Romancing Paris (Warwick Dragons #3) - Milly Taiden Page 0,2
people can see me. I always feel like a fool since I have like, no rhythm and no moves. I don’t know why I’m even here, or why I’m telling you all of this.” She shook her head and made to turn away from him.
Without thinking, Paris grabbed hold of her hand and turned her so that she was facing him.
“Let me make it up to you,” he said.
His fingers were burning and tingling against the smooth skin of her hand. He was overjoyed that she didn’t push away from him. She swallowed hard and licked her lips. He watched her tongue, tracking the moisture it left behind. It took all of his self-control not to reach out and trace her lower lip with his own tongue. Her blue eyes are bright and clear. God, he wanted to reach out and touch her blonde hair. The strands looked like softness personified.
“What’s your name?” he asked. He knew it was a dirty trick to put his lips right next to her ear. Paris saw goosebumps all across her arms. He could hear the sound of her heartbeat, and he inhaled her scent deeply.
Her breath caught, and she reached up to speak in his ear. “I’m Corinne. You?”
“Thomas,” he answered with a lie without missing a beat.
No! Why are you lying to our mate?
Paris ignored his dragon. He didn’t want the woman to know he was a Warwick. He knew what would happen the second she figured out who he was. She would fawn and gawk. She wouldn’t be herself, but would turn into whatever she thought he wanted.
That had happened too many times before, and that’s not what he wanted. Not with her.
“Want a cup of coffee?” he asked, his eyes not leaving hers.
She looked around nervously before nodding slowly. She took out her phone and sent a quick note, but he didn’t bother asking. He knew she was letting her friends know she was leaving. Never mind that he read the message. It was a possessive feeling that made him do it, and he was overly pleased that she hadn’t been texting a man.
Paris took her hand in his and led her out of the club and onto the sidewalk. The night was crisp, and the sky was clear. The moon was out, but it was impossible to see the stars through the glow of the city of lights. They walked along the streets of Paris, the city alive and full of people despite the late hour.
“Oh, it’s so loud in there. I swear I’m going to have permanent ear damage from that.” She smiled at him. “You didn’t look comfortable in there either.”
He shrugged, still holding her hand. “I don’t like loud music.”
“Then why were you in there?”
“My friend dragged me in.”
She laughed softly. “Same. Some friends we have, right? Though, Solange is more of a coworker than a friend.”
“You’re American, right?”
Her face fell, and her fragrant scent of flowers turned sharp with fear. “How did you know?”
“Your accent,” he answered, giving her hand a tight squeeze. “Come on. I know a cafe not too far from here.”
Paris knew this was a mistake.
He didn’t want a mate.
He didn’t need one.
It would only complicate his life. He didn’t want his attention to be all wrapped up in the beautiful creature in front of him. He had his art career, and that’s all that mattered.
He knew that he couldn’t focus on Draco, and all of the paintings he had to finish, if he was all mixed up with his mate. Shit, he knew what that looked like. His brothers, London and York, had completely changed the way they lived their lives since meeting their mates recently.
He didn’t want that.
Not even a little bit.
He would hang out with her for one night, for one night only, get his fill of her, then he would forget her forever.
It would be that easy.
You’re the biggest idiot in the world, his dragon roared. I’ll make sure you regret this.
Chapter Two
Corinne
As they walked the streets of Paris, Corinne had to remind herself to keep breathing. The moment was just too surreal to seem like reality. Yet there she was, holding hands with a total hunk as he led her to a cafe so they could chat. He said it was to make up for spilling her drink in the bar, but she had a feeling it was a bit more than that. A strange, heavy, but wonderful feeling sat in the pit of her stomach.
She hadn’t