The Closer I Get to You

Paris Deveraux has had a mad crush on Titus Argonne for years. She met him during her internship at The Deveraux Group, the multinational media conglomerate owned by her cousins, the Deverauxes of Atlanta, Georgia. Titus has a highly respected private security and investigation firm, and is also a close friend of her cousin Martin. Their mutual attraction has led to some light flirtation, primarily because Paris is uncharacteristically bashful around Titus. But she's finally found her voice when she's around him. Now that she has completed all her degrees and her lengthy internship, she's a popular host of her own talk show and her confidence makes her even more attractive to Titus, who always thought she was adorable. After a family wedding in Detroit, their first date turns into their first night of lovemaking, an event that leaves Paris deeply in love. Titus has a different reaction, primarily because it was obvious that it was Paris's first time. Like many men, Titus was so overwhelmed by her passion and her open affection for him that he panicked. He tells Paris that it was a huge mistake and they didn't belong together. Even though his words were breaking her heart, Paris agreed with him and while he was out getting her coffee, she left his hotel suite to begin her life without him. When Titus returned to the suite and found her gone, he realized that the only mistake that night was his. He'd allowed his fear of intimacy to destroy what could have been a beautiful relationship before it even got started. When they returned to Atlanta, Paris acted as though he didn't exist and even though it was killing him, he had to go along with the program, especially since he was the one who'd laid down the ground rules. Paris was doing an excellent job of covering her heartbreak and every day it got a little easier, until her BFF, Aidan Sinclair, took it upon himself to inform her cousins that someone was after her. Aidan, the art director at The Deveraux Group, had gotten some of Paris's misdirected mail and it was plain that Paris had a stalker who was making vile, obscene threats against her. To her dismay, her cousins took the threats seriously and immediately enlisted Titus and his firm to protect her 24/7 until the culprit could be caught. Aidan had moved in with her under the guise of having home renovations done, so she was caught between a rock and a hard place. She was forced to deal with Titus whether she liked it or not. After her initial resentment subsided, the surprising result of their renewed association was a new kind of closeness between them. They got to really know each other and Titus could finally admit to himself that he loves her, even though he has to maintain a professional decorum until the security crisis is over. Paris truly thought that she could put Titus out of her life, but as her knowledge of him grows, so does her love for him. Finding out his tragic history helps her understand the man she knows she will love forever. Thanks to Titus's elite team of investigators, the man who has been torturing Paris is caught, although Titus is injured in a gunfight. He promises to love and protect her from now on and seals the deal with an engagement ring. They're getting ready for their wedding when Paris gets some information about a link to his past. She investigates it by herself and stumbles onto a long-hidden family secret that almost ends her life, but Titus makes good on his promise and is there to rescue her. The Closer I Get to You is full of passion, drama and humor that leads to an very satisfying ending and a unique happily-ever-after.