Chapter Thirty

Amy, it’s time to get up.” Amy struggled to wake from the delicious dream she was having, her body sore and her eyes hazy, as she slowly managed to open her lids.

She didn’t know how much sleep she’d actually gotten on the flight, because Lucas had woken her a few times with the touch of his hands roaming her body, though he’d made up for waking her by sending her into a complete state of bliss.

“Don’t want to,” she finally mumbled, then shut her lids and started to drift back to sleep.

“We have to get into our seats. We’ve begun our descent,” he said with a chuckle, making Amy groan in frustration.

“No,” she stubbornly replied.

“You just have a bit of jet lag. You’ll feel better soon, I promise.” He ran his finger slowly down her exposed back, the sensations awakening her from the inside out.

Though she in no way believed him, she finally managed to drag herself into a sitting position, her gritty eyes having a hard time staying open.

She got dressed and with a bit of help from Lucas, made her way to the front of the jet and sat down. Lana, the perfect flight attendant who was much too pretty for Amy’s comfort, immediately set coffee down for Lucas and milk for Amy.

She sipped her drink and picked at the muffin while the jet descended.

Once they landed, Amy started feeling a bit of excitement, even though she was exhausted. How could she not be excited about her first trip outside the United States? She was in Paris, a place she’d never expected to see except in picture books.

“Where are we going first?” she asked as the jet moved slowly through the busy airport.

“To our room.”

“We aren’t exploring?” Disappointment flooded through her.

“I know you’re excited to be here, but tonight we’ll go to our room and rest, then start exploring the city tomorrow. I plan on taking you to every tourist spot there is, and then some less famous areas, that in my opinion, are the most beautiful parts of Paris.”

“I suppose …” she trailed off. She was in the City of Light, with her husband, and she didn’t want to waste a minute sleeping.

Lucas led her from the jet and straight to customs. Once they were done there, he took her to a waiting limo. As they climbed into the large back seat, her legs clenched together as pressure built up.

“As much as I’d love a repeat performance of our first ride in a limo, I know you have to be sore. I’ll give you a day to rest,” Lucas whispered in her ear, making her shiver.

She didn’t feel all that sore.

The car pulled up in front of a huge building, not especially tall compared to the places in Seattle, but incredibly long, with an L-shape to it.

“Is this our hotel?” she asked.

Lucas began laughing as he looked at her, though she had no idea why. Had she already done something wrong?

“Are they not called hotels here? Is it an apartment complex?”

He laughed more, and she started to feel self-conscious. She really had no idea what he found so amusing.

“I’m sorry, Amy. It’s just that I’m not used to being with someone as innocent and unworldly as you,” he said. She took immediate offense.

“Just because I wasn’t born with a silver spoon doesn’t mean I’m ignorant. I just asked a simple question,” she snapped and his laughter immediately died.

He gripped her hand and turned her head toward him.

“I’m sorry, Amy. I didn’t mean that in a negative way. You’re so refreshing to me, that’s all. I’ve never brought a woman here before, though this city is the Holy Grail to the many I’ve dated in the past. We’re at the Hotel Ritz.”

“Okay,” she said with a shrug, not seeing what the fuss was all about. It was nice, beautiful, in fact, but wasn’t a hotel just a hotel, nothing more, nothing less?

He didn’t say anything further as he led her from the car.

“Good evening, Mr. Anderson. It’s so nice to have you here again,” an impeccably dressed man said as he opened an ornate door for them.

Amy’s breath was taken away as she stepped inside the lobby. From the outside, the building was beautiful but gave nothing away as to the interior. She looked around, her eyes wide as she took in the crystal chandeliers sparkling in the light, exquisite antique furniture, and priceless decorations. People moved about the grand entrance, all of them looking like movie stars.

She was so far out of her comfort zone, she wasn’t even on the same planet anymore. She finally figured out why he’d been laughing.

“This is a hotel?” she squeaked.

“No. This is the hotel,” he corrected with a gentle smile. “Only the best for our honeymoon.”

She followed him as he went to the counter and the staff checked them in.

“Right this way, Mr. Anderson,” a man said, and she was speechless as she was led down a stunning hallway to their room.

When the man opened the doors and she followed Lucas inside, she actually stumbled. She’d never imagined staying in such a place — not ever.

Lucas thanked the man, then led him out the door as she stood rooted to the spot, almost afraid to touch anything.

“This is the Imperial Suite. My father brought me here when I was a boy, and even growing up in our mansion, I was impressed. There are two bedrooms, a grand salon, and our own private dining room. They say the bed is identical to the one in Marie Antoinette’s bedroom in the Palace of Versailles. The style of furniture is of Louis XVI, and the artwork is French. Of course, we have all the luxuries of the twenty-first century, but being here feels like stepping back in time to the days when kings ruled the world,” Lucas said, his tone quiet.

Amy looked at him, surprised by the delight in his face. She didn’t think anything could awe Lucas; after all, he was a billionaire. A place like this was second nature to him.

“I now see why you were laughing.”

“I wasn’t laughing at you, Amy. I was laughing with delight because I love that you didn’t know the most famous hotel in the world. I love that over the next two weeks, I get to see the awe in your eyes as I take you around this romantic and historic place. Whether a person is rich or poor, Paris is somewhere everyone should experience at least once in a lifetime.”

“Thank you, Lucas,” she whispered, too emotional to add anything else. She wrapped her arms around his neck in an embrace, hoping her actions could show him, more than her words, how much she appreciated this experience.

“I’m going to draw you a bath, then we’ll get some rest. It’s late here, so we can get an early start tomorrow,” he said as he tightened his arms around her.

Amy followed, feeling as if she couldn’t be any more blown away with what she’d seen than she already was, but seeing the gold bathroom, filled with luxurious items, did it.

As she sank into the tub and drifted to sleep amid the scented bubbles, a smile played on her face. No matter what happened in the near future, she’d always have this. She’d make sure the memories lasted her a lifetime.

She didn’t stir when Lucas lifted her from the tub and gently dried her off before placing her in the large bed.

The trip ended up being so much more than she could’ve ever imagined. They didn’t bring up any of the problems that had been ever-present in their relationship from the start. They simply got to know one another.

Each night was spent in the hotel, making love and holding one another, neither of them willing to let the other go. Amy thought if their relationship kept progressing in such a positive way, they might have a real future together.

Lucas took her all across Paris. She was like a child at Disneyland. She loved the history and ancient beauty of it all.

They visited the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Champs-Elysées, the many gardens, art museums, and the places many visitors never had a chance to see.

He took her to romantic cafés where the food was exquisite and the atmosphere divine. Then, before they made it back to their room, he took her dancing, seducing her each night on the dance floor.

It was a dream honeymoon, and she never wanted it to end, though she figured it had to be boring for Lucas as he’d seen it all before.

She was wrong about that, though, as Lucas was visiting Paris for the first time through her eyes. He told her daily how much he was enjoying their trip.

Their last night in Paris was bittersweet. She was afraid to return to the real world, to end her time away. She didn’t know what would happen when the magic of Paris wasn’t surrounding them.

As they went to the airport, she found herself fighting back tears, almost afraid of boarding his luxurious jet. Exhaustion overtook them as they reached cruising altitude and climbed in the soft bed. They both slept most of the red-eye flight home. When they arrived back in Seattle, early in the morning, she fought jet lag and a heavy sense of melancholy at her honeymoon being officially over.