Love in Paris (The Art Models Club Book 4) (2 page)

Hunter's lips trembled as though he was trying to hold back a laugh.

“And will I be wearing anything special while cleaning the toilet?” he asked, his eyes crinkling with amusement.

He unbuttoned several buttons on his shirt.

“Is it just me or is it getting warm in here?”

Amber groaned in frustration. Maybe this wasn't her best idea ever.

In spite of her exhaustion, Hunter insisted that Amber stay awake once they arrived in Paris.

“
The jet lag will simply be worse if you give in and take a nap,” he warned her.

“
I can't help it,” she muttered, yawning sleepily as they waited to exit the plane. She had slept only fitfully during the flight, overwhelmed by the excitement of traveling and knowing that she was going to be living in France.

Fortunately, her adrenaline kicked in once they began walking toward the baggage area. She was finally here! Okay, so she was in the airport now but still. Amber found herself bouncing on her heels as they waited for their luggage to materialize. While they waited, she people watched,  eager to see everything. And then her eyes widened as she saw a uniformed man holding up a sign with Hunter's name printed in large, bold letters.

“Um . . .Is that you?” she asked, nudging Hunter and tilting her chin in the direction of the uniformed man.

“
Ah! Great! Right on time!”

Hunter waved at the man who immediately began to walk forward.

“Mr. Webb?” The uniformed man bowed slightly.

“
Yes, thank you,” Hunter replied.

“
Will there be additional luggage, sir?”

“
Four suitcases. Plus these two bags,” Hunter said, his tone courteous but not over friendly.

“
Very good, sir. I'll get a luggage cart.”

The uniformed man nodded respectfully and then walked away.

Amber stared at his retreating figure.

“
Are you okay?” Hunter asked. “Something wrong?”

“
Who is that guy?”

Hunter laughed.

“Just a driver from a car service,” he said. “No big deal.”

“
Isn't that a bit . . . um luxurious,” Amber murmured.

Hunter grew pensive.

“You know, I honestly never thought about it before,” he admitted. “But my parent's company has always had a car service for guests.”

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

“I know it isn't as sexy as a bus filled with exhaust. But I'll try to make it up to you.”

Amber giggled. “You do that!”

She allowed Hunter to smooth away her discomfort. She should be happy that Hunter had this kind of money to splurge. So why did it feel so weird to her?

She had a flash of her mom sitting in the trailer in her faded robe and slippers, drinking from a can of cheap beer. Amber shivered. Was she ever going to escape her past? Was she really worth this type of attention?

“Hey, are you cold? Here, take this.”

Hunter pulled off his sweater and slipped it over her head.

The sweater was really too warm but Amber simply smiled and squeezed Hunter's hand appreciatively.

Minutes later the driver returned and and stood silently a few feet away. Amber's first impulse was to start chatting with him. Would that be inappropriate? Was there some sort of secret rule book for how to act with people you paid to perform a service for you? Hunter had treated the man with courteous respect but he hadn't gone out of his way to be overly friendly either. Was this more of Hunter's element? Would his parents be overly formal with her? In spite of Hunter's reassurances, Amber was still terrified about meeting them later.

Finally, the luggage arrived and Hunter and the driver placed everything on the luggage rack. Hunter held her hand firmly as they navigated through the bustling airport and out into the street where the car was parked.

The air was frigid outside but Amber was only outside a moment before the door was opened for her. She slid inside the relatively warm car, grateful that they didn't have to stand around waiting for public transport.

Hunter noticed her shivering and put his arms around her.

“
Sorry, baby, I should have kept your coat out for you.”

“
That's okay,” Amber said, snuggling against him. “I prefer you to any old coat.”

“
Good to know,” Hunter said. “But I'll have the driver turn up the heat.”

Tapping on the shield between the front and back, Hunter got the driver's attention. He spoke quickly in French and the driver nodded and smiled at Amber. In only a little while it was noticeably warmer in the car.

“It is just me or is your butt getting warmer?” she asked Hunter.

Hunter felt the seat. “I thought it was you getting me all hot and bothered,” he said. “The car has seat warmers.”

Amber sighed happily. She could certainly get used to such nice things.

She reached back to stroke Hunter's face and touched his warm skin. Turning around she saw that he had once again unbuttoned his shirt.

“Um . . .what are you doing?”

Hunter blinked innocently. “What? I just got a little warm. Can't a guy get a little air on his chest?”

Amber turned back around, vowing to ignore him. But then she noticed that he was a little firmer in the lap area than he should have been. Just thinking about him getting turned on was having an effect on her. She shifted to move away from him.

Hunter shifted with her so that they were still touching. The rascal! They weren't even at the hotel yet and he was trying to get her to lose the bet.

“What time do we meet your parents?” she said, as a way to distract herself.

She forced herself to look away from Hunter's chest now peeking out beneath his shirt. Apparently, he was going to play dirty.

Hunter immediately looked at his watch.

Amber smiled smugly. Ha! She just had to remember to use his control freak nature against him. Of course he was going to be focused on keeping them on schedule now that she had raised the issue.

“We have reservations at the hotel restaurant at one o'clock,” Hunter said, his brow furrowing as he thought. “So we should still have time to check in and freshen up before then.”

Amber suddenly looked down at herself.

“Um . . . how dressy is this restaurant?” 

“
Don't worry, baby, I packed your new dress with my suits.”

“
Oh, well, um . . .thanks,” Amber mumbled.

What was she getting herself into? She had one nice dress to impress two extremely wealthy parents. Her stomach started to feel queasy.

“Don't worry, gorgeous,” Hunter murmured, pulling her close for a hug.

“
They've got my good taste. They'll love you!”

Just then the driver interrupted with a question in French. Then he caught himself and began to speak in English. But Hunter smiled and replied back in French. Amber had been trying to teach herself key phrases the last few days but she couldn't keep up with the rapid speech.

Great, she thought with a sinking feeling. Another reminder of how out of place I am here.

But when the car pulled up to a beautiful hotel, her mouth dropped open. She hadn't expected a run down hotel. However, this place exuded opulence. A porter rushed to open the door and greeted her with a warm smile.

“Bonjour, Mademoiselle.”

“
Bonjour,” Amber mumbled back, blushing.

Again, Hunter chatted for a moment with the porter and then escorted Amber into the lobby, his hand protective against the small of her back.

“The porter will make sure that our bags get sent to the room,” he said, guiding her to the front desk.

The gentleman at the front desk smiled at Hunter warmly and began speaking in rapid French. Amber only caught Hunter's name. She stood awkwardly, trying to blend in. The two obviously knew each other.

Finally, Hunter signed a register and led Amber away.

“
Did you already know him,” Amber asked curiously, trying not to gawk at the crystal chandeliers over her head or the enormous stone fireplace blazing in the lobby seating area.

“
Yes, I've stayed here several times with my parents. And the company uses it for business, so management always gives us great rates. I think that they upgraded us for free this time.”

Hunter looked at her anxiously. “I hope you like it.”

Amber couldn't help herself. She burst out laughing.

“
What?” Hunter looked confused.

“
Hunter, the nicest hotel I've ever stayed at was a chain hotel that had a mini fridge and microwave in the room. I have a feeling this is at least a tiny step up from that.”

Hunter shook his head sadly.

“First it was exhaust fumes from a local bus I had to compete with. Now, a chain hotel with a mini fridge and microwave.”

Amber punched his shoulder.

“Now who's being sarcastic, huh?”

Hunter rubbed his arm and grinned.

“If you win, should I expect more of this rough and tumble sex play?”

Amber gaped at him, twisting to see if anyone had heard them. Then she swung her purse at his head. She missed, though, as he dodged away, laughing.

The elevator dinged and Hunter moved quickly, holding the door open as an elderly woman disembarked. He waved Amber inside with a flourish of his hands. They had the elevator to themselves.

“
Oh, you might see rough and tumble but not in the way your perverted little head is fantasizing about,” Amber muttered as Hunter punched the button for their floor.

“
Perversion is in the eyes of the beholder,” Hunter said, winking.

Amber refused to look at him for the remainder of the short elevator ride. She ignored the sounds of him laughing.

As the elevator stopped and the door slid open, Hunter stepped aside to let her pass. She stalked out and then realized she had no idea what the room number was. Damn! She couldn't even stomp down the hallway without getting the room number first. As though reading her mind, Hunter simply walked down the hallway without her, forcing her to obediently follow him. Then he stopped in front of a door and unlocked it with a card key. The door swung open and Hunter stood aside to let her enter first.

“
Oh, wow!”

Okay, so maybe she wasn't so mad at Hunter after all. She stared in amazement, trying to take in everything at once. They were not in a room but a full suite. The living room was larger than the entire hotel room she had once stayed in. On one table was an enormous vase of fresh flowers, a bucket with a bottle of champagne, and a wicker basket stuffed with fresh fruits and assorted chocolates. A magnificent bay window, draped in elegant curtains, showed the bustling street below and allowed natural light into the room. The long sofa was a rich white leather. The chairs were ornate with rich fabrics and airy pillows. Attention had even been given to the lush carpet on the floor. Amber felt like she was Cinderella entering the palace.

“Nice, isn't it?” Hunter asked, his voice normal.

Was this typical for him, Amber wondered. Is this the type of luxury he was accustomed to every time he traveled?

“I feel under dressed,” Amber finally said, when she felt as though she could speak.

“
You look good wherever you are, gorgeous,” Hunter said, swooping her in his arms and kissing her gently on the mouth.

“
Oh, goodness, I need a shower!” Amber suddenly said, remembering that they were meeting Hunter's parents in less than an hour.

Hunter laughed and patted her backside.

“Okay, why don't you go first. I'll need to meet the porter when he comes up with our bags.”

Amber entered the bedroom, which featured a king sized bed in the center and an antique armoire with a flat screen television tucked neatly inside. Here again, the room featured a large window with the satin curtains pulled back to show the street below. Amber pulled the curtains shut for privacy, kicked her shoes off, and padded into the impeccable bathroom. Marble. That was her first thought. Everything was made of marble, even the floor.

She turned on the water, happy to see a full burst of water from the shower head. She chose what looked like shampoo and conditioner from the basket. Mm. . .they smelled heavenly. She grabbed a bar of soap and placed everything on the silver tray beside the tub. Dropping her travel clothes on the floor she stepped into the steaming shower with a sigh.

Ah! There was almost nothing that compared to a hot shower. Well, maybe except for hot sex. But this was a close second. She could have stayed in there forever but she was conscious of the time. She definitely needed to wash her hair which meant extra time to dry it. She reluctantly finished quickly, stepping out and wrapping a thick towel around her middle. Even the towels were thick and luxurious. She had no idea a hotel towel could be this soft and fluffy. She wrapped another around her hair in turban fashion.