She gestured between them, not quite able to name what this was. Attraction? Connection? The beginning of something that might be love if given time to grow? Damien’s face fell, disappointment clear in his eyes. I understand responsibilities.
Elena, I’m not asking you to abandon them. I’m just asking for a little more time. Time for what? Elena asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Time to see if what I’m feeling for you is real, Damien answered honestly. Because it feels real, Elena. More real than anything has felt in a very long time.
Elena’s breath caught in her throat. The intensity in his eyes. The vulnerability in his voice.
They matched the confusing storm of emotions in her own heart. I’m… scared, she admitted, the words slipping out before she could stop them. Of what? Of letting myself believe in this.
In you. In us. Elena took a shaky breath.
What happens when I go back to real life, and you realize that the struggling nurse from New Jersey doesn’t fit into your world after all? That won’t happen, Damien said firmly. You can’t know that, Elena countered. I know how I feel when… I’m with you, Damien said, moving closer again.
I know that for the first time since Mark died, I’m thinking about the future, instead of just trying to escape the past. He reached up to touch her cheek gently. Stay, Elena.
Not forever. Just two more days. See where this might lead.
Elena closed her eyes, leaning slightly into his touch. Everything in her wanted to say yes. To grab this unexpected chance at something beautiful and hold on tight.
But she’d spent two years being the responsible one, putting everyone else’s needs before her own. Could she really be selfish this once? What about Tommy? She asked, her practical nature asserting itself even now. Call him, Damien suggested.
Make sure he’s okay with your aunt for two more days. I can arrange for you to be back by Monday. Afternoon, plenty of time before your shift.
It was a reasonable solution, addressing her main concern. What was holding her back now was just fear. Fear of the unknown.
Fear of getting hurt. Fear of losing herself in Damien’s world. I… Elena hesitated, standing on the precipice of a decision that felt momentous in ways she couldn’t fully articulate.
The lights of Paris seemed to wink at her encouragingly from below, as if the city itself was urging her to take this chance. To choose something unexpected and potentially wonderful, even if just for a little while. Okay, she finally whispered.
Two more days. The smile that broke across Damien’s face was like sunrise, warm and full of promise. He pulled her gently into his arms, holding her as if she were something precious.
You won’t regret it, he murmured against her hair. Elena wasn’t sure if that was true. But as she stood there in his embrace, with Paris spread out below them and the stars appearing overhead, she knew one thing for certain.
She would have regretted walking away. As they made their way back down the hill, hand in hand, Elena felt like she was stepping into a new version of her life. One where dreams weren’t just distant impossibilities, but real, tangible things within her grasp.
She called Tommy from the car, explaining her change of plans without going into detail about her feelings for Damien. To her surprise, her brother was entirely supportive. Are you kidding? Stay in Paris.
Aunt Carol’s fine. And I’ve got study group all weekend anyway. There was a pause.
Then Tommy added more seriously. You deserve this, Elena. You’ve put your life on hold for me long enough.
His words brought tears to her eyes. When had her little brother become so perceptive, so mature? I love you, Tommy, she said, her voice thick with emotion. Love you too, sis.
Now go have an adventure. Take lots of pictures. After hanging up, Elena looked over at Damien, who was pretending not to listen to her conversation.
Tommy says I should stay, she told him, a small smile playing on her lips. Smart kid, Damien replied, his eyes warm as they met hers. Must run in the family.
Instead of going back to the hotel, Damien directed the driver to take them straight to his house in the French countryside. As they left the city behind, Elena felt a strange mixture of excitement and nervousness fluttering in her stomach. What had she just agreed to? Two more days with a man she’d known for less than 48 hours.
A man who lived in a world completely different from her own. A man who, despite his wealth and status, seemed just as lost and searching as she was. The car turned down a tree-lined driveway illuminated by subtle landscape lighting.
At the end stood a beautiful stone house that looked like it had been there for centuries, though Elena could tell from the modernized windows and other details that it had been extensively renovated. Home sweet home, Damien said as the car came to a stop. At least one of them.
How many homes do you have? Elena asked, genuinely curious. Damien looked slightly embarrassed. A few.
Apartment in New York. House in Malibu. Chalet in Aspen.
This place. And the penthouse in Boston where I actually spend most of my time. Wow, Elena said, trying to imagine owning even one home, let alone five.
It’s excessive, I know, Damien admitted as he helped her from the car. Mark used to give me a hard time about it. He kept the same two-bedroom apartment even after we were worth billions.
He sounds like he was a good friend, Elena said softly. The best, Damien agreed, a sad smile crossing his face. He would have liked you, Elena.
Very much. The house was just as beautiful inside as out. Elegant but comfortable with a mix of antique furniture and modern amenities.
A housekeeper greeted them, seeming unsurprised by their arrival. Madame Bertrand keeps the house ready for me, Damien explained, as the older woman took their coats. She lives in the guest house with her husband, who manages the grounds.
After a light dinner prepared by Madame Bertrand, Damien gave Elena a tour of the house. The library, with its floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and comfortable reading nooks, was her favorite room. This is amazing, she said, running her fingers along the spines of leather-bound classics.
I could spend days in here. You’re welcome to, Damien said, watching her with a fond expression that made her heart skip. There’s a guest room prepared for you upstairs.
Blue door at the end of the hall. Elena’s cheeks warmed at the implication that they would be sleeping separately. Of course they would.
They’d known each other for all of two days. But something in the way Damien had said it made her wonder if he’d been considering other arrangements. The main way.
Thought sent a shiver of anticipation through her that she tried to ignore. Later, as she settled into the luxurious guest room, with its canopy bed and view of the moonlit garden, Elena found herself wondering what she’d gotten herself into. This felt like a fairy tale.
The ordinary girl swept into a world of luxury and romance by a handsome, wealthy man. But fairy tales weren’t real, and reality had a way of reasserting itself eventually. In two days, she would be back in New Jersey.
Back to her real life. And what then? Would Damien Carter, billionaire tech CEO, really want to continue whatever this was with a nurse who could barely make ends meet? As she drifted off to sleep, Elena told herself not to get too attached, not to believe too much in this beautiful fantasy. But her heart, already starting to fall for the complicated man down the hall, wasn’t listening.
Elena woke to sunlight, streaming through the windows of her guest room. For a moment she lay still, taking in the elegant surroundings, the antique furniture, the silk curtains, the plush carpet beneath her feet as she finally slid out of bed. It felt like she’d stepped into someone else’s life.
Someone who belonged in beautiful French country houses, with billionaires down the hall. After a shower in the marble bathroom that was bigger than her entire apartment bathroom back home, Elena, dressed in a simple sundress from the clothes Damien had bought her, she made her way downstairs, following the scent of coffee and fresh bread. She found Damien in the kitchen, dressed casually in jeans and a light sweater, talking to Madame Bertrand in fluent French.
He looked up when Elena entered, his entire face brightening. Good morning, he said, switching to English. Sleep well? Better than I have in years, Elena admitted with a smile.
Your house is beautiful. Our home for the next two days, Damien replied, pulling out a chair for her at the kitchen table where breakfast was laid out. I thought we could take it easy today.
There’s a farmer’s market in the village if you’d like to explore, or we could just relax here. The gardens are lovely this time of year. The casual way he spoke about their time together, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for her to be here with him, made Elena’s heart flutter.