Chapter 13

TREVOR

"Good morning," I mumbled as I padded out to the living room and joined Donovan at the table.

He was flipping through his phone, but he set it aside when I sat down. A cup of coffee and a plate of fruit were in front of him and there were several other covered dishes on the table. The smell of bacon wafted out from underneath one of them, making my stomach growl in response.

Donovan's eyes crinkled at the edges as he grinned at me. "Please help yourself. I wasn't sure what you might want, so I ordered a variety of things. There's also cold Coke in the mini bar. I'll get you one."

I gave him a grateful smile then began lifting the domed lids, checking out the food he'd ordered while he walked over to get my drink. "Thank you. I'm starving. I have no idea how though after dinner last night. Who knew French food was so rich. I'd get fat if I lived here all the time."

He chuckled as he came back to the table, setting a can of Coke and a glass of ice in front of me. "I don't think you're in any danger of that."

"We'll talk again after I eat this whole plate of buttery croissants," I joked.

"Speaking of dinner last night," he said as he sat down. "Mr. DuBois called this morning and agreed to sign his company over to me."

My mouth was full of food, so I washed it down with a big gulp of Coke before smiling at him. "That's fantastic! You must have really wowed him. You thought it would take several days to convince him."

Donovan shook his head. "Oh, he was wowed all right, but it wasn't me who impressed him and his son. He told me you were a large part of the decision. He said your knowledge of the company and understanding of the vision he'd always had for it made him feel like it would be in proper hands, with people who would take care of it and help it to grow in the way he'd always hoped."

My eyes were huge as I stared at him. I didn't think I'd done anything out of the ordinary, just been myself and offered some input when necessary. "Wow! I…don't know what to say."

His tone turned softer. "I do. Thank you. I mean it. This project is extremely important, but even more so was learning that I could count on you. I know I work more than what is considered healthy. My mother worries about me and my colleagues all think I'm crazy, but I don't have a choice. I have thousands of people counting on me for their livelihoods. If I mess up, if I fail to acquire the right company or let something fall through the cracks, then I might have to lay people off and then how will they provide for their families? That's a heavy burden to carry. Which is why I hired you to begin with. I needed someone who could help shoulder some of the responsibility."

My cheeks heated under his praise. "I don't think I did much, but I'm glad it all worked out."

Donovan shook his head. "That's the thing. I didn't do it alone. You were amazing last night. You were eloquent and professional, and you put your knowledge of the company to use to convince them to sell. For the first time, I didn't go through a meeting feeling alone. I had you and it felt like we were a team. A pretty unbeatable one, if I do say so myself."

I felt my blush deepen, but something burned inside my chest. Something that felt a lot like pride. I'd felt the same way last night, like I was more of a partner to him than just his assistant and it meant the world that he'd seen me that way too. I wanted to be someone he could count on, someone he trusted, not only in business, but in his personal life too.

"Thank you. You can always count on me," I said sincerely. "So, what happens next? Should I set up a time for the two of you to sign the contract?"

"No. I've already handed it all over to the legal team back home. They'll send a copy to him today then he'll have his team read over it and send it back with any necessary revisions. I didn't want to cause any delays with us traveling. Which reminds me, I need to call the pilot and tell him to have the plane ready to go in a couple of hours. That should give you enough time to shower and repack your things, shouldn't it?"

I had to force my bite of food down as it seemed to get stuck in my throat. "We're leaving today? But I thought we were staying through Wednesday."

"We were, but that was before you helped close the deal in record time. Now that we have, there's no reason to stay."

"Oh." I ducked my head, staring down at my plate so he wouldn't see the disappointment I'm sure was etched all over my face. I couldn't believe I was in actual Paris-freaking-France and wouldn't even get to visit the Eiffel Tower.

"Is everything all right?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes, fine," I responded, injecting as much cheer into my voice as I could muster.

"Trevor, look at me." He didn't even need to raise his voice for me to feel his command from my head to my toes. It sent a heady rush of desire through me, just like the first night I'd seen him at the swap party when he'd told the other man to get on his knees.

My head snapped up immediately and I pulled my napkin into my lap to cover my growing erection. "Y…yes?"

He cocked his head, his expression serious as he studied my face. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Noth—"

"And I want the truth."

My shoulders slumped as I let out a sigh. "I'd really been looking forward to seeing some of the places I've read about," I finally admitted. "But it's fine. Really. It's not like this was a vacation. It's a business trip and now that your business is done, of course we should go back home."

He studied me quietly for several long seconds and I had to force myself not to squirm under the intensity of his gaze. "Thank you for being honest, I appreciate that. As for what you said…I suppose we could stay a little longer."

I grinned excitedly. "Really? Are you sure? I don't want to interfere with your work."

He waved a hand in the air as if none of that mattered. "I'm sure. Any work I need to do, I can do from here and besides, no one's expecting us back at the office until sometime Thursday anyway."

"Yes! Thank you so much, Donovan."

He smiled at my enthusiasm. "Consider it a reward for all your hard work. Plus, this is your first time traveling outside of the United States. I'd be remiss if I didn't let you indulge in all the history and flavors Paris has to offer."

Thirty minutes later, we started our impromptu tour at the Louvre Museum. As we walked through its grand halls, I was captivated by the sheer number of masterpieces on display. We stood in front of the Mona Lisa, surrounded by a throng of other tourists.

I leaned over to whisper to him. "It's smaller than I expected, but it's still incredible."

"Yes, most people don't realize it's a lot smaller in person. But the history and significance of the painting are what make it truly remarkable."

We spent a while exploring the museum, taking in the sculptures, paintings, and artifacts from different eras and cultures. Donovan's knowledge of art and history impressed me, and I found myself learning a lot from him. I also asked a million questions, but he answered them all patiently, never once acting like I was bothering him.

After the Louvre, we strolled along the Seine River, enjoying the lively atmosphere of the riverside. We passed by street vendors selling crepes and souvenirs, and I couldn't resist trying a freshly made Nutella crepe.

"This is delicious! Paris really knows how to do food."

"They sure do. There's a little cafe up ahead that serves some of the best coffee in the city. Let's take a break there," he suggested.

We found a table outside the cafe, and Donovan ordered himself a coffee and water for me. We sipped our drinks, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city.

"This is perfect. I can't believe we're actually here. Thank you."

"I should be thanking you. I'm usually here on business at least once or twice a year, but I'm typically in and out fairly quickly. This is the first time in probably six years I've taken the time to actually enjoy it. I'd forgotten how beautiful it all is."

"I couldn't agree more. It's good to step back from work once in a while and experience all the things life has to offer."

He raised his cup in a toast. "To new experiences and great company."

"To Paris and everything it has to offer." I felt a flutter of anticipation as I clinked my cup with his, but it had nothing to do with our location and everything to do with the man across from me.

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the city—so I could take a bunch of photos to send to Doug and his family—and talking. Donovan told me stories about the places he'd been, and which ones were his favorite then he asked me where I wanted to go. He seemed genuinely intrigued when I told him about the bucket list, I'd had to create for a college class and all the places I'd said I wanted to visit one day.

Once evening rolled around, we stopped so we could eat and rest for a bit. I was stunned—and maybe just a little turned on—when Donovan ordered our supper, speaking fluent French.

"Where did you learn to speak French?"

He shrugged. "I taught myself. I do a lot of business here and have to know what the clients are saying. Not all of them speak English as well as Mr. DuBois."

I smiled, shaking my head in awe. "I shouldn't be surprised. I have yet to discover something you're not good at."

He laughed, his perfect full lips stretching over perfectly straight teeth. It really wasn't fair for one man to own so much perfection, I thought with a sigh.

"How about we visit the Eiffel Tower after dinner? It's a completely different experience when it's all lit up."

"That sounds amazing. I've heard it's magical at night."

After dinner, we made our way to the Eiffel Tower. As we approached, I could see the tower illuminated against the night sky, its lights twinkling like a thousand stars. The sight was nothing short of breathtaking.

"Wow. It's even more beautiful than I imagined."

Donovan grinned excitedly. "Wait until you see the view from the top."

We took the elevator up, and as we ascended, the city unfolded beneath us in a breathtaking panorama. The lights of Paris stretched out as far as the eye could see, creating a dazzling display that seemed almost unreal. I could see why they called it the most romantic city in the world.

"This is incredible. Thank you for bringing me here."

"It's something, isn't it?"

His face was in profile when I looked over at him. "It sure is," I said softly. His head turned, his eyes locking with mine. My heart beat a frantic rhythm against my ribcage and my palms turned sweaty. "Can I kiss you, Donovan?"

His eyes tightened but I could see flames flickering in their depths. "Trevor," he warned.

I took a step closer, leaving barely any space between us. "Please, Donovan. I need to know what you feel like, what you taste like."

"Fucking hell," he growled and then he was moving, turning to face me fully and cradling my chin with one hand before he took my mouth in a sweltering kiss.

His fingers tangled in my hair as he took control, angling my face where he wanted. His teeth nipped my bottom lip, begging me to open to him. I complied eagerly and with the first sweep of his tongue over mine, my legs turned to jelly.

My hands landed on either side of his waist where I gripped on, afraid if I let go, I'd float off into the sky. I'd never been kissed like this before, an all-consuming experience that I felt from the roots of my hair to the soles of my feet.

It ended all too soon and I leaned against him, panting and trying to calm my racing heart. Donovan didn't say a word as he took my hand and led me toward the elevator. I didn't know where he was taking me and honestly, I didn't care as long as we got to do that again.

It was a long ride down from the top of the tower and my only thought was, this was it. This was the thing that had been missing with everyone else.