Chaperoning Paris (Collins Brothers)

by Victoria Pinder

  At the door, she took one more whiff of herself. She inhaled. Damn. She still smelled of stale tobacco, and maybe something else, alcohol, and sweat. The shower hadn’t cured everything. She shook her head. Cary sure knew how to party. Thankfully none of the students had seen her come in.

  She washed with a towel one more time then brushed her teeth, again. Finally, she stopped smelling champagne. After throwing on a pair of jeans and a shirt, she glanced at the clock. Ugh, late. She let out a breath, and she rushed down the hallway. Silence greeted her. She marched to the girls’ room and knocked on the door.

  Kendra, still in her pajamas, half-opened the door then let out a yawn. “Ms. Dumont, we’re sleeping.”

  Oh my god. The girls were in bed! Gigi swallowed but her shoulders tensed as she ordered, “If you want to see the city and practice, we have to stick to our schedule. Meet you downstairs in thirty minutes.”

  The other girls groaned and covered their heads with a pillow. Why wasn’t anyone moving?

  She repeated her message to the rest of the students then stared at Sean’s door. Was he up? Should she knock? Her hands shook and her mind went dizzy, but she went up to his door and knocked. Softly at first then pounding with the side of her fist against the door. What if he answered the door in the same shirtless state as yesterday?

  The second she heard the door rattling, she locked her knees in place to prevent her body from shaking. Her mouth fell open as he opened the door. Her heart raced. Yep, shirtless and sexy again. And where had those muscles come from? He motioned her inside, then closed the door. “Scout, you’re the last person to be up. Why are you knocking on everyone’s door?”

  “How did you get a tan living in Cape Cod?” she blurted.

  The weather hadn’t been warm enough. His rock-hard body advertised sex and adventure. His muscles, chiseled from the molten fires of perfection, caught her every attention.

  “Earth to Gigi.” Sean waved his hand in front of her eyes, causing her to blink.

  Her breathing quickened, and her lips parted. “It’s nine A.M., Sean. We have to get going.”

  “Scout.” He turned toward his bed of tangled sheets and directed her attention toward his digital alarm. He pointed and said, “No. It’s six A.M. Nothing is open yet.”

  She stared at the red numbers in shock. That had to be wrong! How had she screwed up reading the time? “Oh no,” she moaned. “I just woke the girls up.”

  The phone in his room rang. Sean held up his finger to ask her to be silent then answered. “Yeah, I know. I spoke to Ms. Dumont. She read her clock wrong. Go back to sleep. See you at nine.” Sean yawned and hung up.

  He raised his eyebrows at her. “I’m surprised at you. You had a late night.”

  “I couldn’t sleep,” her spine tingled and guilt tensed up her body.

  “Guilty conscience?”

  “No, Sean. I didn’t do anything to be ashamed of.” Well, maybe allowing Cary to don her with feathers had gone too far but Sean didn’t need to know that. “Last night, I visited my old roommate. When I arrived, the party was in full swing. I wasn’t—”

  Sean shrugged and rubbed his head.

  Her eyes narrowed as she watched him step closer to her. Trapped against the wall, she couldn’t move. He lifted her elbow. “What are you looking at?” she asked, confused.

  “You scratched up your arm. Were you climbing trees?”

  “Don’t be stupid, Sean. I’m not in the mood to joke at this hour of the morning.” But she ached to reach out and caress his body. Her mind yelled at her to run. The indecision on her end must have looked like an invitation. Sean leaned closer, and took up every inch of space between them. She sighed, and her body electrified.

  “What are you in the mood for?” he said in a seductive tone.

  Without an answer, she licked her lips and met his hard stare, hoping her longing didn’t show in her eyes. Finally, she softly answered, “Something I have no right to have.”

  Sean leaned down and kissed her. The sweet pressure made her tremble. “I shouldn’t, but part of me wants you again, Gigi.”

  His lips made her forget everything.

  Unable to stop herself, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and erasing any remaining space between them. Years of dreaming about Sean fueled her reaction, and she clutched his back. Her body slammed into the wall and her mouth never left his. She needed to have him.

  Desperation on her end must have made him slow down. “Relax.”

  He picked up her leg and wrapped it around his waist. Then he kissed her and brought his body closer. Groaning, he lifted his head. “Good morning.”

  Ignoring every piece of advice she’d given herself over the past three days, Gigi reached for the zipper on Sean’s jeans. She needed far more than a kiss. She had no right to forever, but she could have one moment today.

  Sean’s eyebrow quirked as he slipped her shirt over her head. To help, she unhooked her pink bra and tossed it across the room. A growl escaped her mouth then she grasped his hips to bring him back to her for another trail blazing kiss.

  He trailed his hands lower on her body, and grabbed her buttocks. Her body softened and offered more. She swallowed and stared into his big blue eyes. He kissed her cheek, lightly brushed her mouth, then whispered a hair’s breadth away from her lips. “Aren’t we the chaperones?”

  In-between gasps for breath, she said, “The teenagers are in their rooms. Sleeping.” She kissed the side of his mouth, needing more than anything else to continue. She licked his skin, planting desperate kisses behind his neck, ears, and cheek until he deposited her on the bed.

  “Gigi . . .” He kissed her neck, and she worked on her pants.

  The feel of his body against hers amplified her desire to go faster.

  He sighed. “We need to talk.”

  No. She couldn’t talk. With their history and what she’d done, no. “We’ll talk later, Sean, I promise. But I want you now.” Trembling, she unbuttoned her jeans then unzipped his. She leaned forward, urging his lips to her mouth.

  Sean spun off the bed and ran his hands through his hair. He shook his head. “We can’t, Gigi.”

  Chapter 14

  Gigi’s shoes clanked on the marble floor in the lobby. Her body still trembled and as of last check, the blush on her face had never faded. Her chest tightened painfully. Sean had turned away from her and his rejection physically hurt.

  How was she supposed to be a teacher today?

  She sucked in a breath. The elevator doors opened and the girls giggled and stared at her when they stepped out into the lobby. The boys and Sean followed a short distance behind, and Sean’s face held a reddish tint.

  Great, they had a matching color.

  Kendra, ever the bold leader, said, “Ms. Dumont, we’re setting your alarm tonight.”

  “Fair enough. Sorry about this morning,” Gigi responded, wondering what Sean could have possibly told the students. He had no reason to blush, but with that twinkle in his eye, she could only hope he respected the boundaries of a chaperone/student relationship. Deliberately avoiding Sean’s gaze, she said, “Let’s get breakfast. I’m starving.”

  “I’m sure you are,” Kendra added slyly. Then, as if she couldn’t restrain herself anymore, she said, “What were you doing in Mr. Collins’ room?”

  “I already told you. She stayed a short while to work and I played a video game,” Sean replied, but kept his attention on her. “Ms. Dumont won.”

  “Yes. And I graded papers while Sea— Mr. Collins checked the stocks.” Meeting Erika’s gaze, she added, “Now we’re going to get breakfast and see Notre Dame.”

  Erika opened her mouth as if to argue, then closed it again as she rushed to join the other students, already on their way to breakfast.

  As Gigi met Sean’s gaze, she felt like her cheeks were burning. OMG. She deserved to be fired. Never corrupt other people’s children had always been a personal motto.

  When Sean approached her, Gigi wh
ispered, “Did they see or know anything?”

  “Nothing happened, Geegs. You didn’t answer your phone an hour ago when the girls called to check on you.” He placed his palm against on her back, and fireworks exploded in her body. She fidgeted next to him, unsure what to do. “Relax,” he encouraged. “If you don’t, then they will suspect something.”

  They walked a short distance to a café for a pastry and coffee, and most of the teenagers discovered the hot chocolate tasted nothing like the powered stateside version. Here, hot chocolate consisted of a melted bar of chocolate inside warmed milk brewed slow and perfect. Every one of them of the students ordered the delectable concoction that morning. Sean ran his hand through his hair and signed. Then he took the seat beside her outside at one of the café tables.

  When the students were occupied, Sean leaned over and whispered in her ear, “This morning you surprised me. We have a lot of things to talk about, but I don’t know—”

  “Wait.” She gulped and kept her head low, knowing he still hated her. Then she whispered back, “Not here. Let’s stay focused on our jobs right now.”

  He drank his coffee and stared at her. Was he trying to understand? Even now her muscles and nerve endings tingled where he’d just touched her. She’d likely float wherever they went today. Hopefully no one would notice.

  Halfway through her breakfast, Gigi stopped eating and kept flinching anytime Sean brushed his arm against hers. She fumbled at her neckline and clutched her necklace.

  She and Sean had no future. She cover her face with her hair and searched for something to say. “I can’t wait to practice with my students today, and tomorrow is the dress rehearsal where they will have dinner with the Canadian and Chinese finalists. We have a real chance at winning.”

  “This afternoon I want to take them shopping,” Sean said. She cleared her throat. “Shopping is not on the schedule or in our budget.”

  “France is known to be a fashion-forward place. My ex spent enough money here to convince me.” He shrugged then added, “The six girls on your team will appreciate the gesture.”

  “Not all women are into shopping,” she retorted.

  “A dare?” He winked and called out, “Kendra, can you come here for a minute?”

  “Yes, sir.” Kendra filed over, with grace, but her gaze remained sharp and curious.

  “I told your teacher I intended to buy the group outfits to wear for the competition. She doesn’t think you’d appreciate shopping at Galeries Lafayette before you practice.”

  Kendra’s face lit up brighter than the fourth of July. “Are you joking? Why would you do that? Oh, wait. I won’t want a uniform.”

  “Not a uniform.” Smiling his ‘I told you so’ smile, he continued. “I’m serious. I want my team to win, and if we have to ham it up to impress the French by wearing their clothes, I think it’s smart. Will you take charge in ensuring everyone finds an outfit and help coordinate the choices in appearance?”

  “You said you’re buying, right?” The girl twirled around with glee.

  “I’m buying,” Sean answered. “Gigi laughed and the other students stared and watched Kendra dance, then she raced over to tell them. A few seconds later, screams of excitement caused everyone on the street to stop and stare them.

  “Yes, yes, you win,” Gigi said, meeting Sean’s triumphant gaze. She took a sip of her coffee. “How do you know the name of places to shop?”

  “I told you. The ex came here shopping. I know what stores took my credit cards and every dollar wasted.” Sean shook his head. “I’m good at sticking to my bad choices.”

  Gigi flinched. Did he mean her, too? She crossed her arms. She stuck out her chin. “You’re free now, so no more bad choices.” She kept her voice light.

  “I’d like a time machine to avoid them, but science hasn’t figured it out yet.”

  “Can’t have everything,” she said, her voice cracking. “You can buy your seat on a space mission though. Counts for something.”

  Sean’s voice hardened. “Not until my Patrick is grown. I hear the Mars mission will be seeking senior citizens to go. How’s that for our retirement plan, Scout?”

  “Sign me up.” She hooted then glanced toward the students. “They’ll love shopping. Should we cancel Notre Dame?”

  “Let them run off some energy seeing a few places and buying souvenirs on their own. You and I can walk the Seine and watch them,” he offered before finishing his pastry. “Then we go shopping.”

  He motioned for the check and withdrew his card.

  Snatching up the bill, she reminded him, “We can pay for ourselves. You keep spending when we have our fundraising money.”

  Sean nodded and let everyone pay. He then gathered the students together and said, “Ms. Dumont said we’re to ride the Paris Metro, and Raphael will tell us what train to get on and off to lead us.”

  The students’ excitement reminded her why she loved her job. She checked the bill to ensure everything added up, and had a great view of Sean’s butt. He turned around and her cheeks heated.

  “Remember, my bother’s in town tonight,” he said as he approached the table.

  She stood and put her hand on his elbow. “No worries. I’ll watch the students tonight.”

  He tucked her arm under his and led her out of the café. She should have protested, but the birds singing back and forth from tree to tree caught her off guard. If only she hadn’t ruined her almost family with Sean.

  With Erica’s help, Raphael led the group through the subway successfully. A spear of pride shot through Gigi. The students appeared to be understanding most everything. The boys had no issues reading the maps and deciding their exits.

  Sean might not want her, but her life wasn’t ruined. Still, she had to deal with the fact that she wanted him.

  Chapter 15

  Gigi had never wanted to spend much time in churches, but Notre Dame possessed such an awesome showcase of colors and beauty, especially their stained-glass windows. She could stay there forever and admire the beauty. She’d promised the students they could climb up the tower.

  Tired from the night before, she decided she wouldn’t go. Sean could supervise and her feet throbbed. Instead she took a seat in a pew, remembering Cary’s advice. Talk, let Sean spit out his anger, and then convince Sean to forgive her? But when? She couldn’t talk about this in front of the students and Sean was meeting his brother that night. And, more importantly, how?

  Gigi blinked and stared at the religious artifacts. She’d never be able to pull off Cary’s plan. Yesterday, Sean hadn’t even wanted her with no strings attached. Her cheeks flamed. And she never threw herself at a man.

  She clenched her hands together and released the heat building up inside her stomach. She shouldn’t want him anyhow.

  A family approached and sat in front of her, talking in hushed tones that their daughter would make her first communion here.

  Gigi released her hands as she listened to the French family talk about the history of Notre Dame. The mother turned to Gigi. “Are you here for confession, dear?”

  “No. You must be early. It’s still open for the public.”

  “We are early, but you stared hard at the lovely stained glass with troubles floating in your eyes.”

  “That bad? It’s nothing. My feet hurt. And I’m here with a school group,” Gigi replied in French.

  “American?” the woman asked, her mouth slightly open. “Your French is impeccable.”

  “I lived here a few years ago.”

  “But, forgive me, dear, you look upset. If this is a school trip, then why are you alone?”

  Gigi sighed then shook her head. “They’re up the tower. I’m resting.”

  “Whatever it is that’s troubling you, let it go. Life is about renewal, not regret.” The woman’s easy smile and sly answer made Gigi’s pulse thump in agreement. “Regret stops us from living.”

  Time stopped for a moment as Gigi contemplated what the woman had said. Was
she right? Could she forgive herself?

  If so, she’d fight for a chance at happiness.

  A warm heat suddenly filled Gigi. Sean must have returned. So tuned into him to him now, her body responded even when he wasn’t in sight. She turned around and stared at the door.

  The woman dropped her sunglasses as they both glanced in Sean’s direction. With a mischievous grin, she whispered, “If such a man is a regret, forgiveness will be heavenly.”

  Gigi had to agree. With sunlight shadowing Sean near the door, he looked like a dreamy Prince Charming. Her chest tightened. But she was no princess. Princesses were pure and innocent. And she was far from innocent.