Crossing Hearts- A Maidstone Love Story

Chapter 63

The fourth morning of their Paris holiday dawned with a gentle drizzle, raindrops pattering softly against the window of their hotel room. Jasper opened his eyes to the grey skies outside and stretched, turning over to see Alessia snuggled up next to him, still asleep.

He smiled, admiring how peaceful she looked. Reaching over, he gently brushed her hair back, whispering, "Good morning, Princess."

Alessia stirred, a faint smile crossing her lips as she opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Morning," she murmured, her voice soft and a bit raspy. "What's the plan today?"

"Well," Jasper replied, "I was thinking we could do a little sightseeing... from a different angle." He raised an eyebrow mysteriously, and Alessia's eyes lit up with curiosity.

"Oh? And what might that be?" she asked, stretching out in bed, now fully awake.

"A bus tour!" Jasper announced with a grin. "I booked us two tickets last night while you were showering. We'll be able to see the entire city, even if it's raining a little."

Alessia sat up, her face lighting up. "A bus tour sounds amazing! I've been wanting to see some more of the neighbourhoods."

They took their time getting ready, savouring a lazy morning. After showering and changing into comfortable clothes, they made their way downstairs for breakfast. As they settled in at a table, Jasper noticed Alessia glancing over at the croissants on the buffet table.

"Let me guess," he said with a smirk, "one almond and one chocolate?"

She laughed, nodding. "You know me too well."

Jasper got up, returning with a plate stacked with pastries, fresh fruit, and orange juice. As they ate, they chatted about all the places they were hoping to see on the tour.

"I read that the tour takes us to Montmartre, the Latin Quarter, and down Champs-Élysées," Jasper said, taking a sip of his coffee. "And they've got an open top deck, so we'll get the best views."

Alessia's eyes widened. "Oh, I've always wanted to see Montmartre! Imagine all the artists and street musicians there."

"Exactly. And I thought, you know, if it's nice later, we could go out to dinner and maybe end with a view of the Eiffel Tower at night again?"

She smiled, squeezing his hand across the table. "You really have this all planned out, don't you?"

Jasper grinned. "Just trying to make it the best trip possible."

After breakfast, they left the hotel and walked to the bus tour's pickup point. They both grabbed complimentary rain ponchos, just in case, and climbed up to the top deck, which was open and had an amazing view of the city around them. Alessia shivered slightly in the early morning chill, and Jasper wrapped his arm around her to keep her warm.

As the bus started moving, a tour guide began narrating over the speaker, giving fun historical tidbits about the city. Their first stop was Montmartre, where they would have a quick break to explore the famous hilltop village.

Alessia leaned close, her eyes widening as she spotted the domed Basilica of Sacré-Cœur in the distance. "There it is!" she gasped.

Jasper smiled. "Pretty impressive, huh?"

They got off the bus and started walking up the cobbled streets toward the basilica. Artists lined the sidewalks, painting portraits and selling sketches of Paris landmarks. Alessia was enthralled by it all, stopping at almost every artist's stand.

"Look at this one, Jas!" she said, holding up a small watercolour painting of the Eiffel Tower. "It's so pretty."

"You want it?" he asked, taking out his wallet.