Free 26 Hours in Paris by Demi Alex Page B

“We could have enjoyed a ride through the gardens and had Jean-Luc meet us with the car a little further downstream.”
    â€œI can handle it. A ride through the Tuileries sounds great,” she insisted, tugging on his arm. “You forget that I’m a city girl now. Urban cycling is in my blood.”
    â€œI was referring to your dress, not your cycling abilities.” His gaze traveled down her body to her toes, an appreciative smile emerging on his lips. “Not that I’m complaining, sweetheart, but I’m not sure how comfortable you’d be in that outfit.”
    â€œOr lack of,” she replied, glancing at the pocket that housed her panties. “However, my coat is long enough to compensate for the missing underwear. Let’s rent some bikes.”
    â€œI’ll think about it once we get to the other side,” he said, laughing and snaking an arm around her waist. He’d been teasing her the whole time. “Now, tell me about the island girl turning city girl. How do you like it?”
    â€œI love it,” she said, letting the bicycle option rest for a moment. “The apartment is tiny, but Charlie is the perfect roomie. We have so much in common, and we manage to be there for each other and compensate for what the other may lack. It’s like one’s weakness is the other’s strength. Plus, we have tons of fun together.”
    â€œCharlie sounds great. Can’t wait to meet her.”
    She stumbled on his words, her feet tripping over the uneven ground, but she didn’t point out that there was an ocean between them. After she was on the plane back to New York, she probably wouldn’t see Marko again for years.
    â€œAnd your mother? How is she adjusting to you living in the city?”
    â€œMom is happily remarried and making plans to move to Florida. Three years ago, she met Ralph. It took him a full month of convincing her to go out with him, but since that first official dinner date, they’ve been inseparable. He’s good people and good for her. I’m so happy she gave them a chance. They’re so much in love.” Kat looked at an older couple strolling hand in hand beside them. “I can imagine my mother and Ralph enjoying a walk over this bridge and snuggling on one of the benches, sharing a bottle of wine and a picnic.”
    â€œIn that case, you need to invite them to join us next time. Even better, we can arrange for the trip to happen in June, and also invite them to join us for my parents’ thirty-fifth anniversary celebration in Santorini.”
    She glanced over at Marko, who was watching the older couple beside them, and wondered what exactly had motivated him to make such a suggestion. After all, it wasn’t as if she was a Paris resident, and she’d certainly never been introduced to his family.
    â€œI’ve never met your parents.”
    â€œThat’s easy to rectify.”
    He guided her to a bench and sat on the edge. Patting his knee, he asked her to sit. She moved between his legs, wrapped her arm over his shoulders and lowered herself gently into his embrace.
    â€œWe’ll change your flight, head down to the Côte d’Azur tomorrow before we go home for ma mère’s Sunday bouillabaisse. You’ll love it. My mother is an extraordinary cook, and her bouillabaisse is phenomenal. One of her best meals.”
    Kat studied the dark eyes of the man she loved, hesitant to ask why he suddenly wanted to take her to his home and introduce her to his parents. His parents were larger than life in her mind. Successful vineyard owners, with generations of a powerful legacy behind them, she imagined them as too good for the likes of blue-collar company.
    â€œDo you miss Provence?”
    â€œWhat’s not to miss?” His aristocratic features filled with pride. No, not pride—arrogance. There was the Marko she knew. He never bothered with humility, and he always