Read Online French kiss by Aimee Friedman - Free Book Online

on her tiptoes in her Lanvin zebra-print pumps, Alexa had peered through the
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    hordes at the serenely smiling Mona Lisa. Even though Alexa had seen the painting in person about fifty-seven times, she still secretly loved it. There was something so mysterious and independent about the Italian grande dame that it never failed to give Alexa shivers.
    "Careful," Diego teased, squeezing her waist. "Someone might mistake you for a tourist."
    Alexa laughed, turning to stick her tongue out at him. "Never."
    "Speaking of which ..." Diego began, clearly about to launch into another Eiffel Tower soliloquy, but Alexa shut him up by placing her hand over his mouth. Maybe it was being in the huge sun-drenched gallery, surrounded by so many incredible works of art, but she suddenly felt light and airy and gracious. What would Mona Lisa do?
    "I'll go," Alexa whispered.
    So here she was in her new Zac Posen golden flapper dress and sparkly white Cesare Paciotti mules, her pale golden hair rippling down her back. In an attempt to make the best of this little visit, Alexa had dressed to outdo the tower itself, which though lit up all night shimmered from top to bottom for ten minutes on the hour, every hour, like a long-necked jewel.
    Stepping out of the elevator, her fingers laced through Diego's, Alexa suddenly regretted wearing
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    the flimsy Zac Posen confection it was bitterly cold on the third level. The wind gusting through the tall wire barrier rattled Alexa's topaz teardrop earrings. Trembling, she let go of Diego's hand so she could wrap her arms around her slender frame. She wished Diego would get a clue and slip his J. Lindeberg suit jacket around her bare shoulders, but he was clearly too distracted by the dizzying view.
    "Wow," he whispered, stepping closer to the edge, his long-lashed black eyes shining. "Alexa, come see -- it really is the City of Light."
    Alexa rolled her eyes as she teetered over in her spiky heels. Hadn't her boyfriend -- whom she'd always considered worldly -- ever seen a nighttime panorama before? Granted, Alexa realized as she joined Diego, that view from last year's South Beach rooftop hadn't been anything quite like this. In spite of herself, she caught her breath as she scanned the dazzling cityscape. A thousand feet below, the whole of Paris sprawled, elegant and glittery as a strand of emerald-cut diamonds. Alexa had been to the top of the tower before, but never at night. She rested one hand on the wire netting, drinking in the spectacular sight and feeling -- okay, yeah -- grateful that Diego had dragged her up here. She wished she'd brought her camera but it hadn't fit into the Miu Miu clutch she was carrying.
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    Alexa reached for her amant, aching to slide her arms around him, but, from behind her, there suddenly came raucous laughter. "What the hell is this?" someone guffawed, and Alexa and Diego both turned around.
    A guy and girl, each weighed down by monstrous backpacks, were cracking up in front of the wax figures of Gustave Eiffel (the architect who'd designed the tower) and Thomas Edison. Alexa had always found those wax models random, but they weren't cause for such commotion. Alexa raised a disdainful eyebrow as the girl who was petite, with long brown hair and a lip ring -- clapped her hands to her cheeks and shrieked, "They're aliiive!" while the guy -- backwards white baseball cap, tan shell necklace -- laughed even harder.
    Alexa shook her head and turned her attention back to Diego, but, to her astonishment, her boyfriend was watching the couple with a wide smile.
    "What's up?" Diego called to the rowdy strangers. He raised his arm to wave to them as if they were long-lost siblings.
    "Waddup," White Hat Boy called back, lifting his chin by way of greeting while the girl continued to convulse with giggles.
    "You know them?" Alexa whispered, instinctively reaching up to jerk Diego's arm down.
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    Diego ignored her. "Hey, where are you guys from?" he shouted over the wind,