Graduation and Gifts (Untouchable Book 8) by Heather Long (best books to read for beginners TXT) 📕

pretty sure the guys would have enjoyed the museum as much as we did, but it was fun to just hang with Rachel.

We talked about everything and nothing. She updated me on her family and asked about mine. I told her about Hank and Chloe. Rachel decided Chloe was her favorite. Staring at the Mona Lisa was an experience. Yes, it was smaller in person than I once imagined, but I’d also known it wasn’t as big as it seemed in all the memes and graphics.

Still, I might have sniffed a little as I studied her. Thankfully, Rachel didn’t tease me. Much.

We’d barely managed a third of the exhibits we wanted to see before it was time to find food. Café Grand Louvre beneath the pyramid was our dining choice, and I was in heaven.

“So, have you found a place in New York yet?” Rachel asked, and I grinned.

“I’m betting Archie has and is going to surprise me when we get there, what about you? I mean, the offer to stay with us still stands.”

Rachel snorted. “I like to sleep at night, and I’ve heard you’re loud.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Besides, you guys are all sickeningly happy and in the honeymoon phase. I need my own space. Plus, you need a place to retreat to when they piss you off.”

It was my turn to snort, but I didn’t disagree. We’d been known to fight in the past, though I couldn’t imagine anything would be so bad that I’d want to sleep away from them. To be honest, I’d gotten so used to them being there, I had trouble sleeping without one of them pressed up against me.

“That expression,” Rachel said with an indulgent grin. “You have it so bad for them.”

I did, and I lifted the wine we were having for lunch, and she clinked her glass to mine. The fact we could order alcohol without anyone blinking an eye at us just added to the atmosphere. We got the waiter to snap a pic of us, and I sent it to Madam, even with Rachel razzing me I didn’t need to be teacher’s pet anymore. Me flipping her off just sent her off into gales of laughter.

After lunch, I checked in with the guys. Coop had been sending me the best shots of the vineyards they were touring. He warned me Archie purchased a few cases of wine that he thought I’d like and was having them shipped home because…well, Archie.

God, I loved them.

Jake collected histories from the tour guides who spoke English and sent me notes. The part that was funnier was his commentary and subtle shots of Coop listening to their French. Apparently, it was only a turn-on when I spoke it. So I might have sent Coop a quick voice clip of me telling him about the museum in French.

The response was hilarious.

Phones away, we wandered back out to explore. There was no way to see everything, not in just one visit. And by the time we needed to leave to meet the guys for dinner, my feet were sore but my heart was happy. It was also raining outside, and I swore I swooned a little as we opened our umbrellas to make our way across to where the car would be waiting for us.

The fact Archie slid out to hold the door open for us and had his own umbrella just made me smile wider.

Whether we were romping at a water park in Florida, sunning ourselves in the South Pacific, or wandering in the rain of Paris, the happiness of just being with them was real.

One night, we did dinner on the Seine with a tour of the night sights. Another, Archie stole me away for a romantic dinner at an exclusive café, followed by a long walk through the rain-slicked streets. Jake and I nerded out on a tour of Versailles, then a day trip to Normandy, where I swore chills of the past kept shivering over me.

Architecture and the history of the ancient city held me in as much thrall as it did him. Ian and I escaped to more museums and an afternoon stroll across one of the old lock bridges. You couldn’t put locks on it anymore, but they had painted it and we could do a picnic there. A part of me was sad, but then Ian found a lock necklace in one of the shops and he got it for me. Even better, we found a busker singing in English and joined him for a few familiar songs before leaving him a few euros.

Coop and I spent an afternoon just exploring and getting lost together while riding one of the hop on and off bus tours. I tortured him playfully for hours as I gave him his own tour, translating everything but also repeating all the French. We missed dinner that night, because Coop proved just how insatiable the French made him.

Ooh, la la.

Every evening, we did something different, including delightful cabaret shows, dancing, and romantic dinners. Rachel found a gourmet food walking tour, and the guys took bets on when I’d get full. I totally won though, because the food was to die for.

Finally, we went to see the Eiffel Tower, and standing on the observation platform as we gazed out over the city just seemed to fill my soul. We got all the touristy shots we could dream of and sent them back by the dozens to Hank, Alicia, Carly, Joe, Sara, and Jeremy. We kept the more salacious ones to ourselves.

All too soon, it was time to leave for London, and as excited as I was about seeing KC and the girls, I didn’t want to leave Paris. We also had to say goodbye to Rachel. She said she would come over for the concert in three days, but she had some stuff she wanted to do before she left Paris.

We’d be back, but still…I didn’t think I could love a city more.