Quiet descended as the boat disembarked and a waiter appeared to pour them their choice of wine. Swanny, Edge and Skylar declined, opting for water instead while Eden chose a red, sipping it, seemingly savoring every taste.
“I can’t thank you enough for this,” she said, a broad smile lighting her face, her eyes twinkling in the lights of the city. “The city is so beautiful at night. There’s a magic to it.”
And yet she’d never opted to take the trip before. What was it she’d said? That there’d never been someone else she would have considered going on such a trip with.
Swanny’s heart swelled, as did other parts of his body, to his eternal disgust. The least he could do was get through the evening without a perpetual hard-on. He was already looking forward to taking her back to the hotel and making love to her the entire night.
He knew he had to be gentle and patient. She would be tender from the night before, but he was imagining a dozen ways he could accomplish just that without causing her a moment’s pain.
He sat, watching Skylar and Edge actually relaxed and laughing, Eden joining in, their enjoyment of the city and the lights and landmarks, and he marveled at how normal it all felt.
Was this what normal couples in normal relationships did? Normal wasn’t something he was very accustomed to. Sure, he’d seen members of KGI fall and fall hard for the women they loved, but in no way could one ever call their courtship or resulting relationship normal.
He hadn’t ever realized he’d even craved normal. Or craved a relationship at all. He’d always assumed anything more than a one-night-stand or at best a brief arrangement was out of his reach. And in his line of work, what woman would be lining up to sign up for something like that even if he wasn’t damaged goods?
The Kelly women seemed to have no issues with what their husbands did, but then it was “normal” to them. It was how they’d met their husbands, not some surprise sprung on them after months of dating and then the guy casually says, Oh, by the way, I kill people for a living.
Not that killing was their official goal. In fact, they always made the effort to make their missions as clean and effortless as possible, but there was always the possibility of it all going to hell and at that point it was either kill or be killed. No one had to ask their preference on that matter.
They floated gently down the Seine, soft music playing as accompaniment to the shimmering water and the twinkling lights of the city.
His enjoyment, however, wasn’t the scenery or how beautiful the city might be at night. He was riveted to Eden, his attention focused solely on her, absorbing every smile, every expression of delight. And he found himself more lost under her spell than ever.
She was so beautiful to look at that it hurt sometimes. Like looking directly into the sun. And she was his. Later he’d take her back to their hotel room and he’d make love to her as tenderly as he’d ever made love to a woman. Eden deserved the best. Special treatment. Because she was a special woman, indeed. A breed apart from any other woman Swanny had ever met.
Their dinner entrées were delivered and Swanny was happy to see that Eden had actually ordered real food. He doubted she’d eat all of it, but at least she’d enjoy some of the succulent feast before her.
His own steak looked cooked to perfection. Seared on the outside, providing a delicious crust, and when he cut into it, the meat was just the right shade of pink. Not quite raw, but not too well done either.
Edge had ordered a steak as well, while Skylar chose the seafood platter with a variety of succulent selections.
They ate in companionable silence, occasionally commenting on a sight that passed. But Swanny’s attention was solidly fixed on Eden and savoring her enjoyment of the evening out. His chest puffed out a bit, first at the knowledge that he’d been the only man she’d ever chosen to take this trip with, despite her many visits to the city, and second that he was the one to give her this experience she wanted so much.
She’d asked him. No one else. She’d waited for him.
At one point, Eden shivered delicately, the breeze picking up and blowing off the water. Not even giving it a thought, Swanny scooted closer to her, pushing their chairs until they were bumping. Then he leaned over and pulled Eden into his arms to provide her warmth.
She let out a contented sigh and snuggled into Swanny’s arms, melting bonelessly into his embrace.
“This has been the most perfect evening ever, Swanny. Thank you for doing this for me,” Eden said sweetly.
Didn’t the woman know he’d get her the damn moon if that was what she wanted?
For the rest of the dinner cruise, they sat, Eden swallowed up by Swanny’s arms, conversing between the four of them as if indeed they were simply two couples enjoying a romantic evening.