“So about that comment about being out of town out for your birthday…”

He shrugged. “I wasn’t lying…”

I turned to him. “So what do I get the man who has everything?” I said, moving up beside him and slipping my arms around his taut waist.

He gave me another one of those exasperating forehead kisses. “You’ve already given me my present. You’re getting better and stronger every day. I couldn’t have asked for more.”

I was thinking more along the lines of my naked body wrapped in a big red bow. That would be a present I could get behind—if I found a way to cover up the top half, that was. Maybe Kat was right…maybe all it would take would be a flash of some boob…

Because damn, if I didn’t want to get under this man before, I sure as hell wanted it now.

“So do I get to know our plans for the night?”

“Hmm. First we get dressed for dinner. Then the car takes us to dinner. Then… we’ll see.”

“And where is dinner?”

He grinned again. “It might just be that we can eat dinner and hit one of your bucket list items all in one fell swoop.”

My eyes widened. “We’re eating dinner on the Eiffel Tower?”

“We’re eating at Le Jules Verne on the Eiffel Tower, at a west-facing window table so we can watch the sunset.”’

“Then I’d better get ready!”

My bag had been unpacked and my things tucked away by the majordomo while we’d wandered around the suite that was bigger than most small homes and hung out on the balcony terrace.

I had no idea what had even been packed for me by Sonia. Who knew what sort of eveningwear she’d slipped in there?

I whipped open the armoire that had been appointed to me and gasped. In it, along with other clothing, hung one sexy black dress, one red dress and one crème-colored gown. They were completely different than the ones he had given me in Amsterdam, but completely reminiscent of that first night we’d spent together.

I actually felt tears sting the backs of my eyes as I pulled them out and looked at them. Adam was in the shower and I took a moment to try each of them on. They were gorgeous and I had no way of knowing if Sonia had picked them out or if Adam had. But each of them were cut lower in front than I would have liked. They weren’t obscene but more like the necklines I used to wear. The red one was stunning, showing a lot of leg under a flared skirt and with a cutout in the back. When I heard the shower stop, I hurriedly tucked them back inside the closet, still unsure of what to do.

It was too much of a coincidence to ignore, and I decided, as I showered and did my make-up, that Adam had been behind the gowns, if nothing else. So I resolved to find the courage to wear one of them. If he wanted to see me wearing them, then I’d do it.

Maybe then he’d touch me.

God, I wanted him to touch me.

So during this preparation time, the seeds of Project Seduction were germinating. Because somehow, I knew if we could get over this hurdle—if he could stop seeing me as sick and fragile and helpless—that maybe we could be equals and we could both be present in this relationship again.

I spent extra time on my makeup because I had no hair to style. Though I was happy to notice that my eyebrows were starting to sprout, but I carefully penciled them in like the video tutorials had shown me to do them. I also glued on fake eyelashes. And my make-up efforts succeeded in mostly hiding the sickly look I’d been sporting.

I’d found some stunning scarves and wraps in amongst the accessories so I experimented, tying a lovely black lace scarf around my head with a big knot at the back. It trailed over my shoulder, like a long shock of hair.

With the stunning red dress I’d chosen to wear, it actually made me look exotic and a little glamorous. For jewelry, I wore some big earrings, a gold bracelet and my compass. I always wore the compass—always.

I felt like a new person, like I was no longer faded, barely visible. Like there was actually some hope that I might get my looks back—or at least most of them. That my body hadn’t permanently gone into premature menopause and I wouldn’t have the metabolism and skin of a woman over twice my age.

But those were things to hope for later. One thing this whole ordeal had taught me was to be present, be in the moment. Enjoy what I had when I had it.

And tonight, I had the handsomest, most amazing man at my side, helping me into the limo, opening doors for me, holding my hand. Feasting on me with his eyes and complimenting me on my dress after casting long, slow looks down my form.

He wore a black suit and black tie with a white shirt. It really didn’t matter what he wore, to be honest. He always looked great.