A/N: For those of you who don't remember Gordon Taylor, he features in S03E15 - Stealing Home. Neal and Mozzie join his crew to help the FBI nab him. Mozzie is too awed by Taylor to see him behind bars and tips him off, so he escapes while the rest of the members of that team are caught by the Feds.
When Sara returned to her hotel room, it was late evening. She knew she wouldn't be alone this time, although a tiny part of her hoped that Keith would have stormed out angrily so she wouldn't have to deal with him at the moment.
"Sara," Keith breathed, relieved, as soon as he saw her walk in. He crossed the distance between them in a matter of seconds and ensconced her in a warm hug.
She broke away quickly and apologised for her disappearance. "I found a lead, and you know how I get when it's anything work-related."
He nodded in understanding, but his eyes still held concern and a hint of anger. She looked away from them and dove into her luggage, looking for a file she wanted.
"Anything I can do to help?" he offered.
She looked up from among a sheaf of papers. "I'm very sorry, but I think I'll have to stay in Paris for a few more days. Could you cancel the flight ticket for me?"
"You mean tickets," Keith corrected, taking up his phone.
"No, just mine. Don't you have a class to teach on Monday?"
"I can ask Dr. Lowell to cover for me."
Sara shifted uncomfortably. She didn't know how to tell him that his presence would only hinder her without hurting him. She thought for a moment that if she was going to break his heart in the near future, she might as well start now, but she still cared for him enough to choose her words cautiously.
"Keith, it's best for us if you go without me. My work will take up all of my time - long hours and constant legwork are part of my job. The guilt of not being able to be with you will be killing me. You'll be missed at your college too." She took his hands in hers. "The sooner I get to the bottom of this, the sooner I can come back to you. It's only for a little while, anyway."
He pulled away. "Of course," he said as he strode away from her, engrossed in his phone once more.
Her mind turned to her case again. She had been trying to locate Mozzie when she had a glimpse of the real reason why she had agreed to come to Paris - to track down the one responsible for the Louvre break-in. A painting had gone missing, which was insured by her company, but the staff had later discovered it in another part of the museum and closed the investigation. But something about it had still bothered Sara, and the fact that the primary suspect was still in town made her even more edgy. She guessed that the actual target was something else entirely and this was most probably a dry run. Forgetting all about the incidents of that afternoon, she dialled her boss's number to get authorisation to follow her lead, cursing herself for packing an extra dress instead of her surveillance gear.