realized he had no idea what Adrian’s last name was.

“Adrian Bennett,” Adrian said as he held out his hand.

Rachel was having none of that, and Adrian found himself the recipient of the same greeting she had given to Ren while Adrian wondered that she hadn’t batted an eyelash at Ren not knowing his last name.

Was it normal for Ren to arrive with random people he didn’t know?

Before Adrian’s brain was able to spin that question into a new reason to panic, Ren was guiding him toward the back of the car while he continued to speak with Rachel.

“Adrian will be my special guest on board the yacht tonight. I have assured him you will prepare the most exquisite meal he has ever eaten.”

With a raised eyebrow, Rachel gave Ren an appraising look. “Henri Renard—”

“I know,” Ren said as he shook his head. “I am sure you will rise to the challenge.”

Still wearing a skeptical expression on her face, Rachel exhaled.

“I still need to do some shopping for this meal you have requested.”“Bien! We also need to shop. Adrian’s luggage has gone missing, so we must go to Solaro to find him something suitable for this evening.

And, of course, we are famished, so it is fortunate Sabores d’Eivissa is next door, non? ”

“Do not forget you are being punished, Henri.”

“For one hotel room.”

“An expensive hotel room.” She paused and glanced at Adrian. “And Christiana.”

Ren threw up his hands and began speaking French which Adrian could not follow, but he watched the back-and-forth in amusement just the same. Their banter was like brother and sister, and it was clear Ren and the chef were very close.

With an exasperated, “D’accord!” Rachel turned and headed for the driver’s side door. “Please, get in so we can be on our way.”

Adrian slid into the back seat, and a grumpy Ren slid into the seat next to him, then Rachel got into the driver’s seat.

“You should ask my father for a better car,” Ren said, displaying a petulance Adrian hadn’t seen before. “This one is boring.”

“The car is fine.” Rachel glared at them in the rearview mirror. “No getting naked in the back seat.”

Ren placed a hand over his heart. “That was one time, and I was seventeen. Now, please be quiet before Adrian gets the wrong idea about me and runs away. I swear, you are a worse gossip than the paps, ma chère.”

Adrian caught the look of surprise on Rachel’s face, then turned to Ren. “So, who is Christiana?”

“No one,” Ren said at the same time Rachel snorted.

Ren glared at her, but Adrian didn’t think she noticed because she was too busy merging into the flow of traffic.

Adrian nudged Ren, and when Ren looked at him, he raised an eyebrow.

Ren let out an exasperated breath. “She was someone my father thought I should marry, but I thought otherwise.” When Rachel snorted again, Ren rolled his eyes.

“You know as well as I that we were completely incompatible.” He paused. “And she hated Maurice.”

“How dare she,” Rachel said, the tease in her tone more than evident.

“Oui. It was a travesty. But she is no longer my problem since she told me to fuck off.”

“I am sure Christiana did not tell you to fuck off.”

“In her own way, she did. And that,” he said firmly, “is all I have to say on the matter. I have promised Adrian a pleasant afternoon and evening, and as his luggage may never be seen again, I could use your cooperation rather than gossip, s'il te pla?t.”

Adrian watched the two of them glare at each other, his view of Rachel limited to her eyes, but the way they crinkled in the corners told him she didn’t take Ren seriously.

“So, who’s Maurice?” Adrian asked, Rachel’s lack of deference to Ren making it easy for him to fall into the tease.

Ren threw up his hands as Rachel laughed. “Mon Dieu! Vous êtes impossibles tous les deux!”

“Mon cher,” Rachel said. “Il est merveilleux. Où l'as-tu trouvé?”

Ignoring her, Ren turned to Adrian and took hold of his hand, something that was quickly becoming one of Adrian’s favorite things about this man. Ren was incredibly tactile, always reaching for his hand or some kind of contact between them, and Adrian loved it.

“Maurice?” Adrian asked with an arched brow.

Ren shook his head. “Maurice is my best friend. We have known each other since university.”

“And he’s the reason Henri is—”

“OK, ma chérie, we do not need to bore Adrian with stories of my less than decorous behavior, tu ne crois pas?”

Another mirror stand-off began between the two as Adrian laughed. “Is Maurice the reason you are ‘picking up a yacht and delivering it to the Maldives’?” Adrian thought he did a good job mimicking Ren’s accent. Rachel must have thought so, too, because she laughed again.

“Adrian, you are a delight,” she said, dodging a taxi as she turned down a narrow side street.

“Promise me we’re not going to die,” Adrian whispered to Ren as he was thrown against the man’s side by the force of Rachel’s turn.

“We will not die today,” Ren said, putting an arm around Adrian’s shoulders. “I will not allow it.” He kissed the side of Adrian’s head. “I promise.”

And for some reason, Adrian believed him, though he was relieved when Rachel pulled to a stop in front of a clothing store.

“You have two hours,” Rachel said as they got out of the car.

“That is hardly enough—”

“Two hours, Henri. If you have any hope of getting off the yacht between here and Malé, you will not make me wait. Or send someone to look for you.”

Adrian expected Ren to protest, but instead Ren glanced at him, then nodded. “D’accord. As you say, two hours. We will be exactly here where you have left us.”

There was another nonverbal exchange between the two, then Rachel shook her head. “Go,” she said.

Ren opened the door, and Adrian followed him out, surprised when Ren extended a hand and helped Adrian to the sidewalk, then entwined their fingers. Without a glance at the car, Ren led Adrian to the restaurant next to the clothing store.

“If we had more time, I would take you somewhere with a view of the city and the harbor, but in truth, this is one of my favorite places to eat and everything is authentic. Mateu only uses recipes that have been in his family for generations. If his mother is in the kitchen, it will be better than a five-star restaurant. And there is a courtyard in the back where we may have a little more privacy.” Ren brought Adrian’s hand to his lips and kissed it while wiggling his eyebrows at Adrian.

A surge of warmth rose from Adrian’s core, and he knew his cheeks had turned the color of his hair. He swallowed against the lump in his throat. “Thank you,” he said. “For everything you’ve done for me.”

“Poussin, there is no need to thank me. I have hardly done anything for you at all.”

Adrian wanted to protest that that wasn’t true, that Ren had taken care of him in the midst of panic attacks, had helped him feel safe, and now he was making sure the start of Adrian’s vacation wasn’t ruined by a missing suitcase.

It would have been easy for him to feel overwhelmed by everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours, but that wasn’t the case.

And it was all due to the man currently standing in front of him, holding his hand, and watching him with an expression of hope and curiosity.

“Let me thank you anyway,” Adrian said and closed the distance between them so he could give Ren a kiss.

He’d meant for it to be a quick kiss, but once they touched the world around them disappeared and his awareness narrowed to Ren and the places where their bodies joined.

The feel of Ren’s arms around him, the way Ren pulled him closer, placed his hands on either side of Adrian’s face, and kissed him with an eloquence and sensuality Adrian had never experienced before…

Adrian quashed the thought before it could take shape. One night. That was all this was. Ren had invited him for dinner and sightseeing. Would he stay longer if asked? Adrian stared into Ren’s eyes as they parted and wondered if he’d get the chance to find out what his answer would be.