Page 154 - Interior_SPRING SUMMER FALLING_2021

154 | FRANCESCA P E NN

Henri’s eyes are focused on my shirt. “You committed for the theme the entire
day.”
“Oui,” I confirm timidly. “You wouldn’t let me get you anything; it’s the least
I can do.”
“What I want doesn’t cost money.” There is a heat in his eyes I haven’t seen

before. I press my knees together. My hormones are trying to jump to conclusions.
“Want some dessert?” Henri’s eyes flicker from the dessert to me. His eyes
roam my appearance again.
“Maybe later.” He moves a little closer to me, the scent of his aftershave gets to
me every time. “I want to hear you say my name again.”
My nerves kick up and go into overdrive. “Henri.”
“Très bien.” He smiles. “Fantastique.”
Shit. That never gets old. I’m officially wet. He plays with a tendril of my hair.
“How did you learn it and loosen up your tongue?”
“I listened to your name all day. I spent several hours yesterday hearing your
name over and over again.”
I purposely leave out the snippet about me having a wicked sex dream because
of it.

“Merci, merci beaucoup.” He looks at my hand. Soft pink glitter nail polish
shimmers in the television light.
“You changed your polish today.” His observation shocks me. “You noticed
that?”
“Yes.” There is a richness to is voice that I can’t quite place. “I notice a lot of
things about you.”
“No way,” I gasp full of disbelief. “Like what?”
He lays his head back on the couch and looks up.
“Well, when you have the ponytail that looks like a curly ball at the top of your
head, that means you’ve recently washed your hair. You exfoliate on Wednesdays.
I know because you will smell like strawberries or orange cream.”
My mouth falls open. He winks at me and then continues.
“You alternate the orange and strawberry scrub weekly. So, if I would have seen
you Wednesday night, you would’ve have smelled like orange cream. You wax
monthly on Fridays ... ” He looks at me hotly. “Which means you should be very
smooth right now.”