Important Author's Note: As a firm believer in abstinence, I do not encourage the behavior in this chapter. I believe that sex should be saved for marriage, the way God intended it to be. I encourage all of you to take the stand, to wait until marriage to give yourself to the one you love. I don't mean to sound preachy (forgive me if I do) I just wanted all of you to be aware of where I stand on the issue.

Semi-Important Author's Note: Well folks, my family is gone and I am free to write once again. I had a great time with my cousins, and was able to come up with lots of great ideas for this story while they were here. Thank you to all of you who reviewed the past chapter (names and comments will be given at the end of the chapter as usual). Your reviews prompted me to hurry up with this chapter. So, without further ado:

Chapter Twenty-Four

Winding her way down the streets of Paris, Chloe looked from window to window of the famous boutiques. Sark had taken a chance on her and allowed her to use his credit card to go shopping. Though she was not a girly girl who loved to shop, Chloe did find it rather enjoyable to go from clothing store to clothing store. Occasionally she stopped at an outdoor vendor who was also selling clothing. The clothing on the streets were much cheaper than the stores, but Chloe was having too much fun running up Sark's card. Bags swung from her hands, gently bumping against her legs. Happy with her purchases she headed back to the hotel.

Chloe shoved the door of the suite open with her hip and entered the room, shopping bags in hand. The steady click click of the laptop keys echoed against the marble floor of the entryway. A smile spread across her face. Sark was forever working on the disk. True it grew annoying that he was paying more attention to deciphering the contents of the disk than he was to Chloe, but she could deal with it. Hadn't that been the reason they'd come to Paris, to work on the disk uninterrupted?

Chloe made her way to the living room. Sark sat on the couch; his feet propped up on the antique coffee table and the laptop resting on his lap. He was dressed causally in jeans and a nice button up shirt, and his hair was messy, as if he had been running his fingers through it. He looked up at her, as if he could sense her gaze.

"I hope you left some clothing in the stores." He teased as he looked at the bags in her hands.

"Don't worry," she replied with a smirk, a trait she had picked up from Sark, "I left all the ugly stuff." Laying the bags down on the floor at her feet, Chloe walked over to the couch and sat down beside Sark. He closed the computer and placed it on the table. His hand found hers and he held it tenderly. Chloe felt the warmth of his touch seep into her skin. Even after being with him for awhile, she still felt butterflies in her stomach whenever Sark touched her.

Looking at Chloe, Sark knew that he could not wait any longer to be with her in the most intimate sense of the word. He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. Running his tongue along her bottom lip he sought entrance to her mouth. She granted it and his tongue brushed against her own. His hands traveled over her body, taking in the smoothness of her skin. His body ached with need, he had to be with her, touch her, kiss her. He wanted nothing more than to hear Chloe calling out his name. Pushing his hand up under her shirt, Sark ran his fingers along the silky skin of her stomach.

"No, Julian," Chloe whispered, pushing him away from her slightly. Her breathing was ragged, and Sark was glad to see that he had the same affect on her as she had on him.

"What is it?" he asked, his own voice merely a whisper. His fingers traced lazy, sensual circles on her arm.

"I don't know if I'm ready," she said, her voice regaining strength, "I know I already said this, but I want my first time to be special, romantic." Sark leaned in and kissed her lips tenderly, pulling away before he became lost in the feel and taste of her mouth.

Julian Sark had never been a gentleman. He had always taken what he wanted without question, and without regret. So why now did he care so much about what one woman would say? What has she done to me? He asked himself, the answer came to his mind instantly, she loved you.

"Ok." He said looking Chloe in the eye, "I have an idea. Why don't we go out to dinner tonight, you know, get the full French experience."

"That sounds nice." Chloe replied with a warm smile.

"Why don't you go ahead and get ready." He said with a mysterious smile. He had had a plan earlier that morning, and while Chloe had been out shopping he had prepared what he hoped to be an eventful evening.

"What do you have up your sleeve Mr. Sark?" Chloe asked, eyeing him, a smirk playing across her lips.

"Nothing." He replied with, or what he hoped to be, innocence. Chloe stood and walked into the bedroom. A minute later a shriek of excitement came from the bedroom. Sark smiled to himself. Chloe had found the dress. She came out of the room and stood in front of him, holding the dress in front of her.

"When did you get this?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

"You're not the only one who went shopping today." Sark replied with a smile. It was quite obvious from the way she stared at the dress then at Sark that Chloe liked the dress he had picked out for her. Chloe walked over to him and kissed him tenderly.

"Thank you." she whispered.

"You're welcome," Sark replied, "Now go get ready." Chloe smiled and walked back to the bedroom.

An hour later, Sark was dressed in another designer suit, and was waiting patiently for Chloe to appear. Finally, the door to the bedroom opened, and Chloe walked out.

Her hair was swept up on top of her head, and curls fell down to gently brush the sides of her face. Her make-up was light and natural and a delicate silver chain with a heart shaped diamond pendant hung at the base of her throat. But it was the dress that caught Sark's attention. The emerald green brought out Chloe's eyes; the strapless bodice showing off her perfectly rounded shoulders, and teasing Sark with tantalizing amounts of skin. A slit up the left side of the skirt revealed Chloe's trim, tan legs. The sleek silk hugged her body, revealing every curve. Sark couldn't believe how beautiful Chloe looked, her natural beauty enhance by the evening gown.

"Do you like it?" she asked, twirling around in front of Sark. It was difficult for Sark to speak. His breath was caught in his throat and he could not form a coherent thought. When he had seen the dress on the rack he had thought it was nice, but Chloe made it look absolutely gorgeous.

"You look...amazing." Sark said, finally able to speak. A blush crept up Chloe's face, making her look even more enchanting and desirable. "Shall we go?" he asked walking over to her and offering his arm. Chloe took it with a smile.

"We shall." She replied, matching his British accent perfectly.

The romantic French bistro was filled with couples. The soft candle light, small two person tables, and gentle violin music made up the most romantic atmosphere Chloe had ever seen. She had never in all her life been to such an exquisitely beautiful and romantic place.

"'ere you go Mademoiselle," the waiter said, pulling out Chloe's chair as Sark sat down across from her in a secluded corner of the bistro.

"Merci." Chloe replied in a French accent as the waiter placed their thick black menus, with gold fringe, in front of them. The waiter nodded and left the couple. Chloe opened her menu and silently thanked her mother for the French lessons as she read the list of cuisine. She felt Sark's eyes on her as she read over her options. Looking up slightly, she met his eye.

"What?" she asked, self-consciously tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

"Nothing," Sark said shaking his head and returning his gaze to the menu before him. Chloe pursed her lips together thoughtfully. He was up to something; she just knew it, but what?

Sipping his Champaign, Sark looked at Chloe. The candlelight cast a halo around her head, and played across her face, casting it in soft shadow. She looked like an angel sitting across from him. Her eyes were lowered, focusing on the veal on her plate, giving Sark the chance to study her.

There was no denying he had fallen in love with Chloe. The gentle way she had about her had ensnared him easily. But there was still a sense of danger about her. She could easily kick his butt if she wanted to, but he wasn't about to admit it to her. She was uniquely feminine, but tomboyish and tough at the same time. Sark wasn't an idiot. He didn't let people into his life easily, but Chloe had chipped away at his walls until she held his heart in her hands. That scared Sark more than anything else ever had.

As if she could sense him looking at her, Chloe looked up and smiled at Sark gently. Her smile was so soft and sweet that he just had to smile back.

As Sark unlocked the door to their suite, Chloe reflected on their dinner. It had been so sweet, so romantic. It was what Chloe had always imagined a true date to be. All the other guys she had dated (which equaled three) had taken her to places like McDonalds or Burger King, there was the occasional Ruby Tuesdays, but that was rare. Of course then she had been dating guys on a high school or college budget, not someone with money to throw away on things like dresses and romantic dinners.

But Sark was special even without the money. Sure he had been a complete jackass when she had first met him, but that was the past. Sark made Chloe feel special; he made her feel as if she were the only person in the room. He made her laugh, and cry, but most of all he made her feel loved.

Sark opened the door, and Chloe's breath caught in her throat. White candles lined the floor of the entryway and red rose petals were scattered about the marble.

"Oh my god," she breathed, stepping over the threshold. She turned around to look at Sark, whose eyes were lit with a smile and fiery passion. "When...when did..."

"I had room-service set it up while we were out." Sark said interrupting Chloe's astonished stuttering. He took her hand in his and led her down the hallway to the bedroom door, which stood open. Chloe felt as if she had stepped into a romance novel as she looked around the bedroom. The candles that snaked around the bed and the outer edges of the room had enhanced its original beauty. More rose petals had been placed on the bed and around the entire room. Chloe looked around in a daze. This could not be real, but it was.

"Julian, this is too beautiful," she said softly, looking up at the man she had come to love. The candlelight was reflected in his eyes, and Chloe felt herself being pulled into their blue whirlpool. The icy blue of his eyes had long since melted, and Chloe loved the newer shade of blue that they were.

Sark's fingers ran up and down her arm, sending delightful shivers down her spine. His free hand cupped her cheek and his thumb ran across her bottom lip.

"I wanted this to be special," he breathed, his voice betraying his own emotions. He captured her lips with his own and Chloe was grateful for the arm he wrapped around her waist. Her legs turned to jelly as his tongue snaked across her lips. Instinctively she opened her mouth to allow his tongue entrance. Fire spread through her body, consuming her entirely. Her mind was reeling, emotions flooded through her. All her doubts and fears were swept out of her mind, leaving room for only the want and need she had for Sark.

His hands roamed her body and she soon found herself falling onto the bed. How they had gotten there Chloe didn't know. Sark's hands were everywhere, her arms, her face, her stomach, and her breasts. Her own hands snaked around his neck then traveled down his arms, to his chest. Without knowing what she was doing, Chloe found herself pushing Sark's jacket off his shoulders. Air was becoming unessential; Chloe lived off the cologne Sark was wearing, the way his hands touched her, and the feel of his lips on hers.

Sark was in heaven as Chloe kissed him with as much love and passion as he was kissing her. Her skin was soft beneath his fingers. He pulled away from her, gasping for much needed air. Looking down into Chloe's eyes, Sark saw the same need in her eyes that he felt, the same wanting for the thing that was sure to come. This time was different than all the other times they'd come close. This time Chloe was feeling the same things as him, Sark just knew it. He leaned down and placed soft kisses on her neck, reveling in the soft moans that came from Chloe's lips.

"Julian," his name had never sounded so incredibly sweet as it did now coming from Chloe. She arched her back into him as his kisses traveled down to the top of her breasts. Expertly he moved his hands beneath her and slowly moved the zipper down on her dress. Chloe's fingers fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. Sark reached up and gently guided her hands. When all the buttons were undone, Sark pulled the shirt off quickly and threw it on top of his jacket. Shivers ran down his spine as Chloe's hands explored his now bare torso. His muscles rippled beneath her fingers. She looked up at him with uncertain, virginal eyes. Sark took her hand in his and kissed her fingertips gently.

Chloe had never felt such feelings, had never experienced such emotions. Sark looked her in the eye, as if to ask permission as he gently slid her dress down. She nodded her head slowly, unable to speak. He slid the bodice down till it rested at her waist. Chloe shivered involuntarily. Sark was seeing her in a whole new light, in a way that no one had seen her before. A whimper escaped her as he leaned down and kissed her lips once more.

"I promise I won't hurt you." he whispered.

Whoa, now that was steamy! I hope you all liked the chapter and will review.

Sarks-Girl-89: The action's gonna have to wait awhile, unless you want to count the above scene as action. Lol. Anyway, right now I need to focus on Chloe and Sark's growing relationship.

Zeriea: Thanks for the long review! I am working on stopping Chloe from whining so much, so don't worry 'bout that.

Maree: For the sake of the story, or maybe just 'cause I wanted to, I developed my own version of Sark's history. I realize he wouldn't be that smart if he grew up on the street, but more aspects of his life will revealed in later chapters.

Wicked-sista: The funny thing is I've never even been to France. Hell I haven't even left the East Coast of the United States.

Eyghon: Yes, Chloe and Sark do seem to be going in circles, but that will soon change. There will be more action and adventure in the upcoming chapters, you have my word on that.

Freakygirl, Alias-Addict-4-Life, majesticness, and Illyria04: Thank you all for reviewing this story. I love having readers as faithful as you all.