The CEO's Contractual Wife (Olivia and Alex) novel Chapter 205

Olivia

By seven, I was back at the hotel, my feet sore but my heart full. I ordered room service for a light dinner, not wanting to fill up before whatever Alexander had planned for later.

The roses in the bedroom had been refreshed while I was out, their scent even stronger now. I ran a bath in that ridiculous marble tub, adding the complimentary bath salts and sinking into the hot water with a sigh of pure contentment.

Paris. I was actually in Paris, living in a palace-like hotel suite, exploring one of the world's most beautiful cities, and waiting for my devastatingly handsome husband to return from business meetings so we could have dinner together.

My life had become surreal.

I was wrapped in the plush hotel robe, hair damp from the bath, when I heard the suite door open.

"Liv?" Alexander called.

"In the bedroom!"

He appeared in the doorway, looking tired but pleased. "Did I miss anything exciting?"

"Just me wandering Paris like a tourist cliché. Bought books, sat in a park, almost cried at how pretty everything is."

"Sounds productive." He loosened his tie, shrugging out of his jacket. "Give me twenty minutes to shower and change. Then we're going somewhere that will make you cry again, but for better reasons."

"Cryptic. I like it."

While Alexander showered, I debated what to wear. He'd said dinner somewhere special, which in Paris probably meant very special. I settled on a simple black dress that hit just above the knee, elegant without trying too hard.

When Alexander emerged, he was in dark slacks and a navy button-down, no tie. Casual for him, which meant still devastatingly attractive.

"Ready?" he asked, offering his arm.

"Ready."

The Mercedes was waiting outside, and this time, we drove across the Seine toward the Left Bank. The streets here were narrower and more intimate. We stopped in front of a restaurant I didn't recognize, its entrance marked only by a discreet brass plaque.

"Where are we?" I asked as Alexander helped me out of the car.

"Le Cinq," he said. "Three Michelin stars. And the best view in Paris."

Inside, we were escorted to a table by the window. And there it was, the Eiffel Tower, perfectly framed by the restaurant's windows and lit up like a golden dream against the darkening sky.

"Alex," I breathed, unable to look away. "It's perfect."

"Told you it was better at night."

Dinner was a parade of courses, each more exquisite than the last. Foie gras that melted on my tongue. Dover sole that flaked at the touch of a fork. A cheese course that could have been its own meal. Throughout it all, the Eiffel Tower glittered outside, and Alexander watched me with that expression I still couldn't quite read.

"What?" I asked, catching him staring between the fifth and sixth courses.

"Nothing. Just enjoying watching you enjoy yourself."

"You keep saying that."

"Because it keeps being true." He reached across the table, his hand covering mine. "Thank you for coming with me. This trip would have been miserable without you."

"Because you'd be stuck eating alone in hotel restaurants?"

"Because I'd be stuck period. No one to explore with. No one to buy roses for." His thumb traced circles on my palm. "No one to make me actually see the cities I visit instead of just the conference rooms."

My chest tightened. "You're getting dangerously close to sweet territory, Mr. Carter. Careful, or I might start thinking you actually like having me around."

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