Breaking Love (Full Hearts Book 2) (6 page)

“I could eat.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

* * *

Simone watched the sunset from the window in her small kitchen. She knew Luc was with the American and that they would be on their way to dinner soon. Hours ago, he had called her to cancel his meetings for the afternoon and book dinner for him. Pouring herself more wine, she tipped the bottle upside down to allow the last drops to fall into her glass. The alcohol numbed the pain of knowing he was out with yet another woman who wasn’t her. She should have been with him tonight, in his arms, feeling his touch. She was the one who had loved him and cared for his every need for so long now. Simone took solace in the fact that this one would be gone in a matter of days, while she would still be here, waiting and hoping. She was starting to lose hope, however, after years of loving Luc from arms’ length.

Soon after the sun set, Megan was surprised to find that the restaurant they were going to was aboard a 1950s-style luxury yacht on the Seine. She felt suddenly very uncomfortable in her jeans as they were welcomed by crew members. “Luc, we are not dressed for this,” she whispered.

“We can wear whatever we like. There will be no other patrons tonight. Just us and the crew,” he answered.

“What? You booked this for us? But how could you? When?”

“It was nothing. One phone call.” He shrugged. “Come on, let’s go inside and warm up.” He opened the door to the restaurant. It was decorated with the same classic look as the outside of the yacht. The top half of the restaurant’s walls were clear glass on all sides and provided a perfect view. The bottom half of the walls were rich mahogany. Off to one side, leather couches, armchairs and coffee tables created intimate seating areas. The rest of the space held small tables covered with white linens. Opulent lighting gave it a relaxed and utterly romantic atmosphere, with soft music helping to set the mood.

Megan stood at the entrance, unsure of how to react. Walking into this place was like getting a glimpse of a completely different life—one with both romance and lavishness she had never known. In all her years with Ian, he had never taken her on a date like this. He had never really
romanced
her. They had met, they had fallen in love and they had gotten married. Dates had normally involved going out with their friends to movies or parties. They had gone on several wonderful vacations together, but those were always something Megan had planned and Ian had come along for. He had never once arranged a day like this—one that was meant solely for her enjoyment. Megan looked over at Luc, her eyes smiling as she allowed her feet to bring her into the restaurant. Her cheeks were immediately caressed by the gentle warmth of the room.

“I can’t believe you did all this for
me
,” she exclaimed softly. “We don’t even really know each other.”

Luc touched her cheek with his fingertips. “I know you deserve to have someone who will treat you like this, Megan. Someone who wants to see you smile.”

Megan shook her head. “You’re maybe the most romantic man I’ve ever met.”

“So, will you admit that this is a date, then?”

Megan laughed. “Do you always get what you want?”

“Almost always. I can count one or two times that I didn’t,” he teased.

“Somehow I believe that.”

They could feel the boat move as it set off from the pier, quietly cutting through the water. Megan knew her chance to flee was now gone and she was shocked at how happy that made her. Suddenly, her cellphone rang, interrupting the moment. Megan dug around in her purse to find it.

“It’s my son. Will you excuse me?” Megan asked, wondering how Luc would react to the reality of her life.

“Of course.” He smiled, seemingly unfazed.

Megan walked over to a far corner of the room as she answered the phone and sat on a couch.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Mom! How’s Paris?”

“It’s great, honey. How are you?”

“Good. Grandma let me stay up an hour after bedtime and I got to eat chips on the couch last night and right now we’re on our way to a movie!”

“Wow! Sweetie, it sounds like you’re having a terrific time! I’m so glad.”

“Yup, turns out I love it when you go on a holiday. You can stay longer if you want, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you. I do.”

“I love you too, little man.”

“Bye, Mom!”

“Wait, Elliott! Can I talk to Grandma?”

“Nope, she’s driving.”

“Alright, tell her I love her too and I hope things are going well.”

“Will do. See you soon! Love you. Bye!”

“Bye-bye.”

Megan ended the call and smiled down at her phone; a picture of Elliott smiled back at her. As much as she loved her little boy, she was far overdue for a break. She looked up at Luc, who was sitting at a table near the window, talking to the server. Elliott was fine and there was no reason for her to feel guilty for being here. She
did
deserve some romance, and if Luc wanted to give this to her, why shouldn’t she let that happen? She was an adult. She could enjoy herself and then go home without expecting it to turn into forever, couldn’t she?

She got up and walked over to the table, seeing Luc gaze at her as she moved toward him. He stood as she approached him, then reached out and began undoing the buttons of her coat. “Everything okay back home?”

Megan was yet again shocked at herself, as she had been most of the day. This time it was for allowing him to unbutton her coat. “Yes. Elliott is having such a wonderful time that he wants me to stay longer.”

“He sounds like a smart boy. Maybe you could,” he said, sliding the coat off her shoulders and staring into her emerald eyes.

Megan blinked slowly, completely turned on. “I can’t. I need to be home for the weekend. I have a photo shoot I’ve already postponed to be here.”

“That’s a shame. I don’t think I’ll be ready to let you go in two days.” Luc hung her coat on the back of her chair and pulled it out for her to sit down.

“So, this will be the third time in your life you didn’t get your way, then?” Megan smiled as she sat.

Luc took his seat and was about to say something when they were interrupted by the server bringing a bottle of champagne and two glasses. He uncorked the bottle and poured it for Luc to taste. Luc gave a quick nod and the server poured a glass for each of them.

“
Je reviens tout de suite avec les entrées
,” he said.

“
Merci
,” Luc said.

He turned back to her, explaining that the waiter would return with appetizers. Then he commented, “You know, neither of us is getting what we want here. You claim you don’t want to be on a date, and I will have to let you go sooner than I want.”

“True. It seems like we’re both destined to be miserable.”

“I can’t think of anyone I would rather be miserable with.”

“To misery!” Megan held up her glass in a toast.

“To the pleasure of torment.”

Megan quickly scanned the menu on the table. Dinner was pre-selected and was to be four courses, starting with scallops, then lobster with pumpkin and chestnuts in a seafood emulsion, followed by veal with butternut-squash gnocchi and roasted vegetables. Dessert would be chocolate mousse with a raspberry sauce.

“This looks wonderful.”

“I hear it is. The menu was designed by one of the most well-known chefs in Paris and the wine has been selected by one of the world’s premier sommeliers. This should be a thoroughly enjoyable meal for me. For you, it will be pure torture because you would rather be alone in your hotel room watching television.”

“I’ll try to make the best of it.” Megan rolled her eyes, pretending to be bored.

“You’re such a good sport.” Luc refilled her champagne glass for her.

“I see you’ve decided not to sleep with me.” Megan said, picking up her glass.

“What makes you think that?” Luc looked confused.

“You said you wouldn’t want me unless I was sober and yet here you are, trying to get me tipsy.”

“Oh no, I will give you only enough to help you shed your inhibitions, but no more. I have every intention of sleeping with you.”

“Well then, Monsieur Chevalier, by the time I’m done with you, you will have much more experience being disappointed.”

Luc gave a little smirk. “You know, I’m torn between admiring your resolve and finding it amusing. Either way, you are one of the sexiest women I’ve ever met.”

Megan felt her face betray her. It was impossible to play it cool when her cheeks kept turning red like this. She was rescued by the server bringing the scallops.

“
Bon appétit
,” he said as he put the plates down and left the room.

Megan put her napkin on her lap and picked up her fork. She was feeling a bit tipsy already, having not eaten enough during the day. She took her first bite of the appetizer. “Mmm, my God! That’s good.”

Luc raised his eyebrows. “If that’s your response to a scallop, I can’t wait to see how you’ll react to what I have planned for later.” He grinned as he took his first bite.

As the meal progressed, a warm feeling came over Megan. She felt completely blissful watching the sights of Paris go by as the boat moved down the river. She was indulging in the most delicious cuisine she had ever tasted. It was turning out to be the most romantic meal she had ever had, from the setting to the view to the ambience to the man across from her. Luc seemed to always know what to say. He was always in control not only of himself but of the conversation as well. Her earlier feelings of panic had dissolved into desire. She wanted to be here with Luc in this moment and there was nothing she wanted more than to sleep with him.

Luc pointed out various sites along the way and told Megan about them as they ate. He liked how interested she seemed in learning about his city. She asked a lot of questions and listened carefully to his answers. He could see there was a real depth to her personality. She was full of appreciation and seemed to take nothing for granted. As the evening wore on, Luc’s desire for Megan grew into an intense heat, one he had never experienced before. He watched her as she ate and dabbed delicately at her mouth with her napkin. He wanted to feel those lips on his body, he wanted to feel his tongue exploring that perfect mouth. He wanted to feel those long legs of hers wrapped around his waist. It took every bit of self-restraint for him not to sweep everything from the table and take her right there.

When the meal was finished, the server cleared their plates and left. Otis Redding’s “These Arms of Mine” started playing. Megan smiled over at Luc. “I’ve always loved this song.”

Luc stood and held out his hand. “If you love it, it would be a shame to let the moment pass by. Come and dance with me.”

Megan stood and took his hand. Luc pulled her near, wrapping one hand behind her back and holding her other hand tucked in between them. The side of his face was touching the side of her head. Megan felt herself relax into his arms as he led her to the music. She rested her head on his shoulder, smelling his cologne and feeling his hard body against hers.

Their bodies moved together, their need for each other growing thick as the song played on. It felt to Megan as though she was in a haze. It was like the best dream she’d ever had, except it was somehow, amazingly, real. She shifted her face up near his. Their mouths were almost touching now. Luc moved his face down so that his lips were hovering over hers. He wouldn’t kiss her, though. He waited for her to make that final connection, needing to know this was what she wanted. Megan swallowed hard, feeling butterflies in her stomach as she reached her lips up to just barely brush against his. The memory of his kiss from the night before came flooding back into Megan’s mind and she wanted to feel that again. He held steady, waiting for her.

Megan parted her lips and gave him a slow, sweet kiss, tasting the wine and chocolate on his mouth. There was no turning back for her now. She had made up her mind to allow herself this one night of pure romance and indulgence, to be with Luc in a way she had thought she never would be with a man again.

It was as though Luc sensed the shift in her; he knew now that she needed to be with him as much as he needed to be with her. He kissed her back softly at first, then harder, with more urgency, accepting the invitation of her parted lips to enter her mouth with his tongue. He explored her with the skill a man who knew exactly what he was doing. Megan’s nerves were overtaken by her desire now. Neither she nor Luc noticed the server at the door, bringing coffee. When he saw how intimate the couple was, he turned around, heading back to the kitchen.

They indulged in the most passionate kisses until long after the song ended and the one after it had played out. Luc held Megan’s jaw with his fingertips, then lowered his hands down to her shoulders and her back, letting his fingers glide ever so slowly over her. When he reached her bottom, he slid his hands into her back pockets. Megan let her hands rest on his chest and abs, thoroughly turned on by how hard he was.

He took his hands out of her pockets and backed over to a couch in the corner, leading her by her hands. He dropped onto the couch, pulling her down with him onto his lap. They sat together, bodies entangled, kissing and exploring each other’s bodies overtop of their clothes.

Megan pulled back from him. “What if someone comes in?”

“This is France. The crew would be surprised if we
didn’t
take advantage of the moment.” He gave her a knowing grin as he pulled her to him again.

They continued like this for a long time. Megan let her fingers wander under his sweater, touching his smooth skin. She could feel herself becoming wet as she moved her fingers toward his jeans. His kisses were like none she had known before, each one waking up a tiny part of her that had been long dormant until she was finally fully alive again for the first time in years. He had a way of moving his tongue and his lips that made her putty in his hands. It had been so long since she had allowed a man to touch her like this that it felt like the first time again. Luc slid his hand up her shirt to her breasts. He let his fingertips graze the outline of her lacy bra, feeling goosebumps form on her flesh as he touched her. He gently squeezed her breasts, savouring their perkiness. He took his hand out and pulled her onto his lap so that she was straddling him now. Megan could feel his erection through the fabric of their clothes as she kissed him.

“I want you, Luc,” she whispered.

“Then come home with me,” he replied, kissing her hard on the mouth.

Megan nodded, her voice thick with lust as she spoke. “Yes.”

“Stay the night.”

“I will.”

They were completely unaware that the boat was slowing to a stop as it neared the pier. It was only as it gently bumped against the dock that they remembered where they were. Megan reluctantly got up off his lap and stood, feeling as though she were in the most beautiful dream.

Luc stood, kissing her again before striding across the restaurant to get their coats. He left a large tip on the table and helped Megan into her coat, spinning her to him so he could do up the buttons for her. He kissed her neck, sending shivers through her entire body, before grabbing his coat and sliding it on.