I shook my head, refusing to be swayed by his sexy smirk. “I made this reservation two weeks ago. We’re not skipping it.”
Noah shot me a reluctant smirk, and we continued to the city’s best French restaurant. Ever since the dinner Noah and I shared on my nineteenth birthday, I’d been dying for another chocolate souffle.
I ordered goat cheese with red peppers and honey for a shared starter, and mussels with pommes frites for my main. Noah opted for the chicken cordon bleu. We shared bites with one another from our dishes, but when it came time for dessert, I insisted Noah order his own.
“Bossy,” he said with a grin, levelling me with a heated look before bringing his attention back to the waitress. “I’ll have the crème brûlée. Thank you.”
“And two espressos,” I added.
The waitress nodded and left, and Noah shook his head at me. “What is with these espressos you keep ordering at the end of meals? Do you enjoy stomach acid?”
“It’s the continental way. We’re not islanders anymore,” I replied, smiling. “We must act accordingly.”
“I think that’s just something people think continental Europeans do,” Noah countered.
“Well, whatever. I like it, so I’m doing it. Also, can we walk the long way home? Pretty please?”
Noah sighed. “Fine, but when we get back clothes are forbidden.”
“I think I can abide by that,” I answered, shooting him a sultry glance.
When we left the restaurant, Noah indulged my penchant for a late evening stroll by some of the city’s most beautiful buildings. I was especially taken with Holy Cross Church and its baroque design.
“As much as I don’t get your fascination with this place, the expression on your face right now is worth traipsing here every few days,” Noah said fondly.
“Did you know that Chopin’s heart is interred inside? It was pickled in a glass jar and encased in a stone pillar as a loving gesture to his home country. Isn’t that beautiful?”
“It’s certainly dark,” Noah replied with a wry smile.
“I don’t think so,” I countered. “It’s morbid, sure, but wouldn’t you like your heart to be placed somewhere meaningful after you die?”
He squeezed my hand, affection in his voice. “So long as it’s with yours, I don’t care where it’s placed.”
His response made my chest flutter. I sent him a loving smile, nuzzling my nose into his coat before we finally continued our walk. Instead of going straight back to our apartment, Noah led me to his as of yet unopened furniture store. He turned his key in the lock, pushing open the door and reaching for the light switch.
I looked around, stunned by how much progress he’d made since I was last here. The place was more or less ready for business, each item carefully selected and displayed in a way that was pleasing to the eye.
“It looks amazing,” I breathed, taking it all in.
Noah came to stand next to me, sliding his arm around my waist. “It’s been a labour of love. Come, I have something to show you.”
He led me to the back of the store, clicking on a beautiful, ornate Tiffany lamp to reveal the cosiest little nook I’d ever seen. It was complete with a velvet loveseat covered in lots of cushions with a cashmere blanket thrown over the back. A small coffee table sat in front of it on which sat coasters and a little potted fern.
“I had this vision of you studying here while I tend to customers,” he said, and my throat clogged with emotion. I was speechless. “Do you like it?” Noah asked, his voice hopeful.
I turned to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. “I adore it. You are quite possibly the best boyfriend in the entire universe. This is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me.”
He bent forward, tipping his nose to mine. “I like having you close.”
“I’ll always be close,” I promised, whispering my lips across his.
“How close?” he asked.
I tilted my head a little. “Hmm, let’s just say, I’m about to draw up a will that stipulates our hearts be pickled together in a glass jar after we die.”
A low, rumbly chuckle emanated from deep in his chest as his lips returned to mine. “So morbid. We were made for each other.”
“Yes, we were,” I agreed.