Seventeen Days Read online

  The man who was behind us and overheard everything is still behind me. He’s obviously in first class, too.

  “She’s a feisty one, huh?”

  “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

  Handing my ticket to the attendant without making eye contact, I finally make my way onto the plane. Figures she’s already in her seat.

  Her arms are crossed and she’s taken the window seat. Maybe I should kiss her and change her mood. She’d probably still be pissed off but it may do us both good. Or she’ll think I want her to fuck me as payment.

  What. The. Fuck? Like I’d ever make her pay me back in any form, sex or money. I’d never take either as a payment from her. Her heart? Now that I would take as payment. Since I’ve practically already given her mine.

  Crazy ass woman.

  Instead of kissing her, I take my seat, buckle my safety belt and close my eyes. This is going to be a long flight.

  The first half of the flight is a cold and lonely one.

  And it’s all my fault. Harrison is pissed because I offered to sleep with him as payment for his taking me to Paris. Of course, I didn’t mean it exactly like I said. Okay, who am I kidding, we both know I did.

  “I can’t believe you sprang for first class. Sienna didn’t bother book first class for my birthday trip. She sent us in coach. Not that she’d ever travel in coach, but she thought it was good enough for her daughter and her friends.”

  “What? Are you speaking to me? I’m not sure because I haven’t heard a word from you in over four hours.”

  Stupid, stubborn, irritating, sexy man.

  “Of course, I’m talking to you. You’re the only person I know on this flight, aren’t you?”

  Sounds like he’s still pissed off. I get it, trust me, I do. I’d be pissed off if he offered to sleep with me as payment for something that was meant to be a gift. But how can I accept this from him? He’s been so generous already, and I could never thank him enough as it is.

  After a full minute, he still hasn’t answered me back.

  “I get it; I know you’re pissed off. I’m … I’m sorry. I’ve told you I’ve never gotten anything for free before, right? I’m used to having to pay in some form for whatever I wanted. I’m sorry Harrison, please forgive me. I can’t stand it when someone is mad at me.”

  He’s never been mad at me, though, at least, not that I know of. This silent treatment is hell.

  “I’m not exactly mad at you. More like, I’m pissed at myself for making you feel like you need to pay me back in any way. You don’t owe me anything, Morgan. Not a single fucking thing.”

  “Oh, no, you have never made me feel like I owe you. Never. Not once. It’s only what I’ve come to expect whenever I’ve been given anything. You don’t know what growing up with Sienna was like. We’ve barely scratched the surface of what she has done to me. It’s no wonder I’m so fucked up, Harrison. I’m incredibly sorry, I can’t say it enough.”

  He has to forgive me. It’s not so much that I wanted to sleep with him as payment, but I want to sleep with him, period. End of discussion. He’s gotten under my skin like no else ever has. Not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.

  Lifting my hand, resting closest to him, he threads his fingers through mine and squeezes.

  “There’s nothing to forgive, babe.”

  And we’re back to being normal again. Whatever normal is for us.

  “How long is this flight? I didn’t pay attention when the announcements were made. And how in the hell did you manage to get a direct flight to Paris from frickin’ Alabama? That’s practically unheard of.” If we were flying out of New York, I can see a direct flight, but not in some place that until my banishment, I’ve never heard of. Call me ignorant, I don’t care.

  “Slightly under ten hours, I believe. Wasn’t paying too much attention myself. Guess you can call it luck; I honestly didn’t expect to get a direct flight. I figured we’d have to stop in Atlanta first or fly out of New Orleans. We should take it as a sign that we were supposed to be on this flight.”

  “You’re like my own, personal, lucky pebble,” I say while trying to hold back a yawn. Guess I’m more tired than I thought. Goes to show you how little sleep I actually got last night.

  “Lie your head on my shoulder and sleep, babe. I’ll wake you before we land. Would you like me to ask for a blanket?”

  Sleep sounds like the best idea I’ve heard of all day.

  “No, I trust you to keep me warm enough.”

  Making myself comfortable on Harrison, I’m sleeping soundly within minutes.

  After the disaster that was my birthday, I never saw myself returning to Paris. It may be one of my favorite cities but now it’s … tainted. I never saw a man like Harrison entering my life, either. Or shit, finding out who my father is. Or the small fact he was married to my aunt, not my mother.

  The last thirty-six hours has changed my life in ways I never dreamed possible.

  I know who my father is. I’ve barely taken a moment to let it all sink in. I know who my father is.

  And I’m in love with Harrison. What he did last night and this morning has sealed the deal for me. I’m head over heels in love with a fishing cowboy. Too bad it’s not the craziest thing that’s happened to me this week.

  I’m sitting and waiting for Harrison to get back from the rental car counter, and the older lady next to me is attempting to get my attention. It hasn’t worked much so far—I’m too consumed in my own thoughts to care what some stranger wants to talk about. If all goes as planned, I’ll be meeting my father for the first time ever. Holy shit.

  If you would’ve asked me a day ago if I thought my father was alive, I would’ve said no, there’s not one cell in my body that believed he was. Sienna has never said one word about him to me. Now, I know why she wanted to keep Aunt Savannah from knowing me. Or, at least, part of it. The other part, I’m not so sure of. I quit questioning her actions long ago. She’s never done anything for my benefit. Keeping my aunt’s love from me I’m sure was purely a selfish act on her part. She knew from the time I was conceived that Savannah loved me more than her.

  My family is so messed up.

  The lady next to me is talking away in French, and I’ve yet to respond to her. Pretty sure she called me a bitch. “I’m sorry, but I don’t speak French,” I tell her. Obviously. I do speak the language but like I already stated, I don’t feel like talking to a stranger. Maybe it’s rude, but I couldn’t care less.

  A few minutes later, Harrison is back, and I’m saved from the rude lady. “We were in luck; I was able to get an awesome rate on a rental for the next few days. If we happen to stay longer, we can extend the rental. Should we try to find a hotel first, or see if Julian is home?”

  “Since we don’t have a hotel booked, why don’t we drive by his home and scope out the area? At the same time we can see if there’s any hotels nearby. If we luck out we may find one fairly close, so we don’t have to drive too much.” His address is in Paris, but I’m not familiar with the street he lives on. “Does the car have a GPS?” I have a feeling we’re going to need it. If this trip was planned by me, or planned at all, I wouldn’t have rented a car. My ass would’ve hailed a taxi and used the train system to get around.

  “Yeah, that’s what took me a bit longer, the first one they offered didn’t included a GPS. It cost slightly more each day, but it’s worth it. I’d rather not get lost on the streets of Paris. It’ll be hell enough driving on the opposite side of the road.”

  “I’m fairly familiar with the city but not the area where Julian lives. We wouldn’t have gotten too lost.” At least, I don’t think so.

  “Ready to take off, babe?”

  Instead of answering him, I stand to leave, grab my bag, and say a halfhearted goodbye to the rude women sitting next to me. In French. She’s looking at me like I’ve suddenly grown another head. Giving her a strange look of my own, I start walking toward the rental car lot.

 
I’m so scared to meet Julian. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t.

  “Thank you for bringing me all the way to Paris, Harrison. I’m scared shitless to meet Julian. I feel sick, to the point where I think I could actually throw up. If I would’ve known who Julian was when I was last here, I probably would’ve met him. Or, at least, I hope I wouldn’t have been so consumed with partying that I wouldn’t have taken the time to meet the man who helped create me.”

  What if he doesn’t want to see me? What if he regrets my ever being born? I’d hate me. My conception ended his marriage to the love of his life. Sure, he slept with another woman so he’s in the wrong too, but my being born ended his marriage and basically ruined his life as he knew it.

  “Don’t be scared. Be the fearless woman I met a few days ago … Be the spitfire I met the first day in the woods. There’s no way he’s not going to love you. You make it impossible. Trust me, I know.”

  Did he basically say that he loves me? My heart must have heard what it wanted to. No way he said he loves me. I must be hearing things because I want him to love me. Because I only recently came to the conclusion … I love him.

  Stopping in my tracks, I turn to stare at him and take him in. He’s damn attractive. Those eyes of his get me every time. They’re such an intense stormy gray. I’d love to get lost in them forever. And that hair. Wow. All its deep-chocolate goodness, it makes me want to run my fingers through it. My fingers are practically itching. He’s missing his signature cowboy hat and has replaced it with a ball cap, I miss the Stetson. The scruff showing on his face is definitely doing it for me.

  “You should keep the scruff. It’s extremely sexy.” Giving into temptation, I brush my fingers over his chin. It’s not quite his hair, but this will do.

  Forgetting we’re in public, I pull his head down to mine for a kiss. His lips are so damn soft. He tastes of spearmint and the coffee he had on the plane. All of my favorite tastes combined. Perfection.

  “Mm, I could keep you forever,” I say before I kiss him again. This time taking the kiss much deeper. His tongue licks across my bottom lip begging for access, as soon as our tongues meet, he groans and pulls back.

  “We need to stop, we’re in public, and I’m unable to take this where I truly want to.”

  Grabbing my hand yet again, he starts walking toward our rental.

  “When we find a hotel, will you request one bed? I sort of loved sleeping in your arms last night, and I’d like to continue to do so. If it’s okay with you?”

  “Babe, it’s more than okay.” Letting out a frustrated groan, he adds, “Sleeping is all we will be doing, though.”

  We’ll see. Obviously, he knows I’m not a virgin, so I’m not sure why he’s holding himself back. Especially since we only have a few more days together before I leave. Sex with Harrison would be life-altering, I know. So why is he holding back? If he feels a tiny bit of what I’ve been feeling since the moment we met, he’s got to want me. With comments like “I’m unable to take this where I truly want to” why would he turn around and say we’d only be sleeping together? As in, not having sex? I’m so confused. He’s probably keeping me at bay to stop us from getting too far involved. Fuck that. I may not know what my future holds, but I know I want to experience a future with Harrison in it. Even if he’s strictly my friend after all this, I still want him in my life. Aunt Savannah, too. After all, she’s my only real family. I couldn’t care less if I ever talk to Sienna again and she’s my own mother.

  Whatever, I’ll take sharing a bed with him over sleeping alone.

  On the flight over, when we weren’t talking, I figured out a few things.

  One, I want to date Harrison, long-term, as a boyfriend, even if I’m not in Alabama.

  Two, I have to go to college. Have to. No matter what. I’ll research starting at a community college wherever I end up. School needs to be finished so I can start my career. Whatever that may be.

  Three, Aunt Savannah truly loves me. And I’m totally okay with that. I have come to realize I love her too.

  And her evil dog.

  Four, my home isn’t in New York anymore. I’ve yet to tell Harrison the flight ticket is pretty much void now, and I’ll be going somewhere else. No clue where, but New York is not an option anymore. Shit, my friends all abandoned me anyway. Celene has never called back after the first time we spoke about my staying with Gabe. Whatever, I totally dodged a bullet there, I’m sure.

  Five, if only I could tell my heart it doesn’t want to stay in Alabama, I’d be able to start taking step four.

  Maybe if I voice all of this to Harrison, he can help me come up with a solution. I’m sure he may know of a few good colleges that I could try to get into it. Maybe a two-year program. I’m accepted at Columbia, but no way in hell I could afford their fees now. Sienna was supposed to pay for my college education.

  “Babe, what’s Julian’s address so I can import it in the GPS?”

  It’s then I realize we’re sitting in the car; I don’t recall getting in. Must’ve been completely lost in my own thoughts. “He lives in an apartment on Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, which from the map I snatched up inside appears to be a trendy neighborhood with plenty of hotels. We shouldn’t have a problem finding one.”

  “From what the GPS says, it’ll take us about forty minutes to get there from here. If he’s home, do you want to stop there tonight, or call him and set up lunch for tomorrow? Maybe we’ll be in luck and your aunt called him while we were on the plane and he’s ready for us to show up on his doorstep.”

  I didn’t think of that. Why didn’t I think of that? She may have called him already. I mean, I know I called and left a message for him, but my message was vague, I didn’t exactly say I was coming to Paris. Shit. Why does that make me more nervous? I’m not sure I want to meet him tonight, but if I wait till tomorrow, it only gives me more time to make me anxious. At this rate, I’ll give myself an anxiety attack. Suddenly I feel like I can’t breathe. Fuck, it’s started already. Where’s a paper bag when you need one? Good thing we haven’t moved from the parking lot yet. I need to get out. There’s not enough air in this car.

  Throwing open my door, I stumble out of the vehicle. Shit, it’s not any better outside. Where has all the air gone?

  Harrison is kneeling down in front of me. I’m on the ground? On my knees? How the hell did I get down here?

  “Babe, breathe. Look into my eyes and concentrate on the sound of my voice.” Glancing up into his stormy depths, I try to take a breath. His soothing voice keeps repeating, “Breathe in … breathe out,” but it’s not working. Feeling like I could hyperventilate at any second, I start to panic even more. If I thought I’ve suffered from a panic attack before, I was mistaken. This is a panic attack.

  “Let’s try this, take a deep breath in, inhale.” Doing that while still staring into his eyes, he continues, “Good. Now hold that for two seconds … One … two. … Let it out, exhale. Now, repeat. You’re doing a great job. Deep breath in, hold again. Fantastic, now let it out.” This is working. Without him having to repeat it, I take another deep breath in. The potential of meeting my father has sent me over the edge.

  After about ten more deep breaths, I finally feel like I can breathe on my own again. The world has stopped closing in around me.

  “Jesus, you scared me, Red.” Giving me a look of concern—which I hate—he places his hand gently on my cheek. I press my cheek harder into his hand, I love the comforting feeling his touch brings me, I crave it. That’s so much better than his concerned look. Only a minute ago I couldn’t breathe, and now I feel like purring. Fucking purring. Like a damn cat.

  “I … I scared myself. I’ve never had that happen before. I’ve had a panic attack in the past, but it was nothing like I just went through. Shit, if thinking about meeting Julian does that to me, what is going to happen when I meet him? What if I can’t breathe then?”

  Instead of answering me, he places a gentle kiss on the corner of my mouth. Sl
ightly turning my head, I meet his lips. After a couple of seconds—which was about thirty seconds shorter than I would’ve liked—he pulls back and breaks the kiss.

  “Then I’ll help you out of it, exactly like I did this time. I’ll be with you on this journey, every step of the way.”

  That may be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. I find myself thinking that a lot lately. Harrison literally says the sweetest things to me. Ever. Which is kind of sad when you think about it, to think I’ve never been told sweet things in my life.

  “Thank you, in case I forget to say it again later, thank you.” Pressing my lips to his in a quick kiss one more time, I get myself up. “We should probably leave now. I’m all good, I promise.” And I am … I think. Mostly, anyway.

  “How about we find a hotel near his place, check in, grab a quick bite to eat, and then head over to his place? Give yourself a bit more time to calm down and breathe. Plus, I don’t know about you, but I’m damn hungry.”

  “Okay, sounds amazing, actually. Let’s go with your plan.”

  Backing out of our spot, he makes his way out of the parking lot. Hopefully my chest will stop constricting and I’ll be able to keep my promise of “being good”. Because, I sort of lied when I told him I was good now. I’m so not good.

  Morgan scared the fuck out of me with her panic attack. If I had never seen one happen for myself, I never would’ve known what was happening to her. I’ve had a passenger get one, they thought they saw a shark and proceeded to freak out. Turned out to be a dolphin, but it didn’t make the guy breathe any easier.

  We managed to find a hotel about a block away from Julian’s apartment. I’ve convinced Morgan to go take a hot bubble bath while I ordered us up some room service. Yeah, it would’ve been faster to probably dine in an actual restaurant, but I wanted her to calm her nerves a little more. And I may have wanted to sneak in a quick call to Savannah.

  Unpacking my duffel, I realize I didn’t bring my charger for my phone, and I don’t have an adaptor, even if I would’ve remembered it. Guess that a stop to a store is needed. Powering up my cell, I’m relieved to see I have almost a full battery. It’ll be more than enough to make the calls I need to at the moment. However, I’m not looking forward to the international rates.