open up my eager eyes

open up my eager eyes by ssaarah

*flashback*


I was back in Paris again. I came back home all the time of course for family events and just to visit but this time? I wasn’t thrilled. I was miserable. I thought sending Odette to treatment would be good for us, that it would mean she could get better and we could move on with our lives together but instead? She gave me back the ring I’d given her. That was 4 months ago. At least I’d get to see my family, my cute baby nephew and Corey and Ava. They were having a dinner party for the start of the summer with the Schon’s and I was happy to see them too but really all I wanted to do was sink into my new apartment and drink for the rest of the night. Please…please let there be liquor at the party…I swallowed thickly at the thought of drowning in alcohol when the reason was because my ex had a substance abuse problem. Super healthy Ames. Good job. I knocked on the door to Ava and Corey’s place, a place I basically grew up in. You’d think an Oscar winner and a modeling company mogul would upgrade to a bigger place, but they were still in the same apartment that they had when they first got married. Both said it was good enough for them then and it was good enough for them now. Damn them and their perfect lives.



“Ames!” Ava lit up and walked closer to me, scooping me up into a big hug and I held her back tightly. “I'm so sorry about Odette.” She whispered, cupping my face and giving me a face of honesty, even though I knew she’d never approved of my ex-fiance. I nodded.



“We can talk about it later.” She smiled and hugged me again before offering me a glass of champagne, which I accepted. “I'm so glad you decided to take that job offer.” She smirked and I laughed.



‘You mean the one you gave me?” I teased. A lot of people would think that going back home and working for your sisters company was a crock, that I was being given everything I had but I’d turned down some of the top law firms in New York to be here. And Ava Lindsell was no gift giver, she had me interview with everyone in BMM before offering me the job.



“That’s the one.” She grinned.



“Well the money was just too good to pass up.” I teased. Honestly the real reason I came home was because I wanted to. I was a family guy, and being in the states? I missed home. And I was glad to be back despite the circumstances. Ava laughed and I joined the rest of the group, chatting with Ben and Corey and Noah, the youngest Schon. I turned and grinned at Chloe playing with her nephew, who looked a million times better than she had the last time I was here before he was born. She was holding him in her lap and reading him a story as he gurgled and she beamed down at him before looking up and waving at me with a smile. I was about to walk up to them both when a voice stopped me.



“Hey Ames.” A quiet husky voice said and I turned around and smiled before almost losing my step completely.



“Milena?” the oldest of Harper and Miles kids, we’d practically grown up together. When I left for college she was a cute 13 year old kid and on holidays I’d seen her grow into a pretty girl too, but I hadn’t seen her for a few years, she had been off at school herself and now? Holy shit.



“That’s me.” She grinned, a breathtaking smile that almost had me losing my breath. There was nothing little girl about her curvy body, full breasts and a small waist, with pouty lips and legs that seemed to go on for forever in the short sundress she was wearing. I blinked, pulling my eyes away and forcing myself to look at her face.



“That’s a pretty dress…” I trailed off. ‘You look good.” My god what was wrong with me? Milena was 5 years younger. FIVE. She was basically my little sister and yet the thought did nothing to stop my thoughts from totally running wild. Maybe it was because I’d been celibate for the past 4 months but my brain was totally wondering what all those new curves would look like sans the dress. Fuck. Shit…..I had to stop thinking like that.



"Thanks Ames…" she said softly, always a little on the shy side. "How's New York?"



"It's been good! I'll miss it, but I think I'm happy to be coming back into Paris."



"You're coming back to Paris?!" she exclaimed, quickly moving and running into one of the cater waiters, "Oh my god. I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, turning super red in the face and looking as innocent as I needed to keep reminding myself she was…



"Relax! I mean if you don't want me to come back, I can go back." I joked, making her chuckle a little nervously.



"No, I didn't mean it like that. I just didn't know."



"I'm going to work for BMM." I smiled, "Definitely a change, but I think it's necessary now." she blinked and nodded along, but she was giving me that face. The one people were always giving me. The one that said they knew my life was all fucked up and they were about to ask about it. I hated that look.



"Well it will be nice to have you back, I'm sure Ava will love it." she said instead, surprising and relieving me all at once. I laughed.



“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to be home.” I said seriously. Mila bit her lip and it took everything in me to stifle a groan as I thought about taking that pouty lip between my own teeth.



“Well I'm happy too.” She gave me a grin that did almost as much to me as her new curvy body had the minute I saw her.



“I didn’t see you last time I was here before Gabe was born.” She shrugged.



“I was out of town. I sent the enormous castle made of cloth diapers.” She teased and I laughed.



“God it’s funny thinking about Ben changing a diaper.” I said seriously making Mila laugh herself. Damn even her laugh was intoxicating. I was going to have to remind myself to stay away from her…or at least never be alone with her.



“Yeah it’s not something I thought I’d see my little sister do either…..or Chloe for that matter, but she seems to enjoy it more than Ben and Cami.” She said, shaking her head as if that was crazy. It was. Chloe acting like a housewife was completely uncharacteristic. Then again she’d always been such a romantic when we were growing up. I bet Cami and Ben’s love story was more than her fantasy especially now that baby made three.



“Well I’d rather see her changing diapers than ending up on tabloids…” I trailed off, having heard of my nieces antics even in the states.



“Yeah she seemed to go through kind of a hard time there for a while. I guess everyone has a naughty phase.” She said, giving me a wicked look at the word that made my pants feel tighter.



“Did you?” I choked out, not being able to stop myself as I thought about all the different ways my body wanted to be naughty with a girl I had basically known since she was in diapers.



"Maybe I'm going through it now… I mean high school was a little crazy." she joked.



"Crazy?" I smirked. I’d have to be stupid to not think she hadn’t had boyfriends though with Cami popping out a baby at 17 I was pretty sure Miles kept a closer eye on who they dated.



"I don't know if it's crazy. I mean not crazy enough to end up in the papers…" she shrugged, "I haven't had much rebelling…"



"Never say never though, you know the way the European press loves your family. Actually the world's press." I pointed out. Really they loved any scandal.



"Only because my parents were born in the states and then moved here once they had me. It's nothing special." she shrugged.



“The Schon's are front page news… I'm surprised you haven't been on them." I teased because besides her ending up a model I doubted she’d ever be tabloid fodder.



"Maybe I'm just better at hiding my bad habits than the rest of my family." she gave me a slow grin and I tried not to choke on my champagne.



"Are you?" she shrugged,



"Maybe. I have to keep some mystery… Everybody can't know my secrets."



"Milena!!" I turned to see Harper bringing over a boy a few years younger than me. "This is Fletcher! He really wanted to meet you."



“Mom, I was talking-" She widened her eyes,



"Be nice, please. Your father worked with his father." Mila sighed,



"Nice to meet you Fletcher…"



"It's nice to meet you too." He managed to stutter out. Poor kid, it was hard enough for me to talk to her all grown up and I’d known her in diapers. He didn’t stand a chance.



"You know, I have to go mingle, you two have fun." I gave her a small wink and then swore to myself to never think of her in that way again. Or at least never to act on it.



*present day*



“So you’re a lawyer ?” the blonde asked me with an American accent, licking her lips and tilting her head to the side as she thrust her chest out.



“I am.” I gave her a grin that had her biting her lip. She wasn’t really my type, the American ideal of tanned skin and blonde hair always struck me as too fake, but then I wasn’t looking for a girlfriend and even though I noticed the dollar signs in her eyes as she mentioned my occupation? She was just another girl on vacation, alone in the most romantic city in the world. I couldn’t fall in love, but I could make her night.



“That is so interesting.” She said in a husky voice she’d clearly perfected to seduce any guy she wanted. I heard someone laugh as she said it and I turned to look at Milena standing there with a smirk on her face.



“Mila.” The girl turned to look at her, her eyes going up and down her body the way a man’s would except with women they were sizing each other up.



“Let me guess….girlfriend?” she asked, looking frustrated. I shook my head.



“Little sister.” I replied, if only to see the pissed off expression Mila would use when I called her that. Her face scrunched up and I kept playing the words little sister over in my head as I took her in. Her dress was form fitting, but didn’t show off cleavage or too much thigh like the blonde next to her. It was just enough to show she had a body that was any mans wet dream but not enough to flaunt it. Perfectly classy. Damn her.



“Oh.” The blonde smiled and held out her hand. “I'm Amanda.” Mila rolled her eyes.



“Can I talk to you?” she asked, grabbing my arm and pulling me into a corner of the club.



“What are you doing here?” I asked, giving her a look.



“This is Braden’s club.” She said as if it was ridiculous that I didn’t know. I had to admit I had a little more respect for the guy….then again he had Mila so I had to respect him even more didn’t I? “What are you doing?” she pointed out to the bar and the girl who was sipping her drink. I shrugged.



“Having a night out?”



“She’s gross….and I swear to god next time you call me your little sister? I'm going to kick you in the balls.” I tried not to smirk but something about perfect little Milena getting all sassy on me was really funny. And adorable.



“Ouch.” I smirked. “I’ll remember that.”



"And seriously? What is with this girl Ames? You know you can find a better girl than that skank." She crossed her arms across her chest and tossed a dirty look across the room.



"Are you jealous?" I teased, nudging her with my elbow and smirking. Obviously joking.



"You wish Ames. I'm just wondering why you're settling for this airhead when you could have an amazing woman." she shrugged.



"Who says I want her for more than the night?" I asked seriously.



"That's gross, but I understand, guys have needs. Just remember to double wrap it." she smirked back at me. Good god.



"God, it's hard to hear you talk like that." She smacked my chest,



"Shut up! It's the truth, you were thinking it too."



"Maybe, but still, little Milena talking like that is weird to hear! I can't help it." And I didn’t want to think of her like that. I promised myself I wouldn’t.



"Well, you better get used to it if we're going to be hanging out more often." I raised a brow,



"Is that so?"



"Well you just happen to be everywhere I am, so yes. We're hanging out more often."



"Why isn't it the other way around? What if you just show up where I am?" she shook her head with a chuckle,



"You'd like that, wouldn't you? Well, you're here at my boyfriends club…" she trailed off with a grin.



"That was a coincidence." I shrugged.



"Ames! Are you coming back?!" The blonde screeched out.



"Yeah, give me a second." I yelled back at her as she went back to twirling her hair. Hey I wasn’t picking her up for her brains.



"Oh you found a winner." I walked up to her then and resisted the temptation to push her hair back or touch her at all.



“Not all girls can be you Milena.” I pointed out turning to go but she grabbed my hand and pulled me back.



“What does that mean?” she asked, her voice a little breathy as she blinked at me. I gave her a small smirk and shrugged.



“I think it’s pretty self explanatory.” I replied. “You set the bar pretty high….ball kicking threats aside.” She ran her tongue over her lips slowly and then smirked.



“Well then it’s too bad there aren’t more of me.” Something told me that hadn’t been what she was going to say but then she was pushing past me and into the arms of a man I recognized as her boyfriend. “Hi baby.” He wrapped his arm around her waist, his hand dropping to spank her ass playfully, a move that had my hands going into fists without being able to stop it.



“What the fu.ck is this guy doing here again?” he asked, looking me up and down and clearly recognizing me from the last time he’d ditched Milena.



“Brae. It’s just Ames, he’s a family friend.” He rose a brow at Mila and then looked back at me.



“He doesn’t look at you like a friend.” He said seriously. Well the guy might be clueless about how to treat a girl but he didn’t miss that. Or maybe I was just that obvious. But I’d kept my attraction to Milena secret for five years, denying it even to myself. Sometimes I had to let myself look so I didn’t just jump her.



“Don’t be silly baby. He sees me as a little sister that’s all.” She pouted and we were both momentarily distracted by her pretty mouth.,…the only difference was? He got to lower his head down and kiss her. And not like a man should kiss a woman when they were in a room full of people and not a bedroom. Mila pushed back.



“What I can’t kiss you now?” he asked, looking annoyed.



“You can kiss me just don’t grope me in the middle of the dance floor in front of my friend.” I swallowed to keep from pounding my fist into the guys face. He hadn’t even really done anything wrong and still I wanted to kill him.



“I'm gonna get back to….” I said nodding over towards the blonde.



“Amanda.” Mila finished for me. I nodded.



“Right….” But I didn’t move. I knew if I left that he’d be taking her home and doing things to her that made me feel nauseous. Why this guy?! Seriously?! She thought I could do better but she was one to talk.



"Ames, are you okay?" she asked Ames, looking back at me with a confused look. I took a breath and shook my head.



"Yeah I'm fine, sorry."



"You should go back to your friend." Braden said with a threat in his tone. "I'd like to talk to my girlfriend, without you." Mila lightly smacked his side.



"Don't be mean! I'm sorry Ames." she sent me an apologetic look. I shrugged,



"It's nothing. He's right… I'll get back to Amanda. It was nice seeing you…" Lies. It was torture seeing her. It was always torture seeing her. For five years it had been. Not like it was torture being around her…I felt like I was actually happy whenever I was around her. But then….damn it. I needed to clear my head.



“Can I get you another drink?” I asked Amanda as I walked up to him.



“Do you have a bar at your place?” she asked tilting her head to the side. I grinned.



“That I do.”