To Love A Cowboy: A Billionaire BWWM Western Romance (4 page)

Once the entire situation caught up with her, Kate was more thankful
with what was going on. "I have to apologize. Once again, you
went through a lot of trouble to do something spectacular for me and
I'm not showing my appreciation. Instead, I'm focused on work."

She rose from the bed and walked over to where he stood. Standing
there with nothing but the satin sheet wrapped around her, she
wrapped his arms around her, looking up in to his eyes.

"Will you accept my apology?"

Bruce bit his lip, scrunching his face, as he stared up at the
ceiling. "I may have to think about this one."

Kate nodded. "Really?" She stood back, letting the sheet
unravel and fall to the floor.

"Maybe I can give you a little something that will help you make
the best decision?"

She knew that as she stood there, he would not be able to resist her
wiles. Lust framed his vision as his hands reached out for her.

"Come here. Let me see what you had in mind?"

Running her hands down the smooth skin of his chest, she planted
kisses on his neck, as she let her hands roam further south. Once she
had his stiff erection in her fingertips, massaging the head, she
knew he would see things her way.

Paris was at the top of Kate's bucket list. She fantasized about
strolling along the city streets, admiring the Parisian women and
their fashion. What would it be like to eat French pastries and
sample the elegant cuisine? She wanted so badly to tour the museums
and get a slice of their lifestyle.

It was something she dreamed about since she was a teen. Going to
Paris had seemed so unattainable up until now. It had seemed so out
of her reach and like such a luxury. The moment she stepped into the
fashion world, she knew that Paris was attainable. She would
eventually make it there and with the way her career moved forward,
she made it there much more quickly than she anticipated.

On top of the fact that she had a huge career move happening, she had
the support of Bruce. He had been thoughtful enough that he checked
her schedule to plan an entire trip for her in the hopes of crossing
something off of her bucket list. To be able to go to Paris for the
first time with Bruce meant the world to her.

She was bursting with excitement the entire plane ride and when the
landing gear touched French soil, Kate was sure she would just about
come apart at the seams.

"You look like a kid in the candy store," Bruce joked.

Kate had to sit back, because she practically had her nose pressed
against the window of the airplane.

"I feel like one. Oh my goodness, I have so many things that I'm
ready to do."

She almost jumped up out of her seat and at that same time, the
prompt from the flight attendant stopped her as the instructions for
deplaning came over the loud speaker.

Kate put her hands in her lap and tried to calm herself. "Where
are we going first?'

Bruce laughed. "Slow down. We have a week here. Plenty of time
to be together and enjoy the city. Besides, it's so early in the
morning right now. We would normally be going to sleep right now."

"Fortunately for us, we had that long plane ride so I am
officially awake and ready to party."

"Party, I'm not so sure. But we can definitely get a little
something to eat. I am starving."

"Fine. We can stand to check in and shower and change before
going out for the day."

A car service awaited them, and by the time they retrieved their
luggage, the second wind that Kate thought she had was fading fast.
She had not anticipated that the jet lag would hit her so soon.

She did all that she could to keep her eyes open in the car. There
was no way she would miss a moment of the city sights. Bruce held a
steady hand on her thigh as she took in all of the scenery.

"I hope you don't mind. I booked us a small cottage right on the
outskirts of the city. I thought it would be more comfortable for the
week instead of living out of a suitcase in a hotel. We will have a
car service for transportation if needed."

"That actually sounds sensational. I am really looking forward
to this trip, Bruce."

He pulled her close, moving her hair to the side as he kissed her
forehead. "Me too."

The car took them on the road out of the city, and suddenly there
were green rolling hills filled with wild flowers. Kate could barely
keep her eyes open. The jet lag was over taking her, along with the
fact that she had gone straight from work to the airport for their
flight.

She would have to take a nap in order to properly enjoy the city.
According to her agenda, she was not set to do anything work related
until tomorrow. There would be plenty of time to get out and about
and with the way her body was speaking to her, some much needed rest
was in order.

Arriving at the cottage, Kate was awe struck. The scene was something
out of a storybook. Yellow and blue flowers lined the front walkway.
The cottage was something out of a fairy tale. There was nothing else
near for at least five to ten miles. It would be just the rest and
relaxation she would need to return to once she finished working in
the fast paced city.

"Where did you find this?" Kate asked.

"A little research goes a long way, Sweetheart."

"Welcome to Chateau Blanc. Bienvenue."

Kate was full of excitement as she took in all of her surroundings.
Bruce worked on getting them checked in as she browsed the foyer and
the great room of the cottage.

Before she knew it, she had wandered off to the dining area. There
was an array of pastries, fruit, and cheeses spread out. It was not
until Kate saw the food that she realized how hungry she was.

"Please, make sure you take some."

The tiny woman behind her had the warmest smile.

"Really? Thank you. After such a long flight, I am starving."

"Call me Marchand. I am the caretaker here, and I welcome you
here to Chateau Blanc."

"Thank you very much. I know we will enjoy our stay."

"Your husband has gone through great care to make sure you have
a comfortable stay."

Kate opened her mouth to respond, but she closed it and accepted the
compliment. She simply smiled and continued to make a plate of food
she would take to the room.

"I will leave you to see your room. Enjoy."

After thanking Marchand again, she gathered her things and went back
to the foyer where she found Bruce.

"How did I know that you would find the food?" Bruce joked.

"My stomach never steers me wrong."

"Come on, I have the key to the room." He took her bag from
her and placed it on the luggage caddy.

"I'm not sure whether to go to sleep or to eat. I'm just as
hungry as I am sleepy."

"It's still early in the morning. You are forgetting that we
have all day."

Entering the room, there was a scent of vanilla and roses. The room
was not the largest, but it would be enough for the two of them for
the week.

"Wow, we have a Jacuzzi tub and this little sitting area is
perfect."

She took a seat, staring out the window into the sprawling
countryside. This was all a dream come true.

"Why don't you come and unpack? Take a shower and eat, and we
can relax a bit before we get out." Bruce's hand on her shoulder
was calming. She wrapped her hands around his, gently nuzzling her
hand on his arm.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea."

Bruce already ran her bathwater, leaving a tub full of bubbles and
lavender scented oil waiting. It was luxuriating, especially when
Kate thought of the long week ahead.

She finally arrived in Paris and for her, that meant she made it, or
at least was ten steps in the right direction of making it to the big
time. She wanted nothing more than to be in the atmosphere of one of
the most posh design capitals of the world. All of her networking and
hard work led up to a meeting with a huge pop superstar who would be
walking the red carpet for an awards show as well as doing a mini
concert for her fans. That meant she needed someone to style her for
every occasion, especially the nights out on the town in Paris. All
of those paparazzi pictures would be priceless for her career.

Whether her client was mentioned on the best dressed list or the
worst dressed list, she would be mentioned. And with all of the press
her client received, she was considered a fashion rebel, one who took
risks. That was exactly the boost Kate needed for her career.

The warm water helped her to unwind. The fact that she was in Paris
kept running across her mind. Her parents were proud of her, although
they did not understand the magnitude of the steps that she made for
her career. And Bruce was proud of her for being able to live out her
dreams.

Right now, things seemed to be perfect and Kate did not want to ruin
that for anything in the world. She had the man she loved and a
career that was on the rise. The only thing she needed to do was find
a balance between the two.

It was constantly the thorn in her side and some day, she knew she
would find the key to managing it all. For right now, she simply
wanted to enjoy the romance of the city with Bruce.

*****

The lavender lotion was the perfect compliment to her bath.
Everything about the quaint little cottage was perfect as far as Kate
was concerned.

"You didn't go down the drain in there did you?" Bruce
asked from the other side of the bathroom door.

"Not at all. It was just nice to relax." Kate exited the
bathroom.

"I'm glad that you got a chance to. What do you say we take a
little nap and recuperate before we get out and sight see?"

The thought of sleeping made Kate yawn loudly.

"I guess that was my answer."

They both laughed but neither of them hesitated getting into the bed.

The three hours they slept felt amazing. And when they awoke, it was
still more than enough time to go out and do a bit of sight seeing.
Bruce was already stirring in the bed when Kate awoke.

"How was your rest?"

"Perfect. But that snack I had before bed is not enough to tide
me over. I could use a real meal."

"Let's get dressed. I had a few places planned to take you."

Kate giggled. "It's funny that you have an itinerary planned.
Normally you are a bit more spontaneous than that."

"It's a bucket list. You have to cross things off of said list.
And you've never been to Paris so I wanted to show you a few things."

"How lucky am I to get such a sexy tour guide," Kate
purred.

"I would say you are one of the luckiest girls in the world."

Kate peered out of the window. It was still daylight, the sun just
beginning to lower in the sky. She quickly dressed and readied to go.

"Where to first?"

"Nothing too crazy. When in Paris, you must sit outside and eat
at a chic Parisian café. So we will go to the city and people
watch as we grab a bite to eat. Then maybe a stroll along the Seine.
Watching the city lights."

"I think that sounds wonderful."

The car was waiting for them once they walked outside. The air was
perfectly comfortable, warm air against her skin.

The ride to the city was breathtaking. The way the sun was slowly
sinking into the horizon was something from a painting.

Her phone rang, just as they approached the city.

"Babe, I have to take this phone call."

Bruce nodded and turned to look out of the window.

"Yes. Hello. I did make it here to Paris safely. Yes. I look
forward to meeting with you as well. Yes. We will meet first thing in
the morning for a fitting and then we will get you ready for the red
carpet about two hours before the carpet opening. Oh no, don't be
worried, I have all of the garments you requested and everything is
under control. No, it's no problem. Text me or call me anytime. I'll
talk with you soon. See you tomorrow."

"Work calls?"

Kate stuffed her phone back into her purse. "Yes. My new client.
She just needed a bit of reassurance that I have everything under
control. Amelia has already checked in and all of the clothing has
reached the studio. I will get there first thing in the morning to
check everything again, but it looks as though our contact here has
it all together."

Bruce took Kate's hand in his. "How exciting is this? You, in
Paris living out your dreams. I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you. Everything is perfect right now. I could not ask for
more."

The car pulled in to the city, and for a moment, it was nice to be
stuck in the heavy traffic. Stomach growling, Kate then began to
think that getting out and walking may suit them better.

"What if we get out here and walk? I'm sure we will happen upon
a café where we can get something to eat."

Bruce squeezed her knee. "That sounds like a great idea. Let's
do it."

Bruce let the driver know that they would call him to be picked up
later after they spent some time out.

Hand in hand, they strolled among the bike riders and the others
casually strolling and talking.

"Look, there. That place looks perfect."

The place she was referring to looked exactly like what she thought a
French café should look like. Lots of people outside, eating,
sipping coffee, watching, sight seeing.

"Chez Montague it is."

Once they were seated, Kate tried to take it all
in. The sights and sounds of Paris were invigorating. Having Bruce
there with her for the experience was like the icing on the cake.

She ordered all of the cliché French items, café au
lait, croissants, pastries. It was maybe very cheesy, but she wanted
to try an actual croissant in France. It did taste different. More
flaky and buttery.

"I know you have a long day ahead of you, so I thought tonight,
we would just go for a walk. Talk. Enjoy the time together. I have
other things on the agenda for us later in the week."