26 Hours in Paris by Demi Alex

chair. “Why didn’t you come to the Empire State Building as we’d agreed?”
    Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them away and worried her lower lip. She couldn’t find the words to express why, but she had to be honest. “I went early,” she whispered. “I couldn’t stay.”
    â€œWhy?” He leaned forward, but didn’t reach for her.
    She replayed the night in her mind. Every thought. Every hope. Every picture she’d seen of him over the years. They lived in two different universes, and fate had chosen very different paths for them. Every morning he woke in a posh home or a luxury hotel in any corner of the world. On almost every morning of her mundane life, she woke on a futon, in a shared rental, in the same state she’d always lived in.
    â€œIt wouldn’t work,” she breathed, and managed to glance into his dark eyes. “I couldn’t stay and deal with it if you showed up. Even more, I didn’t know what I’d do if you didn’t. I did what you accused me of doing after my father died. I ran away.”
    â€œFrom me,” he said, catching a solitary tear that escaped from the corner of her eye. “From us.”
    Nodding, she dropped her shoulders and clasped her hands in her lap. She tried to swallow the knot lodged in her throat. Tried to miss the disappointment in his face, but she couldn’t lie to herself or to him. She owed him that much. “I’m sorry, Marko. I couldn’t face the possibility of an us and the hurt that would follow.”
    Their drinks arrived at that very moment. They fell silent.
    â€œI’ll let that go for now. I share in the responsibility for us being apart all this time. We made our choices. Our choices have made us.” His chest expanded, and he reached for her intertwined hands and pulled them into his own lap. “I have a few important decisions to make in the next few days. Tomorrow will be very telling. I’m scheduled to meet with a New York–based firm for a position in Manhattan. I also have a few offers in Europe to consider. Once we’ve caught up, I’d like your input. Your opinion means everything to me.”
    Kat licked her lips and nodded. “Anything I can do to help, I will.”
    â€œThere’s one thing that will help. Only one. And since we are together right now, I won’t allow a single doubt to come between us. You’ve agreed to the next twenty-four hours together. I won’t let you run. There’s no choice. Understand?”
    She understood. She didn’t have any desire to run. She wouldn’t grow old regretting that she’d walked away from the best day of her life. “I don’t want to run.”
    â€œGood,” he said, sweeping his thumb over her cheek and wiping away the tears. He gave her lips a quick kiss. “I’m happy you’re here, and I’m so proud that you’re finally following your dreams. Tell me about the research you need to do.”
    Taking a deep breath, she accepted the olive branch he’d offered and returned to the moment. “The guy who was supposed to write the Valentine’s Day feature left City Wings on a rather sour note. Actually, Paul kicked him out on his ass when he found questionable expenses on his corporate card and deleted his proposal for a story. He’s history. The douchebag’s spot is up for grabs, and so is the byline.”
    â€œSo Paul gave you the assignment?”
    â€œNot quite.” She leaned back and waited for the waiter to place her omelet on the table. “This looks heavenly.”
    Marko smiled and spooned whipped cream on her hot chocolate. “Go on.”
    â€œIn typical Paul fashion, he pitted my story idea against Charlie’s proposal. That’s my roommate and best girlfriend. She’s been there for over two years, has a point to prove to her family, and also wants her own byline more than