“Is that what happened to Cherise?” She knew she shouldn’t ask, but she needed to know.
“Cherise.” Brax frowned and relaxed his grip on her arms. “She knew what she was doing when she played with fire. And she got burned. It’s the way of things here. But it won’t happen to you, not as long as I have breath in my body.”
“Why do you even care?” Alice had reached a breaking point. She’d already lost everything and here he was, acting like it was just the opposite. “I know I was just a game to you and Anderson. You can stop pretending like I matter to you. Believe me when I say I know for a fact I don’t matter to Anderson Cain.”
“How can you possibly think that?” Julian turned to her and the disbelief on his face said it all. “Putting Anderson aside for one second, haven’t I been there for you every time you’ve needed me, even now?”
He was right. She felt like such a jerk, but the only way to explain it would be to tell him she’d eavesdropped on his conversation with Anderson. If she started from the top, started with the truth Anderson didn’t want to hear…maybe he’d understand then.
“I came here, to Damsels, because I wanted to experience passion, desire, ecstasy.” She thought the words would be hard, but they came freely, like they were glad to escape her secret heart. “I came for Anderson, and then I met you…to be honest, I guess I was playing a game, too. How can I be angry with the both of you?”
“You came for passion?” Julian’s voice lowered dangerously. “And you would get it from Cherise’s master?”
“I couldn’t…you didn’t…” She stuttered her words, frustrated. “Neither you, nor Anderson, wanted to give it to me!”
“Oh God!” Julian groaned. “Is that what you think? You have no idea what I want to give you, what I could give you.”
He loomed over her, his jaw clenched, eyes lit with fire. He placed both hands on the wall on either side of her shoulders, arms locking her into place. Alice should have been nervous, pinned down like that, but instead she felt a rush of exhilaration. “Cher, I’ll be damned if allow you to give it away to someone undeserving. You leave me no choice.”
Brax spread his legs on either side of her hips, caging her. Intense eyes watched her reactions carefully as he took hold of her hands, still clutching the undone gown. She was no match for his powerful grip and he raised her arms over her head, easily restraining both wrists with his left hand.
The dress fell away. Alice had no control over her body’s reaction as her exposed breasts strained to make contact with his chest, nipples begging for the touch of his body.
“First lesson: Don’t move.” He said it firmly. He meant it, she could tell, but her hips betrayed her, pressing against his thighs. Julian reacted instantly, using the full force of his weight to hold her in place. “The pleasure you receive comes directly from me, because I allow it. Do you understand?”
Yes! She couldn’t nod. She couldn’t speak. Alice was completely at his mercy and that fact intensified her desire. She finally understood the way the woman on stage felt at the feast, her first night at Damsels. That need was the tip of the iceberg, and Alice was beginning to realize the depth of her submission to the pleasure.
Julian grazed his unshaven chin across the delicate skin of her cheek. That rough sensation, given to her in such a calculating manner, drove a spike of primal lust between her legs and she managed to let a moan escape her lips. Her captor ran the fingers of his right hand under her chin, thumb pressed against her lips to quiet her.
“I know what you need, cher.” His breath was hot, and he spoke intimately into her ear. “Do as I say and I’ll give it to you. I’ll give you everything.”
Alice didn’t dare move. No answer confirmed her consent more than her voice could have done. She didn’t know if she could do what he demanded, but she had to try.
“Kiss me back.” Julian parted her lips and possessively delved into her mouth, taking everything he wanted from her with commanding assurance. Alice submitted fully to his kiss, let herself exist for him in the realm of passion he was building for them. She thought her desire couldn’t be more powerful until he moved his hand from her chin, sliding strong fingers down her oiled skin to capture her breasts.
He tweaked one swollen nipple between a thumb and forefinger, masterfully sending a shot of blinding lust through her body. She cried out, and he took her moan into his mouth, devouring her lusty breath like a reward. The ache was almost unbearable as the muscles between her legs clenched for relief.
Brax released her arms, sliding strong hands over her hips as he lifted her high against the wall. He easily maneuvered her legs over his shoulders and before she knew what was happening, he buried his face between her legs. Alice wrapped her fingers in his thick black hair, holding on as he expertly ran his tongue along the length of her slick cleft.
Alice had never experienced this before. She was out of her mind with the pleasure he gave her, until he captured her clit between his lips and rolled his tongue around the swollen flesh. She broke the rules, then, and ground against his face in pure ecstasy as he latched on with his mouth. Julian ran his fingers along the edge of her entrance, teasing the hungry little mouth with probing fingers. It was more than Alice could take. When his fingers penetrated her, she exploded, thighs clenching his head tightly as she rode the waves of orgasm in his mouth.
Julian followed through, deeper and deeper, increasing her pleasure until she was so sensitive, she screamed. He lapped up her climax one last time and disengaged from her throbbing flesh, allowing her to slide down the wall. He didn’t let her go, though. Alice was grateful he held her tightly against his chest because she knew her legs wouldn’t support her.
“Lay down with me, cher,” he whispered in her ear, easily porting her to an arrangement of pillows on the floor nearby. He put her down gently, and when Alice tried to cover herself with the remnants of her dress, he put out a restraining hand.
“I want to look at you. I want to see you.”
It was difficult for her to lay there, exposed, but at the same time it was incredibly arousing. She felt like he was memorizing the way she looked, painting a picture of her in his mind. Julian stood and slowly stripped off his shirt. Oh God, her heartbeat accelerated again. Her eyes were drawn to his tight jeans and she could see how much he wanted her without a doubt. He began to unbutton his pants.
This was it! He was going to make love to her and every fiber in her body longed for it to happen. She throbbed at the thought of having him inside her; the idea of him riding her, still wet from her orgasm, flooded her veins with need.
He stopped before he could lower his pants. Something caught his attention on the wall behind her. Alice froze, a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t want to turn around, even as she pulled the dress over her breasts. Somehow she knew this was going to be really bad, and she was right.
Anderson Cain stood at the glass inside the observation room, watching them.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Anderson had a terrible feeling as he followed the corridor to the room where Sebastian told him Brax would be. The bartender’s face had been agonized with worry as he directed him with a caution. He didn’t need to ask about Alicia. He could see for himself that she wasn’t there and he didn’t blame her for leaving. Whatever happened while she waited at the club, Brax would know about it. It was imperative that he find him right away so he could clear this whole misunderstanding up.
Splintered wood from the smashed door littered the carpet in the hall, and Anderson’s heartbeat increased. What had gone on here? Was his friend in trouble? He stepped into the foyer, listening for any signs of a disturbance. It was silent. Flowers lay toppled over in their vase, water running over the rich wood and staining the table in the center of the room.
The observation door was ajar. He took long strides and entered the room swiftly. It was dark and took a moment for his eyes to adjust. And when they did, he saw Alicia against the wall on
the opposite side of the room. She was with someone. He was restraining her! He leaned against the glass for a moment of support, the breath knocked out of him.
That bastard. He’d kill whoever it was for taking advantage of his beautiful girl.
Anderson pushed away from the window, his fists balled into weapons as a dark and primal instinct took over his sense of reason. Just as he was turning away, the usurper tilted his head back for a moment of pleasure, and Anderson saw the truth.
Julian Brax. His best friend was there with the woman he loved. It was a double betrayal—not only did he take Alicia for himself, but he damned their friendship at the same time. How could he not have recognized him when he first entered the room? His mind never even thought it was an option. Jesus Christ, that dirt bag driver was right. Anderson felt like the rug had been pulled out from under him.
His body sagged against the glass. The pain in his heart was too much for him to process or even comprehend. Yet he couldn’t take his eyes off the two of them, what Brax was doing to Alicia and the pleasure she obviously received from it.
Oh God. There had to be a way to control the pain, to stop his spinning head before he vomited on the floor. Something clicked in his brain as he continued to watch. Maybe it was to protect him; he didn’t question it, but the analytical side of his mind took over. He fell into the clinical observation routine he’d used with Beverly, and with so many of the other women before her.
Only this time it was happening to Alicia, so it was far more important. He watched her react with pure ecstasy to the manipulations of his friend. His mind memorized the tactics employed to drive her to the brink and beyond. Anderson strived to learn everything he could from the display before him. His mind told him this was what he’d wanted all along.
He loved Alicia. And she was clearly receiving the type of pleasure he’d long sought to be able to provide. But he couldn’t reconcile the fact that his best friend was teaching her, even as he himself learned, for the first time, the connection between his heart and his mind.
A torrent of new emotions and realizations pounded through his head, and he desperately needed time to sort through it all. To label and categorize everything he’d discovered tonight. But his heart wanted to run into the room, take Alicia in his arms, and keep her at his side forever.
He was frozen in place as Brax carried her in his arms and laid her down on the cushions in the middle of the room. Anderson saw his face, the way he looked at her as he stripped off his shirt. He was going to make love to her. God, was he going to watch this, too? He knew the answer to that question before he asked it.
Damn it all. Julian had feelings for her as well. Anders wanted to die inside. It was probably apparent, too, when his best friend looked up and saw him in on the other side of the glass.
* * *
Oh hell.
Brax hadn’t meant for it to happen this way. The look on Anders’ face through the window stung more deeply than a hundred blows could have done. Damn it, he’d meant to do damage control with his friend long before it got to this point. The truth was, all three of them had been on the train to Disasterville for days, and he was probably the conductor.
Brax looked at Alicia, who had clothed herself again. Whatever he’d been planning to do a moment before was gone from his mind, but his body still throbbed with adrenaline. This was his fault. He would take responsibility for his actions and face Anders like a man. Like his friend. He owed him that much.
He pulled his shirt back on as he walked out of the suite, acutely conscious of what Anders had just seen. Brax entered the observation room with a neutral stance, arms at his side. The air was thick with tension, and when his friend turned a stricken face in his direction, it cut him deeply.
“How could you do this?” Anderson’s tone was soft, devastated. “I trusted you.”
What could he say to that? Alicia informed him that she knew for a fact she didn’t matter to Anderson. The sad part was, he could tell she believed it. He knew it was bullshit, but he still let the excuse help him well on the way to what they did back in that room. The messed up part was, the only reason he could give would hurt more than any lie made up to placate.
“I love her.” The words shot out of his mouth, his last confession, maybe. He didn’t know what he expected for his honestly, but certainly not what he got next.
“Bastard!” Anderson grabbed him by collar and slammed him into the glass. “Do you think I don’t love her, too? I never would have done this to you!”
Brax was shocked by the violence of his friend’s reaction. He’d never seen him act physically at any point in their relationship, and Anders never lost control of his emotions. His gut clenched with worry, and he put a settling hand on the other man’s shoulder.
“Don’t fucking touch me!” Anderson spun out from under his grasp. “God, you smell like her still. We had a misunderstanding, Alicia and I. And you took advantage of it the first chance you got. I can’t even stand the sight of you now.”
Anderson swung wide with his right fist and landed a rocketing blow against Brax’s jaw. It hurt like hell and he was glad. He deserved the pain—that was something he could handle, something he could face. All this crap with his heart and feelings, that was murky water and he was drowning in it.
“Is this the way you want it? You want to fight for her? Fine with me.” Anderson swayed a little on his feet, but put out his fists. It looked like some college prep boxing shit he probably learned from Oxford when he studied summers abroad. There was no way Brax was going to fight Anders. Even if he wasn’t his best friend, the scientist was no match for him in a brawl. This was ridiculous, and he needed to put a stop to it right away.
“Put your damn hands down. We’re not going to fight.” Brax tasted blood on his lip as he spoke. His friend might be leaner, but he packed a wallop with his punch earlier.
“Then I’m afraid we are at an impasse, because I won’t give her up that easily. You’re the one who taught me to stand up and fight for the things I really want. Isn’t that ironic?”
Anderson pushed past Brax, roughly catching him with his shoulder on the way out. He didn’t allow it to provoke him. Alicia was in the other room, and he knew well enough the window went both ways. He couldn’t imagine what she might think about him after this display, but even if it was the worst, she’d be right. He’d better go to her and try to smooth things over.
Next problem up on the docket for tonight: Alicia was gone.
Brax headed for the parlor. Sebastian had a bottle of bourbon up on deck with his name written all over it. “Alicia left a long time before Anders came out, if you’re wondering.”
“Great, now you’re all Nicky Newsboy since the shit already hit the fan.”
The liquor stung his cut lip. He clearly needed more if he could still feel the pain.
* * *
It usually wasn’t difficult to find a taxi near Bourbon Street, even on Sunday night. But Alice wanted to be away from the bright lights and headed the other direction down Toulouse. She might have to go all the way to Decatur, but she’d pick up something there for sure. The important thing was getting as far away from Damsels as quickly as she could. Her heart was breaking after the altercation she’d witnessed between Brax and Anderson. No matter how many times she ran it through her head, it seemed to her like she was the cause.
The thought killed her. She’d just walked down this street with Anderson a few nights before, and he’d told her how important his friendship was with Brax.
She never meant to come between them. She never meant to fall in love with both men at the same time. It was clear to her now, what she thought was a game between the two friends must have been serious the entire time. But even if she hadn’t done this on purpose, she was still responsible. And now that she knew the truth—that she couldn’t be with either one of them, ever—her heart ached so deep inside she wanted to curl up on the pavement and die.
Alice had only gotten a
few blocks when she heard footsteps echoing behind her. Was she being followed? How long had it been going on? For God’s sake, this is the Quarter. Alice felt paranoid. She tried to shake the feeling, but picked up the pace nonetheless.
Her tail did the same.
I’m done with this, she thought. Alice spun around on her heel, ready to face whatever was going to happen next. She was through running and ducking and all the other things that used to make up her passive behavior in the past. Besides, she didn’t see how things could get any lower for her tonight.
“Alicia, please wait.” The breathy voice reached her from a block off and she recognized it right away: Cherise. Was she angry with her? Was that why she had followed her all the way down the street?
The dark haired girl caught up to her quickly, and all of Alicia’s suspicions flew out the window. Cherise’s eyes were swollen from crying, and Alice was sure she could make out a handprint on her cheek.
“I can’t go home tonight and I don’t have anywhere else.” Her beautiful voice was thick from tears. “Please, may I stay with you this evening?”
Alice couldn’t turn her back on the girl, no matter what her connection was to Damsels and the people there. Cherise had only ever shown her kindness and if she wanted to have her as a friend, she needed to prove it now.
Hopefully she wasn’t getting herself in over her head again.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“It’s Anderson again.”
Alice watched Cherise split the curtains before she whispered across the room. Her nerves were on edge. He’d been by her apartment several times in the past few days, but the two girls dug in tight. Alice didn’t know what she would have done if Cherise hadn’t been there to help her with errands and to run interference.
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