Love in Paris

by Amanda Meadows

“Try me,” Hunter said, opening the door.

  Amber ignored him and headed straight for the bed. She kicked off her heels, shimmied out of her dress, and pulled down the bed covers.

  “Don't do it,” Hunter said, his voice more threatening.

  Amber clutched a pillow and sank her head against it. Ah! The pillow felt so good! She vaguely heard the shower running and put another pillow over her head.

  She groaned when Hunter turned her over. He pulled off her panties and removed her bra.

  "Can't control yourself, huh?" she asked sleepily. "I knew it was an easy bet."

  Hunter didn't answer. He picked her up, heading for the bathroom.

  Too late, Amber realized that Hunter was not intent on sex. Instead, he headed for the running shower. She struggled, but Hunter gripped her more tightly. Within seconds, the lower half of her body dangled in freezing water.

  Chapter 4

  “Bloody hell!” Amber shrieked, no longer sleepy.

  “I gave you ample warning,” Hunter grunted, his own breath coming in gasps since he was drenched as well. He increased his grip but didn't budge.

  Amber didn't care if he was sharing in her agony.

  “I'm awake! I'm awake!” she shouted, slapping at his arms.

  Finally, Hunter backed away and set her on her feet. He calmly stood while she beat on his chest with her fists. She started to kick him but paused, aghast at the memory of what she had done to Caleb's leg.

  Having no effect on Hunter's unyielding body, she gave up and stomped out of the bathroom. She jerked open a drawer, looking for her jeans.

  “Would you like these?” Hunter asked quietly as he handed over her panties, bra, jeans, and a turtleneck sweater.

  Amber snatched the clothes from him ungratefully, too cold to care that she was being rude and that he was probably also freezing. When she had dressed warmly, she discovered that Hunter was already waiting with their coats.

  “I'm only doing this because your parents suggested it,” she snarled, jamming her arms into the sleeves of her coat.

  She scowled the entire way down the elevator. An elderly gentleman took one look at her and backed into the corner. Amber was a bit ashamed until she noticed the look between Hunter and the old man. The two exchanged a few words in French and chuckled. Amber narrowed her eyes at both of them and growled. The elderly man's eyes widened. He gave wide berth to Amber when the elevator stopped on the ground floor.

  Amber was still so angry that she strode right out the lobby doors. She wasn't going to simply stand around and wait for Hunter. She would . . . Suddenly, she remembered that she couldn't speak French and that she had no clue where she was. She stopped and stared around, the icy wind and the newness of the city acting like a slap in her face.

  She sighed. Hunter was doing the right thing by keeping her awake. Intellectually, she knew that. She just didn't like him taking over.

  “Can I join you?”

  Amber whirled around. She tried to place the look on his face. He looked almost humble. Well, that was a new look for him!

  “I suppose so,” she said in a calm voice.

  “Would you like to hit me some more first?” A trace of a smile curved his lips.

  “Don't tempt me,” she warned. “I'm still in a bad mood.”

  “Baby, I'll take any way you want to touch me,” Hunter said, his voice tender.

  Damn! He was going to try to charm his way back into her good graces.

  She looked up, her tired mind trying to form a sarcastic reply, and instead got swept up into the peaceful sea of his eyes. They pulled her forward, promising good things.

  “I . . . I'm too tired to think straight,” she sputtered at last. “And why the hell aren't you more tired?”

  Hunter smiled. “I'm exhausted, but I've done this before. Plus, my body is kind of between time here and the States.”

  “Do we just wander around the city to stay awake?”

  “Why don't we go shopping?” Hunter asked. “If you're going to be working, you'll need at least a couple of pairs of slacks and tops.”

  Oh! Amber hadn't thought of that.

  “I don't know how much money I have to spend on clothes."

  “You can pay me back after you get your first check,” Hunter said. “Come on. I know where you can get just what you need at a bargain price.”

  Huh? What did Hunter know about bargain shopping? But she didn't have time for further questions. She was already half jogging to keep up with his hurried steps.

  “What's the rush?” she finally asked, as Hunter stopped in front of a clothing boutique.

  “Sorry,” Hunter said, opening the door for her. “I was afraid you might try to make a run back to the hotel.”

  “I still could,” Amber said.

  But she was happy to be out of the wind and the cold. Her ears were stinging and her nose had started to run. She rummaged in her purse for a tissue as a svelte girl approached them.

  The shop girl appraised them both. She crinkled her nose in Amber's direction, but was all smiles as she greeted Hunter.

  Back off bitch, Amber thought. She took Hunter's hand and brought it up to her lips.

  Hunter must have gotten the point because he put a possessive hand around Amber's shoulders. He lowered his head and kissed her briefly on the mouth.

  The shop girl took a step back, pretending to be grabbing a blouse off a rack. She motioned for them to follow. When they reached the rear of the store, Amber noticed a leather sofa and several comfortable chairs positioned near a dressing room. An older woman with a pleasant face greeted them. The other girl stalked off.

  After managing one brief “bonjour” Amber had used up all her conversational French and let Hunter do the talking. Even though she knew a few halting phrases, these people talked entirely too fast for her to understand.

  Finally Hunter turned to her. "Madame LeForte will help you get fitted. I told her the sort of office environment my parents have so she knows what is appropriate. If you don't like something or need to ask a question, I can translate for you.”

  As her eyes flitted to the clothing racks, Amber didn't see any price tags. She turned to question Hunter, but he was already seated on the leather sofa and flipping through a magazine. The matronly woman smiled reassuringly and led Amber into the dressing room. After taking Amber's measurements with a cloth measuring tape, Madame LeForte gestured to a comfortable chair and left the room.

  Amber sat gingerly, hoping that the woman had a good sense of taste. After wearing jeans most of her life, she had no clue what sort of business attire was considered professional. She tapped her boot on the floor nervously, stopping abruptly as the woman returned pushing a metal rack of outfits.

  A half hour later, Amber was impressed. Almost everything looked wonderful while also remaining, surprisingly, comfortable. For every outfit that Amber approved, Madame LeForte led her out to parade in front of Hunter. If she hadn't been so groggy from jet leg, Amber might have objected. The woman was sadly mistaken if she thought Amber had to have Hunter's approval.

  Of course, maybe she did need his approval. Would he buy her something that he didn't like if he was spending his own money? Would she want him to? In spite of his assurances, she suspected he would never let her pay him back for the clothing. One thing was for certain. She needed to learn French if she was going to feel like she was on equal footing again.

  Fortunately, she didn't have to worry about arguing with Hunter over her selections. He seemed pleased with everything. Either that or he just wanted to be done. He did seem exhausted when he gazed up from his magazine. She grudgingly admitted to herself that she was probably being a little hard on him today. He had promised his parents to keep her awake.

  After Amber settled on five new outfits, Madame LeForte brought out several pairs of heels. Amber balked. She didn't mind wearing heels for a dinner out, but she had to draw the line somewhere for the sake of her feet. She pointed hopefully at her boots. After a
moment, Madame LeForte smiled and held up a finger. When she returned, she offered Amber a beautiful pair of black, leather boots with a sensible heel.

  Amber fell in love immediately. She literally beamed at the woman as she put them on her feet. They felt incredible! She felt a pang of worry about the cost. Even with no price tag, she knew these were expensive. But there was no way she was leaving this store without those boots.

  Seeing her smile, Madame LeForte grabbed Amber's hand and pulled her out to show Hunter. The woman spoke in rapid French as she gestured animatedly with her hands.

  Hunter grinned and nodded. He gave the woman a warm smile and then subtly handed her his credit card. He was so smooth that Amber almost didn't see it happen. Madame LeForte walked over to a small desk in the corner to ring up the purchases.

  “So you like the boots best of all, gorgeous? Madame LeForte said she has never seen such a happy customer.”

  Amber grinned happily. “They're awesome! It's funny, but I never knew I loved boots so much until I met you.”

  Hunter laughed. “That's my skill in life. I help the ladies discover their fashion sense.”

  Amber punched his arm. “Only one lady. And don't forget it!”

  “This trip is really bringing out the aggressive side of you.” Hunter massaged his arm and smiled suggestively.

  “Are you that anxious to play your little game with me?”

  What game? Oh. The bet! Her tired mind tried to work out what he was trying to imply. Amber flushed as a thought occurred to her. Did he think that she wanted them to role play dominance and submission? She peeked up at Hunter and realized he was following her train of thought. Now he was chuckling. Damn! She didn't know how to respond.

  Fortunately, Madame LeForte appeared with a receipt for Hunter to sign as well as several beautiful bags. After they left the shop, Hunter insisted that they go to a small café several blocks away. The brisk air was freezing, but it did help in sharpening her senses. It also made her move quickly in anticipation of getting somewhere warm. However, Amber secretly hoped that Hunter would let them take a taxi back to the hotel.

  Ducking into the small café, Amber was immediately transported to bliss by the heavenly smells of baked goods. She had been expecting sort of a coffee shop atmosphere. This place, however, was much fancier than that. They were seated at a small table covered with crisp white linens. An attendant took their coats and packages.

  “I thought that we were just going to a bake shop,” Amber whispered.

  Hunter merely winked at her and spoke to the older gentleman waiting on them. She was glad that Hunter had explained that the word “garçon” used in old movies actually meant “boy” and that it was considered quite rude to refer to one's waiter that way.

  “No menu?” Amber asked, puzzled when they were left sitting alone.

  “I wanted to surprise you,” Hunter said, looking a bit uneasy. “I'm sorry. I should have asked you first.”

  Normally, she would have been ticked off. As it was, did she really want to agonize over a menu right now? Truthfully?

  She shrugged her shoulders, too tired to really care that much.

  “I take it you've been here before?” she asked.

  Hunter smiled. “My mom used to bring me here all the time when I was a kid. It was our special place.”

  Amber stared at him guiltily. Oh! He had brought her here to try to impress her. And she had almost yelled at him for being too controlling.

  “Your mom is really nice,” she said. “You were totally right about how I would feel about her.”

  They were momentarily interrupted as two silver cups and saucers were placed in front of them. The waiter disappeared for a moment, but returned almost immediately with an ornate silver tea pot from which he deftly poured steaming cocoa. He placed the pot in the center of the table. To one side, he placed a small bowl of thick whipping cream.

  “Mademoiselle?” he asked Amber, indicating the cream.

  “Oui. Merci,” she managed to squeak out with a nod of her head.

  The waiter gently placed a shiny dollop of cream on top of her steaming cocoa. Then he swiveled his body to face Hunter.

  “Monsieur?”

  Hunter nodded and then spoke several sentences in French that completely evaded Amber. How in the world was she going to learn this language if everybody spoke so quickly?

  Amber took a sip of the hot, sweet cocoa and groaned. The warmth immediately began to thaw her chilly body.

  “Oh, this is so good! Your mom was a saint to bring you here,” she murmured.

  Hunter smiled broadly, clearly delighted that she found pleasure. He took a sip and gave himself a cream mustache. He used the tip of his tongue to lick his upper lip clean.

  Amber grinned in amusement. She had never seen Hunter do that before. She wondered if it was a childhood trait that he subconsciously reverted to when he was here. She would have to remember to ask his mom about it later.

  The cocoa was so good that Amber practically gulped it down. She tried to be ladylike, but it was so darn good! She wondered if it was bad etiquette to refill her own cup. She didn't want to ask Hunter and risk looking even more ignorant.

  Fortunately, the waiter came back a few minutes later with a silver basket loaded with pastries. He placed them at the side of the table with a delicate pair of silver tongs. Seeing Amber's empty cup, he immediately refilled it, only glancing casually at her to ascertain she still wanted the heavenly whipped cream.

  Amber was happy to see Hunter accept another cup of cocoa as well because she didn't want to look like a pig. Once the waiter left, Hunter pointed at the tray of delightful goodies, explaining each to her.

  “That one has a raspberry filling and that one has dark chocolate,” he said. “That one is kind of a honey and nut treat. That one has sweet cream on the inside.”

  Amber's mouth watered. “They all look so incredibly good.”

  “We're taking the leftovers home so you'll have an opportunity to try all of them.”

  Hunter placed one pastry on his plate and neatly cut it in half with a knife and fork.

  “Do you want to try half of this one?”

  Amber stared at the raspberry filling oozing onto the plate.

  “I think it would be dangerous if you didn't share it,” she said, licking her lips.

  Hunter laughed. He scooped up half the pasty and deposited it on her plate.

  “This is my favorite one,” he said shyly.

  Amber already had her fork halfway to her mouth. She put it back down.

  “Are you sure you don't want the whole thing?”

  Hunter smiled. “I'm sure they have more in the back. I want to see if you like it as much as I do.”

  Amber studied the morsel before placing it in her mouth. The pastry was light and flaky with a drizzle of dark chocolate on top. She put it in her mouth and moaned again as the slight bitterness of the dark chocolate melded with the sweet freshness of the berries. This was definitely no canned fruit filling!

  She looked up to find Hunter staring at her with a glazed look in his eyes. His eyes always seemed to change with his moods. Now they were like a stormy sea.

  “What?”

  Had she done something wrong? She looked down to see that her napkin was placed firmly on her lap. She hadn't knocked any silverware off the table. She checked her fork. Yes, the same fork as Hunter was using.

  Hunter leaned forward and whispered softly. “Those little moans are turning me on.”

  Chapter 5

  Amber's eyes widened and she blushed. Had someone else heard her?

  “Nobody heard except me,” Hunter said, taking her hand. “The waiter is way over there and that couple to our right has no idea where they even are.”

  Amber peeked at the people in question and relaxed. An older couple were staring at each other and holding hands. Hunter was right. They were in their own little world. Actually, the café was remarkably empty considering the quality of th
e food.

  “Where is everybody?”

  “In the spring and summer, this place would be packed with tourists all hours of the day. But the locals usually come earlier or later in the day. My mom brought me here after school a lot.”

  “When do you have to be back at work? I still can't believe how nice they've been about giving you time off.”

  Hunter nodded. “Yeah, they bent over backwards to make things work for me.”

  All the sugar from the cocoa and the pastries was making Amber's head buzz. For the first time all day, she felt close to clear headed. She knew it was temporary, but for now she was going to take advantage of it.

  “So, you never got around to telling me what this new deal is you made with them.”

  Hunter shook his head.

  “Let's talk about that later, okay? I don't have all the details worked out yet.”

  Amber sighed. “You keep saying to trust you. But I feel kind of on edge not knowing what the next several months are going to be like.”

  Hunter looked alarmed. “Are you changing your mind about coming with me?”

  “No. Of course not! Are you kidding me? What girl turns down an extended trip to Paris with her boyfriend?” She patted Hunter's hand reassuringly.

  “I just don't know what my specific role here is. Isn't there a limit to how long I can visit? What if I have to leave?”

  Hunter shook his head. “I won't let that happen. Right now, you are just visiting. But if you accept a position with the company, Mom and Dad can sponsor a visa for you. Don't worry about that.”

  Amber was too hyped up on sugar to let the matter drop.

  “But I thought that any job in France had to go to a citizen first. That is, unless the company can prove that a French person couldn't do the job.”

  Hunter sighed. “Amber, sometimes you're like a dog with a T-bone steak. No matter what happens, you just won't let go.”

  Amber grinned. “And that's a problem in what way?”

  Hunter sighed. “Technically, you are correct. But in this case, mom wants someone with experience working in the United States. She doesn't just want to open centers here in Paris. In fact, she wants to start with the United States. Your fluent English and familiarity with school districts in the United States is going to help my parents make a case with the government.”