"Mesdammes et Messieurs, bienvenue à Paris."

After two and a half hours trying our best to control our fidgeting on the Eurostar, the announcement over the train tannoy was accompanied by a gentle squeeze of excitement from Charlotte on my arm. There was no denying we were cutting it close, by the time we even got to the venue it would be almost eight o'clock. Showtime.

I needn't have worried, though. After somehow negotiating the Metro to Gare de Bercy, we emerged to the sight of a large, industrial-looking building, which – were it not for the swarms of fans streaming in through the doors – would have been hard to identify as one of the city's largest concert arenas.

As James had promised, our VIP wristbands were waiting for us at the box office, along with a tall, handsome man who introduced himself as Didier, and promised to look after our every need.

"So, this is what it's like to be a rock star's wife," Charlotte whispered, as Didier escorted us into a lounge and took our bags to place in the cloakroom.

"This is surreal," I replied, as a waitress appeared holding a silver tray filled with champagne flutes. Charlotte had barely even refused her glass on the basis of breastfeeding before I'd necked mine in one go.

"Straight back to reality, though," she said, her voice hushed as her eyes darted around the room. "Erin's just fired one out. We need to find a changing room, stat."

I couldn't help but laugh at how a tiny, four-week-old baby was about to cause a stink among a room full of music industry bigwigs. Literally.

"Come on," I said, nodding towards the far corner of the room. "There's a toilet over there. Let's go."

With Erin freshly changed and looking adorable in a yellow romper suit and matching ear defenders, I helped Charlotte get her strapped into a cotton sling and then we headed back out into the waiting area.

If it weren't for Didier, frantically wringing his hands as he hovered outside the door, the room would have been empty.

"Miss Abigail, Miss Charlotte, pardonnez-moi but I 'ave to rush you along. The concert is beginning tout suite."

His clipped, French accent held a charm of its own as he rushed to get the words out, his gleaming smile and beautiful brown, almond eyes distracting from any errors in pronunciation.

"The bébé," he continued, "She will be fine, for sure. But if you need a break, I will be 'appy to look after her."

I noticed Charlotte's arms pull Erin in a little tighter to her chest. "We'll be okay, but thank you for the kind offer," she smiled, her eyes not quite reflecting the warmth in her voice.

Taking our place in the box Didier escorted us through to, my heart jumped at the sight of the crowd below. Covered in luminous face paints and lit up by glowstick necklaces, the mostly female crowd was all there for the same reason; to see our boys do what they do best.

My entire body swelled with pride when Noah strode out onto the stage, gripping his beaten up blue guitar by the neck in one large, strong hand. There had obviously been an in-joke shared backstage as all four members of The Ambition were laughing as they took their positions. I doubt the fans would have noticed, but I knew the look in Noah's eyes as he glanced over to Alex sat at his drum kit. That certain twinkle he got after he'd said or thought something full of mischief, excitement, and – knowing him – probably something you wouldn't want to repeat in front of the teenage crowd.

God, I loved him so much it hurt sometimes.

It wasn't until just before the final song that James finally let the cat out of the bag. After swapping his guitar for an upright double bass, he introduced the final ballad to cheers of approval from the crowd. Nodding his head and counting to four, he suddenly threw a hand up in the air, signalling for the boys to stop playing before they'd even started.

"Mes amis!" He grinned into his microphone. "We have some very special guests here tonight. As you all know, our very own Al became a daddy earlier this year."

The crowd erupted into one giant, collective 'ahh'.

Laughing, he continued. "And, while he doesn't know it yet, his little girl is already loving the rock and roll lifestyle. Can we get some lights up on the box please?"

As two giant spotlights swung around to glare at where Charlotte, Erin and I stood, the screams were deafening as the lights blinded us all. Blinking, I grabbed Charlotte's hand and took a step to the side as the fans below cheered and waved at her and Erin. As my vision returned through the brightness, it found the one face it always searched for in a crowd.

Noah's expression was something else. His mouth hanging open, I watched as it broke into the widest smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he ran a hand back through his blonde locks.

"Baby Erin, everyone!" James announced, "The newest – and cutest - member of The Ambition family."

With more cheering and cooing from the crowd, the lights swivelled back towards the stage and the band began their final number. Alex must have played the entire first verse without turning his head away from our box, a huge grin plastered on his face and the glimmer of tears in his eyes catching the light every now and then.

I felt my own eyes begin to well up as the chorus came in, and fifteen thousand people sang along to the song Noah had written for me. Each word that fell from his lips, as he and Mikey expertly shared the lead vocal, pierced my soul as much as the first time I'd heard it.

After the second chorus, Noah dropped his hands from his guitar; Mikey's gentle acoustic strumming keeping the rhythm as James and Alex both also stopped playing. Taking his microphone in both hands, Noah turned to face the other guys and threw them the same look he had done at the beginning of the show.

"Looks like it's a night full of surprises," he said into his microphone, the dimple on his left cheek appearing as he smiled in a knowing way. "Seeing as we're in the city of love-"

The crowd's screams cut him short and nearly blew my head off. Noah signalled for them to calm down with both hands as he threw his head back and laughed.

"As I was saying," he continued, when they allowed him to speak again. "As Paris is the city of love, I thought tonight would be the perfect time to do something pretty special."

My legs turned to jelly as my stomach flipped a full one-eighty. Did he know I was going to be here all along? Was he planning something crazy? For the first time since the gig began, I had to take a seat.

"We all know that there are only a few women in the world who can claim to be among the most talented. The most gifted. And... the most beautiful."

I couldn't have felt more like vomiting even if I'd had my fingers shoved down my throat.

"And we're lucky to have one of them here tonight," Noah continued.

A cold bead of sweat ran down my back. I had no idea what he was doing, but I wasn't ready, whatever it was.

Noah's voice dropped as he focused his eyes in on one fan, probably about to faint herself in the front row.

"Ladies and gents," he smirked. "Please welcome to the stage, for one night only... Miss Arla Breeze."

The world stopped around me as I watched Arla glide like some kind of heavenly creature onto the stage, her long, white dress billowing around her as though it were her very own set of wings. Even in the middle of all the screaming, I was engulfed by silence as she walked up to Noah and kissed him tenderly on the cheek. When she positioned herself in front of his microphone, he stepped back to let her sing the final verse and chorus. The final verse and chorus of the song he'd written about me. About us.

Luckily, with Erin crying to be fed, Charlotte was happy not to hang around for the encore. With one final glance down at the stage, we scurried out of the box, where Didier was already waiting patiently outside to escort us back to the lounge.

The VIP room was a hive of activity by the time Charlotte and I made our way out of the bathrooms with Erin fed, burped, changed and fast asleep in her pram.

We spotted Alex first, his face contorted as he frantically searched the room for his wife and child. When his eyes fell upon Charlotte, he made a beeline over, sweeping us both into his arms and causing Erin to stir and whimper in her pram at the sound of his loud, Irish lilt.

"You're a fruit loop, woman," he laughed, as he smothered Charlotte's face in kisses. "You've not long given birth and now look at you, travelling to France with a baby in tow like it's no bother."

Holding her cheeks in his palms, his blue eyes glistened over once again. "Christ, I couldn't love you more if I tried, Mrs Gerrant," he smiled, before tenderly meeting her lips with his.

Smiling, I turned away and glanced at the floor, not wanting to intrude on their emotional reunion.

"Did you come all this way so I could draw you like one of my French girls?"

The whisper that brushed my ear from behind caused me to jump, as the hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention. Turning around to face him, any annoyance at Noah's earlier duet was washed away as soon as I fell into the cool, green pools of his eyes.

"Come on," he smirked, wrapping his fingers around my wrist and pulling me across the room. Smiling politely at the various people congratulating him on the gig as we hurried towards the door, his grip tightened as he picked up his pace.

Eventually ducking through the nearest doorway, we found ourselves stood in almost total darkness, the only light coming from a futuristic-looking desk covered in luminous buttons. A solitary sound and lighting engineer, dressed head to toe in black, simply nodded as he stubbed out a cigarette and blew the smoke slowly from his lips before standing up to leave.

As soon as we were alone, Noah's hands found my hips as his smile glinted in the dimly lit control room.

"I wasn't expecting to see you for another few weeks," he murmured. "How did you pull this off?"

"It was a last minute decision," I smiled, tracing my fingertips along his hairline and down into his stubble.

I didn't have a chance to say anything else before his lips crashed against mine, still salty with sweat but tasting even more divine for it. His tongue began to tease mine as his hands moved from my waist downwards, his large palms cupping my behind and pulling my body firm against his.

Running my fingers through his damp hair, I kissed him with an urgency that surged through every part of my being. Seeing him on stage, adored by thousands of screaming fans, had been an undeniable turn-on.

Yet it had also caused a niggling feeling to stir within me. So many people desired him, none of whom knew anything about my existence. So many others out there thought they had a chance with him. Just like all those women in the past that had paid him for the privilege. Just like the girls who would be waiting outside the venue to try and catch his eye. Just like Arla Breeze and the way she had made doe eyes at him while they shared the spotlight.

The image in my mind was only a brief, but it was enough to take a sharp swipe out of the moment. Pulling my mouth away from his, Noah began to trail his lips down my neck, oblivious to the pictures of him and Arla currently flashing through my head.

"Noah?" I whispered.

"Mm-hmm," he replied, not taking his mouth from my neck as he continued to nibble and suck at the sensitive skin.

"Why was Arla Breeze here tonight?"

I felt his mouth freeze, followed by a sigh as he brought his face level with mine and looked deep into my eyes.

"She's on the same label," he said, blinking his thick lashes slowly. "The next leg of her tour kicks off in Paris next week, so they thought it would be a good stunt. For us, not her."

I pursed my lips as I searched his face for any hint of untruth. Raising one hand to my face while the other stayed wrapped around my waist, he gently pinched my mouth with his thumb and forefinger. "It's all PR, baby," he grinned, before kissing my lips between his fingers.

"Stop it, I'm not a fish!" I laughed, as he let go.

"Are you getting jealous, Miss Wilson?" he smirked. "Worried I might leave you for the world's biggest star, with the voice of an angel, millions in the bank and mansions in London and LA?"

I punched him playfully in the arm. "Shut up," I scowled. "Why don't you try being the secret side-piece of Noah Hartnett? What did I see you referred to last week on TMZ? The Hart-breaker was it?"

Noah chuckled as he wrapped me tightly in his strong arms. "My heart belongs to one woman," he whispered, his chin resting on my hair. "I mean, she can be an insecure knobhead at times, but I love her anyway."

He yelped as I pinched him hard on the ass. Rubbing it over-dramatically, he turned to face the door, draping his other arm around me. "I've got to go back in and mingle for a while," he sighed. "But I assume you're staying in Paris tonight?"

I scrunched my face into an awkward smile. "Well... I haven't actually booked a room anywhere yet..." I began.

"Good job I've got a suite all to myself, then," Noah grinned, as he pulled open the door, dropped his arm from my shoulders, and gestured for me to go first back in to the hustle and bustle of the VIP lounge.