Chaperoning Paris (Collins Brothers)

by Victoria Pinder

  Sighing she went to her room. Slipping the dress off the second the door closed, she delicately packed the expensive piece in her suitcase. She hadn’t wanted to snag anything about the lovely designer piece.

  Then she found her sweatpants. She had packed them to run in the hotel emergencies. She never packed a fancy sports bra, and settled on a beat up T-shirt meant for bed. She stared at herself and shrugged. It was the best gym outfit she had.

  Then she tied her sneakers on and raced downstairs. Whatever Sean planned to do in the gym sounded safe enough. If he wanted to work out with her there, she’d be fine.

  She walked into the hotel gym a few minutes later. Sean waited and continued with one last push up. He wore gym shorts that showed off his toned muscle legs, and a wife beater. His strong muscles captured her eyes. The door hit her backside, and she had half a mind to turn around and leave. She must appear a hot mess compared to him.

  She glanced around. At least no one else worked out anywhere. She cleared her throat, and Sean turned around holding mitts out for her. “You expect me to box?”

  “No. Put these on, Geegs.”

  She inspected his hands, and noticed his scars. He’s done this without gloves. She asked him, “Why are we here?”

  He tied the straps tight on the gloves, and reminded her, “I need you to get angry and punch the bag.”

  “You are being stupid,” she argued. “I’m not violent.”

  She folded her arms together, but he unfolded them and finished tightening the gloves on her hands. “Arguing with me is a good step for you, but you need more aggression. My family is Irish and we’ll flay you alive, Gigi. Did I ever tell you your mother ran her hands down my brothers and me, offering herself?”

  “No.”

  She stood there frozen, unable to move. Sean pointed her palm and put one of the gloves on the bag, indicating she should hit it. “With me, I told your mom, hell no, fast. She told me I loved with the wrong girl, and that you never cared about me.”

  Unable to budge still, Sean picked up her other gloved hand and guided her punch. “With Gerard, she became far more aggressive. She took her shirt off, and threatened to call people in the room and say he started it. Gerard’s callousness grew leaps and bounds after that.”

  Her mouth formed an ‘o’ then she asked in a quiet voice, “How did Gerard get out of it?”

  “Gerard told her he didn’t care what she said because no one in their right mind would ever believe he’d touch an old woman like her when he had a buffet of models downstairs wanting him.”

  Gigi stifled an inappropriate giggle. “Gerard still appears to have his attractive jerk quality too him. Why does he fascinate girls?”

  “Hey, now,” Sean said. “We’re talking about your mother. You know, the woman, who videotaped you over indulging in alcohol and depressed?”

  She shook her head. “Don’t, Sean.”

  He hit the bag himself. “Don’t what? Remind you that your mother strapped you down to a table with a doctor, stood over you, and ensured you had an abortion weeks after you received your driver’s license?”

  Shocked at the unforgiving reminder, Gigi remained quiet.

  “You ran away from her to a different country, leaving everything you ever knew behind. You passively want to forget the past and forgive her now because she’s dead.”

  Gigi covered her ears with her gloved hands. “Stop.”

  “I’m not doing anything to you,” he said. “Hit the bag and think it’s her.”

  “I don’t want to scream and shout. That gets no one anywhere!” she screamed at him.

  “Gigi, you’re already yelling. Now go to the bag and hit it.”

  “Why?” She stomped her foot. “Why is this important to you?”

  “Pretend it’s Lillian, your dear old mom. Tell her you’re not taking her crap anymore.” Sean pointed.

  Gigi walked over to the bag and hit it once. “Good, now I’m done with this.”

  “You hardly hit it. Pretend the bag is your mother.” He crossed his arms. “That woman deserves far more than one gentle tap.”

  In her head, the bag transformed into her mother’s cruel, laughing face telling her how ugly she’d turn out to be and how no one, not even Sean, would want her because she was destined to be fat and ugly. She closed her eyes and the bag stopped talking. She faced Sean. “Don’t make me do this.”

  “Gigi, you need to let it out and scream,” Sean said in an even voice. “Until you scream and shout, you’ll never move past it. I promise one day I’ll be an accidental jerk because I’ve had a bad day, and you’re going to have to tell me to shut up. I listen when told.”

  She stared at the bag again then rushed at it to throw a punch. Then two punches, then three. “Is this what you want from me?”

  “Tell your mother to rot in hell,” Sean said from behind the bag.

  “This is stupid,” Gigi mumbled to herself but she tightened up her body and shouted, “You were my mother. You were supposed to love and protect me like every other mother on the planet. But all you ever did was insult and hurt me when I wanted you to love me. Whatever I did to you wasn’t equal to what you did to me, Mom.”

  Gigi had no idea how many times she hit the bag. She stopped and wiped the sweat off her brow. Tears mixed in, then she shouted more. “I never wanted to be like you. Why did Dad die when I was a girl and not you? You deserved to die before him.”

  She crumpled to the floor. She had no more punches to throw.

  Sean sat next to her, rubbing her back and holding her. She regained some energy, and Sean pushed a water bottle under her nose. Her nose honed in on his almond-scented soap. How? She turned into him, away from the bottle.

  He patted her hair. “Your mom can never hurt you again, Gigi. She’s gone.”

  “She sent the Daisy woman to go after me and sent Jennifer to you.”

  “You’re not to blame for my screw up with women.” He sighed. She continued to hug him. He fixed her hair. “We’ll figure out what’s best for us, but know this, Geegs, I will protect you.”

  She trusted him. “My plan was to find a way to prove myself worthy of you.”

  His arms around her were exactly where she’d want him to be. She knew they were an impossible pair, and she had no rights to him. He reminded her, “Sweetheart, you push me in the right directions.”

  She reached up to his neck and stood on her tip toes.

  His kiss created stirrings inside her.

  She’d never quenched this thirst, and she needed more. And his lips tasted better than anything else.

  Chapter 41

  Gigi refused to end her kiss with Sean. He stepped back slightly, and she stepped forward. Explosions of love lit up her heart. She wanted to tell him she loved him, but he deserved a woman who had the ability to speak.

  She licked her lips.

  “You confuse me. You do know this?” he asked her with her shirt halfway up her chest. She smiled in his arms, and wiggled to get him to lift off her shirt. “This was my solution.”

  “I appreciate it,” she said, and her hands trailed to his gym shorts. She rubbed his backside and smiled. He hadn’t worn underwear.

  He rolled away from her on the floor mat. “Geegs, there can’t be a future unless you speak up.”

  “I’ll be more assertive.” She frowned. Sean thought too much right now. She refused to think. “Lock the door.”

  “Not what I meant.”

  “I’m saying what I want right now.” She inched closer and kissed him. Hesitating for a moment, he gave in, and his hands circled her, crushing her into his muscles. She won and hugged him tight. His lips on her skin made her body ache with need.

  Hot she moaned and his hands caressed her breasts.

  She arched back for him. She’d never have enough of him.

  His tongue darted under her bra, and her breasts turned into aching pebbles from his licks.

  A moan escaped her lips while her head fell back. Damn
.

  He repeated his actions to the other, and she helped him lose the remains of her bra.

  Unable to think, she tugged with his hair and wiggled.

  His hands played with the elastic band of her sweats. Gigi wanted to kick off her clothes and rip his off. She traced his shirt upward on his muscled torso, needing to feast her eyes on him.

  Sean grunted and threw his shirt.

  Then he went over to the door. She sat up and covered herself, but then he returned.

  “No one is in the hall.” He offered his hands to help her stand, and she followed. Bending her neck with his thumb, he kissed her aching flesh. “We should go upstairs.”

  “Wait.” She needed him now. Cooling off for any sort of minute meant a chance to breathe. She needed to not think things through. She tugged on his hips, and arched him closer. “Now.”

  He laughed and held her close. Then he kissed her.

  She walked backward.

  She sighed, and needed him to hold onto her forever. Trusting Sean, she licked the inside of his mouth, teasing him. Her backside pushed up against elevated padding. Helping her sit, he took her sweatpants off her.

  Finished, he stared at her nakedness. And she wasn’t shy. Not with Sean. She stared up at him.

  Sean had filled every night’s dream and passing thought. She needed him inside her. Her hand circled his manhood, playing. She kissed the nape of his neck.

  “Geegs.” He gasped out her name, sending a ripple of excitement through her.

  Her mouth trailed down to his shoulder and her hands massaged his muscles. Slowly, she teased his erect penis closer to her waiting vagina.

  With his arms on her, she reclined back onto the bed or whatever tannish thing she lay back on. Then she opened her legs, allowing him access to her center.

  His hand traced her body, and she directed his manhood to her core. He took her hint and plunged into her.

  Her body quivered and ached for more every time he moved. She lost her ability to think and focus.

  He moved, and she huffed out a frustrated breath, needing him back inside her. Moaning her satisfaction, he entered her body over and over.

  She lost herself at some point. And he moved deeper inside her.

  Somehow she heard his whisper. He kissed her ear and said, “I love you.”

  That was all it took to send her over the edge.

  Her mind came back to her at some point, and she surveyed her surroundings. Sean had found a massage table, and she had enjoyed every minute. He sat next to her after covering her with her own shirt. She sat up, partly dressed, then held her hand on his back. His arm covered his face. “What’s wrong?”

  “My intentions were honorable when I demanded we come to the gym.”

  “I see that. I seduced you,” she admitted. Loving someone shouldn’t be this complicated.

  He laughed, and his earthy rakishness had a certain charm to it. “Gigi, when we get home, you and I have unfinished business. I’m not letting you get away from me.”

  “I seduced you. Don’t blame yourself,” she argued, not listening to whatever doubts her mind could imagine. “Paris is the city for lovers.”

  He kissed her forehead. “It’s the City of Lights, Geegs. Get dressed. We have to get you upstairs with no one seeing.”

  Her body glowed from the day. Once again, he’d protected her, and she listened to him. While she was slipping her sweat pants back on, Sean fixed himself in his shorts. She watched his muscular butt and she blushed. Today something inside her had changed. She stuffed her panties into her pocket while she asked him, “Where’s your shirt?”

  “I’m a guy. I threw it in my bag. Let’s go.”

  He escorted her to her room and held the door open for her. Did she kiss him? Awkwardly, she stood there, then he brought her into him for a kiss. His arms around her waist, she tasted him again, and her body shivered in anticipation. She’d never have enough of him.

  Sean hugged her and her body had trouble calming down. He whispered into her ear, “I will have plans for us back home.”

  “You do?” she asked, confused. “What plans?”

  “You need to start believing in happy-ever-after, Geegs.” He winked at her. “I’ll convince you.”

  He dropped his arms to his sides, took a step backward, and then walked away. She watched him, unsure what to do.

  She closed the door behind her and sank into her room. Wasn’t she supposed to prove herself to him? She had lost her handle on this situation, because right now she wanted to run to him and scream she loved him more than life itself.

  Chapter 42

  Gigi sat on a plane, unsure what had happened. Now they went home, back to Cape Cod, with the victory completed. Hours into the flight, the teenagers remained excited.

  Sean spoke on his phone about business and politics every time she came over to him. And she hadn’t known what to say to him, but the quiet unsettled her.

  She’d earned his love. Somehow. Now she needed to stay safe.

  The best part of the week she’d never forget remained Sean holding her close again.

  Gigi kept her head down, and hoped to avoid all attention on the ride home. Her face would have a permanent blush with her thoughts. So she held a book in front of her but never read.

  Erica bounced to the back of plane. “Ms. Dumont, are you tired?”

  “Yeah, the past twenty-four hours have been taxing.” Erica whispered, “Mr. Collins took a new job on this trip. Do you know who will be our new principal?”

  Sean never should have to settle for anything. She shook her head no. “I don’t know if he’s made a choice, honey. I’ll ask him.”

  “No worries. I’m happy to be going home.” Erica bounced back to her seat with the rest of the students, but Gigi’s mind swirled on the question. Had Sean made any decisions? What home did she ever have? He’d been busy making plans for his life, and she hadn’t found a way to prove herself.

  What could she do? He had a full life. A son. A full-time job. And a generous, protective heart.

  He hadn’t needed anything.

  Gigi stared at Sean who stood with his pilots. She overheard something about clearance.

  Then he smiled at her. She motioned for him to sit near her. He nodded and took her up on the offer. But he kept his phone on his leg. “Did you need to see me?”

  “Have you made any decisions?” she gulped out.

  “Quite a few. Which ones are you questioning?”

  With fists clenched, she asked, “Work. Do I have a job, Sean?”

  “If you want it, sure. I’d never hurt you. That’s up to you. Did you doubt that?”

  He pushed a piece of her hair back in place, and she hesitated. “No. It was a lead-in question.”

  He traced his hand down off her face, then squeezed her knee. “Speak then. What do you want?”

  “If you are taking over the CFO position for your father, who will be principal?”

  “Do you want that job?” His eyes read surprise. “I didn’t think you wanted it.”

  Speak, she reminded herself. Furiously, she answered back, “No, I don’t. I’m a teacher, and unsure of my future. I’d be a terrible principal. I wanted to see if I could help though.”

  He smiled at her. “I am thinking about putting Mattie in charge. She’s trained, knows the school, has multiple degrees, knows who’s who, and she has a heart.”

  “She’s amazing. Great choice.” He didn’t need her opinion. Drat.

  “Your smile is beautiful, Gigi.” He traced her knee with his free hand, and she desired to curl into him. “Next time you want to ask something, you can be direct. I don’t bite.”

  “I like when you do,” she whispered. “I wish there was more I could say.”

  “There is quite a lot you can say, but I will wait until we’re alone without teenagers supervising our every action.” He winked at her and sauntered off.

  Her body shuddered on its own accord.

  The hope
of a future with Sean lay in her heart. Her skin heated from the pressure to let herself believe. She blinked and reminded herself she needed to prove she could be good for him, too.

  Chapter 43

  Gigi fought the tiredness on the drive but she hoped to get home and crawl into her bed. Finally she parked the car in her driveway and grabbed her bag. A minute later, she opened the door to her house and dropped her bags in a thud.