One Night

Chapter 127

Audrey

Topened my eyes and immediately felt my stomach drop.

We were standing on a narrow ledge high up on what appeared to be a church tower, the city of Paris spread out below us. The wind whipped around our shoulders, tugging at my clothes and hair.

“Oh. Goddess,” I gasped, instinctively clinging to Edwin. My fingers dug into his jacket as I pressed myself against him, terrified of the dizzying height. “Edwin, what are we doing up here?”

Edwin’s arm tightened around me, his body warm and solid against mine. “It’s okay,” he murmured, his breath tickling my ear. “I’ve got you. You won’t fall.”

“Are you sure about that?” I squeaked, my eyes screwed shut. I could feel the ledge beneath my feet, narrow and unforgiving. Just one wrong step, or a well-timed gust of wind, and—

I felt his chuckle rumble through his chest. “Positive. Come on, open your eyes. The view is worth it, I promise.”

Slowly, I forced myself to look. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I realized that he was right. The city was breathtaking from up here, a sea of tw**ing lights and crooked buildings. The Eiffel Tower stood out in the distance, illuminated against the night sky

“Wow,” I breathed, my fear gradually receding as I took in the magnificent view. “Its… beautiful.”

Edwin pointed out landmarks to me, his voice low. “See there? That’s the Seine, winding through the city. And over there, you can just make out the Arc de Triomphe.”

I nodded, too busy drinking it all in to speak. The cool night air was even starting to feel refreshing now, rather than terrifying. “Is this… is this your favorite place in Paris?” I asked, looking up at him.

His expression tightened, but I swore I could see a flicker of nostalgia in his eyes. “It is. I used to come here on my own as a kid. I would sneak in late at night and just sit up here, looking at the view.”

I turned to him, surprised. “Sounds dangerous for a kid.

“Probably.” He shrugged, and his arm tightened further around my waist. “But it felt like an escape. A way to look at the world from an outsider’s perspective, to disconnect from everyone else and just be alone.”

I studied his face, noticing the faraway look in his eyes. I was learning a lot about the icy Alpha tonight. I was hungry for more, but I didn’t want to push it. “I’m surprised you would share this place with me, then,” I said softly. “It seems so personal.”

Edwin looked down at me and raised his hand, his knuckle brushing my cheek gently. His fingers, cool and callused. lingered there for a few moments. I didn’t even dream of pulling away, because if there was one thing I had learned as of late, it was that there was no telling when we would get a moment like this again.

“It’s even more special now that you’ve been here,” he murmured.

My heart s***d a beat at his words and touch. Swallowing hard, I turned away, my eyes landing on the large bells nearby. I walked over to them, placing my hand on the cool metal. The surface was smooth, worn by years of use and weather.

Suddenly, Edwin shouted, his voice echoing loudly into the bell I jumped, startled by the unexpected noise, and clutched my necklace.

“What are you doing?” I hissed, glancing around nervously. “Someone might hear us!”

13:03 Wed, Sep 18

Chapter 127

But Edwin was grinning, a mischievous glint in his eye that made him look years younger. “Try it,” he urged. “It’s fun, I promise. No one will hear us from down there.”

Hesitantly, I leaned towards the bell and whispered, “Hello?”

My eyes widened as even that soft sound echoed back to me, amplified and slightly distorted. “Hellooo…?

“See?” Edwin said, his smile widening. Now really let it out. Shout something”

Taking a deep breath, I shouted into the bell-nothing coherent, just a wild wh**p and a giggle. Edwin followed suit, and soon we were taking turns shouting into the bell, our voices mixing and mingling into a cacophony of nonsense and laughter.

As I watched Edwin screaming into that bell, I caught a glimpse of the

Young boy he had once been. It made me wonder what had happened over the years to make him so guarded, so icy at times.

A pang of bitterness shot through me as I thought about Fiona, forcing him into a marriage he clearly didn’t want. And no one, not even his own father, would help him. He was trapped, alone….

It was enough to make anyone bitter, I supposed.

In that moment, I wanted to hold him, to be there for him. Even if there was nothing I could do to help, wanted to show him that he had at least one ally in this cruel world. I reached for him, my fingers nearly coming into contact with his hand, and then-

Suddenly, a shout rang out, cutting through our laughter. “Hey You can’t be up here!”

Edwin grabbed my hand. “Run!” he yelled, pulling me towards the stairs.

We flew down the steps, our footsteps echoing in the narrow stairwell. I could hear the security guard shouting behind us, but we didn’t dare stop..

We burst out onto the street, still hand in hand, sprinting through the bustling city. The cool night air rushed past us as we ran, our breaths coming in short gasps. Suddenly, a vespa came out of nowhere, its headlight blinding in the darkness, and I yelped as Edwin yanked me out of its path. The driver swerved and shouted something in French, narrowly missing us.

“Sorry!” I shouted over my shoulder.

We kept running, turning down side streets and alleyways until we were both gasping for air. Edwin pulled me into a narrow alley, and we leaned against the wall, trying to catch our breath. The rough brick scraped against my back through my thin

shirt.

I looked up at Edwin, a giggle escaping me. But the laughter died in my throat as I saw the way he was looking at me. Hist smile had faded, replaced by an intensity that made my heart race for an entirely different reason.

We were so close, I could feel the heat radiating from his body. Without thinking. I grabbed his jacket, tugging him even closer. The leather was smooth under my fingers, and he lurched forward, his hands slamming into the bricks on either side of my head.

“Kiss me,” I whispered, surprised by my own boldness. A command-not a request

For a moment, Edwin hesitated. I could see the conflict in his eyes, the desire warring with something else-responsibility. maybe, or guilt. But then, with a low growl, he cupped my face in his hands and pressed his lips to mine.

The kiss was everything I had been dreaming of for months. Passionate, desperate, full of pent-up longing. My hands slid up to tangle in his hair as he pressed me against the wall, his body flush against mine. I could taste the wine we had shared earlier on his lips, mixing headily with the scent of him.

When we finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, I suddenly realized where we were. The reality of our situation came

2/3

13:04 Wed, Sep 18

Chapter 127

crashing back, but I didn’t care. I wanted this, wanted him.

“My hotel,” I gasped, my voice husky. “It’s not far from here.”

Edwin’s eyes searched mine, giving me one last chance to back out. But I was done running from this, from us. I took his hand, lacing our fingers together,

“Come on,” I said softly, tugging him back toward the street.

He didn’t resist as I led him through the streets, our pace quick but no longer frantic. The night air was cool on my flushed skin, and I could feel my heart pounding with anticipation. I wanted to run back to my room with him, but I forced myself to move slowly, deliberately-not desperately.

We finally reached the hotel a few minutes later, slipping inside and making our way to the elevator. The ride up to my floor felt endless, the air between us charged with electricity. I could feel Edwin’s gray eyes on me, intense and hungry, scanning my body from head to toe as though trying to decide which part to bite into first.

And then, as soon as we were inside my room, Edwin’s arms were around me again-He lifted me easily, my legs wrapping around his waist.

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