I open my mouth to argue, but my sister waves me off, steering the conversation elsewhere. “Anyway, enough about your broody billionaire. Let’s talk about me.”
I perk up, curious. “Right. Your time as Sylas’s new nanny. How is it?”
Her expression softens, surprising me. “It’s good. Honestly. I love Sylas. He’s such a good kid. Smart, sweet, funny. He’s got this way of looking at you like you’re the most important person in the room. Kind of breaks your heart, in the best way.”
I smile at that.
“But Griffin?” She shakes her head, laughing under her breath. “He’s like a volcano about to erupt every time I’m around him. One wrong look, one smart comment, and I swear he’s seconds from exploding.”
“Seriously?” I blink, surprised.
“Seriously, it makes no sense. I don’t know what his deal is, but it’s entertaining as hell, so I keep egging him on.” Her grin is wicked. “He’s so grumpy, it’s like a challenge.”
I laugh. “That’s wild. He’s the complete opposite with me at work.”
Tiana tilts her head. “I guess I bring out his inner monster.”
I shake my head, still laughing.
The Parisian night air is cool against my overheated skin through the window, and for a minute, I stare down the street in a daze.
I bought a ridiculously expensive wedding dress. One I’d sworn I wouldn’t let myself want. And somehow, they’re going to alter it by tomorrow.
The gown is breathtaking—toobreathtaking for a fake elopement. It’s the kind of dress I used to dream about when I was a teenager, scrolling Pinterest. The kind of dress you wear once in your life, if you’re lucky. The second I saw it, I just couldn’t help myself. I had to have it.
The Cartier diamonds and the opera singer and string quartet were just extras. Add-ons to push Worth’s buttons.Except, judging from his texts, it didn’t even work. If anything, he seemed happy that I was spending his money.
Tiana loops her arm through mine in the back seat, dragging me out of my spiraling thoughts. “Okay, Mrs. Black Card. We’ve shopped, we’ve conquered. Now it’s time for dinner.”
“Where?” I ask, still distracted by the vision of my dream dress.
Her grin is mischievous. “Remember that place we saw onEmily in Paris? The one with the glowing courtyard and the pink cocktails? I booked us a table.”
“No way!”
“We’re going to Café de Flore. We came all this way; it’d be a crime not to.”
A smile pulls at my lips as the city blurs past us, glittering in the night. I can’t decide what’s more surreal: dinner at a famous bistro in Paris with my sister, or the fact that tomorrow I’ll be getting married to my boss.
After a delicious and expensive dinner, the car drops us off at the hotel, and for once, I’m thankful for the quiet elevator ride up. My stomach is pleasantly full, my feet ache from traipsing around the city, and I’m more than ready to collapse into bed.
When Tiana and I step into the suite, Worth and Griffin are stretched across the modern couches in the living room, nursing tumblers of dark liquor like kings surveying their domain.
Worth looks perfectly at ease, long legs crossed, glass balanced loosely in his hand. Griffin mirrors him, at least until his eyes catch on Tiana.
The change is immediate. His shoulders go stiff, his easy sprawl snapping rigid. His glass clinks against the table a little too hard as he puts it down.
I frown.What is up with that?
Tiana doesn’t seem to notice, or maybe she does and just enjoys it. She tosses her hair, sauntering past him with a smilethat makes his jaw tick. They both disappear into different rooms.
I turn to Worth, dropping my shopping bags onto the armchair. “Okay, so… I count three bedrooms.”
He takes a lazy sip of his drink. “Correct.”
“Is my stuff in Tiana’s room?”
“No, in mine.”