Free The Accidental Boyfriend by Maggie Dallen Page B

anyone was watching. Before he could say anything, she quickly added, “Not that I’m judging. I’m not. I used to be the same way. I had the attention span of a gnat, especially when it came to relationships. But now…” her voice trailed off with another sigh.
    “But now you want the whole fantasy—the babies, the minivan, the yard with a white picket fence,” he finished for her.
    She smacked his arm at his teasing tone but she was smiling. “I know it sounds ridiculous to you. I take it you haven’t changed your mind since that article came out—”
    He cut her off with an exaggerated shudder. “A wife and kids? Me? Definitely not. Out of the question.”
    Jack thought she would laugh at that but she looked oddly serious. “That’s what I thought.”
    The silence that followed seemed too heavy and Jack was quick to fill the void. “And that’s what you want?” he asked. “A family?”
    Her sigh was so wistful, he thought she might cry. “More than anything.”
    He tugged her arm a bit so she turned toward him. He would do absolutely anything to rid her face of that sad smile. He wanted to tell her that she wasn’t a mess—that she was perfect—but he knew she would laugh him off.
    He would just have to prove it to her. How? He had no idea.
    “Why don’t we stay here for a few days?” he said.
    Holly’s eyes lit up a bit but then her eyes narrowed with wariness. “Are you sure?”
    “I’m positive. Danny and Brunelli have been on my case to visit the Paris office so why not now?”
    Plus, it would give her time to figure out what to say to her family and him time to convince her that Benjamin was all wrong for her. Not that Jack was the right guy. Obviously. But still, Ivy didn’t like this guy and it was the least he could do for his best friend’s sister.
    She was beaming up at him and for a second, he felt like a knight in shining armor. “Thank you,” she said.
    He gave a shrug and hoped she couldn’t see his ridiculously giddy grin. “Don’t mention it.”
    Turning so they were once again heading along the river, he put a hand on her lower back and gently nudged her to continue their walk. “So, where to today?” he asked.
    She looked up with wide eyes. “Don’t you have to go to the office?”
    “It’s Sunday,” he pointed out.
    Her lips twitched up in a self-deprecating grin. “Oh, right.” She took his arm again as she led them further down the Seine. “In that case, we should probably start with the Musée D’Orsay, it’s my favorite.”
    * * * *
    One museum and two croissants later, they hopped in a cab back to the flat, pleasantly exhausted and desperately in need of a shower. Or at least Holly was. Jack was annoyingly hot with his mussed hair and sunglasses. She on the other hand was a total mess with no makeup and the ratty old T-shirt she’d slept in the night before.
    Jack must have been cringing at the sight of her all morning. Not that it mattered. She wasn’t here to impress Jack. She was here to come up with a game plan for winning over Benjamin. What better place to come up with a strategy for love than Paris?
    They showered and relaxed around the apartment for a bit but Holly was eager to get back out into the city of love. She needed inspiration before she got up the nerve to call Benjamin to tell him where she was… and why.
    “You ready yet?” Holly asked, poking her head into the living room where Jack was furiously typing away on his laptop. He glanced up and blinked rapidly as if coming out of a daze. “Oh, yeah. Just wrapping up some work. Give me two minutes.” He turned back to the screen and was once more hypnotized.
    Holly watched him work for a minute. He was awfully cute when he was working.
    But then, Jack was awfully cute all the time. That’s why she and half the women in America swooned over his pictures in gossip magazines. Her cheeks burned all over again at the memory of her big mouth that afternoon. He’d probably thought she