He recaptured her mouth in another searing kiss, and the hand that had been languidly moving her skirt slipped beneath and moved between her widened thighs. When he circled his fingers over the damp heat there, she shattered and cried out.
Drake wanted to immediately take her to the bed and fill her virgin body with as much of himself as she could take. But he couldn’t. She wasn’t his. Bringing her to pleasure had him so hard, he’d probably never walk again. As she soared on the wings of her orgasm, he helped bring her back to herself with soft kisses on her mouth, and circling caresses. Hearing her breathing slow to a nearly normal pace, he kissed her again, then drew back. “How was that?”
“Oh my,” she replied, breathlessly.
“No desire to recite the alphabet?”
“Not even a letter.”
“You’re a very passionate woman, Valinda Lacy.” Having gotten not nearly enough of her, he languidly teased his tongue over a tempting, still-damp nipple, while his fingers between her thighs continued to slide and stroke. “Made enough memories?”
Her moan hardened him further. She was wet and so soft, the urge to taste her there was strong. He forced himself to recapture her mouth instead. She was not his, so he regretfully chose to leave that initiation to her husband.
But that didn’t mean he’d deny her more pleasure. Her hips rose in response to the carnal invitation his touch offered. He boldly eased a finger partially inside and began a rhythmic in-and-out that caused her strangled cry to ruffle the silence.
For the rest of the night, while the storm raged outside, passion made them lose track of time. He sucked, she arched. He nibbled, she gasped. When they were finally sated, he knew he should get her back to her room but glancing down he found her asleep. Appreciative of his own memories, he kissed her brow, made himself comfortable, and closed his eyes with her in his arms.
Chapter Eleven
“Good morning.”
Drake opened an eye and saw his brother Archer standing by the door, arms folded, amused curiosity in his eyes. In Drake’s lap, Val stirred. Seeing their visitor, she startled and quickly turned her back to redo the buttons on her blouse, while Drake glowered at his sibling for his presence.
“You two look comfortable.”
“Go away,” Drake growled.
“I will in a minute. Just wanted to let Valinda know her intended and his business partner are downstairs.”
Panicked, she scrambled to her feet. “Will you tell them I’ll be down shortly?”
He nodded.
Before she could hurry off, Drake caught her hand and met her eyes. He placed a soft kiss on her fingertips and released her. She rushed out.
Drake’s eyes stayed on the open door then settled on Archer’s face. “Didn’t Mama teach you to knock on a closed door?”
“I did. Knocked on her door, too. No response from either. Imagine my surprise finding her here. What the hell’s the matter with you?”
Drake stood. “Stay out of my business.”
“Drake—”
“Nosy and deaf,” Drake said, cutting him off.
Archer sighed. “Okay. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I don’t, but thanks for the good wishes.”
Archer shook his head, turned on the heels of his expensive boots, and left him alone.
Drake ran his hands wearily down his bearded face and headed to the bathing room.
In her room, Val studied herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red from lack of sleep, her hair a mess, her lips kiss-swollen, and she needed a long soak in the tub to make herself right again, but she had no time. When had Cole arrived? And what had Archer thought upon finding her asleep in his brother’s lap? She had no answers. All she knew was she needed to hurry and make herself presentable to keep Cole from waiting any longer.
When she entered the parlor, Cole and his business partner, Leonard Carson, both smiled. Lenny stood. Cole, aided by his cane, did the same. He opened his free arm and she stepped into the embrace, hugging him tightly. “So good to see you, Cole.”
“You, too, Val.”
She shared a hug with Lenny and then gestured for them to retake their seats. She hazarded a glance Archer’s way as he stood by the windows, and he gave her a smile which made her feel better. “When did you arrive?”
“Last night at the height of the storm. A hack driver gave us the name of Archer’s hotel. Imagine our surprise when we told him why we were in New Orleans and he mentioned you were staying with his mother.”
“She’s been a blessing.”
Cole looked confused. “What happened with the nuns? Weren’t you staying with them?”
She gave him a quick summary of her housing woes and how she came to be at Julianna’s.
Cole asked, “Is she here, so I can thank her personally for offering you a haven?”
“She and her husband are in Baton Rouge. They’ll be back in a day or so.”
“So, you’re here alone?”
“No, her cook is here, but left yesterday to see to a sick relative. Archer’s brother Drake is here, too.”
At that moment, Drake entered the parlor. His eyes and manner were distant as he crossed the room and extended his hand to Cole. “Drake LeVeq.”
Cole took his measure as they shook hands. “Coleman Bennett.”
Drake and Lenny shook as well before Drake took up a position over by his brother. Arms folded, he glowered at them like an angry sentinel. She caught Cole’s small show of surprise and the way he turned to Drake as if re-evaluating him. He and Lenny shared a glance before Cole swung his attention to her. Guilt flared inside. She wanted the scowling pirate to leave. She shot Archer a quick look, saw him sigh and shake his head at his brother’s actions. Knowing there was nothing she could do outside of yelling at him to be nice, she pasted on a bright smile, and said, “So, tell me about Paris.”
Cole, never one to be intimidated, asked the LeVeqs, “Do you mind if we visit privately? I know this is your mother’s home, but—”
Archer replied, “Of course not. Come, brother, let’s see what we can find to feed you in the kitchen.”
He’d left Drake little choice, so Drake inclined his head. “Enjoy yourselves.”
When they exited, Val relaxed but saw Cole’s unspoken questions. Rather than field them, she said, “So, Paris. Did you find an investor?”
In the kitchen, an exasperated Archer said, “You really don’t know what you’re doing, do you? Am I going to have to tie you up outside until Mama and Henri get back?”
Drake glared and set a skillet on the stove. “I think I’m losing my mind.”
Archer said flatly, “She’s not yours.”
Raimond had pointed that out also. “I already have one Raimond in my life, Archer. I don’t need two.”
“What you need is to take your lovesick self home and let her figure out her future alone.”
“I’m not in love.”
“Lust-sick, then.”
Ignoring that, Drake cracked eggs into a bowl, pulled the cream from the cold box, and poured some into the eggs. He wondered if Valinda was hungry. She hadn’t had breakfast, but because of the way he’d acted out there, she’d probably punch him if he disturbed the reunion to ask, so he left the thought alone. “Have you eaten?”
Archer nodded.
He added a pot of grits to the stove, then pulled out the leftovers from last night and added helpings of that to the growing number of items on the stove.
Archer cracked, “You’re never going to get married. There’s not a woman alive who’ll cook that much every day.”
In the breadbox, Drake found the last of the baguettes Little Reba baked yesterday. “Have you noticed that I’m doing all this alone? There are also people you can hire called cooks.”
Once everything he planned to eat was ready, Drake filled up his plate, and he and Archer went into the dining room. “Are you taking Bennett and his friend back to the Christophe?” Drake asked as he b
egan in on his meal.
“Unless you’d prefer to.”
“If you have work to take care of, Valinda and I can do it. No sense in you wasting away your morning.” He and Archer may have been going back and forth, but they were still brothers who looked out for each other.
“I do. Roudanez and some of the other newspapermen are having a dinner this evening. I know the staff can handle things, but I want to be there for the preparations in case I’m needed. However, I’ll stay if you plan to drop the man in the swamp.”
“I promised Valinda I’d be nice. I just hadn’t planned on sharing her this morning.” And he hadn’t. He’d been looking forward to a nice quiet breakfast with just the two of them. “Go on. I’ll take care of her precious intended.”
Archer smiled. “Try not to further embarrass your lady.”
“She’s not my lady, remember?”
Archer gave him a brotherly pat on the back and exited.
In the parlor, Valinda listened to Cole and Lenny talk about their trip to France, the sights they’d seen, the people they’d met. It sounded like a wonderful experience, but the main question remained. “Did you find an investor?”
Cole and Lenny smiled.
She laughed. “Quit teasing me and tell me.”
Cole replied, “We didn’t, but we did find someone willing to sell us his newspaper, along with his presses and the shop he runs it out of.”
Surprise filled her face and voice. “Oh my goodness. That’s wonderful.”
“He’s elderly and wants to step away from the business. The price he quoted is a bit more than what Lenny and I can scrape together right now, but he’s willing to wait for the rest.”
Lenny added, “The fact that Cole and I have actually published a newspaper was in our favor. He’s had a few people interested in his operation, but none had ever put out a paper before.”
Cole continued, “He said the paper has subscribers all over California, and if that proves true, we should be able to turn a profit soon and to pay off what we still owe him.”
Val paused. “California?”
“I know that isn’t what we initially planned but we can’t pass up this opportunity.”
Val looked between them. Their excitement was evident, and she was pleased that they’d found such an excellent prospect. But California? “I was hoping to convince you to start a paper here in New Orleans.”
They stilled, and Cole scanned her features. “You like it here, I take it?”
“I do. Very much. The situation for people here is so dire, I’d like to stay and help. I know we agreed to marry, but I’m not sure about California, Cole.”
“Does Drake LeVeq figure into this, Val?”
Lenny said, “He looked like he wanted to toss us both into the nearest gutter.”
Ducking the question, she replied, “He’s descended from pirates. I’m hoping he can be cured.”
Cole chuckled.
She then told them how she and Drake met. At the end of the tale both men were angry.
“And none of the men were brought up on charges?”
“Not as far as I know.”
Cole said, “I’m glad he came to your rescue. But why would you want to stay here after that?”
Lenny expressed equal concern. “Even the Paris papers were filled with stories of the racial violence here, Val. This isn’t a safe place.”
“The country is full of racial violence. No matter where you go you can’t escape it. Remember the Draft Riots at home?”
Their faces said they did.
She cared for Cole, and she cared for Lenny because of their affection for each other. But was she willing to pack up and move across the country now that she’d lived here on her own? Being in New Orleans with its long history of ambitious women of color like Julianna had shown her that she didn’t need the societal stamp of a husband to achieve her goals. Having worked beside Sable, she knew how much work needed to be done and she wanted to do her part in hopes of making a difference. But could Cole and Lenny succeed without her being Cole’s wife?
“How long are you planning on staying in New Orleans?”
“We’d hoped to scoop you up and be on a train heading west in the morning,” Cole replied. “The two of us and the paper’s owner sailed home on the same ship. We told him we’d meet him in San Francisco. Travel could take a month or more.”
“Oh.”
“We have time to wait if you need a few days to think about things. And maybe we’ll learn what you see in this hot humid place.”
“The weather is truly horrid. I’m told it’ll be markedly worse as we get deeper into the summer months.” She eyed them for a few thoughtful moments. “Let me think about what I want to do, and I’ll let you know. I also promised Julianna I wouldn’t leave while she was away, so if I do decide to go west, it won’t be until after she and her husband return.”
“Fair enough,” Cole said. “If you decide not to join us, I’ll be sad about not having you bossing me around, but I’ll understand. Lenny and I will muddle through. Men like us have been doing so since the beginning of time.”
Cole had shared his attraction to men with her when they were adolescents, and she’d guarded his confession like a dragon did its horde. He and Lenny met during the war. Val didn’t claim to understand the hows and whys of their bond, but she cared for Cole enough that posing as his wife so the two men could be together while she sidestepped her father’s choice of a husband had been an easy decision. Now, everything was up in the air, and, yes, Drake entered into the equation as well.
Archer stepped into the room. “Excuse me for interrupting. I’m returning to the Quarter. Would either of you like to go with me? If not, Drake’s offered to drive you when you’re ready.”
Lenny stood. “I’ll go back with you, Archer.” He looked to Val and Cole. “You two talk. Me, I need more sleep. Cole, I’ll see you later.”
After Drake’s earlier show of pique, Val wasn’t sure how she felt about him being responsible for getting Cole back to the Christophe but decided to worry about it when the time came. “Thank you, Archer.”
As he and Lenny exited, Val wondered where Drake might be, but turned her attention to Cole. “How’s your leg?”
He looked down and rubbed the knee slowly. “Aches. Between the long ocean crossing, the train ride, and the humidity here, I probably should’ve gone with Archer, too. It needs rest.”
He’d received the injury while fighting with the United States Colored Troops at the Battle of New Market Heights. Lenny had been a corpsman in the hospital where he was taken to recover. She was glad Cole hadn’t been among the hundreds of men killed that day. However, he’d need the cane for the rest of his life.
He asked, “If you do decide not to accompany us to California, what will you do about your father?”
He brought up a question that was looming in the back of her mind like a threatening storm. “I don’t know, but I won’t be married off like Caroline. Seeing her so unhappy makes my heart ache.”
“He’s going to insist on you marrying though, and if you tell him no, as I know you will, he’ll be on the first train heading south.”
It was an apt prediction. Harrison Lacy was convinced his daughter’s rebellious ways could only be cured by a husband’s firm hand. He’d grudgingly consented to her marrying Cole because he worked for Cole’s father and didn’t want to jeopardize his employment. If Cole was no longer in the picture, he’d declare it within his rights to choose a replacement, and demand she meekly agree. The thought was infuriating, and admittedly, something she didn’t want to think about.
They spent the next hour rehashing his trip to Paris, talking about his parents, and reminiscing on their shared past. Once they were done, he eyed her for a long moment before saying, “So you never did answer my question about LeVeq. Do you have feelings for him?”
She’d hoped he’d let the question lie, but he knew her better than anyone.
“You
know you can be truthful with me, Val. We hatched this marriage scheme to cover for me and Lenny, but I won’t have you sacrificing your chance to have what we have out of a sense of loyalty to us.”
She thought for a long moment before asking, “What is love, Cole?”
He gave her a small smile. “Missing them when you’re apart. The joy in waking up each morning and knowing that person is there, and how blessed you are to be given another day together. Wanting the best for them and them wanting the same for you. It’s many things, Val, both large and small.”
She let that fill her mind and heart.
“I want you to be happy, Val. You’ve always wanted to conquer the world. Love with the right person makes us stronger, not weaker. I hope what I’ve said helps?”
“It does. Thank you.”
Although Cole had been doing his best to conceal the pain from his injured leg, she could see it in his furrowed brow and his tightly set jaw. “Let me find Drake so he can get you back to the Quarter. You need to rest.”
He didn’t argue. “I’d appreciate that.”
She rose from her chair. “Be right back.”
She found Drake seated in the gazebo with a cup of coffee. When he glanced up at her approach, she was flooded by memories of their passionate night.
“If you’ve come to scold me, you’ve every right,” he said to her.
“You promised you’d be nice.”
“I did, and I apologize. First, Archer woke us up, then you ran out to see to your guests. It wasn’t how I’d envisioned our morning.”
The gentleness in his tone touched her and she found his disappointment endearing, even if he had acted like an angry pirate. “Will you drive Cole back to the Christophe? His leg is paining him.”
“Of course. Have you eaten?”
“No.”
“I left you some food on the stove. We can go after you’re done.”
She wanted to protest taking the time to eat. The sooner Cole returned to his room, the sooner he could take the weight off his leg, but arguing would only delay the journey as well. “Okay. I won’t be long.”
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