Read Online Under My Skin: A Contemporary Romance Set in Paris (Bistro La Bohème Book 2) by Alix Nichols - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alix Nichols
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different.
Ludo, her ex with whom she’d been for four years, kept telling her that.
Even as he slept with other women, none of whom were admittedly as hot as she
was. Fred, the cool yuppie she dated after Ludo told her the exact same words.
Until it turned out he’d had a fiancée. And Mat had a girlfriend with whom he
was in a serious relationship . . . He was no longer the
tail-wagging puppy who worshipped the ground she walked on. He had morphed into
an entirely different kind of beast.
And she was no more than an irresistibly hot body to him. Just like to
the others.
“I’m not well,” she said. “The Coke didn’t work. I’m going to take a hot
bath and try to sleep.”
He stopped caressing her, pulled his hand away, and sat there without
doing or saying anything. She rolled out of the bed, walked over to the
bathroom, and locked the door from inside.
“Jeanne,” he said in a gentle voice. “May I please stay here and sleep
next to you? I won’t touch you—you have my word. I just want to be near
you . . . a little longer.”
She didn’t have the nerve to say no.
***
Mat’s voice woke her up. “Jeanne . . .
Oh, Jeanne.”
She opened her eyes and turned to face him.
He was fast asleep on his back, and his
midsection tented the duvet that covered his lower body.
Jeanne couldn’t stifle a smile.
He’d kept his word last night and didn’t make
the slightest attempt to touch her again. They talked for a long time before
falling asleep, and all the while, she basked in the heat of his gaze. Oh, how
tempting it was to give in! All she had to do to allow him to make love to her
was to touch him.
Only she knew better. There would be a price
to pay—a high price. No matter how much it affected Mat, she’d have her
own burden to bear. Her remorse and guilt to live with.
Mat whispered her name again, still asleep.
She felt her body responding to his hunger.
How could it not? The gorgeous male lying next to her craved her in a
desperate, fervent way. The way she’d never been craved by anyone in her whole
life. It was awe-inspiring and incredibly sexy. It was humbling.
He’d traveled all the way from Paris in the
hope of spending the night with her.
But he’d never, not once, hinted he wanted
more than a night.
Jeanne got out of the bed as quietly as she
could and tiptoed to the bathroom. When she came out, Mat was awake. He lay on
his back, his hands clasped under his head, showing off the rippling muscles on
his arms and chest.
She tried to look unperturbed.
“Are you feeling better?” he asked.
“Yep.”
“When is your flight back to Paris?”
“Tomorrow morning. Yours?”
“Tonight . . . So what’s the
plan for today?” He gave her a hopeful look.
“I’m to have breakfast with the gang in
thirty minutes. After that, Lena, Rob, and I will do as much sightseeing as we
can squeeze into a day. It’s my first time in Copenhagen.”
I won’t spend the day in bed with you , honey .
For a split second, his face fell.
Then he pasted a bright smile on it. “Say hi
to the queen for me, and to the Little Mermaid.”
He sat up, and Jeanne gawked at the rugged
beauty of his naked torso.
With an effort, she looked away. “Are you
booked in this hotel?” Shouldn’t you go to your room now?
“Yeah . . . I should be
going . . .” He didn’t move. “I love your pajama shorts. They’re
so . . . short.”
“I hope you’re more eloquent in your campaign
speeches,” she said.
“I’d better be.” He chortled but still made
no attempt to move.
It occurred to Jeanne he might be naked under
the blanket, which could explain his reluctance to get out of the bed.
“Um . . . I’m going back to
the bathroom so you can get dressed,” she said.
His gaze burned into hers. “Are you seeing
anyone?”
“Why is it any of your business?”
“It isn’t. I just . . . I want
to know how you’re doing.”
“I’m doing fine . . . and I’m
dating
Ludo, her ex with whom she’d been for four years, kept telling her that.
Even as he slept with other women, none of whom were admittedly as hot as she
was. Fred, the cool yuppie she dated after Ludo told her the exact same words.
Until it turned out he’d had a fiancée. And Mat had a girlfriend with whom he
was in a serious relationship . . . He was no longer the
tail-wagging puppy who worshipped the ground she walked on. He had morphed into
an entirely different kind of beast.
And she was no more than an irresistibly hot body to him. Just like to
the others.
“I’m not well,” she said. “The Coke didn’t work. I’m going to take a hot
bath and try to sleep.”
He stopped caressing her, pulled his hand away, and sat there without
doing or saying anything. She rolled out of the bed, walked over to the
bathroom, and locked the door from inside.
“Jeanne,” he said in a gentle voice. “May I please stay here and sleep
next to you? I won’t touch you—you have my word. I just want to be near
you . . . a little longer.”
She didn’t have the nerve to say no.
***
Mat’s voice woke her up. “Jeanne . . .
Oh, Jeanne.”
She opened her eyes and turned to face him.
He was fast asleep on his back, and his
midsection tented the duvet that covered his lower body.
Jeanne couldn’t stifle a smile.
He’d kept his word last night and didn’t make
the slightest attempt to touch her again. They talked for a long time before
falling asleep, and all the while, she basked in the heat of his gaze. Oh, how
tempting it was to give in! All she had to do to allow him to make love to her
was to touch him.
Only she knew better. There would be a price
to pay—a high price. No matter how much it affected Mat, she’d have her
own burden to bear. Her remorse and guilt to live with.
Mat whispered her name again, still asleep.
She felt her body responding to his hunger.
How could it not? The gorgeous male lying next to her craved her in a
desperate, fervent way. The way she’d never been craved by anyone in her whole
life. It was awe-inspiring and incredibly sexy. It was humbling.
He’d traveled all the way from Paris in the
hope of spending the night with her.
But he’d never, not once, hinted he wanted
more than a night.
Jeanne got out of the bed as quietly as she
could and tiptoed to the bathroom. When she came out, Mat was awake. He lay on
his back, his hands clasped under his head, showing off the rippling muscles on
his arms and chest.
She tried to look unperturbed.
“Are you feeling better?” he asked.
“Yep.”
“When is your flight back to Paris?”
“Tomorrow morning. Yours?”
“Tonight . . . So what’s the
plan for today?” He gave her a hopeful look.
“I’m to have breakfast with the gang in
thirty minutes. After that, Lena, Rob, and I will do as much sightseeing as we
can squeeze into a day. It’s my first time in Copenhagen.”
I won’t spend the day in bed with you , honey .
For a split second, his face fell.
Then he pasted a bright smile on it. “Say hi
to the queen for me, and to the Little Mermaid.”
He sat up, and Jeanne gawked at the rugged
beauty of his naked torso.
With an effort, she looked away. “Are you
booked in this hotel?” Shouldn’t you go to your room now?
“Yeah . . . I should be
going . . .” He didn’t move. “I love your pajama shorts. They’re
so . . . short.”
“I hope you’re more eloquent in your campaign
speeches,” she said.
“I’d better be.” He chortled but still made
no attempt to move.
It occurred to Jeanne he might be naked under
the blanket, which could explain his reluctance to get out of the bed.
“Um . . . I’m going back to
the bathroom so you can get dressed,” she said.
His gaze burned into hers. “Are you seeing
anyone?”
“Why is it any of your business?”
“It isn’t. I just . . . I want
to know how you’re doing.”
“I’m doing fine . . . and I’m
dating
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