I couldn't believe that it actually worked. Getting across to the balcony had taken some balance, but it had been easier than I'd hoped. The maid had left the door unlocked and neither Tomas nor Kai had come out into the hallway when I'd slipped out of the room. I made it down to the lobby without anyone seeing me and then gave the desk clerk a little nod and a wave like I wasn't doing something wrong. Even if he thought to call up to the room, it wouldn't do any good. I'd left the hotel phone off the hook.

I caught a cab without any problem and was then on my way. Free, for a few hours at least.

It was too early for the best clubs to be open, but I didn't care. I'd get there eventually. I was a bit overdressed for regular sight-seeing, but I ignored the funny looks I got when I walked into the bookstore I'd spotted yesterday. It, of course, hadn't been on the list of approved stores for me to visit, but now I could spend all the time I wanted browsing the titles. No one there cared how I was dressed.

It was nearing eight by the time I made it to a restaurant to eat, and I purposefully chose one that wasn't five stars. The food was great and the atmosphere noisy. I loved it. I relaxed in my corner table, enjoying my food, and watching the people. Like most of the people on Saja, I spoke my own native dialect as well as English. I'd also been taught French, Russian, Spanish and some basic Chinese and German. I had a bit of Italian too, but not much. That was one of the things my parents had mentioned I'd be learning when I got back. We might not have had much interaction with other countries, but we were always prepared. Most of the people in the restaurant spoke English or French, so I listened to snippets of conversation, appreciating the banality of it all. Ordinary lives fascinated me.

When I left the restaurant, I finally headed to a club. The driver assured me that this was the hottest place in the entire city, if I could get in. That wasn't a problem. I was fully prepared to flash my passport since it contained my royalty status, but I ended up not needing it. The man working the door immediately waved me through and I stepped into the pulsing chaos.

It took a moment for my eyes and ears to adjust to the lights and the music, but as soon as they did, I was in heaven. No one here was whispering about me. Looks were either admiring or dismissive. A bit of jealousy from a couple women, but I knew it was based on appearance only, nothing more. No one here knew who I was.

At college, I'd wanted to keep a low profile, and since there were a lot of other people from prestigious or famous families, I'd thought it would be possible. Then, during freshman orientation, a cute guy had decided to sit next to me and strike up a conversation. Tomas and Kai had put a stop to that, announcing to the entire group that I was a princess and off limits. After that, Aaron had been the only one with enough guts to talk to me. Even the girls who would've normally tried to suck up to me kept their distance.

I wove my way through the crowd, heading for the bar. I had no intention of getting drunk, but I was strung tight and needed something to take the edge off. Ditching Tomas and Kai had been bad enough, but being here would piss my parents off to no end if they found out. I also had absolutely no clue how to behave. This was so far out of my element that, for a moment, I considered leaving, sneaking back into my room and curling up in bed like I'd told Tomas and Kai I'd intended to do.

“Bonjour, belle. Puis-je vous offrir un verre?”

A deep voice came from behind me and I turned towards it. His French was flawless, but I detected the American accent that marked him as not being a native.

“I already have a drink, but thank you.” The words were out of my mouth before I stopped turning and I immediately regretted them as I found myself staring at one of the most gorgeous men I'd ever seen. Messy golden blond hair, eyes that looked black under the club lights. He was tall, easily over six feet, and lean, but not skinny. Features that were just a hint too masculine to be pretty, but close. Full lips that curved into an easy smile.

“You're not French,” he said, leaning closer so he didn't have to speak so loudly.

I shook my head, but didn't expound.

“You don't sound American either,” he said. His eyes narrowed like he was studying me, trying to puzzle me out.

“I'm not,” I said. “Are those my only two options?”

His smile widened. “Reed Stirling.”

“Nami Carr.” I found myself returning the smile. There was something about him that appealed to me, and it wasn't just his looks.

When I'd first met Aaron, there had been this kind of click between us. I'd never experienced it with anyone before or since, until now.

“Let's dance.”

Reed grabbed my hand and I gasped as a shock ran all the way up my arm. Based on the look of surprise on Reed's face, he'd felt it too. I could've written it off as some sort of static shock, the kind a person got when they touched metal, but I didn't think that was very accurate. Heat burned its way across my skin from the point where our hands touched and I knew I was blushing. I never blushed.

He pulled me towards him as we reached the dance floor and then released my hand. I had a moment to be disappointed and then he was moving to the music. He had the sort of feline grace that sometimes came with someone of his build and I wondered how that translated into the bedroom. My blush turned to flame and I silently scolded myself as I started to sway in time with the music. I'd come here to let loose a bit, not hook up with some random American, no matter how hot he was.

Then he put his hand on my waist and it was like I could feel every cell in my body waking up. His fingers curled possessively around me, pulling me closer to him so that our bodies brushed together as we danced. The music thrummed around us, but despite the sea of people, my world narrowed down to just him and me. His eyes locked with mine, pools of warm darkness, and I couldn't look away. My pulse pounded against my chest, my heart in my throat. I'd never been as aware of someone as I was of him right now.

Without consciously thinking about it, I raised my hand and pushed his hair away from his eyes, the strands damp with sweat. My fingers traced down his cheek and I felt the muscles in his jaw tense. The hand on my waist slid around to my back and he drew me against him until there was nothing between us but our clothes. I felt the swell of him against my stomach and it sent a thrill through me.

Sex with Aaron had been good. He was attractive and had been the kind of lover that most women would want for their first time. He'd made sure I'd climaxed before him and I'd thoroughly enjoyed myself. Afterwards though, I hadn't really had a desire for a repeat performance. In fact, sex hadn't really been something I'd thought much about. If my parents hadn't made such a big deal about me not doing it, I probably wouldn't have even slept with Aaron.

Now, with Reed's body flush against mine, his desire for me clear, I wanted it. I wanted him. Aaron had appreciated my body and he'd genuinely cared about me, but he hadn't wanted me. Not really. Not at a primal level. Reed did. I saw it on his face and my body responded. I knew it was a bad idea. A terrible idea, actually, but I'd never wanted anything as badly as I wanted him right now.

I was teetering on the edge of decision as we continued to move to the music. It didn't have to be anything more than a hook-up. For all I knew, that's all Reed wanted too. I wasn't looking for a relationship. I couldn't. But sex, no matter how many times people said it didn't, always came with strings attached. Both sides had to know what was expected or feelings would be hurt, accusations made. When I'd gone to Aaron to ask him to be my first, I'd laid it all out for him. What it would mean for us, for our friendship. What it couldn't be. I'd known him and trusted him. I didn't know Reed.

Would it be possible for me to have that same conversation with him? Tell him that all I could offer him was one night? Most men wouldn't have a problem with that, I assumed. Especially an American man in a Parisian club. This wasn't exactly the kind of place someone went to find a soulmate.

There was also the safety factor to consider. I didn't want to even think about it, but I had no way of knowing the kind of man Reed was. I could feel how strong he was, see it in the way he moved. If he wanted to hurt me, he could. I knew a little self-defense, but I'd never really needed to think about it. I'd always had bodyguards to protect me.

I couldn't do it. It would be reckless, irresponsible, dangerous, and a lot of other adjectives I knew my parents would've used.

Even as I opened my mouth to excuse myself before I got caught up in the moment, movement at the corner of my eye caught my attention.

Shit.

They'd found me.