Tempted by the Prince (The Raminar Family Book 4) by Elizabeth Lennox (10 ebook reader .txt) 📗

“Coming?” he asked when she pressed her shoulders back against the wall of the elevator while everyone else stepped out.

“Um…” she peeked out at the city skyline through the protective fencing surrounding the top of the tower.  “I think I’ll just stay here,” she told him.

He laughed, taking her hands and slowly leading her onto the landing. “It’s perfectly safe,” he assured her.

“Yeah?  When was the last time someone fell off?”

He shook his head.  “The only deaths that have occurred here are suicides, honey.  Not accidental deaths.  It’s very safe.”

Tentatively, she stepped out and looked down.  Thankfully, the floor wasn’t made of steel mesh, it was a solid surface.  She took one step, then another, slowly inching out of the private elevator.  “I guess I should have warned you about my fear of heights,” she said, trying to joke.

If she’d looked up at him, she might have noticed the gentleness in his eyes, but Rachel was too focused on watching her step, then peering out at the horizon, almost as if she needed to make sure that her weight wasn’t tipping the tower over.

“I’m sorry, Rachel.  I should have asked.  But come with me.  I promise it will be okay.”  He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against his side, holding her securely against him.  “Better?” he asked.

Yes, but she couldn’t admit it because her ability to speak fizzled to a halt.  Or perhaps it was her brain that fizzled at his touch.  Too terrified to care, she pressed against him, wrapping her arms around his waist in what might be considered a death grip, but she didn’t care.  He rubbed her back, helping to assure her that she was safe.

When she finally found the courage to look up, Rachel gasped.  All of Paris was laid out before her, the sun making the city shimmer and gleam.  Because it was a clear day with low humidity, the view seemed to go on forever!

“Oh my!” she whispered, her fear of heights pushed away as awe poured over her.  “That’s beautiful!”

“Yeah.  I agree,” he replied.  Tightening his arms around her, he nodded towards the distance.  “There’s the Seine over there, which means that Notre Dame is…” he shifted slightly, “over there.”  He squeezed her waist.  “It doesn’t look like much during the daytime, especially after the fire.  I’ll have to bring you back at night, so that you can see everything lit up.”

She shivered just thinking about coming up here at night.  “I’m fine right now. Everything is so pretty during the daytime.”

Tarin chuckled, thinking that Rachel was far more interesting than he’d thought.  Yes, the sexual attraction was still there, but at the moment, with her fear of heights more prominent in his mind, she was soft and sweet, clinging to him as if she trusted him.  For a man, that was a heady combination.

“I love being up here,” he said smiling as her arms tightened around his waist.  “It’s such an amazing view, but more than that, the architectural knowledge needed to build this structure is mind-boggling.  Plus, I can see all of the other buildings around Paris that were built centuries ago.  It’s such a shame about the fire at Notre Dame.  I would have liked to show you that.”

Rachel turned her face up to his and, with the wind whipping around them, her body pressed against his, he wanted to lean down and kiss her.  The urge was almost overpowering.  The moment stretched, their pulses keeping time together.  He looked at her mouth, noticed her lips soften, as if she were anticipating his kiss.  He moved slightly so that they were facing each other and saw that her gaze had dropped to his mouth.  Was she waiting for the kiss as well?  Tarin leaned down and….

Someone bumped him, shattering the fragile moment.  Pulling back, he shifted again so that they were looking out at the view.  Unfortunately, his mind was still on the lost kiss, still wondering what it would feel like to taste her lips.  Would she melt against him?

He sighed, staring out at the views but…they weren’t as interesting anymore.  Not nearly as interesting as kissing Rachel.  Feeling her press her softness against him while knowing that she was his woman would be…unimaginably heady.

“We should go,” he said, abruptly turning, but keeping his arm around her waist to protect her from the milling crowd.

The private staff elevator was waiting and whisked them to the ground level.  “Merci,” he said to Elizabet and shook her hand.  “I appreciate the speedy in and out with your assistance.”

She smiled, glanced at Rachel with a tinge of envy since Rachel was still in his arms, still pressed against him even though they were safely on the ground.

Unfortunately, the jealous glance must have alerted Rachel of her current position because she jerked away, and smoothed her hands down over her dress.

They made their wait back to the SUV and Tarin took her hand as she stepped into the vehicle. He paused, watching her cute butt as she ducked down, but the view quickly disappeared when she found her seat.

With a silent groan, Tarin followed, sitting next to her and wishing he could take her hand or, even better, pull her onto his lap.  Instead, he focused on the next stop.  “Now to Montmartre.”

“I’ve never even seen Montmartre,” she said, primly folding her hands in her lap.

He looked at her, intrigued by the formal demeanor after such a sweetly affectionate reaction on the tower.

“Are you prepared to climb?”

She blinked and pushed her glasses higher up onto her nose.  “Climb?”

“Yep. There are three hundred steps up to the cathedral.”  He chuckled at her grimace.  “Relax.  I’ll get you a crepe at the base, so you’ll be full