Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen - City of Love part #1

Thursday.

We fly out in the morning from Ontario and touchdown at Paris in the evening. After collecting our luggage, we head outside where Atticus guides me to a sleek, black car waiting for us. I greet the driver as I settle into my seat before Atticus joins me after putting our bags in the boot.

We chat between ourselves as we take in the scenery of Paris and it takes us some time to reach the center. Atticus provides directions to a hotel he has booked us in for our stay and I struggle not to let my jaw drop when we pull up outside it. It stands proud and tall while oozing luxury.

"Welcome to one of my hotels." Atticus murmurs as we grab our bags.

I turn to him with wide eyes. "You're kidding!"

"No." He smirks as his honey colored eyes sparkle with amusement over my reaction. "I own this and construction has started on a second one just outside Paris. I was needed to check on things."

"Do you own hotels in other countries?" I wonder while realizing that that's how he got the finance to expand his territory.

"Yes, and a steel company too in Toronto." He elaborates as we make our way inside.

The interior is just as exquisite as the outside. It has a warm theme with expensive looking furniture and decor. The staff all wear sophisticated uniforms and greet us with kind smiles as we walk up to reception. As Atticus is checking us in I glance around. The hotel is quite luxurious but it's also modern with innovative aspects here and there.

"Ready?" I'm brought out of my admiration when Atticus turns to me with a knowing look.

I nod and he takes my hand before we get into what I quickly realize is a private elevator. I watch as he presses the only floor available which is where the penthouse suite is and I bite my lip in anticipation. I'm sure I'll fall in love with it if the hotel decor is anything to go by. Finally, the lift doors open and we walk down the hallway to the double doors.

Atticus scans they key card and he opens the door to let me in first. I grin excitedly and a quiet gasp escapes me once I step in. The suite is enormous and looks like a mini apartment as I walk from room to room. Windows line the right side in place of walls and there's a balcony too where I can see the city below.

There's a spacious sitting room, numerous master bedrooms, hot tub and so much more. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling throughout the suite and like the hotel itself the penthouse is quite modern. I run my fingertips across the beautiful black piano as I come to a stop by the window again. A smile graces my lips when I catch sight of the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

My breath hitches in surprise when Atticus wraps his arms around my waist. He nestles his nose into the crook of my neck and my eyelids flutter briefly as he presses a feather-light kiss to my skin. I turn and rest my hands on his broad shoulders as he continues to pepper kisses down my neck. A soft and involuntary moan escapes my lips and I blush in embarrassment over how needy I sound. But I feel his lips form a smile against my heated skin and I find myself mirroring the action.

"What do you think?" He murmurs as he pulls away.

"It's amazing!" I reply breathlessly as I look around the penthouse once more before meeting his eyes. "I can't wait to see what the other one will look like!"

"Thank you." He grins and I catch a flicker of pride in his honey eyes. "I want to take you out for dinner tonight. Will you be ready by eight o'clock?"

I glance at the clock to see I have an hour. "Sure! Any dress code?"

"Casual. And don't wear heels." He states as he lays down on the couch with his laptop in hand.

I nod and make my way into the bedroom where my bag is to look for an outfit. I decide to wear a black sweater with a gold, pleated midi skirt and sneakers. After changing I quickly apply some makeup but keep it natural before curling my hair loosely. I also add a few jewelry pieces to my look. Thankfully, I'm just about on time when I pack my shoulder bag with some essentials before applying some perfume and leaving my room with one last look in the mirror.

Atticus is leaning against the couch dressed in a tight fitted black shirt with a blue denim jacket on top. He's also wearing black jeans and boots with a necklace and watch. His honey eyes meet mine and he smiles handsomely as they roam over my body.

"You look beautiful." He states as he pushes off the couch and pecks my cheek.

"Thank you. You look very handsome yourself." I compliment and watch as he smiles widely.

We head out of the room and take the lift downstairs. Atticus takes a set of keys from reception before guiding me to a garage at the back of the hotel. We take a sleek, black Mercedes out onto the road and I watch the scenery of Paris city with delight. He chuckles when I point things out excitedly and explains some of the history behind things that we see.

Eventually, he parks the car on a street and I get out before meeting him at the front. He takes my hand with a smile and we walk across the streets before he stops at a certain restaurant. Stepping in he takes care of the reservation details while I marvel over the stunning decor.

We follow the waiter to the terrace outside and I smile instantly when I see the Eiffel Tower from here. It looks amazing in the evening light and I hope we can go see it up close afterwards. We're seated at a table and given our menus before the waiter takes our order for drinks. I go for the seafood platter and Atticus rolls his eyes playfully when I order fries as a side. It's a weird combination but I couldn't resist. He orders a roasted rack of lamb with vegetables for himself. The waiter then takes our menus with a warm smile before leaving.

After he has set down our drinks and left again, I turn to Atticus in excitement. "Can we go see the Eiffel Tower?"

"Of course, that's why I told you not to wear heels." He winks mischievously and I laugh.

"I can't wait! It looks so beautiful from here!"

Eventually, our food arrives and we spend the rest of the evening chatting and reminiscing about old times. I'm so full by the end of it that we decide to skip dessert. I perk up excitedly when Atticus guides me down the streets towards the tower. But then he turns a corner and we end up by the river Seine where a boat awaits us.

"We're taking a boat there?!" My eyes widen when he tells me to get on.

He nods with a laugh as I take his hand and step on. We greet the driver and settle down before cruising along the river. Since the walk helped us to digest the food we help ourselves to the chocolate covered strawberries and other desserts that were on the table for us.

When we finally reach it it's even more beautiful than I imagined. We walk towards it and take some pictures along the way. At one point the tower lights up as someone is taking a picture of Atticus and I. And just like the rest of the people surrounding us we marvel at its increased beauty under the night sky.

It's safe to say that our first night in Paris has been quite memorable.

***

Friday.

I have a lie in the next morning because Atticus is out for meetings. Thankfully, I wake up on my first alarm and don't fall asleep again. Our day is going to be jam packed with sightseeing so I need to get ready asap! I get out of bed before heading to the bathroom to brush my teeth and have a shower. After blow drying my hair I pick out a grey, plaid mini dress that has spaghetti straps and wear it over a black knit top. Next, I put black tights on with boots and a chunky cardigan. It's sunny outside today but I don't want to be freezing my ass off if it starts to get colder.

"Be ready in fifteen?" I hear Atticus ask as he rushes into the bathroom.

"Yeah, that's fine!" I reply as I start on my makeup.

I decide to do winged liner today and pair my natural makeup with a nude lip. Because my hair is slightly wavy after my shower I leave it as it is before throwing stuff into my shoulder bag. Spritzing a bit of perfume onto myself and putting on some jewelry I leave the room in record time just as Atticus follows behind me. He's dressed in a graphic sweater, black jeans and combat boots.

"We'll grab some breakfast before heading to the cathedral." He states as he takes my hand and guides me out of the room. "You look cute by the way."

"Thank you." I smile as we get into the lift. "You do too."

"I look cute?" He muses with an amused grin.

My eyes widen when I realize what I just said. "Uh, yes."

"Livi, I'm an Alph –"

"Still cute." I smirk mischievously and laugh when he puts me in a headlock.

He lets me go just as the doors open but not before pecking my cheek. We decide to walk today so that we can really take in what Paris has to offer. After we have breakfast at a local cafe we head on over to the Notre Dame cathedral. Because of the fire it's going to remain closed for another few years but Atticus and I still take the time to admire the building. I would have loved to have seen the inside but I hope I'll come back when it opens someday.

Next, we walk over to the Louvre museum and take some pictures outside the beautiful architecture before grabbing our tickets and going inside. The artwork is amazing and we find ourselves spending more time in the museum than we thought.

Throughout the day we visit other landmarks such as Sainte Chapelle, Tuileries Garden, Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe and Sacré-Coeur. I take pictures where I can but mostly spend my time being present and admiring the sights. Everywhere I look is just so beautiful and I find myself falling more and more in love with the city. Atticus and I also spend the whole day indulging in pastries and other popular food and because of that we have a very light lunch.

We get a bit of shopping done too and I manage to grab some souvenirs for everyone back home before we head to dinner. After walking around all day we're starving by the time we reach the restaurant Atticus has booked. So, rest assured we order a large meal before deciding on grabbing dessert from somewhere else.

After paying the bill we walk back out onto the streets and Atticus gets excited when he spots a chocolate shop. He all but drags me to it and I laugh at how cute he looks when he's trying to choose which flavors we should get. By the end of it we have way too many to count but regardless I end up adding salted butter caramels to the bag before we leave.

We walk around as the sun fully sets and find ourselves back at the Eiffel Tower again. Atticus grabs me by my hips and lifts me onto a wall where we have a nice view of the famous landmark before joining me himself. It's become a lot colder so I know we're going to be heading back to the hotel soon.

"I think we're going to keep coming back here every night until we leave." Atticus laughs as I open the box of chocolates.

I chuckle and nod before offering him some which he takes happily. We chat about all the sights we've seen today and I have to say that the Sacré-Coeur was my favorite whereas Atticus loved Sainte Chapelle.

"You've got chocolate on your lip." He chuckles as I try to wipe it. "Come here."

I lean in and he wipes the corner of my lip but the whole time his eyes are on mine. The intensity of them makes me hold my breath which escapes when he leans forward. His eyes flicker between mine and my lips hesitantly yet I can't find words because I'm freaking out inside. And just as we're a breath away he stops. I make a noise of frustration before grabbing his sweater and pulling him to me. He smiles breathtakingly before finally pressing his lips to mine.

It feels like I got shocked at first and then the lightest flurry of tingles shoots through my body deliciously. I wind my arms around his neck and push myself closer, craving more of him. His lips are soft as he kisses me sweetly and eventually coaxes my lips to open. I let him in and our tongues become engaged in an enticing dance before we pull away. I'm slightly out of breath as we stare at each other.

Atticus grins boyishly before leaning in, as if not being able to resist, and pecking my lips a few times. "I missed the feel of your lips on mine."

And just like that I feel myself burst with happiness. "Well, I don't mind making up for lost time."

"Come here then." He chuckles before his lips come crashing down on mine once more.

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