several times, trying to get her bearings. The events of the previous day came flooding back to her.
“Well, Paris, I don’t think you’re in Kansas anymore…” she murmured to herself, her words echoing in the large bedchamber.
She also realized in that moment that Alex wasn't in the bed anymore. Paris sat up pin straight, searching the room through sleepy eyes, but finding no one. She felt a pang of nervousness in her stomach, briefly afraid that Alex had disappeared and left her here in this strange, although gorgeous, hotel room.
Paris was just about to pull the sheet from the bed to cover herself up, when she noticed a thick robe lying on a chair in the corner of the room, with a calla lily placed gently on top of it. She smiled to herself as she crawled out of the bed and padded across the soft, plush carpet to the armchair, and as she slipped the robe onto her naked curves, she sighed at the feel of the downy fabric against her smooth skin. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror—her hair wild in that ‘I just had sex’ sort of way—and she gave herself a wry smile.
Paris opened the bedroom doors that led into the living area of the penthouse, and she was almost blinded by the sunlight pouring in from the balcony windows. The room was filled with the smell of fresh pastries and blooming flowers, and Paris felt her senses becoming overwhelmed in the best possible way once more. At first, she couldn't see Alex anywhere, and that initial feeling of panic returned, the fear that he had left. But then, all at once, he was there, larger than life, filling up every space in her mind. She shivered with delight as she remembered the way he had filled her body as well.
Alex was standing on the balcony, leaning on the stone wall, his long legs clad in striped pajama pants, and his large bare feet crossed over each other. He was shirtless, his muscular torso and back elongated as he stretched out to take in the vista of Paris in the morning. His thick auburn hair was still messy from sleep, but somehow it looked even more perfect that way.
Paris felt her breath catch in her throat, suddenly overcome with the desire to touch him, the same desire she felt next to him on the couch last night. She didn't know how long she'd been staring at him, but when she finally looked up from his perfect back, she realized his head was turned, and he staring back her, smiling.
“You're awake, beautiful! I ordered up some croissants and coffee and juice. And they sent some fruit too. I hope you're hungry.”
Alex's face was beaming, and Paris was drawn to him. She walked out to the balcony and stood next to him, her whole body alight at just the closeness of their skin. Alex inched over closer to Paris, so their arms were touching, and kissed her softly on the cheek.
“How did you sleep? Well, I hope.”
Paris let out a long, contented sigh. “Better than I have in ages. That bed was amazing. And you wore me out, I don't mind saying.”
Alex laughed, warm and loud, and gathered Paris into his arms. He kissed her slow and deep, letting his tongue explore her mouth, and Paris let herself melt into him. They were both so lost in the moment, neither of them noticed the flash of a camera from the street below.
They definitely didn't see the self-satisfied smirk of a paparazzo as he mentally calculated how much he could charge for a few pictures of the Crown Prince of Dalvana cheating on his fiancée.
----
A fter a long , leisurely breakfast, Paris found herself wondering if this was going to be the end of her time with Alex, if perhaps, despite all of the romance, maybe this truly was going to be a one-night-stand. As she stared absentmindedly out the penthouse windows, Alex seemed to be reading her mind.
“I know you said you had a few days before your classes started. I'd like to spend the day with you, if you don't have any other plans. Perhaps do some more sight-seeing?”
Paris felt her stomach flip-flop. She knew
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