Lara

Chapter 13

"Yeah of course. C'mon up to the house."

Jake grabs a bag from the trunk of his car and follows me inside.

Once inside he looks around, clearly impressed with the place. "It's cozy and peaceful in here."

I show him where my bedroom is so he can change. 

Standing in the hallway I worry I won't have anything nice to wear that's clean, and glance at my bedroom door involuntarily. "So Jake, what's the name of this place? Or is it supposed to be a surprise?"

The door is cracked, not completely closed, and across my viewpoint appears a solid, muscular torso as Jake slips off his t-shirt. I bite my lip and lean slightly so I can see through the crack in the door a bit better.

Such a creep Lara! I admonish myself. Oh! There goes....the pants. I stare - my whole body set ablaze. Oh...that...that's....god, Lara stop staring! I shake my head - Jake in his briefs is a picture I won't be getting out of my head anytime soon.

I tiptoe quickly to the kitchen, pour myself a solid glass of sauvignon blanc, and take a big gulp.

"Jake! You want some wine?!" I call out.

I hear a muffled response and then he emerges from my bedroom looking...

"Jake you look very...French."

"Trying to blend in." He smiles and shrugs. "And the place is the restaurant at the Hotel des Bains. Have you heard of it? Or been there already? We can go somewhere else if you have."

"That's fine," I say absentmindedly as I look at his black slim-fitting jeans, and button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his tattoos just peaking out. I complete my evaluation and notice his nice dress shoes and the rather distinguished watch on his wrist.

Who is this man standing before me? I think with surprise. I want to roll my eyes at the transformation, but it's so complete I can't. I've never seen these clothes before - maybe his new girlfriend helped him pick them out. Not giving myself a chance to dwell on that jealous thought, I narrow my eyes at him and move quickly past him to the bedroom.

"I'll only be a minute!" I call behind me, slamming the bedroom door.

Wait, did he say the Hotel des Bains? I'd heard of it from Juliette and had wanted to try it while I was here, but hadn't felt like going by myself.

Going through my whole wardrobe, I finally decide on a black, slim-fitting dress that shows off my curves. I'm glad I decided to splurge on it in an upscale boutique in Lannion. Jake's not the only one with a new look these days, I think to myself with a sly smile.

The simple makeup routine that I've adopted here in France suits my features well, and after turning back and forth in front of the mirror, I decide that I don't need anything more. But I do add red lipstick – it's grown on me, and it complements my full lips.

One spritz of perfume later and I emerge from the bedroom and nonchalantly grab my wine glass from the kitchen counter. Glancing over at Jake, I watch his gaze sweep over me from head to foot.

He swallows hard, his eyes widening. "Damn. You look...really great."

I shrug and take one more sip of wine before setting it down. "I clean up nicely. Ready to go?"

He doesn't respond right away - apparently still transfixed - and I can't help but feel satisfied.

He shakes his head with a sideways smile. "Yeah, let's go."

A short cab ride later, and we arrive at the Hotel des Baines I immediately notice how beautiful the grounds are. It's built right on the bay with the ocean lapping against the stone walls around the property. With the sun setting, lights start to glow along the pathways throughout the property. I can't help but be enamored. We make our way inside, Jake's hand resting at the small of my back as he opens the door for us.