After a delicious French breakfast early that morning, Damien and Mikayla said goodbye to Daniel and Sophie, then headed into the city centre of Paris, where Damien owned an apartment. He intended to spend the rest of the weekend taking Mikayla around the enchanting city.

"What the heck Damien!" Mikayla's eyes were wide as they entered the double living room area.

She ran to the floor-to-ceiling French windows, which doubled as doors that led to a small wrought iron balcony. Her eyes sparkled at the Eiffel Tower.

"I mean, when you told me it was close, I didn't expect it to be this close!" she gushed, as she looked around the apartment.

The view of the Eiffel Tower was so spectacular and it seemed so near that she felt like she could have reached her hand out and touched it.

The two-bedroom apartment was located in an 18th century building, near all of central Paris. The outside of the structure had that classical architecture design that was aesthetically European.

The interior spotted a mix of modern and antique décor and she loved the way that Damien had transformed the space. There was a large open plan in the living and dining room area that was framed by floor-to-ceiling glass panes, letting a lot of light into the room. The same views were available from the bedrooms and Mikayla took her time to soak in the sights before her.

Damien walked up behind her as she was standing on the small balcony just off the bedroom.

His hands came to wrap themselves around her. "Do you like it?" he asked, his voice a bit unsure.

He had wanted to make this trip special for her, but he did not want her to feel like he was excessively wasting money. He was aware that his wealth still made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

Nodding as she relaxed back into him, "It's perfect," she had not missed the hint of uncertainty in his voice, "thanks for not overdoing the lavishness."

Chuckling, he kissed her neck, "I'm trying. I figured you'd not kick my ass too much if I just used what's already at my disposal instead of sourcing other things."

"Sneaky..." Mikayla turned, her arms wrapping around his neck as she kissed him deeply. She then asked with a mischievous smile, "Do we have time for a quickie?"

Growling softly, Damien picked her up and dropped her onto the bed, already lowering the zipper of his pants, his eyes full of desire, "Always..."

————— ▲ —————

"Ah! Damien!" Mikayla exclaimed, as she sat at the small sidewalk table with Damien at the popular restaurant L'Escargot, a platter of six snails staring up at her, "I've never had the courage to try snails before."

"That's why you're going to try it now," Damien said with a smile, as his aquamarine eyes looked over to her, appreciating her beauty in the shade of the mid-day sun.

He had to admit that he loved the orange tinge that her skin got in the daylight. His left hand reached across the table to rest on top of one of hers, his thumb idly running over the back of her hand. It was something that he found himself subconsciously doing on many occasions, that and holding her hand. He realised that he always wanted to be in contact with her in some way, shape or form.

"Go on, try it," his smooth voice encouraged her.

Mikayla crinkled her nose a bit as she looked down at the silver tray, the shells oozing green liquid which was a mixture of parsley, butter and garlic. With slow movements, she awkwardly removed the snail from the shell then put it in her mouth quickly, before her resolve disappeared.

With as amused look, Damien watched as Mikayla slowly chewed, waiting to hear her thoughts.

"Okay, that was much better than I thought it would be!" the surprise in her voice could be heard as she happily devoured the rest of the snails.

Puffing out his chest playfully, he teased, "That is why you must always trust in the Damien."

They enjoyed the rest of their brunch, idly chatting while planning the rest of their day. Mikayla was surprised that Damien had bought them tickets for the Big Bus Paris Hop-On Hop-Off Tour. A part of her had expected him to do some over the top gesture, even though so far, he had kept things within reason.

As they got on board the bus Mikayla said, "I must confess, I wasn't expecting this."

"No?" Damien said, a small smile on his lips as they sat down, "What were you expecting?"

Shrugging, she said, "I'm not sure, probably something extravagant, like a helicopter tour or something."

"That can be arranged still," Damien replied, as he began to reach for his mobile phone.

"No!" Mikayla laughed as she quickly stilled his hand, "I wasn't complaining. I just know you don't exactly listen all the time," she commented as she remembered him buying things for her even when she said she did not need them.

Leaning down, he kissed her softly, "I told you that I will spoil you from time to time. My ego needs it."

Damien's tone was light-hearted, even though they both knew he was serious.

He reached for her hand, entwining their fingers as he said, "I am learning to keep things within reason. Besides, I thought you would have appreciated a bus ride more." he gave her hand a light squeeze, "It's also something that I've never done, so I thought you would not have minded us doing something for the first time together in my city."

Mikayla sighed heavily, "You're amazing," she murmured softly, as she rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes taking in the sights through the window.

They spent the rest of the day hopping on and off of the bus. They had chosen to take the classical route and they visited at as many sites as they could. One of their first stops included the Eiffel Tower and Champ de Mars. Mikayla had visited these sites before, on her previous trips to Paris, but being able to see them with Damien made it all the more meaningful, especially as it was where he was from.

She made sure to soak up every minute of it. They also visited the Opéra Garnier, the beautiful 16th century building was truly a sight to behold. The Grand Foyer always took her breath away.

Mikayla could not help but smile brightly as she and Damien took selfies on their phones, acting like a silly touristy couple. She really could not believe that she was in Paris right now, having the time of her life with such a remarkable man.

Sometimes, she still could not believe the turn her life had taken since that faithful day when she had lost her job from Northefielde's. What she thought had been the worse day in her life, turned out to be a turning point that would lead her down a path which she could never have envisioned.

Life was funny like that; things could always change in an instant.

"We'll visit the Louvre tomorrow," Damien said promisingly, as they bypassed the drop-off point by the museum.

They continued on and visited the Notre-Dame Cathedral, a personal favourite of Mikayla's. She always enjoyed visiting old churches. The grandeur of the architecture never failed to leave her in awe, no matter how many times she visited such places. Walking hand in hand, they ended the afternoon with a beautiful stroll along the Champs-Elysées.

Mikayla's eyes lit up as she saw the Ladurée Paris Champs Elysées sign, "Oh! We need to go in here, I need to pick up something for Hannah!" she excitedly said.

Entering the store, Mikayla went up to the counter and started speaking French, enquiring about what she had called in and ordered over the phone the day before. She knew that Hannah was obsessed with anything Ladurée and so, as a surprise, she had ordered a Napoleon Gift Set which contained an assortment of macarons, marshmallows, chocolates and jam. Mikayla had also bought additional macarons, as the set only came with eight. She decided on an elegant round box with a transparent lid that came with twenty macarons.

Mikayla also picked up a small, pastel green Napoleon box that held six macarons for herself. She asked Damien if he would like anything and he could not help but get his favourite pastry. He chose a Plaisir Sucré, which was a crunchy gourmet-type biscuit with hazelnuts, praline and milk chocolate.

As she went over to the cashier, who was currently tallying the bill, Damien came up next to her and began taking his wallet out. "N'y penses même pas!" (Don't even think about it!)

With the death stare that her beautiful brown eyes gave him, he knew that he had no choice but to raise his arms in defeat, a small smile tugging on his lips.

Once everything was paid for, Damien held the bags as they left the store, "You know, no female, except for those in my family, has ever bought me anything before."

"What? You're joking!" Mikayla looked at him in surprise, "Anyway, it's not a big deal, it was just a simple pastry. You wanted it, I bought it," she added teasingly, as she mimicked his words.

It was something he often said to her when he bought her something after she protested against him doing so.

"Perhaps, but everyone always expects the billionaire to pull his credit card out," he replied.

She scoffed, "Maybe because he's always pulling it out willingly!"

He could refute that statement, "You might be right. But that has not prevented you from stepping in on occasion and holding me back from paying for stuff."

"That's because unlike most people, I don't want you for your money. And my needs are simple, I can pay for my own things." Mikayla replied, then added, "Besides, I wanted to buy you something to show my appreciation, even if it's just a simple pastry." She said, while shyly looking away from him.

Damien smiled as he pulled her in for a kiss, three words threatening to spill. Instead he replaced them with three other words, "You are extraordinary."

He slowly ended their kiss and continued to speak as they walked back to the apartment, "So, I made dinner reservations for us."

"Of course, you did," Mikayla chuckled softly, while rolling her eyes as she hooked her arm into his, seeing as his hands were full.

With a grin, he feigned innocence, "What? It's not too over the top, I promise."

————— ▲ —————

Dinner that night turned into a cruise along the river Seine, where Mikayla and Damien were able to admire Paris from the water. He had, of course, booked the premiere dinner special that gave them a table at the front of the boat, with an unobstructed view of iconic landmarks through floor-to-ceiling windows. The package included a delicious three-course meal with wine and cheese which they enjoyed in a beautiful ambience.

The way the late summer sunset illuminated the scene made the night even more magical. Mikayla would be sure to remember these moments for the rest of her life. Damien kept looking over at her, his aquamarine eyes seeming to tell her something that his lips were not able to.

Mikayla could not help but fall more in love with him. There, she had finally admitted it to herself. She was in love with Damien Arnauld. The thought caused her cheeks to flame, as heat coursed through her entire body.

It was nearly midnight when Mikayla and Damien returned to the apartment, the lights of the Eiffel Tower illuminating the bedroom, as they silently stared at each other while removing their clothes. Their eyes never left each other as the slowly undressed, remaining only in their underwear.

Damien gently eased Mikayla onto the huge bed. He carefully brushed her hair away from her face, his fingertips caressing her skin. His touch was so soothing, yet electric at the same time, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body. He smiled as he laid down beside her, the both of them gazing intently at each other with anticipation of what was to come. They both knew that something in their relationship had changed tonight, the feeling in the atmosphere was thick and consuming.

"Being here with you, in my homeland, has me feeling all sorts of things Mikayla, I can't really describe it," Damien said, his voice soft and sincere as he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her open palm.

Mikayla nodded, as her hand caressed his face. She did not say anything, though her eyes reflected what she could not voice.

His hand moved to cup her cheek, his thumb gently tracing the outline of her jaw before he lifted her up to kiss him. Damien's kisses were tender, yet possessive, lighting a fire in the both of them as their passion stirred. With his tongue, he told her of his desire, gently probing, tickling past hers with sure and familiar strokes.

Damien's hands found their way to her breasts, encased in black lace and satin. He groaned appreciatively as he tenderly squeezed the flesh. His strong hands pulled the lace down to expose her dark nipples, and he broke their kiss so that his mouth could feast between each peak.

Mikayla's hand moved down to his arousal, still imprisoned in his boxer briefs. She could feel its firmness. It pleased her greatly to know that she could turn him on this much in such a short space of time. With a smile, she lightly teased him through the material, tracing his outline with her right index finger. Upon hearing his soft groan, she drew circles, relishing in the way it jumped ever so often.

Slipping her hand inside the waistband, she sighed softly as her hand came into contact with him. Pushing Damien back onto the bed, she pulled his boxers down a bit, pausing to quickly glance up at his face, enjoying the look of pleasure and excitement that was etched on his features. With the tip of her tongue, she began to tease him.

Damien groaned softly, as Mikayla's mouth nearly made him prematurely climax. The way her lips moved over him was pure magic.

Pulling her up his torso, he kissed her swollen lips as he said in a low voice, "Not yet."

In one smooth motion, he switched their positions, Mikayla was now beneath him, her legs spread with him between them. She could not move even if she wanted to. Damien was very strong, especially at times like these, when he wanted to have his way with her. With practiced hands, he removed the rest of her lace undergarments.

The flecks of yellow in Damien's aquamarine gaze seemed to glow as his eyes travelled over Mikayla who laid there, fully naked, her exposed light brown skin glistening in the light of the Eiffel Tower. He quickly removed his boxers, his fingers gently making sure that she was ready for him.

Mikayla's body was on fire. She wanted him. Unable to stand it any longer, she grasped his taunt butt cheeks and brought him closer to her.

She commanded in a voice full of longing and desire, "Damien... I need you, inside me, now..."

His nostrils flared slightly, showing how hard he was trying to remain in control. Upon hearing Mikayla's orders, he growled softly and kissed her passionately before saying in a deep and husky voice, "Vos désirs sont des ordres, Madame." (Your wish is my command Madam)

As they embraced each other, they began to move. Damien kissed her neck with each thrust of his hips against hers. Feeling his hot breath on her neck made her wild with passion, making her moan out his name over and over. They made passionate love to each other, convulsions beginning to take over Mikayla's body as he felt her begin to soar.

The blissful tingling enveloped her nerve endings, running from head to toe and back again. At that precise instant, she felt the warmth of him filling her, flooding her with himself as well as his emotions. Her hands grasped him tighter, digging her nails into his butt cheeks, and pulling him even closer to her as they both savoured the moment, letting it consume and wash over them.

Damien remained inside of Mikayla, his gaze staring intently at her, his lips moving to convey his feelings. "Mikayla, I love you mon petit oiseau des îles," he whispered.

Her eyes glaze over, full of emotion as she replies, "Je t'aime aussi, Damien." (I love you too)

It was amazing to finally voice how they felt about each other. Hearing Mikayla's admission of love in his native language made it a bit more special for Damien, and he knew that she replied in French for that very reason. They laid there for a few more moments, unwilling and unable to let go of each other as they kissed one another passionately.

The rest of the night would be spent showing and telling each other how they felt, as they made love repeatedly until the sun came up.

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A/N: The words "Vos désirs sont des ordres, Madame" is the literal French translation of 'Your desires are orders' – Oh lala! I mean how sexy is that?