“Let me down,” I begged, struggling under his hold while he chuckled his amusement.

He loosened his grip and allowed me to slide down his body. My dress was plastered to my skin and it was a good thing the fabric was dark, otherwise everyone would be able to see everything. Still, every single contour of my body showed and I trembled at the way Trev’s gaze devoured the soaked fabric that clung to my chest.

He stared down at me, his wet hair hanging over his forehead. “So, was it worth it?” he asked throatily, holding me to him.

“Not sure yet,” I said and moved out of his grasp. I very slowly bent down into the water, spread out my palms then sprung up, showering him with liquid spray. “Now it was worth it,” I said, chuckling as he shook the wetness off like a dog. Specks of water flew at me and I turned to dive out of the way.

A second later he caught me from behind and I was instantly aware of the hardness in his pants. I shivered, my wet skin beading with goose pimples.

“I’ll get you back for that,” he threatened quietly right before a flashlight shone on us and somebody started shouting in French.

“Oh fuck,” Callum swore. “Come on, come on. Let’s go!”

Trev swept me out of the water just as I spotted the policemen hurrying toward us. I grabbed my heels off the grass while Trev took my hand and we ran. We didn’t stop until we were on a busy street and people were looking at us funny. Obviously, because we were soaking wet.

Callum, Isaac and Leanne were just a few yards ahead of us, and Paul and the others were bringing up the rear. There was no sign of the police, so I hoped they’d given up their chase.

“That was a close call,” I said, out of breath and shaking from the cold. I bent to slide my heels back on and Trev held my arm to keep me from tipping over.

“Thank fuck we lost them,” said Callum, standing by the kerb and looking back the way we came.

“I’m starving, let’s get food,” Leanne complained, holding her arms around herself.

“We should go back to the apartment and have something there. We can’t go anywhere in this state,” Trev pointed out.

“I’m sure there’s a burger bar somewhere that’ll let us in,” Callum disagreed.

Once the group was together, we traipsed down the street in search of a restaurant. Trev threw his arm around my shoulders, and though he was wet, too, I welcomed the warmth.

In the end, we found a McDonald’s. It felt a little sacrilegious to be eating McDonald’s while in Paris, but we were all too hungry to care at that point. Jimbo and the camera crew seemed to have clocked off, because they ordered food instead of filming us. I guessed they’d caught enough action for one night. Karla was going to flip when she saw the events of this episode, especially if they featured all the interaction between Callum and Leanne. I smiled fondly just thinking of her reaction.

“You okay?” Trev asked, studying my expression.

I swallowed a bite of my Big Mac and nodded. “Yeah, I just miss Karla. I was thinking of how much she’s going to love the new series.”

Trev shot me an indulgent smile. “We haven’t even gotten started yet.”

“Yeah, wait until you see what we’ve got planned for tomorrow,” Callum added.

My interest was piqued. I knew the name of the location because I’d helped Neil with some of the scheduling, but I had no idea where it was or what it looked like.

“What’s happening tomorrow?” I asked, excited.

Trev reached over to pinch my cheek. “Like Cal said, just you wait and see.”

Eighteen.

By the time we got back to the apartment it was almost two in the morning. We were still giddy and laughing about getting chased by policemen and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d such a fun and unreservedly spontaneous night. It didn’t surprise me that I liked being around Trev and his friends this much. Their energy and joie de vivre was half the reason I’d agreed to come on the trip. Each of them in their own way made me feel like the world could be my oyster if I only had the courage to go out and grab it.

They were unapologetic in their enjoyment of life, whereas I was constantly apologising for things that weren’t even my fault. Maybe it was because of how things ended with my family. Maybe I’d always feel to blame for things because they programmed me that way.

I shook myself out of my sombre thoughts. Because no matter how scarred I was by my parents and their repudiation, I knew I was better for it in the long run. I’d rather live life alone than live a lie.

Trev followed me down the hall to my room. His cool fingers swept over the back of my neck and effectively erased any gloomy reflections. “Make sure you shower before you go to bed, otherwise you might get sick,” he murmured.

I wriggled in my wet clothes, which felt horrible and clammy now that they’d dried a little. The fabric stuck to my body like plaster. “Oh, I have every intention. Next time I look like I want to jump into a water fountain, don’t encourage me,” I said, wagging a playful finger at him.

“But I like it when you’re the wild one,” he argued, eyes twinkling. In the past, he’d always been the reckless one, while I was the voice of reason. Cautious. Mature. Safe.

I hated being so entrenched in fears, because fear was what made us act like grown-ups, wasn’t it? Fear of being judged. Fear of losing control. Fear of being punished for breaking the rules. Fear of being rejected.

I didn’t know how much I craved freedom until this exact moment.

I walked into my room, slipping off my shoes while Trev stood in the doorway. Eyeing him bravely, I asked, “Oh yeah?”

“You have this glow when you let loose.”

You glow all the time, I wanted to reply, but I still wasn’t reckless enough for that. Instead I went with, “I like letting loose.”

A smile tugged at his lips. “You should. It suits you.”

The way he looked at me made me feel like being wicked. Just a little bit. Reaching for the hem of my dress, I said, “I need to get out of these clothes.”

Trev swallowed roughly, suddenly quiet, as I lifted the dress up over my head and pulled it off. I stood in just my bra and knickers, fully aware that my damp bra meant he could see my nipples poking through.

“Hmm, that’s better,” I said with an over-exaggerated sigh of pleasure.