Despite the closer quarters of this small place Taylor had made his own, it was here that the dark-haired woman felt the most free. When one thought of freedom, many of the first things that might come forth in the idea of that very word would be climbing the highest mountains, diving into the deepest of seas, venturing through the thickest jungles, all without so much as a single wall in sight. Yet, for all the vast, rolling hills which had been the estate Adelaide had grown up knowing like the back of her hand, for all the wide-open spaces with the wind racing through her dark hair as she stood there at the edge of the world where the ocean would stretch out and into eternity, she realizes now that even if she were truly the wild spirit her entire being longed to be, she would come back to him and this modest apartment. It didn't matter than it was hardly the size of her bathroom in that oversized manor in Dupont Circle. If anything, it was for its small yet comforting size that had the woman in a state of contentment, her wanderlust forgotten for the time being as she dared to imagine what it might be like the make her home here as well. She would always crave the next great adventure, and still somehow, she couldn't think of a day where she wouldn't be able to share it with the man before her. Only as the days came and went with him in her world did she begin to realize that the moment she'd stepped off the plane which had brought her over miles of land and sea to where she was now, that was when perhaps one of her greatest adventures began. The French woman hadn't had the slightest idea where it was she was going in life, knowing only that the farther she could be away from Paris the happier she would become. Then, Beachside Bar and Bistro hadn't even been so much as thought, a glimmer in her gaze as bright sage touched upon the world of Sacrosanct. All she had wanted then was to run, to open those figurative wings and take to the winds that raced far above the tallest skyscrapers without looking back the way she'd come. Her definition of freedom was to have nothing and no one to bound her to the ground, anchor her when she wanted nothing more than to fly away and wherever her heart would carry her. Little did she know that she would find her heart carrying her to this small apartment and into the arms of the roguish man that unknowingly called to it.

Unexpectedly, the very meaning of freedom had taken shape into something both familiar and foreign in the same moment when Adelaide realized that she no longer wanted it to be the image of her and her alone standing there on the edge of the world where now and eternity collided. It was almost startling at just how little and how much that dream of hers had shifted as she found herself only more captivated by Taylor than she had been the day before. It almost stole away her breath to remember how suffocating all those acres of perfectly landscaped land on the outskirts of the infamous City of Lights had felt to her. It had been those walls which seemed to suddenly be closing in on the dark-haired woman, leaving her near desperate to break away, to never even look back once to what little she left behind and how here it felt like she could breathe. Perhaps it seemed backwards to many, maybe even to Taylor who likely couldn't see her anywhere else except in a mansion or even a castle. What he didn't know though was that all the space she'd had back on the estate had been so lonely. If not for Townsend having come into her life as he had, gods only know what might have happened, what treacherous lengths she might have gone to just for the small taste of freedom she would sooner die for than surrender now that she had it. Here, she felt like her past couldn't reach out and grab her tightly until it was almost impossible to breate. She felt like she could disappear altogether from those watchful eyes that sought her, like she could lead the life she had only ever dreamt of. And, the more she thought about it, about leading a simple life with little luxury and only hard work as she and Taylor would take off whenever their hearts so desired and to wherever their wild spirits longed to explore far beyond the limits of Sacrosanct only to return home, it only made her want it that much more.

Given the choice between her wealth and the easiness that came with the securities of knowing she would never in a thousand lifetimes have to worry about financial welfare or the metaphorical trail over mountainous obstacles with the promise of a life well-lived and full of adventure, she would hardly hesitate for even the smallest fraction of a second in what she would take. To never struggle, to live securely was merely an existence of hollow complacency. And that, to the French woman, was a fate worse than death. Just like a bird content to simply sit there within the protective arms of the tree on a lonely hillside, it wouldn't matter how open and clear the sky was, it would never know just how amazing the view from among the clouds could be or how fulfilling the wind would feel through its feathers. She'd once been a bird with clipped wings, and it had been one of the worst pains her heart had ever come to know, one that she hoped never to feel again. And yet, being there with Taylor, she couldn't help the certainty that she wouldn't ever have to again. Looking into those hunter green eyes, it was as though she could already see the sun rising over the grand canyon, see the sun set behind unnamed and untouched peaks as they would sit there on his Harley that took them to places were once so intangible. She couldn't help the feeling that she was living the life she'd yearned for in the most unforeseen of ways, that their story had only just begun. Gently, the dark-haired woman pushes these dreams so close to breaking the barrier and into reality away from the present moment, not wanting to get too far ahead of herself for fear that impatience might find her tonight. Yes, life was short and there was still so much that she craved to see and feel and experience, but it wasn't that short. She was determined to wait for Taylor so that she could share it all with him, but oh how she ached for him to find that place within himself she knew he was searching for. All good things come with time though, and for him, Adelaide would wait an eternity.

Just how his body responded to her touch, the way that he inhaled through his teeth as she continued to press further against that control that kept him from reaching for her, it was enough to drive her own desire for him that much deeper. He seems to practically stop breathing as she purrs up to him in all the temptation that she nearly embodied tonight, showing to the man that part of her she'd once thought had wilted and vanished never to be reborn again after Julien and his betrayal. And yet, here it was, perhaps even stronger than it had ever been, going as far as surprising Adelaide herself with those hardly thought over advances she hardly had to think about or even call upon. No, he was not in the least controlling or manipulating her like a doll on strings. This was all a part of who the French woman was. They say that only through time and discovery does a soul find pieces of itself that it hadn't even known were there since the beginning, and tonight was a flawless representation of those very words. Tenor tones usher in a soft whisper to her as he takes her hands in his and she feels her heart skip at that word. Darling. It was something she hadn't heard fall from his lips before, and she found herself softening beneath it, like Taylor alone was calming the flames of that desire that lapped at the surface of those glittering and still sultry sage depths. She says nothing, only giving him an impish smile as he moves away from her and they begin that little tour of the apartment, silently noticing the way her words "it's a date then" have him smirking, each minute passing by making it all the more easy for the French woman to imagine herself here for more than just an evening. Even as she's crawling into his bed, she felt like she could stay there forever, even though she knew in reality she couldn't. Refusing to let up on those forward and wickedly suggestive words and advances, she takes almost devilish delight in how he seemed to be fighting a losing battle, almost feeling terrible how he seemed to struggle against those masculine urges that surely drove him to wanting her as she did him. Almost.

Returning to the living area to find Taylor precariously pouring the tequila into those two glasses, she's content to take the ones he extends to her, taking that first drink before decidedly turning slowly and with grace so that he could enjoy wherever those hunter green eyes might wonder, amusement bringing back to life that fire as she hears the nearly missed cracking of glass. She settles onto the couch, turned so that she can see him, her back pressed against the cushioned arm as she toys with her dark hair cascading effortlessly over her shoulder as she finishes the last of her drink, the warmth of the alcohol touching her core. She had little to worry about, as far as returning home went. She would get a cab, choosing not to call for Townsend as she fully expected him to lecture her if he retrieved her. And just maybe she wouldn't be going home tonight at all... The idea has that desire climbing once again as she watches Taylor cook, his words distracting her from those more intimate thoughts among other things as she offers him an answer to his question, surprising flickering across his handsome features at her accented words as she reveals just how long Townsend had been a part of her life. His next question has a gentle note of laughter tumbling from her lips then."Never. He was interested in another his age who he later ended up marrying and I was much too wild I think. I was hardly the little girl playing house or princess back then", she explains easily, still recalling the beautiful young woman her dear William had pursued. He was different back then... There is a sadness that finds her in then as she remembers that darker moment in the Englishman's life, the only time she'd ever seen the refined man broken."She was a sweet woman, so young and full of life. It was so unfair, how quickly she fell ill. He worked so hard to make money for all those medicines that did so little to help. Before that, he was a different man. Rebellious even. You wouldn't look at him now and think he had once been a bare-knuckle brawler", she goes on to say, accented words growing thoughtful as she continued to watch Taylor flip the patties in the skillet, though it was hardly the methodical gestures that she seemed to see."When she passed away, he was devastated. And so was I. He's always been like a brother to me, so seeing him lose the love of his life broke my heart, too. We became inseparable then and have been ever since", she says with a finality in her voice, that heaviness dissipating like early morning frost beneath the warmth of the rising sun. She and William and relied on one another for strength all those years when things seemed to get harder, and perhaps the defiance that had won her the freedom she'd craved was so much more than what she'd first realized. Just maybe, it had been for Townsend as well. They both needed this fresh start, a clean slate.

Brought away from the past as sage eyes watch that smirk of his etching across his lips, she feels that fleeting weight on her heart completely dissolve as she imagines what life would have been like growing up with Taylor in it. No doubt the two of them would have been just as close as Adelaide and Townsend were. She can't help the melodic laughter from falling gently over her lips as she watches him, giving her a teasing wink. He grows thoughtful now before he is telling her more of his sister. As Adelaide listens, she can't help how her heart goes out to him, but it was hard for the French woman to say that she understood when she'd never been in such a position as he had been. She couldn't imagine William ever having dismissed her as Taylor's sister had him. But that was where the two of them were different she supposed."It's a shame we grew up on two different sides of the world, then. I would have loved nothing more than running around causing trouble with you. I'd hardly mind now", she says softly at first, though her second string of words has that impish nature returning as if it had never left to begin with. She hardly wanted to dwell on sad memories tonight, simply to enjoy another stolen night away with Taylor. He moves across the room then to retrieve her empty glass, their fingers brushing softly against the other's, just that small and fleeting touch igniting that flame again though she is careful to conceal it for now as he returns with her plate in one hand and glass in the other, both of which she takes from him."Mercie", she purrs to him as she takes another drink from that glass before setting it on the coffee table to look at the burger on her plate, pleasantly surprised at how he seemed to take such care when he'd assemble it. His words have her giving him a bold look as she lifts the cheeseburger to her lips."I would expect no less", she replies coyly as she takes her first bite, eyes sparkling as the hearty and savory flavors dance over her tongue. It was different from what she was used to, but she found herself thoroughly enjoying the simplicity of it."You are a good cook, my dear Taylor. I am anxious to see what you make two nights from now. Did your mother teach you?", she remarks after swallowing her first mouthful, giving him a warm smile before happily taking another delectable bite, daring to think of the repulsion on Townsend's face if he could see her now. She would need to make him try this soon, that she knew without a doubt. And, with any luck, it might just help him ease into their new life.