“You getting out, Tex? We need to walk the rest of the way.”
She finally snaps out of her trance. “You’ve brought me to the Eiffel Tower?”
“Looks like it. I’m happy to watch from the car.”
“Right. Get out, idiot” she mutters to herself. Giving me a long look, she opens the door.
“Wait in the car, Ted? We won’t go far.”
“Kitt…”
“I won’t let her get hurt. Please?”
“I said, I’ll watch from a distance. That’s the best I can do.”
I give him a nod, knowing I was asking too much. Security is something we have to take seriously, especially with her. I round the car, and somehow, my hand finds hers.
Friend zone’s fucked.
She feels like answers to questions I’m not ready to even think about.
We walk across the grass in silence. There are quite a few people around, locals and tourists, but it’s so easy to forget everyone when she’s around. It’s dark out, but the area is lit. The vastness of the Eiffel Tower takes me by surprise, and the lights make it even more incredible.
Pictures do not do it any justice.
“Wow,” Tex whispers. This isn’t her first time here, but this isn’t something that gets less exciting, the more you see it. “How come you brought me here? I didn’t think we’d have time,” she whispers.
“That’s why,” I say. I’ve got a lot to make up for. “We have time now, and I thought you’d like to see the light show.”
“Oh my gosh! I forgot about that.” She squeezes my hand in excitement and picks up the pace.
I’m not sure how close she wants to get because I imagine it’s better if your view is of the entire thing. I don’t really care as long as she loves it.
Why is everything suddenly about her? Why do I want to move the fucking earth if it’ll make her happy?
Texas stops just before it starts to become difficult to see the whole thing in one frame. “It’s so beautiful at night. Remind me to move to Paris one day.”
Pushing my luck further, I let go of her hand and wrap my arm around her.
I need her closer. It’s not enough.
She lays her head on my chest, and my heart starts to thump loudly.
Get a grip.
She tilts her body into me while looking up at the lit tower. Nothing has ever felt more right or more important. Something, everything, inside me shifts, and I have the urge to hold her tighter and never let go.
This is so, so wrong, and I’m taking things too far. I can’t pretend this is innocent. There has never been a less innocent embrace in history. This is full of promises and hope and future.
No matter what happens from here on out, Texas will have a piece of me that I’ll never get back.
Fuck. She is the first girl to have my heart.
I rest my head against hers and close my eyes. This won’t last forever. No matter what I want to happen after tonight, it can’t. This moment with her is perfect, and I’m not going to spend a second of it stressing over my moral dilemma.
We’ll always have tonight. Always.
She takes a sharp intake of breath, and I know that means the lights will be twinkling. I want to open my eyes, but I know nothing will be better than holding her like this right now.
“Kitt…it’s amazing. So beautiful.”
And she has no idea how my whole world has moved. She’s happily watching the light show, and I’ve just had the floor whipped from under my feet.
It’s terrifying. My legs are ready to run, but my arms can’t let go.
“Are you watching?” she asks.
I open my eyes when her head lifts.
“Yeah. It’s incredible.”
That’s putting it mildly. And I don’t mean the tower.
“Thank you. This is…everything.”
The reflection from the lights makes her eyes the most stunning shade of green. I can already feel myself moving closer. There is nothing I can do or want to do to stop me from kissing her. The need is in every part of my body.
Unlike last time, she doesn’t show any signs of alarm. She doesn’t back up. She does nothing but continues to stare at me, like I’m some sort of grand prize. I want to warn her that if she doesn’t want this, she needs to push me away, but I can’t. Nothing will stop me from tasting her.
Her mouth parts a fraction when I’m an inch away. I pull her closer with one arm, and with the other hand, I stroke her hair from her face. She’s soft and delicate, and touching her skin does more for me than any other girl I’ve been with.
This kiss is going to be more than I’m ready for, and even knowing that, I can’t stop myself from leaning in that last bit and pressing my mouth against hers.
She is perfect.
I moan as she kisses me back, long and slow. The last two kisses we shared were frantic and desperate. This kiss is full of as much need and emotion as those, but it’s still worlds away.
This is everything.
This is…love.