Chapter 23

I 'd never been kissed the way Simon kissed me. Like I was everything.

His body pressed against mine as he cupped my cheeks in his hands. His mouth formed against mine like it was made for me. I gripped the front of his shirt in both my hands, worried my knees would give out if he kept kissing me like his world revolved around me.

In the background, someone cheered. Someone else expressed their disgust. I didn't care. I leaned further into Simon, terrified of the moment he stepped away from me.

He didn't. Where one kiss ended, the next began.

He moved from holding my face to placing his hands on the fencing behind me, his whole body flush with mine. I pressed into him. A fire lit deep within me—one hotter and brighter than I'd ever felt. Simon's tongue flicked against my bottom lip, and I opened for him.

God, he tasted good.

I whimpered into his open mouth. His tongue traced mine delicately, then hungrily.

I couldn't believe this was happening. Any of this.

I was in Paris, on the top of the Eiffel Tower. A vampire had his tongue down my throat.

A moment later, Simon pulled back with a hiss. I gasped at the lack of contact, my cheeks burning. Around us, people stared in varying degrees of shock and discomfort. I stared sheepishly at Simon, half expecting him to pull away and ignore what happened.

"You're exquisite," he murmured.

I didn't know how to respond. My voice was caught in my throat, trapped beneath the weight of my shock.

Simon stepped away from me, holding out his arm. I took it, breathless. He led the way downstairs into the enclosed area. I felt a little lightheaded, unsure whether it was from the heights or his kiss.

"I'm sorry," I breathed, pointing to an empty bench. "Can we sit for a minute?"

"Of course."

I sank onto the bench, taking a deep breath. Simon sat next to me, watching me with a furrowed brow. I rested my shoulder against his, watching people shove past others.

Most seemed oblivious about where they were—as if standing on top of the Eiffel Tower was no big deal. My heart felt heavy as complaints of the heat, the wind, and the lines reached my ears. So many people didn't care; they were too caught up in themselves to notice the beauty around them.

I wondered how long I'd been like that. How many times had I turned down a road trip or a fun outing with my family or friends because I thought work was more important? How many days did I waste rolling out of bed and immediately going to work instead of enjoying my day?

How many people did I kiss because I didn't want to be alone?

I turned to Simon, a soft smile settling on my lips. "Thank you for today."

"For the kiss or the Eiffel Tower?"

I blushed. "Both."

He smiled.

"So, how am I doing?" I asked Simon as we approached my hotel.

"With what?" He replied passively.

"Living my life," I said dramatically, throwing my arms wide and spinning in a circle.

He watched me for a moment, humming. "How do you think you're doing?"

"That's not an answer," I laughed. I took a deep breath and shrugged. "I'm not sure whether I'm doing great, or whether my life was so pathetic that I'm easily excitable."

"You say that like it's already a done deal," Simon said. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I suppose I'll find out tomorrow night, won't I?"

Simon hummed. "Is there anything in particular you'd like to do before then?"

"I'm asking Addie to take me to Versailles tomorrow."

"I'll take you," he said much too quickly.

I smiled. "How chivalrous of you."

Simon ran his hand through his hair. I tilted my head in surprise at his frustration. "There's not enough time," he muttered.

"For what?" I asked.

He stepped back. His voice went cold. "Nothing. Have a lovely evening, Lucinda."

I caught his arm before he could walk away. "What are you talking about?"

Simon spun quickly with an inhuman growl. Before I could react to his movement, his mouth was on mine again. He gripped my shoulders as he kissed me. I melted into him and sighed into his lips when they parted. He nipped at my bottom lip; I opened for him without hesitation.

For the second time that day, I kissed a vampire.

As quickly as he'd kissed me, Simon wrenched his mouth from mine.

"There isn't enough time for me to memorize the way you breathe, the smell of your blood and your perfume, or the sound of your laugh," he whispered. "It will all be gone."

Before I could respond, he was gone.