Can't Buy Me Love

Chapter Twenty Three

It was hours before they fell asleep, but when they did it was with total exhaustion, their bodies and minds completely satiated with each other.

Marina’s first awareness of the morning was the sound of a trolley wheeling past the door, room service or cleaner? She had no idea nor cared. Rolling back into Nathan, still asleep he settled a protective arm around her, his breathing strong and steady. Taking the opportunity she studied him, the long eyelashes fanning his cheeks, the strong jaw graced with stubble, the tousled hair that managed to look scruffy yet perfect all at the same time. Glancing down she admired his broad chest, the hair that fanned across it. With a deep breath she brought her eyes back to his and almost jumped to find him awake, watching her.

                “Like what you see?”

She chuckled, “you know I do!”

He grinned, then pulled her in for a breathtaking kiss.

Two hours later they were dressed and ready for another day of sightseeing, Marina had lined up an action packed day, starting with the Louvre and a certain enigmatic lady, an essential when in Paris. Then the Basilica of the Sacre Coeur, via the red light district of Paris, the Moulin Rouge, Erotica Museum and a dozen other little nuances that weren’t always in guidebooks.

                “You really love it here don’t you?” he commented as she led him uphill towards the beautiful church at the summit.

She nodded, “we used to come lots when we were in finishing school, and even when I was a child. Alex has lived on the continent since coming over from New York when I was a kid. So I’ve travelled to and through this City lots. I’ve not had a bad experience yet!”

                “And this hasn’t changed it?” When she laughed he smiled, “I love it here too.”

Marina stopped and grinned up at him, “it’s one of SO many beautiful cities in Europe, Berlin with its rich history, Barcelona, Madrid, Prague, even Brussels, which while it isn’t as beautiful as the others, is SO dynamic. I love Europe, I didn’t realise how much I loved it until I left.”

                “And there’s the big bad US with no good memories for you.”

She thought for a moment, “but if it’s where you are, then I need to change that, don’t I?” Then grinning, she took his hand and dragged him further up to the summit of the hill.

They ate crepes and drank coke from vendors on the side of the road then carried onto another museum. Then they tracked back to the hotel exhausted. Marina took a long hot shower wanting to create some life in her weary limbs. As she came out swathed in towels and a little more energised, she saw Nathan angry gesturing as he talked into his mobile. As he glanced towards the bathroom door and a look of guilt crossed his face.

                “I’ll call you back!” he snarled into the phone then hung up. Turning to Marina he tried to smile, “sorry...something’s cropped up.”

Marina felt herself frown, “something?”

He broke into a smile that hardly made it to his eyes, “hey, it’s nothing. You ok? Are we going out tonight? There’s that rather special bistro around the corner!”

An hour later the angry phone call forgotten, they walked through the Parisian streets, relaxing, drinking in the sights and sounds. Nathan’s warm hand encompassed Marina’s so entirely that she felt content, so safe that she finally felt the walls she’d created over the last five years or more start to crumble, slowly...but it was a definite start.

Nathan stared at her across the candle lit table and marvelled at how she’d grown up. She’d been quirky as a teenager, funny and feisty, but somewhere over their time apart she’d become this graceful beautiful woman. She was still only twenty and seemed eons away from his almost thirty, but he wanted her in ways he hadn’t wanted anyone for years. He wanted to put down roots, to wake up with her every morning, hell he’d woken this morning after dreaming of her greeting him in a kitchen wearing an apron...heavily pregnant. That was worrying! He’d never thought about the future, mainly because he didn’t have a future to think of, he was merely embroiled in whatever his next case was. But now, he was thinking differently.

                "My turn! Penny for them?" she asked clicking her fingers in front of his distant staring eyes.

He shook his head, "just appreciating a beautiful place, great company and awesome food!"

Nodding knowingly she smiled, "ditto!" Twirling her chicken linguine around her fork then deposited in her mouth, she eventually managed to add, "especially the food!"

He chuckled as he tossed a large slug of red wine down his throat. There was a sense of unease washing over him, and it was starting to unsettle him...