As much as I wanted to just leave everything for them to sort out while Gavin and I went back to our hotel, more explanations had to be given. I found a cop who spoke English and quickly gave my statement, as well as directions to the spare room where Pierre was still being guarded by Vincent.
While I was talking to one cop, Gavin was talking to another, explaining in French what happened on his end. A paramedic and a cop were crouched on either side of Alizee and she was rattling away in French, her eyes throwing daggers at Gavin and I the entire time. I hated not knowing what she was saying. I promised myself that if we really did end up with a club in Cannes, I'd learn French.
By the time Gavin and I were both cleared by the paramedics, Vincent had arrived. He walked past Alizee, not even looking at her as he approached Gavin and me. He embraced Gavin first and then me. Unlike before, I accepted the hug without reservation.
“I wanted to see you both before you returned to your hotel,” he said. “I had to thank you for what you did. Thanks to you, my daughter will have her justice. I may not be able to see Alizee convicted of killing my girl, but she will at least have to stand trial for her crimes.”
“I'm pretty sure she's going to spend the rest of her life in prison,” Gavin said. “Even if it's not for what she did to your daughter. She confessed that she was engaged in human trafficking and prostitution. She also attempted to set up Carrie for theft, tried to blackmail me into having sex with her and that she didn't care if I consented or not.”
“So you will testify?” Vincent said.
“I'm guessing we're not going to have to.” Gavin patted the pocket of his jacket and looked quite pleased with himself. “I recorded all of it.”
“Thank you,” Vincent said again. His eyes were shining and I knew he was trying not to cry. “Go back to your hotel now. I will speak with you tomorrow about our plans for the club as well as a gift of gratitude for what you did.”
“We don't need anything,” I protested.
Vincent held up a hand. “But you will receive it nonetheless. Go, sleep. Rest. We will talk again later.”
I looked at Gavin and he nodded. He said something to one of the cops. I assumed he was asking if we were free to go because when the officer nodded, Gavin reached over and took my hand, leading me out of the library and back through the house where the party-goers had become gawkers. It wasn't until then that I remembered the side of my dress was ripped nearly to my waist.
“Um, jacket?”
Gavin glanced down at me, puzzled until he saw the full length of leg and partial panties I was exposing. His eyes darkened and he immediately handed over the jacket. As I tied it around my waist, he spoke quietly, “Since it's already torn, does that mean I can rip it off of you?”
A shiver of pleasure went through me. Everything we'd been through had my body flooded with chemicals and I needed a release. That sounded like an amazing way to start.
“Yes please,” I responded.
Gavin growled in the back of his throat and put his hand on the small of my back, guiding me the rest of the way out of the house. “We need to get back in our room before I decide it's a good idea to get things going in the cab.”
I was pretty sure he was only half serious, but I wasn't going to take any chances. I flagged down a cab and we promised the driver a big tip if he made short work of the trip. We got there in record time and Gavin gave the driver enough to make the man smile. We barely acknowledged it as we hurried into the hotel, ignoring the looks people threw my way, and took the agonizingly slow elevator ride to our room. I was sure I would explode before we got there, but I somehow managed to hold it together until we got through the door.
Gavin kicked the door closed even as he pulled his jacket off me and then it became a race to see who could get the other's clothes off the quickest. He won, of course, because he did as he promised. With a loud ripping sound, my dress became little more than a rag and was unceremoniously dropped to the floor, joining our shoes and his shirt. Even as we pulled off the rest of the clothes separating us, Gavin wrapped his arm around my waist and lowered me to the floor. We were still just a few feet inside the room, but it seemed like the best place at the moment. I didn't want to wait even the few seconds it took to get to the couch.
“Have I told you how much I love you?” Gavin murmured as he pushed my hair back from my face.
I nodded and pulled him down on top of me. “Now show me.”
His hand twisted in my curls and he pulled my head to the side. I ran my hands up his sides as he began to kiss down my neck. Wet, open kisses that quickly became teeth worrying at skin, nips that sent little pinpricks dancing over my skin. I moaned as his mouth moved lower to lavish attention first on one breast and then on the other.
I slid my hand between us, my fingers teasing the tip of his cock, mimicking the wonderful things his tongue was doing to my nipples. When his teeth scraped over the sensitive flesh, I ran my nails lightly over the head of his cock.
“Fuck,” he groaned. His eyes were almost black when he looked at me. “You keep touching me like that and this is going to be over too fast.”
He pushed himself up and moved his cock out of my reach. Before I could complain, he spread my legs and settled between them. I cried out his name as he ran his tongue between my folds, teasing and dancing across my flesh. When he took my clit into his mouth, I moaned, then swore as he slid a finger inside.
“Yes!” My back arched as he curled his finger inside me. He lightly touched my clit with his teeth and I yelped. It hadn't hurt, but it had definitely been unexpected. Then he did it again, a little harder, and fireworks exploded inside me.
Even as I was coming, he slid a second finger into my pussy, coaxing me higher, holding me there until it was almost too much. Then he stood and picked me up. I felt cool wood under my ass as he set me on the table, but then he was pushing inside me and that was all I could feel.
My head fell forward against his shoulder as my entire body shuddered. Despite his earlier haste, he moved slowly, sliding into me an inch at a time.
“I love watching your face when I enter you.” His voice was low, husky. “Fast or slow, it doesn't matter. If I could, I'd record your expression just so I could watch it over and over.”
A thrill went through me and I shivered. “Yes,” I moaned.
“And it's not just now,” Gavin said. “I love the look on your face when you come. When I pinch your nipples.” He nipped at my earlobe. “When I spank you. You are so fucking hot, do you know that?”
He held me tight as he came to rest fully sheathed inside me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, crossing my ankles just beneath his ass. The front of our bodies were pressed together, no space between us. Neither of us spoke as we held each other, joined as intimately as two people could be.
“Never again,” he said softly. “I'm never going to do anything that puts you in danger.”
I looked at him and brushed my lips across his. “I don't care about that. As long as we're together. All I want is you.”
“You've got me,” he said with a smile. He rested his forehead against mine and began to move.
His thrusts were hard and deep, drawing a cry from me with each one. I moved with him, meeting him with enough force to make him swear. My arms were wrapped around his neck, giving me the leverage I needed and I tugged on his hair, pulling his head back so that I could look him in the eyes.
“I want everything you have to give me.” My voice was breathless and I could feel the pressure inside me growing. “I want you to show me every part of your world. Pain and pleasure. Dominance and submission. I want to be your everything.”
“You are.” His fingers dug into my hips.
“Promise me,” I said. “Promise me you won't back down again. That you won't shy away from what you want.”
“I promise.” His eyes were clear and I could see the weight that had lifted from him. “And I promise to take you places you've never been.”
/>
He moved one hand between us and rubbed his thumb across my clit, pressing hard. My body stiffened as I came and still he kept the steady pressure, sending wave after wave of nearly painful pleasure crashing over me. A cross between a whimper and a moan came out of me and the sound seemed to undo him. He crushed me against his chest and came, his hips jerking as he emptied himself inside me.
We stayed there for several minutes as our bodies cooled and our breathing slowed. I caught my breath when he finally pulled out of me, my pussy throbbing at the sudden loss. Before I could climb down, he picked me up again. “I fully intend to make love to you all night,” he said as he nuzzled the space below my ear. “But first, I want to try out that huge tub.”
I laughed and leaned my head on his shoulder. I meant what I'd said. I didn't care where he took me; only that we were together. I had to admit though, a hot bath together did sound like exactly what we needed after everything we'd been through.
“Can we have bubbles?” I asked as he carried me to the bathroom.
“Bubbles?” He raised an eyebrow. “I'm a man. I don't do bubble baths.”
I ran my teeth over his nipple. “I promise I'll make it worth your while.”
He made a sound low in his throat. “Fuck. Just nothing floral, okay?”
I grinned. He was going to smell like roses by the time we were done. And if that meant he had to punish me again, well – my pussy throbbed in anticipation – so be it.
Chapter 15
Gavin
When Vincent said he wanted to give us something as a thank you for what we'd done, I thought he'd do something like buy us dinner out or something like that. I didn't expect our trip home from Cannes to be in Vincent's private jet, and I certainly didn't expect a detour to Paris.
He had a limo waiting for us and it took us straight to the Four Seasons where we were informed that we had an “All About the Chocolate” spa treatment scheduled later that afternoon. I wasn't entirely sure what that was, but I felt pretty confident that Carrie would like it. After all, it was chocolate.
The best part though was, as unexpected as the surprise was, Vincent had perfect timing. The last couple days we'd been in Cannes, Carrie and I had done some sight-seeing as well as meeting with Vincent to continue planning our joint project. But in the back of my head, I'd had something else brewing. I just hadn't known when the best time was to do it. I'd known from the moment I'd seen her that I'd wanted her. It hadn't taken me much longer to realize I wouldn't ever want anyone else. This trip had done a lot of things, not the least of which was make me admit that it was time for a change.
When Vincent told us about his gift to us, I'd taken it as a sign. Before we got out of the limo at the hotel, I asked the driver if he'd wait and take us somewhere. In flawless English, he told me he’d been hired to take us wherever we wished to go over the duration of our trip. When I mentioned a place I'd seen my last time here, he'd immediately nodded and said he'd wait while we got settled in.
Now, as we rode, Carrie stared out the window, exclaiming over all the sights. We'd be going to the Eiffel Tower tonight for dinner thanks to reservations Vincent had made, and we'd have plenty of time to see the other landmarks tomorrow, but this afternoon, there was a place I wanted to show her first. I'd purposefully been cryptic when I said we were going to go somewhere, but I didn't think she suspected anything more than another site seeing tour.
I'd been to Paris a couple times over the years, but had rarely taken the time to look around. One of the places I had been, however, was the Square Jehan Rictus. And that was where we went now. I held out my hand and helped Carrie from the back. She gave me a puzzled look as I led her up the sidewalk, but didn't say anything. She simply threaded her fingers between mine and let me lead her.
“A few years ago, I was up late and couldn't sleep. Jet lag or something. So I went out for a walk.” I stopped in front of a large black tile wall and gestured toward it. Carrie turned, her eyes widening. “I ended up here.”
“This is beautiful,” she breathed as she took a step closer.
On the black tile was written, in various languages and myriad scripts, dozens of different versions of “I love you.” It was called the “I Love You Wall.” I meant to do some research on it, find out how it came to be, but I kept forgetting. I made a mental note to try to remember this time.
“I must've stared at this wall for a good twenty minutes,” I continued with my story. “I've been to some of the biggest museums and art galleries in the world, seen the most famous paintings and sculptures done by the masters, but something about this spoke to me.” I squeezed Carrie's hand and she turned to look at me. “When Camille died, I never thought I'd find love again and seeing this wall just made that all the more real. Then I met you.”
She smiled and I knew she thought she knew what was coming next. A declaration of love. A kiss.
But she was wrong.
“I could tell you how I feel about you in every language I know, every language that's written here.” I gestured toward the wall. “But it'd never be enough. I could make love to you every minute of every hour of every day, but it'd never be enough to show you how I feel.”
I saw her catch her breath and knew it was time.
I dropped down onto one knee, even as I reached into my pocket with my free hand and pulled out the small box I'd purchased just before we'd left. The same woman who designed Carrie's necklace had made the ring too. I opened the box and watched Carrie's jaw drop.
“All I can do is promise to love you and to spend every waking moment of the rest of my life trying to prove to you just how much you mean to me.” My voice caught in my throat. I thought this would be easy, that since I knew Carrie loved me, it was just a matter of making it official. Only now did it occur to me that I wasn't sure what I would do if she said no. There was no way to know unless I asked. “Will you marry me?”
For one heart-stopping moment, I thought she was going to turn me down, but then I saw that she was just trying to control her emotions. Finally, she nodded, her eyes shining with tears.
“Yes!” She bent down and pressed her lips to mine. “Yes, Gavin.”
I slid the ring onto her finger and stood, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her to me. I took her mouth, this time kissing with more enthusiasm. Our tongues twisted around each other and I felt my body start to respond. It wasn't until I heard applause that I remembered we were in public.
I pulled back and caught a glimpse of Carrie's flushed face before I turned to see an audience of a half dozen people grinning at us and clapping. I smiled back and wrapped my arm around Carrie's waist.
“Can we go back now?” she said softly.
I looked down at her, concerned that something was wrong. Then I saw the lust in her eyes.
“We have a couple hours before that spa treatment and I think we should celebrate.” She gave me a slow smile. “And I have something I want to give you too.”
My cock stirred and I nodded, not trusting myself to give a publicly appropriate response. I followed her back toward the limo, my eyes constantly drawn down to our linked hands and the ring that was now sparkling on Carrie's finger. I never wanted to see it off. My stomach clenched at the thought of seeing it when we made love. Maybe we wouldn't do much sight-seeing during our time here. I'd be okay with that.
Epilogue
Carrie
Officially, we'd been engaged for two months and all of the people important to us knew, but tonight was the night we were making the public announcement. It was also the night we were re-opening Club Privé.
And not as a dance club.
The day Gavin had asked me to marry him, I told him I wanted to give him something too. I'd been considering it for days and figured Vincent's surprise trip would be the best time to share. He'd been shocked, but it hadn't taken much to convince him I was serious.
When we'd gotten back to the states, we'd worked together on a truly joint venture. A sex club for co
nsenting adults only, with no professionals allowed. All entertainment was carefully screened and we had set up an agreement with the local authorities to ensure there would be nothing illegal going on. Before we even opened our doors, we made sure we had a reputation for everything being above board. We knew that it might cost us some business, but that was a price we were willing to pay.
Tonight, it looked like that was going to pay off.
I'd purposefully chosen a tiny, dark blue dress with spaghetti straps, a v-neck and a short hemline to wear tonight and the moment I saw Gavin's eyes light up, I knew he remembered I'd been wearing something similar the first time I'd gone to his club. The first night we'd slept together. It wasn't the same dress since that one had been borrowed from my best friend, but it was close enough.
Speaking of Krissy...
I turned as I heard her call my name over the pulse-pounding music. I threw my arms around her. I was happy she was doing so well in LA, but I missed her so much. Standing slightly behind her and looking much more relaxed than I'd seen him before was Krissy's boyfriend DeVon. He was hot – not as hot as Gavin, in my opinion – and there were more than a few heads turning to check him out. Or they might've been looking at Krissy since she was wearing a tight, barely-there dress that almost made me look like a nun.
Behind her came our other two friends, Dena and Leslie, each dressed in different, but equally sexy dresses. Dena's was a shimmery silver that made her pale gray eyes shine and made her, with her pixie cut and petite body, look like some sort of fantastical creature. Leslie, however, was in a bright emerald green that complimented her thick red curls and showed off every inch of her curves.
Krissy and DeVon weren't the only ones getting admiring looks from our customers.
After about an hour or so, Gavin went on stage and thanked everyone for coming. He set out the official rules without sounding legalistic and then introduced me as his business partner and his fiancée. Once the cheers died down, he told everyone to have fun and led me off the stage.