Enchantment (26 page)

Adrian gave her a blank look. “Why?”

Gray studied his face. Either he excelled at
acting or he truly was clueless. Maybe living in France made people
immune to activities that Gray considered personal and private.

“You needed undergarments, now you have
them,” Adrian said.

Well, when he put it that way . . . perhaps
Gray had overreacted.

“What about clothing?” Adrian asked.

As much as Gray loved her sundress, wearing
it every day was getting old, but replacing her bras and underwear
had already cost a small fortune.

“After seeing how much underwear costs, I
doubt I can afford any clothes in Paris,” she said truthfully.

Adrian smiled. “I know some cool vintage
stores. My treat, if you’ll let me. To make up for embarrassing you
on stage,” Adrian added when Gray hesitated.

Gray glared at him momentarily. “Fine, but
don’t think a new dress will make up for humiliating me in front of
hundreds of people.”

Adrian chuckled. “Fair enough. Shall we?”

If Gray had suffered in the lingerie shop, a
complete surprise awaited her in Paris’s vintage clothing shops.
They were cooler than anything she could have ever dreamed. She
pored through the racks, lost in unique cuts and cloths that sent
her heart soaring with excitement. It didn’t even embarrass Gray
when Adrian took the lingerie bag from her to free up her
hands.

It was a surprise to find Adrian had all the
patience in the world and offered good opinions when Gray stepped
out in each of the outfits she tried on.

Rather than feel annoyed, she appreciated it
when he said, “I don’t like it,” about a halter-top dress with a
funky maroon, white, and black pattern and collar. “It doesn’t
flatter you.”

Gray stepped back into the dressing room and
looked the dress over. She’d gotten pulled in by the cool pattern,
but Adrian was right—it didn’t suit her. She did find a high-necked
sleeveless short dress in a white wispy linen fabric with a funky
light brown, blue, and yellow print. It was one of the cutest
dresses she’d ever seen. The shop even had a pair of tall used
brown boots that matched the look perfectly. Gray wanted to walk
out in the new ensemble. It made her feel more French, but Adrian
said they’d take her new garments to the dry cleaners first then
pick them up at the end of the day.

Gray stepped out of the dressing room,
thinking she was done, but Adrian blocked her way to the register.
A short black dress with spaghetti straps dangled lazily from the
hanger he held up.

Gray looked from the dress to him. “Nice,”
she said and tried to get around him.

Adrian stepped in her way. “Will you try it
on?”

Gray wrinkled her nose. “It’s not really my
style.”

“I’d like to see how it looks.”

Gray narrowed her eyes. Although Adrian had
been really nice showing her around Paris and taking her shopping,
he was crossing a line. Gray wasn’t his human doll to dress up.

But then he said, “Please” in a voice so
hopeful that Gray found herself taking the dress from him and
returning to the dressing room. As she pulled her sundress over her
head yet again, Gray wondered if Adrian had performed some kind of
Simon Says spell on her.

Gray snapped on the dress, tired of the
effort of taking the clothes on and off. She’d never owned
something as boring as a little black dress, but when it appeared
on her, she did a double take at her reflection.

“How does it look?” Adrian asked.

Gray couldn’t answer at first. She turned
around. The dress was low in back, showing off her shoulder blades
and slender curve of her back when she held her hair up. The skirt
on the dress flared, which Gray loved. She wasn’t into clingy
clothing. What struck her most was the simple elegance of the
dress—a look she wasn’t accustomed to on herself.

“It’s . . . lovely,” Gray said softly.

“Can I see?”

Gray reached for the curtain then stopped.
She stared at Adrian’s brown loafers standing nearby. Gray glanced
at her reflection again and smiled. “I’ll make you a deal. You can
see the dress when you take me out on one of those river boats in
the evening.”

“You want me to take you on the
Bateaux
Mouches
?” Adrian asked more to himself.

Before Gray could answer he said, “Very well.
I’ll book one of the dinner cruises.”

Their first pre-planned date. Gray’s smile
grew wider.

They took a break from shopping to have lunch
in a
crêperie
. Adrian laughed at Gray’s face as she bit into
a crêpe filled with melted gruyere, tomatoes, lettuce, and
mayo.

“Can we come back here tomorrow?” Gray
asked.

Adrian chuckled. His face had relaxed
considerably since first finding her in his living room that
morning. That’s why Gray was convinced it had all been a
façade—male pride and nothing more.

All she had to do was be herself and he’d
cave. He couldn’t help himself. No more than her.

Adrian leaned back in his chair and smiled at
her from across the table. “Whatever you want, Graylee Perez.”

I want you
, she thought.

Maybe it was all a spell, but then again,
what was love if not an enchantment that eventually turned to
truth.

After lunch Adrian took Gray to Notre Dame, followed
by the Arc de Triomphe, and finally, his favorite, the Sacre Coeur.
Funny how different Paris looked when touring around with a
girlfriend.

The word rang through Adrian’s head. Was that
what Gray was? His girlfriend?

He watched her from behind as she snapped a
photo of the Sacre Coeur with her phone. Ever since hearing she’d
walked out onto the streets commando Adrian could hardly focus on a
damn thing.

The fact that she’d dropped everything at the
last second to travel to Paris with her sister worried him. Gray
wasn’t in her right mind. That left her not only susceptible to his
whims, but any evil plan her sister and Ryan might be hatching.

Adrian would have to cancel the Belgium trip
. . . or take Gray with him. She could take the photos of Adrian
with the witch’s unfortunate friends.

Sure, Gray would go for that. Or would she? A
cruel part of him wanted to present her with the idea. Perhaps if
Adrian pushed hard enough she’d finally see him for who he really
was. A man that no witch in her right mind could possibly love.

Gray lowered her phone then turned and
smiled. “Thank you for taking me all around today.” She slipped her
arm around his. “What are we doing tomorrow?”

Adrian placed his hand on her arm as they
descended the stairs of Montmartre. “Tomorrow I’m taking you to the
Louvre.”

“Cool. What else?”

What else?
Adrian snorted. “The Louvre
requires a full day, if not a week.”

Gray wrinkled her nose. “Maybe you can walk
me through the highlights.”

“Not a big museum goer, are we?”

Gray hadn’t stopped smiling since morning. It
made her look a hundred times more beautiful.

“I guess it would be cool to see the
Mona
Lisa
,” she said.

“You guess?” Adrian chuckled. “Come on, let’s
pick up your clothes and some Chinese takeout.”

Now Gray chuckled. “That’s how you’re ending
today’s tour of Paris—with Chinese takeout?”

“Paris has the best Chinese food,” Adrian
said, grinning right back. “Besides, we can’t eat crêpes every
meal.”

“Why not?” Gray laughed to show she was
joking. “But seriously, you are taking me back to that
crêperie
tomorrow, right?”

Adrian chuckled. “I swear you’re more excited
about the
crêperie
than the Louvre.”

This time they laughed in unison until Gray
gave Adrian’s hand a sudden squeeze. His throat quickly dried up.
He cleared it. “So, what do you think of Paris so far?”

“I like it a heck of a lot better than the
last time I came through . . . you know,” she said, leaning closer.
“When I woke up in Charlene’s body.”

Adrian rubbed his chin with his free hand,
covering his bemused grin as he did so. Spell or not, she might get
the urge to smack him.

“Thanks for letting me wake up disorientated
in a freakin’ foreign country to fend for myself.”

Adrian lowered his hand. “I didn’t know
Charlene would be in France when I placed the spell on her, and you
seem to fend for yourself just fine.”

“Well, I’ve had plenty of practice, but those
days are behind me.”

Adrian kept his mouth closed.
If
only.

* * *

By the time they picked up Gray’s clean garments and
the food, the light had begun to fade on Paris . . . well, not
really. How could the radiance dim in the City of Light? If
anything, she shined brighter.

Gray followed Adrian into the kitchen,
holding her arms out for the plates as he pulled two out of the
cupboard. While she set the table, Adrian reached for the wine
glasses then stopped himself.

Bad idea. Very bad idea.

Gray acted dazzled and charmed enough as it
was. How would a drunk and dazzled Gray behave?

Tempting as it may be, Adrian was better off
not finding out. He already had a long night ahead of him.

He filled a pitcher with water and brought it
to the table along with two glasses. Gray had taken a seat and
freed her chopsticks from their paper binding. Adrian took the
chair beside her.

“
Bon appetit,”
he said, smirking as
she dug in before he had a chance to take out his chopsticks.

Gray paused mid-bite. “Oh, right.
Bon
appetit.”

Adrian nodded in her direction. “See, you’re
getting the hang of French.”

Gray snorted and rolled her eyes. “Everyone
knows how to say
‘bon appetit
.’”

“Once you’ve mastered one Romance language
the rest come naturally.”

Gray popped a piece of broccoli into her
mouth. After she finished chewing she said, “Good point. So how’s
your Spanish after performing in Spain?”

Adrian chuckled. “Not so good in all
honesty.”

“Right,” Gray said, rolling her eyes. “Easier
said than done.”

“Touché,” Adrian replied. “You don’t let me
get away with anything, do you?”

Gray smiled at that. “Nope.”

Between bites her eyes moved to the window.
Adrian glanced sideways. The view of the Eiffel Tower was pretty
amazing, especially lit up at night . . . especially with someone
special in his company.

Gray pointed a chopstick toward the sight. “I
can’t believe this is your view. Do you ever feel like you have to
pinch yourself to make certain you’re not dreaming?”

Adrian studied Gray carefully. When he didn’t
answer, she turned her head to look him in the eye, her brows
rising.

“Yeah,” Adrian said. He gave Gray a pointed
look.

Her lower lip dropped slightly and then she
quickly looked back toward the windows. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah,” Adrian repeated.

This time Gray avoided his gaze, but the
color in her cheeks gave her away. Even under a spell, Gray didn’t
seem quite comfortable with compliments, which made Adrian want to
make more of them just to see her blush.

Dinner was only the beginning of his torment.
Then came bedtime—this after Gray did the dishes and Adrian dried
them.

He ran his hand through his hair surveying
the living room—most notably the couch where he’d found Gray asleep
that morning. “I can take the couch . . .” he started.

For once Gray didn’t blush. “Oh no,” she
said. “I’m perfectly comfortable on the couch. I’ll probably fall
asleep staring at the Eiffel Tower.”

“I’d offer my nan’s room, but it’s probably
best if it’s left undisturbed.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Gray said. “Really,
I’d feel most comfortable on the couch.”

As if to reiterate the point, she flopped
down on the couch, tucking her legs in under her sundress. For
several heartbeats Adrian stared like an utter fool. Had Gray put
on a pair of panties when they arrived home, or was she still going
around
au
naturel
?

“I’ll get the spare linens,” Adrian said and
abruptly turned away.

“I’ve got it,” Adrian said when Gray
attempted to help him after he returned.

He folded the bottom sheet in half and
stuffed the edges under the rim of the couch cushions, aware of
Gray’s eyes on him the entire time.

“Sure you don’t want me to take the couch?”
Adrian asked as he unfolded a blanket.

“This is perfect, thanks,” Gray said. “I’ll
probably turn in soon. You know—reserve my strength for all the old
paintings we’re going to see tomorrow. Unless I’m in your way out
here.”

“Nope,” Adrian said. He set a pillow at the
end of the couch. “I’ll give you some privacy.” With that he made
for his bedroom.

“You’re going to bed this early?” Gray called
behind him.

Adrian half turned. The sooner he locked
himself inside his bedroom the better. “I have a TV in my room.
I’ll try to keep the volume down.”

“Or we could watch something together?” she
suggested.

Their eyes locked. Bad things would happen if
Adrian didn’t complete the last five steps to his room. Oh, he’d
enjoy doing them, alright, but he couldn’t take advantage of Gray
that way. Not in his right mind. What a nuisance it was to be
clear-headed.

Gray smoothed her sundress behind her as she
lowered herself onto the couch. It could have been Adrian’s
imagination, but she looked as nervous as he felt about his answer.
Finally, Adrian managed to get his feet moving forward. “Good
night, Gray.”

* * *

Another blue sky day hugged all of Paris.