Sky's steps halted, and she looked at me. "What happened?"

"Tim is at Antoine's till nine. Why don't you get your things so that we can walk somewhere beautiful? I'll tell you everything."

"Okay. Wait while I get changed."

Sky rushed to the dance hall where she'd been exercising, and I waited for her at the reception, studying the interior of the old building.

Ollie would say it had potential and suggest a way to improve it. The guy adored renovations. Both Aiden and I thought he would gladly take up more projects of that kind if he had more time.

"Ready."

Sky was next to me, wearing her coat with a scarf wrapped around her neck.

I took her warm hand in mine, and we walked out of the building. After locking the door, Sky looked at me.

"Where do you want to go?"

"What about the Sacré Cœur? It's not windy today; we can walk around Montmartre and see the city from the hill," I said, tightening my grip on Sky's hand as we started to stroll along the alley toward the busy street.

"Sounds nice. Like a date." I heard Sky say.

"It is a date. Unplanned, but I'll try to make it good."

Leaning into me, Sky let me drape an arm across her shoulders. "What did you want to tell me?" she asked.

I glanced at the fallen leaves beneath my feet before answering, "I went to my hometown this morning and saw my ex-girlfriend."

Feeling Sky slip out of my grip, I pressed her body to mine and kissed her cheek. "Don't assume things, sweetheart. A letter from the States addressed to me arrived at the dance school where my mom used to work, and as my ex works there now, she wanted to give it to me."

Sky looked at her boots. "Did anything happen between the two of you when you were there?"

I halted on the sidewalk and pulled Sky into a tight hug. "No. I'm with you, and I don't want to be with anyone else. I picked up the letter, met her son, and that was it."

Sky's eyes widened. "Son?"

"Crazy, right?" I chuckled. "But yeah, she has a kid, a boy. So, you have nothing to worry about."

"I don't have a right to be jealous, I guess," Sky said quietly.

"You do," I replied. "That's why I wanted to tell you where I'd been to avoid misunderstandings later."

"Thank you for telling me. So, what does it say?"

"What do you mean?"

Sky chuckled. "The letter. Didn't you read it?"

I shook my head. "I feel like it's a kind of Pandora's box. What if I open it, and find out stuff I'd rather not know?"

"It can be something good."

Sighing, I let my arm drop from Sky's shoulders and took her hand in mine instead. "My mom was born there, as you already know. If she didn't have a relationship with her parents, why would they write to me now, so many years later? I doubt they knew about my existence. It makes no sense. Besides, I've never heard the name of the town. I am positive that's not where my mom used to live."

Sky smiled and pressed her lips to my cheek. The small gesture was sudden, and I loved it more than I was ready to admit.

"I get why you're nervous," she said, "but I think you should read it. It can be anything. What if it's something good?"

"You're right. I will do it once we're up there, next to the Sacré Cœur."

Sky grinned. "Deal."

We strolled down one of the narrow streets of Montmartre. Despite the cool weather, the terraces of cafes were packed. The mouth-watering aromas wafting from the numerous restaurants reminded me that I didn't have lunch.

"I'm going to get something to eat," I told Sky. "I skipped lunch today."

"Okay," she said and started to rummage in her purse as I stopped next to a vendor of crêpes.

Having placed an order with the guy, I pulled my wallet out of my pocket and frowned, seeing money in Sky's hand.

"I'm paying, Sky."

Sky shook her head. "You don't have to."

"I want to. You're a student, and I work. It's out of the question. Besides, letting the girl pay on a date is not how my parents raised me."

Sky blushed. "Thank you, bossy pants."

"You know you love it, sweetheart." I winked, handing the vendor the money and taking our crêpes.

"I'm not sure I do. Maybe you should convince me with your daddy ways," said Sky as soon as we were out of the vendor's earshot.

I pecked her lips and laughed as I took the first bite of my food. Sky followed my example and started to eat, as well. For a while, we chewed our dinner and walked without saying a word.

"What would you like to drink?" I asked Sky when the stairs leading to the Sacré Cœur came into view.

"Hot chocolate would be amazing," she answered, smiling.

It wasn't a bad option for a cold evening. Shortly after, we started to climb the stairs, clutching the styrofoam cups in our hands.

Being tired and breathless was a small price to pay for seeing the majestic basilica. The white domes looked even better at dusk, magnified by the warm yellow lights.

"Come here, sweetheart," I said, leading Sky toward the steps at the bottom of the building.

The weather was our ally- we didn't have any trouble locating a spot where we could sit. I made myself comfortable on one of the steps and pulled Sky onto my lap.

She drew an arm around my neck and leaned into me, sipping her hot chocolate.

I relaxed, focusing all my attention on the girl next to me as she let out a content sigh and downed the rest of her drink, resting the cup on the step beside her.

"The city looks beautiful from here," Sky said, looking at the sparkling lights of Paris in the distance.

"Do you want to see it better?" I asked.

Sky smiled. "Do you?"

I could've answered. Instead, I put my hand on the back of Sky's neck and pressed my lips to hers, kissing her slowly, with just enough pressure to make her lips part and allow my tongue to slip inside her mouth.

The letter was still tucked in my pocket. The stress of the long day and the trip to my hometown made me exhausted. Yet, the only thing that mattered was the kiss and Sky's tentative answer to it when I stroked her tongue with mine, varying the pace and seeking a better angle to hear her soft moans.

Even through the layers of clothes, Sky's heat was burning me, driving me wild and making me wish she would be ready to take things further tonight once we were home.

"I want you, sweetheart," I whispered, stopping the kiss for a second. Sky sought my lips again, kissing me much harder this time. Did she feel what I was feeling? Was it her way to tell me she wanted it too?

The loud chatter of a group of people starting to climb the stairs broke us apart.

I pecked Sky's forehead and buried my face in her neck, stroking her back as I held her long enough to gain some control over my body that craved Sky like an addict craved drugs.

"What about the letter?" she asked when our breathing slowed down.

There was no point in delaying it any longer. I took the envelope out of my coat pocket and tore it open, careful not to damage what was inside.

The yellow lights around us allowed me to see the words printed on a standard white page.

I reread the few lines at least ten times.

"Attorney?" asked Sky. "So, you inherited something, and that person stated in their will that you should be contacted once you turned twenty-one?"

"It looks like it," I mumbled. "But the person they mention isn't anyone I know. The name doesn't ring a bell."

"There's a phone number at the bottom."

"I guess I'll call them," I said, reaching into my pocket to grab my phone.

My heart was racing as I typed the number and pressed the call button.

Nobody picked up the phone.

Having called the number several times, I gave up.

"I guess I'll try again later," I said to Sky.

We rose to our feet and strolled toward the panoramic viewpoint of the beautiful city stretched beneath us.

Once again, I encased Sky in an embrace. Nobody stood next to us, granting us some much-needed privacy.

I kissed her again, with the spectacular Parisian lights in the background, pressing her to me harder. My impatient hand undid a couple of buttons on Sky's coat. I slipped my palm inside, moving it up Sky's stomach and resting it on her breast.

"Liam..." she whispered, breaking the kiss. "What if...?"

"Nobody sees, sweetheart," I said against her neck, placing a wet kiss below her ear. "Do you want more? Would you like to feel my hands on you without clothes between us?"

The barely-there nod of Sky's head wasn't enough of an answer. I wanted her to be comfortable to tell me what she wanted using the words.

"Yes," I heard her say as she drew her arms around my neck and kissed my lips once again.

"Then you'd better leave your bedroom door unlocked."

***

Once we were in our apartment and Amelia dropped Tim off at home, my mind returned to the topic it had been trying to block for hours.

Someone I didn't know included me in their will, and the only person who had the answers I needed wasn't picking up the phone.

I called the number repeatedly while Tim was in the bathroom, getting ready for bed. Once my brother went to his bedroom, I knocked on Sky's door.

She opened it for me, beautiful with her hair down, still wearing the same clothes she wore before.

"Any luck?" asked Sky.

I shook my head and hugged her, closing the door and locking it just in case.

Sky looked up at me, smiling and tugged at the hem of my shirt. I whipped it off me, throwing it to the floor and lifting Sky, who giggled as I made her put her legs around my hips and walked into her en-suite bathroom.

"Liam, what are you going to do?" asked Sky, uncertainty lacing her voice.

"I'll take a nice hot shower with you." I winked at her, putting her down and pushing my sweatpants down my legs.

Sky blushed but said nothing as she started to take off her clothes.

"No." I stopped her. "It's my job."

Giggling, Sky shook her head and let me take off her sweater.

With every piece of clothes falling onto the tiled floor, the electricity in the air around us got more palpable. At some point, I stopped thinking. It probably happened when Sky stood in front of me in nothing but the blush on her cheeks.

Her blue eyes blazed with fire that matched my own. The desire in them was unmistakable.

Wordlessly, I turned on the shower and checked if the water was warm enough before standing under the spray and pulling Sky to me.

My lips were on hers as soon as her naked skin touched mine.

Hot water cascaded over our equally overheated bodies, washing away the stress of the long day. I felt my muscles relax and then tense again when Sky caressed my stomach and chest without tearing her lips away from mine.

Putting my hands on her waist, I slid them lower, resting them on her behind and pressing her body to mine even harder as my mouth continued its assault, kissing Sky with abandon and more passion than I thought I could feel.

"Liam," she whimpered between my heated kisses.

Stopping for a moment, I reached for a bottle of shampoo and squeezed some onto my palm. Sky closed her eyes when I massaged it into her hair. Then, she took it from my hands and repeated the same thing I'd done on me.

It was time for the body wash. I let my hands glide over every curve of Sky's body. Her eyes flared when my fingers grazed her thighs. I crouched down and extended the lather over her legs, relishing the sight of Sky biting her lip as I caressed her skin.

I let her touch me in the same way, struggling to keep my desire in check. My nakedness was making Sky blush, but her caresses grew bolder each time. When her hand wandered south of my stomach, and I felt her fingertips on the part of me that had been burning with want, I pressed her up to the tiled wall and took her lips with mine again, deepening the kiss as I hooked one of Sky's legs around my hips and stroked her skin, moving my hands up and down her body.

"Do you want me to touch you?" I asked, licking Sky's neck. Her body screamed yes, but a quiet 'not yet' left her lips.

Giving Sky one more kiss, I held her as we stood under the hot water and let it wash the lather off our bodies.

Turning off the shower, I stepped out of it. Grabbing a towel, I quickly dried myself off and wrapped it around my hips.

Then, I took my time drying Sky's hair and the rest of her. We walked into her bedroom holding hands. Sky unmade her bed and grabbed some clothes from the chair. I stopped her, pressing her to me and kissing her again as I walked her to her bed and made her lie down after I yanked the towel off her and let mine fall to the floor as well.

"I'll warm you up," I said, wrapping Sky in my arms and covering us with the comforter.

She nodded slightly, snuggling into me.

What I didn't expect was hearing her sniffle.

"What's wrong?" I asked, trying to see Sky's face she was desperately trying to bury in my neck.

Sky shuddered with sobs, and I was at a loss, not knowing what to do or what I'd done to cause them.

"Sky, please," I whispered, kissing her forehead. "What happened here? Why the tears?"

"You'll get tired of me," she said almost too quietly for me to hear.

"Where did that nonsense come from?" I asked, lifting her chin with my thumb.

"From knowing you want me. You want more, and we stop every time because of me," said Sky, still refusing to look at me.

"So, should I insist on things you're not ready for? Do you think it would make me feel good? I want you to enjoy what happens between us. Until now, you have liked it. Am I right?"

Sky nodded. I kissed her, then, wiping the moisture off her cheeks with my lips and moving them along her jaw and down her neck, licking her collarbone and kissing the top of her breasts before taking one of her hardened peaks in my mouth and sucking lightly.

Sky moaned, arching her back and gripping my head to hold it in place as if she was afraid I would stop.

I didn't for a long while, driving Sky crazy with my lips and whispering how beautiful she was and how much I wanted her between kisses and caresses.

I hoped she believed me and let me in instead of overthinking and imagining things that weren't true.

When Sky fell asleep, still naked in my arms, I failed to do the same, holding her and staring into the darkness of the bedroom while I stroked Sky's warm skin.

She wasn't honest with me. There was more to her inexperience and shyness, and way more to her tears.

I grabbed my phone with a sigh and unlocked the screen.

Then, my heart pounded against my ribcage, and my mouth went dry, because, for some reason, my fingers typed the words behavior of victims of sexual abuse into the search bar.