Yes. I wanted all of it. I wanted everything. “Aidan, I’m your employee. In fact, we’re both supposed to be at work right now.”
“I told you, I solved that.”
“How?”
“Meet me and I’ll tell you.”
“You haven’t guessed where I am yet.”
“I will. What’s your next objection? Don’t tell me it’s Angelica Barnes, or any other woman, because we’ve covered that.”
I sat on a bench, ignoring the beautiful gardens around me and the gorgeous Parisians walking by, enjoying it. “I’d be in the public eye,” I said.
“You can more than handle it, but if it bothers you, we’ll limit our social appearances. That’s fine with me anyway. It gives me more time home alone with you in bed.”
He was killing me. Killing me. “I’m independent,” I said. “I’m used to my space.”
“If you want to wait before moving in, then I’ll wait.”
“I’m not…easy,” I said. “I’m messy. Some of my pieces don’t fit. I’m still figuring everything out.”
“I know. It’s what I like about you. I like watching you put your pieces together. It’s fascinating. And as an excellent side benefit, the role-playing sex is better than any sex I’ve even imagined.”
I couldn’t argue with that. Just hearing him talk about it was making me hot, my skin sensitive under my clothes. It had only been a few days, but it felt like a year since I’d had sex with Aidan.
“Is that what you want?” I asked him. “Sex?”
“With you? All the time, day and night. Was that part not clear?”
Oh, God, that sounded so good. “You know what I mean. Is there more? Because to me, Aidan, there’s more. There’s a lot more.”
“Do you know what I find amusing?” Aidan said. “That you think I flew all the way to Paris to get laid. But if you want to know how I feel, I’ll only tell you in person. That’s my offer. Your move, Samantha.” He hung up.
I put the phone down in my lap, dazed. And turned all the way on. What was I getting myself into? No wonder I’d gotten on a plane to be able to think. Aidan Winters was a lot to handle. Too much for most women.
He isn’t too much for me.
I might be figuring myself out, but one thing I had learned was that I wanted a man who wanted everything. A man who pushed me and challenged me and dared me. A man who would fly to Paris for me, just to taunt me when he got here.
I wanted Aidan. He was complicated and brilliant and strangely wonderful. Incredibly sexy. Any woman would get in line for him. I wanted him to be mine.
I picked up my phone again, thinking. We’d talked about Rachel the art student and Leigh the office worker, but we hadn’t talked about Sarah the CEO, with her black dress and sexy eyeliner, taking what she wanted from a gorgeous man in a bar.
What would Sarah do?
One night with the devil, Samantha. You’ve already had more than one. Do you want more?
I swiped my phone awake and sorted through my work email. Sure enough, I found what I wanted—a copy of his travel itinerary with the name of his hotel on it. He might not be able to find me, but as his executive assistant, I could find him.
He was staying at a place called the Parisien, near the Eiffel Tower. I called the hotel. “Good afternoon,” I said to the receptionist. “This is Samantha Riley, Aidan Winters’ executive assistant. I’ll be at the hotel shortly, and I’ll need access to his room.”
“I am sorry madame,” the polite Frenchman on the other end of the line said. “We cannot do this without the permission of Mr. Winters, and he is not at the hotel at present. I believe he left an hour ago.”
“Then call him and get his permission,” I said. “He’ll give it. I’ll see you in fifteen minutes.” I hung up, then stood and walked back toward the street to find a cab.
Thirty-Eight
Samantha