Enchantment (29 page)

* * *

With the morning gone, Adrian chose landmarks
nearby, starting with Notre Dame. The somber quiet within the
gothic cathedral fit his mood. The cool air pricked his skin even
though outside it was eighty degrees.

The moment they stepped inside, Gray removed
her hand from Adrian’s arm.

She walked several paces ahead of him,
frowning as she stopped to look over tombs with their stone statues
lying cold and immobile on top.

Perhaps not the best place to linger for
someone who had cheated death twice.

The next time she stopped at a tomb, Adrian
walked up behind her and circled his arm around her waist. He
pulled her into his chest. “It’s freezing in here.”

Gray nodded. “It’s beautiful,” she said
softly.

“Come on, I bet we still have time to see the
Arc de Triumph before tonight’s cruise.”

Gray let Adrian lead her out of the
cathedral. They reached for their sunglasses simultaneously the
moment they stepped outside into the blinding light.

“So that was the home of Quasimodo,” Gray
said, glancing over her shoulder.

“Someone has to ring the bells.”

Gray looked at the cathedral one last time
before wrapping her hand around Adrian’s arm. “I always felt bad
for him.”

“Since when does Graylee Perez root for the
underdog?” The words tasted bitter in Adrian’s mouth.

“What do you mean by that?”

Adrian pulled away from her. “Nothing.”

She reached for his arm and pulled him
roughly back towards her. “Hey, I want to know what that means. Are
you talking about yourself because I’ve never considered you an
underdog.”

“Oh, no? How do you think of me?”

“As the evil wizard.”

From Gray’s expression, Adrian could tell the
words came out before she had time to think. He pulled out of her
grasp, teeth clenched. Not even a love spell could mask how she saw
him. An evil wizard. A monster.

Rather than backtrack and apologize, Gray
planted her now free hand on her hip.

“Can you blame me? You’re still going to
Belgium to do the dirty work for some malicious warlock, aren’t
you?”

If Gray were out of the picture by that
evening he couldn’t see any reason why he shouldn’t head off to
Belgium tomorrow afternoon. Once Gray was “cured” from the “curse,”
as she called it, she’d have no desire to stick around Paris. Most
likely she’d head home. At least she’d be safe from her sister and
Ryan.

“Apparently I have a reputation to
uphold.”

“I wish you wouldn’t go,” Gray said. “I wish
you cared about me enough to stop with the avenging.”

Damn the
bateau mouche
. Adrian should
have brought the amulet with him and given it to her now. This game
was tearing him apart.

Adrian narrowed his eyes. How easily Gray
forgot that it was she who first came to him. Evil wizard? Gray
wasn’t exactly Glinda the Good Witch.

If she wanted to cast him as the villain,
he’d give her the villain.

Adrian smirked. “You weren’t complaining last
night.”

With the sunglasses covering her eyes, it was
difficult to see Gray’s expression.

“You’re trying to get back at me for going
through your personal belongings,” she said matter-of-factly. “I
told you I was sorry. Give me a chance to make it up to you.”

If Adrian were a true villain he’d allow her
to make it up to him all night—in his bed. But he couldn’t go
through that experience again knowing the amulet was now in his
possession.

Adrian’s face relaxed. “Don’t worry about
it.” He reached for her hand. “Come on, we have a couple hours left
before we need to get ready for the
bateau mouche
.”

Gray took his hand and squeezed it. “Thank
you for showing me such a good time. You know, Paris isn’t half bad
when you have the right person to share it with.”

Adrian forced a smile to his lips.

How would Gray remember Paris after tonight?
Worse yet, how would she remember him?

Most likely as the lascivious evil wizard who
took advantage of her while she wasn’t in her right mind. Adrian
doubted she’d repeat the calm “Let’s just forget it ever happened
and move on” speech from Barcelona.

Tonight could turn very ugly.

But first they had a river cruise.

* * *

There was only one thing more beautiful than Paris
at night—Paris by boat at night. The
bateaux mouche
glided
soundlessly along the Seine. Light bounced off the gothic buildings
into the river, glittering in the boat’s wake—all the surrounding
monuments alit from outside.

But the beauty of the night was overshadowed
by one woman. Graylee Perez.

For once, food didn’t interest her. She’d
hurried through the cruise’s five-course meal, barely taking a bite
of dessert.

“Let’s go back outside,” she said to Adrian,
while everyone finished their meals.

He’d followed behind her like a lovesick
fool. How was Adrian supposed to stick to the plan with Gray
strutting around like a goddess on heels? The moment she stepped
out of the bathroom all dressed up he’d been a goner.

She looked like a seductress in the skimpy
black dress and heels. Adrian had never appreciated the pleasure
that could be had just by looking. The no touching part was about
to kill him.

For the final touches, Gray had put on the
midnight-blue crystal necklace and straightened her hair. She
looked as though she’d stepped off the cover of
Vogue
magazine.

She rested her elbows on the boat’s railing,
watching the buildings pass in silence. Adrian couldn’t take his
eyes off her.

Watching her from behind, he knew he wanted
her body and soul. The body part would be easy. All he had to do
was keep the amulet safely tucked away forever. But it wasn’t
enough. It would never be enough.

Adrian patted his pockets. The amulet sat at
the bottom of one, a hotel keycard in the other.

While Gray had been getting ready, he’d run
out to do his dismal errand.

Adrian joined Gray at the railing. Why had he
let the evening drag on like this? When had he turned into a
masochist? And how the hell was he supposed to behave knowing these
were their last moments together?

Gray looked over her shoulder, beckoning him
with her smile. Once it became clear he wasn’t going to join her,
Gray came to him.

Adrian watched her legs move in the black
heels. When she stopped, his eyes traveled up her body. He wet his
lips.

“How do you like the
bateaux mouche
?”
Adrian asked.

Gray’s shoulders relaxed. She let out a
wistful sigh. “I wish we could drift along the Seine all night.
It’s so beautiful. This city is . . . incredible.”

That made Adrian grin. “Happy I managed to
teach you a little French appreciation.”

Gray grinned back. Her lips turned down just
as suddenly as her expression became serious. “Adrian, I don’t care
about Belgium. I care about you.”

Adrian’s body tensed. No. He didn’t want to
hear it. Didn’t she realize what she was doing to him? His heart
couldn’t handle the leap of joy and hope her words gave him. It
would only make the end of the night more bitter.

A look crossed Gray’s face when he leaned
away. She reached for his face, placing a hand on his cheek,
forcing him to meet her eyes. “Even if I don’t agree with all your
choices, I’ve come to care for you a great deal. I want you in my
life.”

Lies, all of it.

Without thinking, Adrian yanked the amulet
out of his pant pocket. Gray followed the motion, eyes widening
when she saw what he held.

“How about now?” Adrian asked. “Do you still
want me in your life?”

The timing was all wrong. First of all, this
wasn’t the plan. Second, it wasn’t a question she could answer
until the amulet was submerged in water.

Adrian waved it around in anger as though
doing so would cleanse the blasted object and cure Gray on the
spot.

She removed her hand from his cheek.

“Let’s see how you really feel,” Adrian said,
heading for the railing.

Gray clipped after him as quickly as she
could in two-inch heels.

Adrian paused at the railing, glaring into
the wretched river below. The metal charms bit into his palm as he
squeezed the amulet. He looked at Gray.

Tears glazed her eyes. “Why are you doing
this?”

“Because it has to be done.”

She blinked back the tears. Her lips curled
back. “Then do it! Throw it in the Seine.”
Señor
Ortega had said the object would require
cleansing. He’d advised her to toss it in the ocean. Why not the
Seine?

Adrian lifted his hand then hesitated. “You
should be the one to do it.”

Gray squared her shoulder. “No.”

“If you won’t do it, I will.”

“If you loved me you wouldn’t do this.”

Adrian took Gray roughly by the shoulders.
“It’s because I . . . care about you that I am doing this!” He
didn’t mean to shake her as he spoke.

The expression on Gray’s face darkened. She
inhaled sharply and pushed Adrian away. Adrian stumbled back before
righting himself.

“And you had to be here for this,” Gray said.
“Didn’t want to miss the chance to see my face after the spell was
broken.”

“I wanted to make sure that it did get
broken, Gray. You weren’t exactly honest the first time.”

“I’m sorry, how thoughtless of me,” Gray said
sarcastically.

Before Adrian could respond, Gray lunged and
ripped the amulet out of his hand. He stood in stunned silence for
several seconds. Why hadn’t he anticipated that? This was Gray he
was dealing with.

If this was her behavior before the spell was
broken, Adrian couldn’t begin to imagine Gray’s wrath once the
amulet hit the water.

Gray held the amulet in her open palm,
staring at it as though it were a foreign object. Her expression
softened for the briefest moment before hardening as her fingers
closed around the trinket.

Adrian watched and waited. He wouldn’t know
what move to make until she made hers. He had half a mind to freeze
her in place and wrench the amulet back out of her grasp, but Gray
beat him to the punch when she stepped over to the boat’s railing
and dangled the amulet over the side.

“Any last words, Adrian?” she asked in a
taunting voice.

Adrian swallowed down the first word.
Wait.

“Well?” Gray asked impatiently.

I love you.

Adrian stared her in the eye. “Do it.”

The anger in her eyes died out. In them he
saw something else. Hurt. Luckily anger swept back in with the
force of a tidal wave, washing over everything and dragging it back
down.

Gray lifted her head, but it wasn’t Adrian
she looked at anymore. Something beyond his shoulders had caught
her attention.

Adrian was about to turn around and see what
it was, but then Gray faced the railing and pitched the amulet
overboard. Silver flashed in the moonlight. They heard a
plunk
when it hit the water and sunk into the Seine.

Adrian braced himself for an earthquake, a
tidal wave, a jolt at the very least, but the boat continued to
glide along the river. The only ripples he could make out in the
water were those created by the boat.

Adrian turned to look at Gray. She was right.
He did want to see her reaction once the spell had been lifted. He
had to see it.

But Gray wasn’t there any longer.

Should have known.

Adrian forced a blank stare into his eyes.
The minx wanted to see
his
reaction, it seemed. Where was
she standing? Adrian’s eyes moved around the deck. He listened for
the sound of her breath, attempted to pick up her scent, but it was
as though she’d vanished.

A figure caught his eye.

Gray wasn’t invisible. She was standing on
the bridge ahead.

The boat moved in slow motion toward her.
Adrian lifted his head as it neared the bridge, his eyes meeting
Gray’s. She stood as still as a statue, a goddess turned to stone.
Her arms were folded over her chest. Her frown as tight as the
stranglehold over his damn heart.

Adrian fell into her gaze. It penetrated him
to the very core, and he knew without a doubt that this time the
spell had broken.

The end of the spell hit Gray like a two-ton truck.
She felt as though she’d been punched in the chest and tossed
overboard with her amulet.

As soon as the boat, with Adrian on it,
passed beneath her feet, Gray crossed the bridge. She wanted to
run, but her heels prevented her from taking off down the
boulevard. So she clipped along as fast as she could. She kept
walking until she reached the Rue de Rivoli then took a right down
the boulevard.

From the moment the Seine swallowed her
amulet, an aching pain gripped her chest. Probably the aftereffects
of the spell. What Gray needed was to get off the street.

Although a hostel better fit her budget, Gray
wasn’t in the mood for roommates or bunk beds. Not after everything
she’d been through.

She stopped in front of Hotel Le Meurice,
turning abruptly to walk inside. The doorman didn’t hesitate when
she approached the double doors.

“
Bonsoir, mademoiselle,”
he said,
whisking open the door for her.

Apparently a little black dress went a long
way—opposed to a sundress and flip-flops.

“
Bonsoir,”
Gray answered back, head
lifted as though she belonged in a five-star hotel.

Her heels clipped along the granite floor.
She passed white pillars and vases taller than she—all white and
filled with pink flowers. The chairs looked like something from an
ancient royal court, more for show than comfort.