by Jean Oram
"I know," Beth said softly, ignoring her sister's probing gaze. She tried to ignore the heat spreading through her body, lighting her skin on fire. Nash wanted her. And did she dare think that it might be for a fling or even more? She brushed the idea from her thoughts. She wasn't going to assume anything. She was going to put one foot in front of the other and see where it took her.
"Let me know how it goes becoming a member of the mile-high club when you rendez vous avec le doctor in the avion," Cynthia said dryly and clicked confirm flight.
***
Beth stopped in front of the door marked administration and shook her hands out at her sides. She had no reason to be nervous. She'd filled out the request form for time off and handed it to the admin secretary yesterday. If she didn't take much time at Christmas she had enough time off to swing Paris.
She could do this.
She rolled her neck and entered the office.
"Hey, Justin," Beth said, taking the seat across from his desk. What she wouldn't give for an office even half this size. With all the extra paperwork and projects she was prepping for the outreach her office looked like a craft shop had collided with a sporting goods store. Whereas Justin's office had room to turn around without worrying about knocking things over, plenty of bookshelves, and room for a guest to stretch their legs. Really, they should switch offices. He didn't need all this room. "You wanted to speak to me?"
"Yes." He swept a file folder to the side and plucked another one from his in tray. He opened it on the desk and placed a finger on a sticky note, reading while she waited.
"I'd like—" she began before he raised a hand to stop her. He continued reading and she leaned back in her chair and tried not to sigh. He could be such a jerk now that he was admin. He was a lot more fun back when he was Oz's closest cousin and knew how to swamp a boat in the frigid mountain lakes without sinking it. Now he was all neckties and business.
He nudged the folder forward and propped his elbows on his desk, leaning toward her. "So. You'd like time off in October?"
"Yes." Beth nodded. She'd learned to get what she wanted from her boss that the best plan of action was to say as little as possible.
He consulted the page again and Beth rolled her eyes. For heaven's sake. It was only a couple of days off.
"Six days?" he asked.
Beth leaned forward to look at her form and he pulled it back toward him. "Seven, actually."
"Seven days. In October."
"Yep." She gave him a smile, biting back the urge to start talking, make excuses, and explain.
He leaned back and polished his glasses on his tie. He held them up to the window to gaze through them, then gave them another polish before setting them back on his nose. "It's difficult to find a replacement for you. It is a niche position. Although you would think there would be more people lined up to get paid to do crafts all afternoon. Of particular difficulty will be finding someone to come in on a Saturday for your outreach."
Beth bit back a retort and said calmly, "I understand it can be difficult finding qualified help that is willing to come out to Blueberry Springs for a short leave. That's why I've asked for this time off as early as possible." She rubbed her damp palms on her thighs. "There are seven weeks until—"
"Six and a half," he corrected.
She gave him a bright smile. "Right." She pointed to her form. "I also requested a change to my Christmas schedule."
"Christmas is already set."
"I'll be working more at Christmas to make up the time I'm taking in October. This will actually be better for the hospital because it will be easier to find someone in October rather than in December when everyone is requesting time off."
"I'm not sure we can find someone to replace you for such short stretches of time in both October and December. It can cost someone more than they will make after they pay their temporary living accommodations."
Beth clamped her jaw. She knew darn well that the hospital's cottage for temporary fill-in workers wasn't booked in October and that she was actually making things easier replacement-wise.
"I think the timing is off for a vacation, Beth."
"I'm sorry, I don't understand," she said quietly.
"Right now I think it is important that you demonstrate stability as well as your dedication to your patients' well-being."
She resisted the urge to jump up and give him a piece of her mind. Instead she folded her hands in her lap and said carefully, "I would have thought you'd be happy to have me out of your hair for a few days seeing as you found my ability to keep my patients safe inadequate."
"Are you under the impression we don't value your contribution and find you less than able to fill your role?" he asked in a hard voice.
"No," she said slowly.
"And do you value your role, Beth?"
She struggled to keep her poise. "Of course. The job is very gratifying and I make a difference in the lives of my patients."
"Right now is not the time to run away from your problems at work."
"I'm sorry?"
He lowered his gaze to his desk, then gave her an earnest look that gave her chills. "This is not the time to run off to Paris with some man."
Fury swirled inside her. How dare he? He was her boss. Nothing more.
She gave him a smile that just about cracked her face and bit back all the retorts flooding her mind. She'd remain quiet and get what she wanted: Paris with Nash. And now, more than ever, she wanted it bad enough to jump through hoops of fire.
"Have you put any consideration into what this trip might do to your relationships at home?" he asked. His look was kind, gentle, and caring and Beth's shoulders drooped.
Of course. Men stuck together and male cousins even closer—despite the adoption of neckties.
"If you are worried about me finding a replacement, I'll find someone. According to your secretary, the rental cottage is free that week. As well, my taking less time at Christmas may lead to not needing a replacement at all because of the way Christmas falls this year." She strode to the door, speaking quickly and lightly, "I'll let you know who I find."
Before Justin had a chance to protest her taking charge, she shut the door.
Chapter 11
She'd made it.
Paris was fantastic.
It was so fantastic she was never going home.
The croissants were crisp and fresh and made with real butter. The champagne was lovely. Beth had fallen in love with the city and the romantic essence the very name evoked. And she hadn't even exited the plane. In fact, she wasn't even sure they were in France yet.
But she'd made it.
She reclined her seat and sighed happily. She'd made it to October. She'd made it to the passport office. She'd even made it to the plane despite having way too much luggage. Nash had laughed at her pile and she'd just had to shrug. What did she know about packing and foreign countries and what she needed to bring?
Beth closed her eyes and relaxed. She hadn't chickened out and she'd found a replacement for work without a problem. And while she didn't think anyone bought her trip's cover story about the two of them backpacking France—especially since it was pretty clear Nash wasn't the backpacking type and she had more luggage than even a Sherpa could comfortably carry—the misdirection made her feel better. The town could gossip about how neither of them were backpackers instead of what they might possibly be doing while overseas.
But damn. She didn't know a thing about France. Were the people of Paris called Parisians? Parisonians? Parasites? No, it couldn't be the last one. She emptied her flute of champagne and shook her head. It didn't matter if she didn't know anything about Paris. That's why she was going—to discover more. Plus, Nash would help her out. She hadn't been able to get French Euros from the Blueberry Springs bank—because nobody had ever needed any according to the teller and so they didn't have any on hand—and so Nash had loaned her some pocket money. That man would keep her from trembling and running back home early
. He'd even gently guided her away from the little exchange booth with all its cool exchange rates displayed in red at the airport, whispering that he knew where she could get a better rate.
Beth sucked in a deep breath and tried to quell her nervousness. It felt weird flying over the ocean to a foreign country. It should be someone like Katie who special-ordered French design and fashion magazines and had taught herself how to read basic designer-related French. But here she was. Off to France when she couldn't even order the food.
Nash groggily lifted his eye mask and squinted at her. "You should sleep. The time change is quite difficult."
"I'm too nervous and excited. I don't know what to expect. The airport wasn't the nightmare everyone said even though I had to pay extra for my luggage being overweight." She lightly shook Nash's arm, prompting him to lift his mask again. "What do they say? The English say, 'bloody brilliant.' What do the French say when something is out-of-this-world fantastic?"
Nash looked at her for a long moment then murmured sleepily, "C'est fantastique or c'est inçroyable. And you should really try to nap."
Beth relaxed into her seat and rolled her tongue over the exciting, foreign words. Nash groaned and slid the mask over his eyes.
She willed the plane to go faster. This trip was going to be inçroyable.
***
Riding in the limo to the hotel Beth felt as though she could be anyone in the City of Love.
She was free.
Nobody knew her. Nobody was going to judge her for vacationing with the handsome, single Nash. It was all perfectly cool in their glamorous, foreign eyes. And it was cool. Because she was single.
Deep breath.
"Single!" trilled an inner voice and pangs of excitement zinged inside her ribcage.
She could see anyone she wished.
And she wished to see Nash.
All of him. Naked. No strings attached. Here. Now.
Her body sung with heat and she tried to quell the feelings of need mixed with her anticipation to see the city. He was just a friend, she reminded herself. A friend she'd kissed—twice. She was only excited about being here. She couldn't jump on him and shove her tongue down his throat without their trip getting awkward. She had to play it cool. Yeah right. She was going to take matters into her own hands. That is, if she wanted anything to happen.
And did she? Her body was saying yes. But her mind seemed to be sitting on the fence doing its nails.
She sighed and tried to focus on the sights whizzing by their limo's window. It was so overwhelming. Everything was so different from Blueberry Springs.
"There is so much history," Nash said. "Did you see the damage on that building?"
"The big stone one?" she asked.
"Yes, it still has damage from World War II."
"Why don't they fix it?"
"Reminders, I suppose."
She nodded and continued to gawk out the window, pointing at every old building they passed, making Nash laugh and pull her hand down, gripping it in his.
"Holy crap!" she blurted. "It's the Eiffel Tower!"
Nash smiled. "We'll have a view of it from our hotel. You'll love the way they light it up at night. And we'll take a river tour at dusk. It's amazing." He released her hand, pointing to the Eiffel Tower. "Did you know they built the tower for the World's Fair? They had planned to take it down after."
"That would have been a shame."
He nodded. He looked so relaxed and at home. This ride seemed like the real him in a way none of their shared moments in Blueberry Springs had. It made her wonder if she seemed as at home in the limo.
She shook her head and smiled. "I still can't believe you hired a limousine."
"This is the proper way to be introduced to mon Paris, chéri," he said, leaning closer, his breath warm on her cheek. He kissed the back of her hand, his eyes never leaving hers. Tingles rushed down her spine. His lips were close and she resisted the urge to push him onto his back and place her lips firmly on top of his. French truly was the language of love. Romantic, frisky language. Hummuna.
"A girl could get used to this treatment," she said, their lips almost touching.
"Please do." Nash brushed her cheek with a thumb as the car slowed. His attention flicked to the window and she reluctantly followed his look. Outside was an ornate, historic building spouting peaks, towers, and gargoyles, and appearing as though it should house a dozen princesses and have at least one fire-breathing dragon.
"This is it," he said.
Beth gasped. "Serious? This is so unreal." She held onto Nash's arm, letting him lead her into the building while she gaped at the lobby's fresco ceiling. A uniformed porter followed them to the front desk, pulling their bags on a brass luggage cart. "Totally and utterly unreal." She had never-ever even dreamed of being in a building this amazing. She wanted to plunk down in one of the cushy chairs with a bright, cold beer and soak it all in.
Nash pulled Beth aside and wrapped his arms around her. She slowly lowered her attention to Nash's clear, intense eyes. He placed his warm, minty mouth on hers, kissing her with an intensity and longing that made her insides jitter with anticipation of what might follow. She held him tight and inhaled his wonderfully clean scent, and kissed back, harder and deeper.
Finally, she forced herself to draw away. She took a moment to allow her eyes to refocus.
"Do you feel like," Nash blushed and hugged Beth's body tight against his, before lowering his voice to a whisper that tickled her ear, "a foreign affair?"
Oh. My. God.
Romantic. Spontaneous. Something that happened in books, but never, ever, to a girl like her.
She wanted it. She wanted it bad. This very idea had kept her up at night for the past six weeks. A fling. In Paris. With a handsome, caring doctor. Most girls would kill for something like this. And half the purpose of this trip was to prove to herself that she could be someone different. Spontaneous. New.
But their friendship. She closed her eyes, emotion and need racing through her. She didn't want to lose their friendship. But at the same time she knew they'd be hot together. That kiss had her body throbbing and screaming, "Pick me! Pick me!"
She could do. She could turn a friend who wanted a no-strings-attached fling with her—a girl on the rebound—into a passionate lover.
Every cell in her body was reaching out to Nash, pulling him in. Needing him. Wanting him.
And soon... taking him.
She opened her eyes and smiled. Damn the torpedoes, this hunk of male would be all hers this week.
***
Their week in Paris had been even better than she'd imagined. It had been a blur of wonderfully ancient, historic sites, sculptures, paintings, fountains, postcard-like settings, decadent food, and a most wonderful break from reality.
And a taste of what life could be with a man who had a little money and a passion for seeing and enjoying the world.
"I never want to go home," Beth sighed and laid her head on Nash's bare chest. Last night they'd shared a loaf of fresh bread and a bottle of wine along the Seine, watching the twinkling lights turn on all over the Eiffel Tower as the sun set. It was amazing. Romantic. Way beyond ordinary. And she liked it. She liked it a lot. Evenings like that could make a girl greedy for more.
Nash smiled at her, his eyes crinkling. He gently stroked her back with his fingertips and they snuggled quietly, listening to a cello playing what Nash had identified as Bach on the street below.
"Speaking of home," Nash said, breaking their silence, "did you return your sister's call?"
Her little bubbles of happiness began to dissolve, and determined not to lose them, she dismissed his reminder. "She was just checking in."
"You can use my calling card if you want."
She mumbled something noncommittal. The last thing she wanted to do was think about home. She'd be back to reality soon enough and this week had shown her how much of the world she had been missing by staying in Blueberry Springs waiting for Oz. She
loved the freedom and spontaneity of traveling. She'd even enjoyed taking a lover, despite how it signaled a definite finality to her and Oz. She didn't miss home or anyone there and she vowed not to waste her last day thinking about it.
Nash teased an erogenous zone at the back of her neck, sending wake-up tremors of excitement coursing through her nervous system. She closed her eyes and savored the sensation. Tomorrow this would end. If she had the choice, she'd live like this for the rest of her life.
"I must say," she murmured, "med school was well-worth the tens of thousands of dollars. Was there a whole class on erogenous zones?"
"Nerve endings 101. Any others in need of attention?" Beth giggled and offered an ear. He bit it lightly and whispered, "What do you want to do today?"
She ran a hand down the front of his boxers. "Something stimulating."
"An art gallery?"
"I do enjoy a good nude." She gave him a deep kiss, stroking him. "You've been such an attentive guide. I think you deserve a very large gratuity."
He sucked in a shaky breath as her strokes became firmer. "Gratuities accepted." He rolled on top of her and kissed her neck, his erection rubbing against her inner thigh's sweet spot. "How about I rent a car and we go see a vineyard?"
"Ooo... yes, please," she moaned, arching her back.
An hour later, her cheeks still flushed, Beth leaned back in the cherry red convertible's leather seat and let her head loll to the side so she could watch Nash maneuver the car through the tight streets.
"This is the life," she said. If only every day was like this. Or even every weekend seeing as Nash was a self-confessed workaholic. But being together back home wasn't part of the agreement. This was a fling. Nothing more. When their feet hit the tarmac it was over. Back to being friends. Their time together would be tucked away like it had never happened.
But she still had one day to be sexy and free and she was going to draw it out as much as she could. She slid her sunglasses over her eyes and raised her hands to let the wind whip around her arms. France was heavenly. Nobody was planning her life. Nobody was gossiping about the way she had to stop and kiss Nash every five minutes. Chocolates magically appeared on her pillow as if by fairies. Everything from food to fresh laundry was delivered to her room and beautiful sights were waiting every time she looked away from Nash. She was free. Happy.
