How to Resist Prince Charming(48)

“I don’t feel like I have to carry a world full of responsibilities on my shoulders when I’m in your arms. I can just...be.”

She tipped her face to the side to kiss his forehead. “It does feel incredibly right, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah.” He hugged her to him as if she were his favorite blankie and turned in toward her to return the kiss, placing his on her chest, right over her heart. “Nothing else has felt quite so...right.”

With a relinquishing sigh, he relaxed and his breathing changed, growing long and steady. He’d definitely put in too long of a day.

She continued to play with his hair but had to pause once to wipe away a stray tear. Being in his life caused him plenty of complications but knowing she eased his troubles was worth it. Promising herself she would remain worth it to him, she softly whispered, “Je t’adore,” as he slept deeply and peacefully in her arms.



The next morning, Braxton sat Indian style on his hotel bed, skimming through a Paris guidebook he’d bought. “So, where do you want to go first?”

In the bathroom, Lenna had left the door hanging open while she applied the finishing touches of her makeup. “I don’t care,” she called. “What do you want to do?”

“Well, let’s see here.” He glanced through the book until something caught his eye. “We could ride on a double-decker bus and take a two-hour trip through the city. Then there’s also a boat tour on the Seine.”

Lenna gasped and popped her face into the room. “A boat ride?” she sighed. “How romantic. Does that last long?”

“Uh...” Braxton consulted the guidebook. “Seventy-five minutes.”

“Could we do that?” Her gorgeous green eyes begged.

He shrugged. “Sure.” Hell, he didn’t have a clue what to do. As long as he was with her, anything sounded appealing.

“I want to see another museum too before we leave,” Lenna added, disappearing back into the bathroom. “Oh, and I’ve always wanted to visit the market and buy fruit and stuff like that. Then there’s the Notre Dame Cathedral and...” As she named off a few more things, Braxton quietly closed the guidebook.

Alrighty then. Why bother with a paperback when he had a walking, talking tour guide with him? He tossed the book onto the mattress beside him and scooted off the bed. Strolling into the bathroom, he sat on the closed lid of the toilet, where he watched Lenna lean closer to the mirror and apply eyeliner to the base of her lashes.

Spellbound, Braxton didn’t think she could look much better than she had this morning, about half an hour earlier when he’d had her naked in the shower. Her face had been scrubbed free of all cosmetics, and she’d been absolutely breathtaking. Especially when she came. But he had to admit, it was fascinating to watch her primp.

“I know this sounds kind of morbid,” she went on, capping the eyeliner wand only to lift a tube of lip-gloss and bring it to her mouth. “But I think it would be neat to go to Les Catacombs too.”

“What’s that?” he asked, unable to take his eyes off her lips as she rubbed them together.

He hated to tell her he’d have that gloss kissed off in about five seconds because, damn, she looked good putting it on.

“It’s this underground tunnel thing that’s, like, a thousand yards long, or something, and it’s full of six million skeletons.”

Braxton paused. Skeletons? “Real skeletons?”

Finished with her makeup, Lenna turned from the mirror and took in the sight of him perched on the commode, watching her.

“Of course they’re real. Why would they put a bunch of fake skeletons in a grave?”

Why indeed? Braxton found himself grinning, but he couldn’t think what was so funny. He just felt incredibly content.

She held a hand down to him. “Ready?”

In a teasing mood, he pushed to his feet and reached toward her pile of makeup on the counter. “Well, I need to put on some blush first, and then I—”

“Ha, ha. Very funny,” she muttered, rolling her eyes and tugged him away from the mirror.

“No, really.” He resisted her pull and tried to get a peek at his own reflection. “Does my foundation look even to you?” He batted his lashes prettily.

“Shut. Up,” she stressed and lightly punched him in the arm, though amusement glittered in her eyes as she pulled her lips tight.

Braxton laughed and rubbed his shoulder. “Geez, I’m just teasing.” He tugged her to a halt so she would stop too and glance at him. “Honestly, you look really good.”

Then he bent his head and went to work destroying her lip gloss job.



They spent the rest of the afternoon touring Paris, taking pictures, and pretty much having the time of their lives.

First, they took a boat ride on the Seine River. It was a cold trip, but Braxton didn’t mind because that only made Lenna curl close to him and snuggle her red cheeks against his chest. He sat with his arms around her and watched the mist from their breaths merge into one cloud.

Since they spent most of the day outside in the frigid air, Braxton insisted they stop at a clothing store, where he bought them both extra gloves and scarves. He even purchased a cashmere sweater Lenna had been discreetly admiring. She didn’t notice the buy until they were already a block away and, even then, it took him nearly ten minutes to talk her into keeping the silly thing.