Preview of Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars
Preview of SOPHIE VALROUX’S PARIS STARS by Samantha Vérant
CHAPTER FOUR: Date Night
Before my big date with Rémi, I stood outside on the front landing. Looming over me, four stories high, the château itself sprawled at over twenty-four thousand square feet with twenty-eight bedrooms, most of them soon occupied by strangers—one in my room. My gaze swept to the long, gravel driveway, flanked by plane trees standing at attention like soldiers, to the high walls surrounding the grounds and the iron gate with the dragonfly motif in the center. Although nervous for the château’s grand opening with me at the helm, I was excited to escape this world for one night, maybe get my thoughts together because they were scattered all over the place.
I had no clue what Rémi had planned for us, so I wore a black sheath that hit above the knee, kitten heels, and a strand of Grand-mère’s pearls—simple, not too fancy, yet elegant. As I reassessed my outfit, wondering if I’d gone overboard, I turned around and ran smack into Rémi. My eyes widened with a bit of surprise but then he smiled, his dimple forming on his left cheek, and my heart melted like fondue.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked.
“I needed to get some air,” I said, giving him the once-over.
I’d forgotten how well he cleaned up when he was out of his gardening or hunting clothes—not that he ever looked bad. Freshly shaven and model handsome, he wore slim black slacks offset by an Hermès belt with a silver H, a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and my grand-père’s Rolex. He even made the watch look sexy.
“You’re beautiful,” he said.
“So are you,” I said, my cheeks growing warm.
Rémi pulled me in for a kiss, his hands around my waist. First, our lips met, then our tongues. One of his hands clasped the back of my neck, and the warmth of his mouth exploring mine sent wild tremors down my spine, making me feel faint. I stumbled backward from his embrace.
“Maybe we should stay in?” he said with a sexy growl.
Staying in held too much temptation. “And miss our only chance to leave the château?” I asked, my lips still tingling.
“Then we better go,” he said.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” he said. He pulled out a black silk scarf from his pocket and waved it in front of my face. “Or maybe you won’t.”
I stared at the sash, mortified. His laughter started soft and then boomed. “I’m only going to blindfold you.”
“Maybe I like being able to see,” I said. “In fact, I’m a chef. I like having all of my senses.”
“Lose one for a little while,” he said. “Or you’ll ruin my surprise.”
“Maybe I don’t like surprises.”
“You’ll like this one,” he said as he tied the sash around my eyes. He gripped my hand and led me to his car.
Once he settled me in the passenger seat, I said, “I’m really not liking this.”
“You will,” he said and started the engine.
I gulped. “How can you be so sure?”
“Trust me, Sophie.” He gripped my hand, stroking it with his thumb. “I know you.”
But did he? Sometimes I wondered if I even knew or trusted myself. In the past, I’d made some very bad decisions, and I didn’t want to make them again. For now, though, I was just going to go with the flow. I couldn’t see, but I could feel my heart beating, hear it, and I could still taste Rémi’s minty kiss on my lips.
Preview of Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars by Samantha Verant
