Chapter 23. Glimpse of Vulnerability

BELLE

The Eiffel Tower glittered with a million sparkling lights. It was breathtaking.

The radiant building shone across the city of Paris, casting a warm yellow glow as we all gazed up at it. I couldn’t help the smile that took over my face.

“Is this what you were waiting for?” I asked Grayson.

He nodded as he watched me, giving me a smile that took my breath away.

“When I was a kid, my mom and I used to come here every year after the Alpha Conference and watch it light up. She would take me to the exact store we just went to and buy the most expensive bottle of wine they had. Then we would go and get bread and cheese from the grocery store down the street, and then we’d come and sit here and watch the Eiffel Tower light up under the stars. She would even let me have my own glass of wine. It was one of my favorite days of the year—one reason I love Paris so much.”

I had never seen this side of Grayson. I’d seen him as an aggressive lover and as m