Chapter 2
The Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, or MNHN to everyone else, is a marvel of architecture set in another marvel of landscape gardening. But it’s not just a museum. It’s also a park and a college – part of the prestigious Sorbonne Universities group.
It’s also where Amanda worked in the Ecology and Biodiversity Management department, which she enjoyed. But not today.
“I’m a scientist!” she hissed as she fussed with her hair.
“More like a glorified gardener, you mean,” Savitri replied as she fussed with her sari.
Despite receiving government grants and private donations, all was not well with the MNHN. The continuing effects of the Global Economic Crisis and the Eurozone Crisis following the upcoming Brexit meant that the MNHN needed more money. Hence the fundraising gala. And as an employee, Amanda was required to attend.
“I still have so much work to do, and here I am...”
“Here we are,” Savitri corrected. “Listen, luv. It’s part of the job, yeah? Hobnobbing with the rich and undeserving, an’ all. Besides, when was the last time you relaxed, hey? And think of it this way – it’s all for a good cause.”
Amanda sighed. Savitri had been her best friend since high school and the person who helped her get this job, so she owed her. Big time. But while her Anglo-Indian friend was a natural at socializing, Amanda was not. She was happier dealing with plants, soil, and bugs than she was with people, so the party thing was never her shtick.
Worse, they’d be meeting the top of the food chain and Amanda didn’t know how to deal with that sort. Crepes, canapes, and champagne? She was more of the take out curry and pizza with a side order of Coke, sort of girl.
Savitri flashed her an excited grin. “Ready?”
Amanda simply took a deep breath as the other woman pulled her out of the ladies’ room and dragged her into the Grand Gallery of Evolution. Despite herself, she was impressed. The cavernous room with three sets of balustrades on three sides rose magnificently around them like the interior of some fantasy palace.
For tonight, the central exhibits had been moved to make way for the caterers and guests. It felt like a fairy tale and she was there to witness fairies granting three blessings to a newborn baby girl. All that was missing now was the evil witch who... she recognized one of the guests and nearly choked as she froze in awe.
“Oh my god! That’s... Sav, that’s...”
Her friend snorted. “Her!? She’s a has-been, luv. Hasn’t released a new album in years. Don’t even know why she’s here. I hear her third husband’s really cleaned her out with the latest divorce; meaning we won’t get much from her, if at all. Now mingle!”
Amanda panicked as Savitri let her go and vanished in the throng. She stood there looking for a face she recognized, but the few colleagues she knew by name looked busy socializing and none met her gaze.
“Champagne, madame?”
“Why thank you.” She automatically reached for the glass. “How kind of...” She squinted at the man, wondering why he seemed so familiar. He was dressed much better than the other servers milling about.
“I’m glad to see you’re doing well, madame...?”
“Oh. Amanda.” She was taken aback by his familiar tone. “Amanda Sorensen. I’m sorry, but have we met, monsieur...?”
“Arnaud. Arnaud du Lac,” he said with a meaningful pause as if he expected her to know him. It wasn’t just his expectant look that threw her off, it was also his strange accent. It was definitely French, but with an undercurrent of an upper class British accent. When she still looked puzzled, he added, “We met... aah... about two weeks ago?”
She shook her head, wondering why he seemed embarrassed.
He gave her a cheeky grin. “I nearly ran over you.”
Her mind clicked. Milliseconds later, she was choking on her champagne and spluttered. To her horror, she’d sprayed some of the expensive liquid on Mr. GQ’s formal jacket. Worse, trying to stop choking while trying to apologize at the same time only made things worse.
He put a hand on her shoulder to steady her, his smile giving way to concern as her throat tried a yoga maneuver to get rid of enough liquid so she could get enough air. To make things worse, she was attracting a crowd again.
“Amanda!” Savitri came out of nowhere to give her a few good whacks on her back.
“Gaah!” she wheezed. “I’m oh (cough-cough) kay (gasp!), really.”
“What’s the matter, luv? Ooh, you spilled stuff all over your bodice, poor thing,” the Anglo-Indian woman crooned. “Well, hello there, Mister...?”
“Arnaud,” he replied distractedly, still looking at Amanda.
“Why am I such a klutz?" she wheezed.
Disappointed that the choking woman wasn’t going to die, the crowd broke off into tiny clusters and babbling filled the great hall, once more. Amanda was grateful at her return to anonymity, but felt sure they were giving her surreptitious looks, nonetheless. And the front of her green dress was wet.
“Perhaps you need some... air?” Arnaud offered.
Savitri looked at him with a slight, knowing smile. “Why, yes! Yes! You need some air, luv. Why don’t you let Arnold here take you out to the garden? Go on, then. Some fresh air is just what you need. You’ll take care of her, won’t you, Anthony?”
“It’s Arnaud.”
“Sure. Whatever. Now go on then, you two.” She made shooing gestures at them. “Garden’s that-a-way.”
Savitri always took charge, so the two made their way out of the gallery and into the perfectly manicured gardens that were such a tourist draw.
“I’m sorry about my friend.” Amanda chuckled, feeling better not just because of the fresh air, but also at being away from a crowd. The fact that he was hot as hell, helped.
“And I’m sorry I nearly ran you over. What were you doing running across the road like that?”
“What were you doing speeding?”
“Touché, madame,” he grinned. “Touché! But I wasn’t speeding. It was my driver.”
“Who wouldn’t have been speeding if you didn’t order him to?”
He shrugged. “I’m a businessman. Places to go and people to see, yes? And you? What do you do, mada...”
“It’s Amanda, remember? I work here. As a botanist. I’m with the MNHN in the conservation department.”
“Mmm... so you’re the one asking for money?”
She laughed. “I guess you could say that. I hope it was all worth it?”
“The party?”
“No. The speeding.”
Arnaud laughed. He was enjoying the repartee. Very few people ever spoke with him, only to him, so this was a delight. And what a remarkable transformation she’d gone through with her makeup and formal dress. Pity it covered her cleavage, though.
Not sure how to reply, since he didn’t like to mix business with pleasure, he gestured to the garden. “I haven’t been here in a while even though my office is close. Perhaps you can show me?”
It was exactly the right thing to say. Amanda was proud of her work and believed that the more people understood how valuable and fragile the ecosystem was, the better they’d appreciate the planet’s biodiversity. Besides, tonight’s gala was a fundraiser and she had to do her part. Or so she told herself. It had nothing to do with the fact that the man was super-hot. Really!
“I can’t possibly show you everything, of course...”
“Pity,” he replied with a teasing smile.
Her heart skipped a beat. Was he flirting with her? “But I’d like to show you an area I like to visit. It’s this way. Have you ever seen the Wallaby Enclosure?”
“I don’t even know what a wallaby is.”
“Well, it’s time you learned. This way, please.”
They walked quietly on the packed gravel road hemmed in by tall trees. Except for the sound of passing cars beyond the gated compound, they might as well have been out in the country on some grand estate.
Amanda felt self-conscious as Arnaud quietly followed her. He was such a bulky figure despite his formal wear. Nor did his courteous manners belie the sheer alpha male persona he exuded. Plus he really had great hair!
“I don’t see anything,” Arnaud said, not sounding at all disappointed when they finally arrived at an area enclosed by a chain-link fence.
“Well, they don’t perform on command. Wallabies are marsupials related to the kangaroo family; only they’re a lot smaller. They only exist in Australia and New Guinea, so these plants you see had to be imported especially for them.”
“Like you?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You were imported here from Britain for them?”
“Not exactly. But the ones you see... well, ok. So you can’t see them now. But the ones here are on the endangered list.”
“Why?”
“Over development. Deforestation. And they’re fussy breeders. If conditions aren’t right...”
“What conditions?” he teasingly asked.
Amanda ignored the tone, beginning to wonder if this was such a good idea. “Well, I’m a botanist, not a zoologist. But all flora and fauna are interdependent.”
“Would you have dinner with me?”
“What!? I... I was giving you a lecture about wallabies.”
“But you’re a zoologist. And I’m hungry.”
She stiffened at the emphasis he put on that last word. “Correction: I’m a botanist.”
“I stand corrected. And I want to make amends for nearly running you over.”
She arched her brows. “You’re driver did that. So shouldn’t he be the one to make amends?”
“But as you said, I was the one who ordered him to drive fast.”
Amanda knew it was a bad idea, but she suddenly felt hungry, as well. And not just for food. Aloud, however, all she said was, “Touché, sir. Touché!”
“It’s Arnaud, remember?”
*****
Dinner was great. The restaurant was fantastic. Unfortunately, the waitress was another matter entirely. The impudent hussy kept brushing up against Arnaud’s arms and shoulders while completely ignoring Amanda. Fortunately, he made up for it by being the perfect, attentive gentlemen to her. Even better, he completely ignored the waitress.
He then insisted on giving Amanda a guided tour of Paris. She told herself it was a terrible idea, even as she got into the limo. In her defense, she’d never been in one and wanted to know what it was like. Also in her defense was the fact that he did insist.
Despite the darkness of the interior, the streets were so brilliantly lit that she could see his face perfectly. So when she asked him about a building they were driving by and he leaned toward her to get a better look, she couldn’t resist staring at his lips. They were so full they looked bruised despite the stiffness of his upper lip. It gave him a sort of permanent-looking pout. She couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like to be kissed by such lips.
“Uh-huh,” Amanda nodded, mesmerized by how deep his voice was and how it reverberated out of his chest, ricocheted over her, and made her feel all fluttery inside. “I see,” she continued when he paused.
“... because in truth, Mickey Mouse founded Paris.”
“I see,” she replied. It took her a while to realize he was chuckling.
“Wait, what?” she spluttered, trying to focus on what he was saying. “What’s so funny?”
“You haven’t heard a word I said!”
“What was that you said about Mickey Mouse?”
Arnaud went from a mild chuckle to a full-blown guffaw. Gone was the calm, composed, dignified gentleman who’d played the perfect host at the restaurant. He was laughing so hard his face was turning red as he thumped the seat repeatedly with his fists. Seeing her puzzled look only made him laugh harder.
She smiled reluctantly, realizing she’d been the victim of a joke. But his hysterical laughter was infectious so she started laughing, as well.
“Wait a minute!” she gasped, trying to regain her breath. “What are we laughing about again?”
Arnaud chuckled weakly as he drew breath. “I’ve been talking and you just sat there going, ‘I see.’ Then I made stuff up and you kept on doing it. But the last straw was Mickey Mouse. I assure you, he wasn’t the founder of Paris.”
“I see,” she replied calmly.
Arnaud gave her a sharp look. She fought back a grin. That set them off again. It took them long minutes to reach the gasping stage, followed by outbursts of weak chuckles.
“Enough, please,” she wheezed. “I haven’t laughed like this in ages.”
“Me too. And it’s been a while since someone completely ignored me,” he finished with a teasing smile.
“I wasn’t ignoring you!”
“Then how come you missed the Mickey Mouse bit, eh?”
Bullocks, she thought. And busted. How the devil do I explain?
She didn’t have to. Arnaud leaned forward and rubbed a fingertip gently across her lips. She couldn’t see his eyes, but she could feel the heat of him. She could also smell his need – a musky, salty, tang that cut through the scent of his expensive cologne.
“I was distracted by your lips,” she admitted shakily as his finger lazily traced its way down her throat.
“Ah. Then allow me to address that...”
They were soft as they rubbed against her lips. It had been so long. Amanda leaned forward, wanting more of them, but he pulled away and grasped her head gently in both hands. He smiled teasingly at her, letting her know that he was in charge.
She moaned as his lips touched hers, once more. But it wasn’t a kiss. He gently rubbed his against hers: lightly, softly, as if he was afraid of hurting her. Amanda held his shoulders to steady herself as he prolonged the pre-kiss.
Just as it became unbearable, his mouth finally claimed hers more firmly. She moaned as his tongue slipped wetly between her teeth. Amanda sucked on it gently then spread her legs as his hand moved up her leg and found its way beneath her dress.
She was about to rip off her panties, but Arnaud broke off the kiss, grabbed her wrist and held it firmly against the seat beside her. Wagging a finger at her with a mock stern look, he reached down once more and found his way beneath her dress. Amanda wanted him to kiss her again, but he easily kept her pinned to the back of her seat as he leaned over her.
She gasped when his fingers honed in on the wet fabric of her underwear. Still watching her face intently with a teasing grin, he gently rubbed his thumb over her engorged clit. Amanda closed her eyes and leaned back as she spread her legs wider, hooking her right leg over his left one to give him full access to her privates. She wished she’d worn silken ones instead of cotton, but it felt no less good.
After a seeming eternity, Arnaud’s mouth claimed hers again. His tongue probed her mouth just as his middle finger finally slipped beneath her underwear. Amanda gasped. The touch of his bare fingers on her wet pussy felt so good!
She grabbed his head, sucking his tongue as he fucked her opening with his finger. She loved the way his palm rubbed her rosebud as his thick finger moved slowly, deeper inside her. She arched her back, moving against his hand as he met her thrusts by going in even deeper.
It had been so long that she no longer cared about restraint. Amanda fumbled against his zipper, wanting more than just his tongue in her mouth and his hand between his legs.
Arnaud pulled away, grinning at her need as he breathed heavily. “Madame,” he said with a chuckle. “This is my tour, remember?”
“That makes me your guest,” she replied as she continued unzipping his fly. “Wow!” She couldn’t take her eyes off of it as sudden panic gripped her. How the devil was she going to take it all in?
He met her look with a challenging one. “I was hoping to do this in bed. Yours, preferably. I... aah!”
She straddled his legs and began rubbing herself against his massive shaft. Despite being on top of him, she still had to look up to meet his surprised gaze. “Sorry, but it’s been a while. And my tour isn’t over, yet.”
She pulled his head down so she could get at his mouth again and she wasn’t gentle about it. Grabbing the back of his head, she thrust her tongue into his mouth, fucking it as she slid against his hot cock, lubing it as best she could with her own juices. She was so close.
Arnaud’s dick throbbed against her vagina and she couldn’t take it anymore. Breaking off their kiss, she held his manhood in place as she lowered herself on its tip, pinning it in place as she tried to relax. His quick, heavy breaths fell on her as she steadied herself for the plunge.
She swallowed his tip then stopped. Wide though his engorged corona was, the rest of him was even thicker. Letting go, she put both hands on his shoulder and looked at his face. His eyes were closed in ecstasy.
“Look at me,” she huskily ordered him.
He opened his eyes as they passed a streetlight, letting her see their color. It was like sunlight splashing on water. Keeping his gaze pinned on hers, she slowly lowered herself, delighting again in the familiar ache of a man entering her.
Arnaud’s eyes narrowed into slits as he gritted his teeth, his nostrils flared as his breathing became shallower. Amanda liked that. She could no longer see the color of his eyes, but she didn’t need to.
Breathing hard, she finally took the rest of him in, thrilling at the feel of his lap beneath her. She felt stretched to the limit and close to exploding. When she felt relaxed enough, she pulled herself up, riding his slippery shaft back to the top.
Getting back down was easier. She had gotten used to his width. It was exactly what she’d been waiting for. Gripping his shoulders tighter, Amanda rode up one more time before slamming herself down that pole. His eyes gaped at her.
Not that Amanda noticed. She was in a frenzy, desperate to climax. He was perfect in every way, even his prick curved upward – the perfect angle to hit her g-spot with. And he was hairy. The smooth pelt of his stomach rubbed against her clit as she rode him, tangling in her wet petals as she heaved and strained against him.
Paris swept by around them, but neither noticed. Guillaume kept his eyes on the road, though his mind was distracted by what he knew was happening behind him. It wasn’t that he could hear them, only that the car swayed and bounced as he drove, which had nothing to do with the condition of the city’s streets.
Arnaud stiffened and moaned as he exploded into her tight, warm wetness, but Amanda didn’t notice. It hurt in a good way as she continued bouncing on his shaft and rubbing herself against the thick pelt of his abs.
Her orgasm hit with such intensity, her scream punched through the black glass partition into the driver’s side. The car swerved left and right before righting itself again. Arnaud’s rod dove left and right into her fevered tightness, setting off a new set of explosions deep inside her.
Long minutes later, Amanda wheezed. “That was amazing!”
Arnaud couldn’t talk. He came twice inside her and was exhausted.
On the other side of the glass, Guillaume couldn’t wait to get home to Marie.
*****
“You’re grinning, did you know?” Savitri said as Amanda joined her on their customary bench.
They still had another fifteen minutes to go before work started, so they felt very relaxed. Amanda nodded as she accepted the steaming thermos cup Savitri handed her.
The smell of spices in the strong, milky chai hit her with a memory of home. Nothing’s more British than Indian food and drink, after all. Fortunately, it was just a memory of home that hit her, not the crushing pain that usually came with it.
“Screw the French,” Amanda said as she raised the thermos cup. “But in a good way,” she added after finishing her drink.
The women looked guiltily around to make sure none of their colleagues were within earshot. Meeting each other’s gaze, they giggled like schoolgirls for long minutes.
“If I didn’t know better,” Savitri finally managed. “I’d say you were morning gloried.” Her smile suggested that she wasn’t making a suggestion.
Amanda couldn’t help grinning.
“Was it that aristocratic bloke you met last night? The one you spewed all over?”
“Wait. Did you say aristocratic?”
“Yup. That I did. You really know how to pick ‘em, girl. Nice one.”
“As in... nobility?”
“Du Lac.” Savitri took another sip of her chai. “It means ‘of the lake,’ or something like that. Oh, I’m so happy for you, Mandy. It’s about time. I was afraid you’d become a virgin, again.”
It was an old joke between them: that if someone didn’t have sex for a year, then technically, they reverted back to a state of virginity.
“So,” Savitri continued. “You seeing him again?”
“Nope.” Amanda sighed, still digesting the information that she’d made out with a genuine nobleman. “We didn’t exchange numbers or anything like that. Just a bang for me before dropping me off.”
“A bang for you? I assume he got a bang, as well?”
Amanda chuckled. “When I said ‘bang,’ I was referring to his size.”
Savitri was very impressed. “Pity you didn’t get his number. I wouldn’t mind a service oriented man every now and then. Just as well. That sort don’t really mingle with the likes of us, do they?”
“Nope,” Amanda agreed, surprised at how disappointing that realization felt. Arnaud wasn’t her first one night stand, after all. “No they don’t mingle with our sort... what is it, Sav?”
Her friend looked uncomfortable. “Please don’t hate me, but... you’re really ok? No more thoughts of you-know-who?”
Amanda took a deep breath and thought about it. She looked around her at the lush garden surrounding their compound and felt at peace. The fact that she’d gotten what was probably the best sex she’d had in a while helped.
Turning to her, she smiled. “I’m so over that loser, Sav. God, I’m so over him. I think it happened the moment I got here. So thanks again for getting me this job.”
“I didn’t get you anything, luv. I simply helped. I knew getting you out of London would do the trick. I still wanna kill that bastard, though.”
Amanda smiled. “He’s not worth it.”
“Yeah, but it’d sure feel good, hey?”
“Not worth the sweat involved.”
“Now that, my luv, is a sign that you’re well and truly over him. Good girl! Now, let’s go in and start earning our paychecks. Lunch at the usual?”
Amanda nodded then hugged her friend before heading off to her department.