Possessive Parisian Pilot: An Older Man Younger Woman Romance (A Man Who Knows What He Wants Book 90)

by Flora Ferrari

  His hands slide in underneath my hamstrings and he pulls my legs up as he slides off the bed, carrying me toward the shower like he’s a human chariot and I’m his queen.

  And that’s exactly how he makes me feel. And the next feeling I’m looking forward to is his hands over my body as he washes me underneath the warm, raintree shower. And after that? The best feeling of all.

  Our child in my stomach. The first of many I’m sure…just as I’m sure the best thing that ever happened to me is him, and me to him.

  “Our first shower,” he says as he turns on the water. “I can’t wait to wash your hair for the first time…and your body.”

  “Me either.”

  “And the best part? This is just the first of many, because I’m going to do this a whooooole lot for years and years to come.”

  “That sounds perfect,” I say.

  “You’re perfect,” he says, and I turn my neck back and around and our two lips meet just before we move under that calming water, and I feel his dick twitch inside me as he lathers up shampoo in his hand as I put my feet against the wall of the shower, pressing my body back into his torso.

  We must look like two gymnasts or something. I can’t help but laugh.

  From tourist to aeronautical acrobat to sexy shower gymnast. My journey to and in Paris, with him, has resulted in so many new and exciting moments and situations…and I know there’s so much more to come as we enjoy our lives together…always.

  CHAPTER 19

  Marie

  One week later

  I rap my knuckles on the table at Oriel, a French restaurant in the Chinatown part of L.A. next to Dodger Stadium.

  Gabriel’s big hand comes down over the top of mine, swallowing it up in his big grasp before he brings it to his mouth, turns my hand over and kisses my wrist.

  “Everything is going to be okay.”

  “I hope so,” I say.

  Out of the glass windows I see my parents walk up and my stomach tightens.

  They wave from the parking lot and then my dad cups his hands to his face like binoculars, pressing them up against the glass.

  Great. Just great.

  “He looks like a fun guy, easy-going,” Gabriel says.

  “Usually he is. Let’s see how that holds up.”

  They enter the restaurant and my mom comes running over to give me a hug while Gabriel shakes my dad’s hand. I know Gabriel’s going to win some points off the bat because my dad often says, “Never trust a guy who can’t do anything with his hands.”

  Gabriel’s hands are covered in calluses and his grip is strong, probably from all of his time guiding airplanes through the sky and holding down, and up, the throttle lever.

  I can definitely attest to his fingers, and his hands, being thick, strong, and masculine. That’s for sure.

  I introduce Gabriel to my mom and we all sit down to eat.

  The waiter is quick and everyone agrees to let the expert order. Gabriel rattles off an order for gnocchi à la Parisienne, steak tartare, croque monsieur/madame, and bread. No meal is complete in France without good bread and Gabriel’s not going to let an opportunity to eat some good French bread pass him by, although I have no idea where the carbs go. I could wash my laundry on the man’s abs, although he refuses to let me lift a finger around the house, preferring to have it all done. Not that I’m complaining about that one bit.

  As the waiter turns to leave, Gabriel stops him and says something so quick I almost don’t hear it properly…or do I?

  “Did you order escargots?” my mom asks.

  “Oui,” he says. “Sorry, I mean yes.”

  “That’s a first,” I say, sure my parents are going to be taken back by that. I don’t need to get strikes against him before my mom notices my ring. It’s not that I don’t want to show her, it’s just that I’m so nervous I have my hands under the table buried in my lap.

  “I’ve always wanted to try those,” my mom says. “I’m glad you’re here. You’re just the brave soul I need to make me finally stop talking about it and make it happen for the first time in my life.”

  Shows what I know. Score one for Gabriel.

  “So how was Paris?” my dad asks.

  “And how did you two kids meet,” my mom adds.

  We both look at each other and smile.

  I feel Gabriel’s hand find mine under the table in a way where my parents can’t see. He proceeds to tell our story, watching my parent’s faces recoil a few times…but in surprise and I think delight.

  My dad’s a bit of a storyteller himself, and every year that passes that fish he once caught just keeps getting bigger and bigger even though he seems to totally disregard we have pictures from about five angles that can attest it was maybe half the size of the way he described it the last time. By the time I have grandkids the thing’s going to be a shark or he’ll have his Old Man and the Sea story he seems to be on the path towards creating.

  It’s really nice to just sit and listen to Gabriel tell the story.

  I start off very nervous but as I sit next to him and watch the sparkle in his eyes as he describes Paris, and me, and all of the more general things I fall in love with him all over again. What an amazing time it was.

  The catch is he’s left out all the romantic things…so far.

  A savvy listener can surely fill in the blanks, but if not this would sound like a romance that’s quickly blossoming…not one that has fully bloomed as is the case.

  “And that leads us to where we are today,” he says getting us to the present.

  “Bravo!” my dad says clapping his hands. “Thank you for showing our daughter a great time, young man. We appreciate it.”

  I cringe a bit thinking Gabriel isn’t that much younger than my dad. Maybe it’s just because he takes such incredible care of himself that it’s easy to forget he’s thirty-seven. Personally I don’t ever even think of his age. I’m too busy feeling all the positive emotions he’s giving me.

  “With one exception,” Gabriel says.

  He wiggles my hand in my lap. Time for the moment of truth.

  I can feel my hand shaking and I know he can too. My other hand grabs a hold of my chair as if the world is going to fall out from underneath me in a matter of seconds, and maybe it will.

  Gabriel slowly lifts our hands from underneath the booth and my parent’s eyes both zero in on the big rock on my hand.

  They look at each other…expressionless.

  I feel like time stands still as their heads slowly turn back towards us.

  And then out of nowhere they bust out laughing.

  “Told you!” my dad says, pointing at my mom and then tickling her ribs.

  “Okay. Okay. You won, I’m paying for dinner.”

  “Huh?”

  “Your dad predicted it.”

  “Predicted I’d get…engaged?”

  “He said you’d meet someone and it would be serious. We didn’t expect the ring, but I’d say that sure qualifies as serious.”

  “Way better than doing it in Vegas, not that I regret anything.”

  “Vegas?” I ask.

  “We were young. It was fun, and hey…it worked out.”

  “You got married in a church. I’ve seen the pictures.”

  “We never told anyone about Vegas…until now.”

  “You got married in Vegas?”

  “Six months before the ‘real’ wedding.”

  “You’re joking.”

  “Nope. Only thing I regret is we couldn’t find an Elvis impersonator. Had to settle for Sammy Davis, Jr., but hey…that guy was really fun. He even tap danced for us after we kissed.”

  “Do you have the video?”

  “Sweetheart, thank you, but we’re from a time when recording things wasn’t an everyday occurrence like it is today. The only phone was in the house, and it had a rotary dial. But wow…you just made my day for thinking that I’m not as old as I am,” my mom says.

  “So you’re not mad?” I say.r />
  “Mad about what? Gabriel is such a nice young man. What is there to be upset about?”

  “Really?”

  “Well I hope he’s a nice young man.”

  “Not that, mom!” I say, but I can’t help but laugh. “You’re not mad that I just went off and got engaged like that?”

  “We raised you to make your own decisions and we’ll always stand behind you no matter what. We’re happy with whoever you choose, although I must say Gabriel is quite the catch.”

  “Hey!” my dad and I both say at the same time.

  The whole table starts laughing and Gabriel just puts his hands up as if to say he’s innocent and then leans back from the table.

  “Your escargots, sir,” the waiter says.

  “Here we go!” my mom says.

  “Anyone else like to try?” Gabriel says.

  We all give it a go, holding them up and cheersing with them, which is totally outlandish and completely fun at the same time.

  The best part is I have to say I’m surprised at how much I like it.

  “What do you think?” Gabriel asks.

  “Better than I thought,” my dad says, “but son…you have to know I draw the line there.”

  “I don’t understand,” Gabriel says.

  “If you order a round of freedom fries next this is gonna get political.”

  I squint, looking at my dad. “It’s the other way around dad.”

  He looks up as he processes what I just said and what he just said.

  “Oh yeah.”

  We all laugh and Gabriel reaches his long arm across the table to pat my dad on the shoulder.

  “It’s okay, dad. With that attitude you’re welcome to come visit us in France anytime.” he says.

  “Hey!” I say, looking at Gabriel. “Let’s get a few months to ourselves under our belts first,” I say.

  “Honey, you know I can’t wait that long to come check out the city of lights,” my mom says.

  Gabriel just looks at me and shrugs his shoulders.

  I do the same.

  It’s the only way I can explain how this happened for me. I really have no idea because there is no explanation.

  But I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. And more importantly if my intuition is right I’m going to announce a very important gift to everyone soon…the addition of our first child and my parent’s first grandchild, but we’re still a couple weeks and a doctor’s visit away from that.

  So maybe my mom will be spending a lot more time in Paris soon…if she agrees to come out and help me with the baby.

  Which leads to the next thing. How will I balance work and family life?

  But there’s no time to worry about that right now, only time to celebrate.

  My dad orders a bottle of champagne, and then playfully reminds my mom she’s paying for it.

  The way they’ve been in love for all these years is so beautiful. I know that same kind of tradition will carry forward to what Gabriel and I have, although I’m sure we’re going to take it to the next level.

  And the next level really means something when your soon to be husband spends his days with his head in the clouds, literally.

  He said it makes complete sense because when he’s up there all he can think about is his angel.

  Are French guys romantic?

  I wouldn’t know.

  Is my French guy romantic and possessive?

  Absolutely. The elusive combination, yet I somehow managed to find him…or more accurately, he found me.

  And when we found each other, we found love and family, forever.

  CHAPTER 20

  Marie

  The next day

  “Miss! One second, please,” the security guard says to me.

  I turn and see him put down the phone as he takes off across the lobby towards me.

  I just handed in my resignation papers, cleaned out my desk, and that was that.

  In a way I was surprised how easily they let me go. Then again I guess there’s not a lot they can do when you tell them you’re engaged and moving to Paris.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “It’s your boss. She’d like to see you for a second upstairs.”

  She’s not my boss anymore, but I should extend the courtesy. It’s the last time I’ll be in this building so it’s good to leave on the best terms possible.

  “Sure,” I say, walking back to the elevator.

  “Do you mind if I leave my plant here?”

  “No problem,” he says, and less than a minute later the elevator dings on my former floor.

  Before I can even step out I see my boss’s boss standing there waiting to greet me.

  I don’t even work here anymore, but I immediately get nervous, feeling my knees shaking a bit. I take a breath and remind myself that I’m not even an employee. Wow, old habits die hard.

  “Marie!” he says. “Could you please spare just a few more minutes.”

  “Yes, sir,” I say, as he guides me toward the conference room.

  The moment I step inside I see my boss there, standing with perfect posture offering me a chair.

  “Claire says you’re moving to Paris.”

  “Yes, Mr. Johnson,” I say.

  “Congratulations. Beautiful city.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Before you leave us today I just want to let you know we have a sister office we work with out of the seventh arrondissement, over on the left bank. They do great work and they’ve been looking for a native English speaker to handle a few British accounts they have as they navigate Brexit.”

  “Oh,” I say.

  “I know the managing director over there very well. If you want we can jump on a call with him real quick.”

  “Right now?”

  “Yes, he should just be getting back from lunch.”

  I’m not sure what to say.

  “There’s no obligation. All you have to do is hear what he has to say. If it sounds like a good fit I’ll put in the word for you and it’s done.”

  “What about the interview process?”

  “You already did that with us. You’re good to go.”

  “Well…yeah. Sure!” I say.

  “Great.”

  Fifteen minutes later I’m back in the lobby on the ground floor collecting my plant with a big ol’ smile on my face.

  I already have my man, and likely a bun, or should I say baguette in the oven, and now I have my passion back.

  This couldn’t have worked out any better.

  And the best part is they want me to start as soon as I can.

  I’ll spend the rest of this week saying goodbye to everyone and then I’ll start next Monday.

  I can’t wait to share the news with Gabriel.

  And with the money from the signing bonus they’re giving me, plus the fifty percent bump in pay for the expat package, which I explained to them I actually won’t be, but they said it was okay, I know it’s my job to grab a bottle of champagne to celebrate, even though I’m not going to drink anymore until I get to the doctor and get confirmation…and then I definitely won’t be drinking, because everything I do I’ll be doing for two.

  Or more accurately three, because no matter how many children we have everything always starts with the love shared by my man and me.

  I giggle as I walk through the front doors for what I think, again, is for the last time. I can’t help but smile when as the final part of the package my new boss mentioned that they’d give me flights back to L.A. to visit my family and that they’d always fly me first class.

  Little does he know my whole life was recently upgraded, bumped up to first class permanently…thanks to my possessive Parisian pilot.

  EPILOGUE

  Marie

  Three months later

  “Let me get that for you, babe,” Gabriel says as I go to get up from my comfy position on the couch.

  “I’m only three months pregnant. I’m totally fine. I need to move
around.”