“Bien.” Michel gave the phone back to Callie. She wanted to look at the picture, but the storm clouds in Wes’s eyes warned her that she had gone far enough for now. She gave the birdcage to Michel.

“I think we’ll need supplies. I’m not sure exactly, since I’ve never had pet birds.”

“I will buy all that is required, mademoiselle, do not worry.” Michel was still grinning as he loaded the lovebirds into the back seat of his car. They chirped and chattered, huddling close. One bird ruffled the feathers of the other with obvious affection.

“See,” Wes said and chuckled. “Your face is stunning.” He held out his own phone, showing a quick snapshot he’d taken as she’d looked at the birds again. Her face had a peculiar look of wonder and love. This was what he saw when he looked at her? She wished more than anything that she could find a way to show him what he looked like to her. The time would come. She would get her art supplies and she would paint him in every way her hands longed to do.

Michel said a quick good-bye, took the birds with him and then he was gone. Wes then glanced around at the shops.

“You need art supplies. We can buy them here before we head for the tower.” She took his hand when he offered and followed where he led. It was becoming so easy to follow him. It should have frightened her, but she still sensed there was something significant to this. She just hadn’t figured it out yet.

*  *  *

The Eiffel Tower was not exactly what Callie had expected. Wes saw right away that she was less impressed by the tower and more interested in the sights below. They were on the middle deck because it was the highest he would agree to go. There was no way he’d go to the top.

“Wes, are you okay?” Callie was leaning against the railing with her back to the edge. Despite the metal mesh protecting the deck’s inhabitants, a roll of nausea swept through him at seeing her so close to the edge. His vision spiraled slowly, dizzyingly.

“What?”

She left the edge and walked up to him. He was leaning back against the wall of the middle deck, relieved to feel the metal supporting him.

“You’re really pale,” she observed and reached up, placing the back of one hand to his forehead. Her brows were knit in concern. He shackled her wrists but didn’t try to remove her hands from his face. He enjoyed her touch, perhaps too much. At that moment, holding on to her calmed him.

“Wes, you’re scaring me.” Her voice intruded through darkness and he realized at some point he’d closed his eyes. Her gentle fingers combed through his hair and his whole body shuddered. He rarely let women touch him. Intimacy was seldom allowed. Even after the sex was over…he kept his distance and made them keep theirs. With Callie though…he couldn’t stay away from her. She was a drug. He was addicted to her in the worst way. If she touched him, he burned; if she kissed him, he became an inferno.

“Wes.” Her lips touched his and the jolt of pleasure that rocketed through him momentarily dispelled the awful vertigo. When she moved back a few inches, he opened his eyes.

“Are you afraid of heights?” she asked. The girl was too smart, too observant. His weakness, the flaw he tried to hide, she’d exposed in just two days. There was no way he could deny it.

“Heights make me a little uneasy.”

Callie gripped him by the arm. “One look over the edge. Do that with me. Then we go back down together right away. Deal?”

Wes blew out a shaking breath and forced every bit of testosterone he had to pump through his veins. Nearly blown to bits by a car bomb a month ago had been less frightening than this.

“One look and you’ll owe me double tonight.”

“Okay,” she said and laughed. “Heights are a hard limit for you,” she teased.

He gripped her by the waist and dragged her into his arms, letting every inch of their bodies touch. She shivered and her lashes fluttered, and that simple reaction had him tensing in hungry anticipation. How she made him ache! Never in his life had a woman made him burn like an unquenchable fire. He wanted to show her everything he could give her, and take everything she could offer, but only when she was ready. It had to be soon or he’d die.

“Darling, you haven’t seen that side of me yet, but you will,” he promised. She would get to know that side of him very well, and she would like it so much she’d scream his name in pleasure until she passed out.

Callie licked her lips and gave a little tug on his hold. “One look. You promised.” Even in his grasp, dominated by him, she still challenged him, like any good little submissive who was looking for a sensual punishment from her dom. She was a natural and she just didn’t know it yet.

He let her guide him to the edge.

“Now look down,” she urged, her arm entwined with his, grounding him when he needed it the most.

His eyes took in the view. It was spectacular. Paris sprawled out around the base of the Eiffel Tower. The urban sprawl, the miles of monuments mixed with apartments, homes, shops, and museums. A city laid out from a bird’s-eye view. It was an amazing sight, but the longer he looked, the more his stomach turned.

“Okay, we’re good to go, aren’t we?” Callie nudged him, getting him to move back to the inner wall toward the elevators.

It didn’t escape his notice that he’d been able to trust her and rely on her. That was a first. The only other person he’d dared to rely on was his grandfather, but his grandfather had moved to London long ago to escape his parents. He missed the old bear. Wes couldn’t hide his smile. Callie would like his grandfather and he’d like her. Perhaps he could take her to London next, as soon as the art theft was resolved.

The entire time they rode the elevator down he imagined how he’d make Callie pay her dues. He was torn between demanding she strip bare and get on her knees to ask for a spanking, or better yet, she’d have to spread her curvy legs so he could bury his face between her thighs. Yes…that image kept him hard the whole way down. But was she ready for that? She was close. Those barriers that kept her from opening herself up were slowly crumbling, and he, like a wolf prowling the perimeter, was ready to pounce. There was no denying it. The hunger for her, the all-consuming need to claim her, was winning out over rationality and good sense. But she had to come to him first. Willing and begging for him.

“We can do the Louvre tomorrow, right?” Callie asked, a little yawn escaping her.

Wes glanced at his watch. It was late afternoon.

“The Louvre can wait.”

He’d already dialed Michel and the faithful driver was waiting near the base of the tower. When they met up with the driver, Callie climbed into the back and immediately inquired after the birds.

“They are fine, mademoiselle. I bought them a new cage and food,” Michel assured her.

Callie relaxed and settled back in her seat. The late afternoon sun glinted off the bangle bracelets he’d bought for her. The golden bangles were a subtle sign that she belonged to him. The next step would be leather cuffs lined with the softest fur to keep her skin from chafing. These cuffs would be for bed play and he’d be able to do so many delicious things to her if she wore them. The thought of that nearly drove him out of his mind with lust. He clenched his hands into fists on his thighs.

As they entered the apartment, they ran into Françoise, who was just exiting. His housekeeper was in her late fifties, with raven black hair and light brown eyes that warmed with her smile as she held the door open for them.

“Bonsoir, Monsieur Thorne,” she greeted them.

Wes introduced Callie. The two women took to each other instantly.

“I bought the supplies you requested, mademoiselle,” Françoise said.

“Supplies?” Wes darted his gaze between the two women.