“Don’t be such a messy eater next time.” He laughed when she smacked his shoulder. “Do you want to head to the cemetery now?”
“Yes,” Chloe answered with an excited nod. “I have a map in my bag of the places I want to see. From what I’ve heard, this place is insanely large and easy to get turned around in. I want to make sure I have the chance to see everything on the list before they close.”
“Where are we going first?”
“To see Jim Morrison, of course.”
“You’ll be happy to know that even though I’ve been here before, this will be my first visit to Père Lachaise.”
Chloe bounced on her toes a little and grabbed Reid’s free hand, pulling him along behind her. “Well, hurry up, then. We can drop the cupcakes off and grab my map from the hotel before we go.”
Reid laughed and stumbled forward. “You got it, boss.”
Chloe turned to face him and eyed the box. “I can carry that if you need a hand.”
Reid lifted the box above his head, one-handed. “Nope.” Chloe dropped his other hand and narrowed her eyes at the box. “Don’t even think about it,” he warned. “You’ll never reach it. As a matter of fact, you’re more likely to knock it from my hands and to the ground than actually taking it from me.”
“Fine,” she mumbled. “But you better have a cupcake for me at midnight.”
“You have my word.” Reaching out, he tugged the end of her hair, his grin firmly in place as they entered the lobby of the hotel.
“Reid!”
Reid froze, the smile slipping from his face. He looked at Chloe with furrowed brows before scanning the hotel lobby. He lowered the box of cupcakes, his stomach dropping when his eyes locked on Jess. She stood next to Tom, a smile stretched across her face. Only a moment passed before she sprinted across the lobby and leaped into his arms. His grip tightened on the box, his free arm wrapping around her waist.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, confused and off-balance.
“Surprise,” Jess whispered, pressing her lips to his neck and inhaling as she hugged him tighter. “God, I’ve missed you.”
The smell of her skin and the feel of her body were familiar, like coming home. Only this time, home didn’t make his shoulders sag and his body flood with relief. This time, it caused his pulse to quicken and his muscles to tighten. He cleared his throat and released her slowly, working to school his features before looking her in the eye. The moment he saw her dark blue eyes, a wave of guilt crashed over him.
“I’ve missed you, too.”
Jess leaned away, leaving her hands clasped around his neck as her eyes roamed over his face. He was on edge, hyperaware of Chloe’s close proximity. When he cut his eyes toward her, he frowned at the soft smile she wore. “Jess,” he said, shifting their bodies to face Chloe. “This is Chloe. Chloe, this is Jess.”
Jess released him and stepped forward, wrapping Chloe in a hug. “It’s so great to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Chloe laughed breathlessly and returned Jess’s embrace. “I swear, whatever he told you, it’s not true.”
Jess pulled away and reached into her purse, a huge smile on her face. “Well then, I have no idea what I’m going to do with this,” she said revealing a brightly colored see-through box filled with Starbursts.
Chloe’s eyes widened and a sly smile pulled at the corner of her mouth as she accepted the box from Jess. “Okay, well, maybe at least one thing was true. I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but thank you.”
Jess looked over her shoulder at Reid, her eyes shimmering with happiness. “Consider it a thank-you for taking care of my guy.”
A look of understanding crossed Chloe’s face when she met Reid’s gaze. “You’re welcome,” she murmured, breaking away from his intense stare.
An unbidden surge of anger caused Reid’s neck to heat. He didn’t like the way Chloe looked away from him. He didn’t like the way Jess demeaned the time he spent with Chloe as nothing more than a babysitting gig. But most of all, he didn’t like that he felt angry at all. For months, all he’d wanted was for Jess to be with him. To be at his side and see all of Europe with him. Now, all he could think about was that he wouldn’t be going with Chloe to Père Lachaise.
He clutched the box of cupcakes, the sound of the cardboard shifting drawing Chloe’s attention back to him. When their eyes met, his heart sank at the thought of disappointing her. Her expression changed as she gave him a sweet smile. It was almost like she knew exactly what he was thinking.