“Mercy, please, you mustn’t—”
“Yeah, Legs. Fuck, I’m gonna come.”
Ben’s cry of passion mixed with Rousseau’s agonized plea, both sounding like white noise to Allegra as lightning struck her body again. She sensed the energy arc between the three of them, as though she were a conduit of pure, unadulterated bliss.
He’d ruined her. A lifetime of ordinary no longer appealed. Not after that. Not when she finally knew what passion was.
Rousseau’s hands burned into her flesh as he caressed her with silent praise. He began to pull out of her just as Ben pulled her head away from his cock, his own fist pumping once, then twice before he came in his hand. “Fuck, I needed that.”
Allegra could only blink as Ben disappeared with a shocked shout.
What the hell?
She spun around, her body still shaking from her earthshattering climax, in time to see Bone Daddy holding Ben up by his throat, his feet dangling in the air. She shook her head, trying to focus. No one was that strong.
No human.
“Stop. Jesus, Rousseau, I can’t breathe!” Ben choked out his surprise, but nothing swayed the angry Loa.
“She does not belong to you. She will never belong to you. Not her mouth, not her pussy. You don’t touch her again. Your price has been paid.”
It didn’t sound human, that voice. A moment’s fear shimmered up Allegra’s spine, but she pushed it away because she didn’t have time to panic. Not when Ben was turning purple.
“Stop this right now.” She crawled off the bed and put a restraining hand on one of Rousseau’s bulging biceps.
“He was thinking—”
“Private thoughts. Thoughts people don’t usually share during an orgasm. Unless you have no choice because a nosy, oversexed spirit is along for the ride.”
He lowered the wheezing Ben to the ground, releasing him with obvious reluctance.
Allegra’s shoulders slumped in relief, but tensed again when his golden glare turned her way. “I’ll kill him if he touches you again.”
“I don’t think Rousseau would like you hurting his friend.” She watched his expression turn to one of confusion. “And I know I wouldn’t.”
“He is the jealous one.”
He meant Rousseau. “But he didn’t invite Ben to join us, did he? That was you,” she reasoned. “And I know you’re not the jealous type.”
He stepped away from her, looking down at Ben, who was still clutching his neck protectively. He shook his head. “This isn’t supposed to happen.”
Allegra closed the gap between them cautiously, part of her wanting to separate him from Ben, the other wanting to soothe him. The Loa’s expression was tinged with guilt and confusion. “What isn’t supposed to happen, BD?”
Regret. Envy. Care.
She heard the answer in her head, as if he couldn’t bring himself to admit to it out loud. “Life is full of both. It’s a package deal. And Ben is your friend. So am I, if you’ll let me be.”
His stunned gaze connected with hers for a long, charged moment. “This isn’t what I wanted.”
His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed on the floor like a sack of sexy, buck naked potatoes.
“Rousseau!” Allegra fell to her knees beside him, her fingers searching his neck for a pulse. It was faint and oddly fast, but it was still there.
“That was damn promising.”
Ben’s hoarse voice brought Allegra’s head around in shock. “He almost killed you, Ben. He could have crushed your windpipe right in front of me. How is that promising?”
He crawled over to kneel beside her, his gaze dropping to the unconscious body on the hardwood floor. “I told you, this isn’t the first time we’ve shared a woman. I’ve seen BD in action enough to know that this”—he pointed toward Rousseau—“is not the norm. Bone Daddy’s MO is kinky, but fixed in its own way. He fulfills the deepest, darkest secret desires of whatever woman he’s with, gaining energy from every climax, and then he sends them off with a smile on their face and a little something extra. Some change in their lives. Like your leg.” Allegra’s hand instinctively moved to her left thigh. It was a powerful talent, being able to give a person anything, everything they wanted. The allure would be almost irresistible. Almost.
“He said it was temporary.”
“Unless he decides it isn’t.” Ben shrugged weakly. “He always gives a gift to his lovers. That part of the rumor is true. He’ll never come, but the next day you may win the lottery.”
Awareness throbbed painfully in her temples. He hadn’t come. In fact, when it looked like he might a few minutes ago, he’d seemed concerned. Scared.
Mercy. He’d asked for mercy.
It couldn’t be that simple. Rousseau’s cryptic words on the phone came back to her in a rush. “He’s never come? This is important so think hard. Have you ever heard about or seen him having an orgasm in the last seven years?”
Ben shook his head, frowning. “He can’t.”
“What does that mean exactly?”
“Rousseau told me about it one rare night when he allowed me to get him drunk. He’d started railing at his father for sticking him with a Loa who needed other people’s orgasms to survive, but never let him come.” He tilted his head thoughtfully. “I thought it was strange at the time. To be honest, knowing BD, I thought it might be a secret kink of Rousseau’s, you know? Orgasm denial. Though people rarely enjoy that for more than a few hours, and even that seems excessive to me.”
That was the answer. It had to be. Rousseau couldn’t come. She rose up on her knees, gripping Ben’s shoulders excitedly. “Is there anything that can hold a Loa? Silver? Candle wax? Anything?”
Ben’s expression was wary. “Well, he isn’t a werewolf, Allegra. He’s a spirit. A strong spirit. I’m not even sure what the limits to his powers are.” He shrugged. “I don’t know, Legs. I’m not sure anyone’s ever tried to hold one. Not anyone I’ve ever heard of.”
“Not that you’ve—haven’t you ever tried to help Rousseau get rid of his spirit before now?”
He flinched as though she’d slapped him. “You have no idea what I’ve done for him. What I would do. Do you think I want him to be controlled by a Loa’s whims forever? Even a Loa like BD, who only wants to make sure he gets laid once in a while?”
Allegra glared at him until he rolled his eyes. “I know I’m defending him. I’m not immune to BD’s charm, as much as I’d like to be. He allows me in at his leisure, but he rarely lets down his guard. Until you, he’s never once lost control.”
Allegra ran a hand through her hair. “I’m sorry, Ben. I have no right to question you. Even your mother and Mambo Toussaint couldn’t help. And I’ve got no room to talk, since I haven’t been able to resist him either.”
And he could wake up at any moment. “Does he have any ropes or chains around? Maybe we can use belts.” She stood up, looking around the room.
“No. Nothing like that.” He paused. “There are those handcuffs.”
“Handcuffs?”
Ben looked like he was about to blush. “They’re under the bed, connected to the posts. There was this blonde who liked—”
Allegra held up her hand. “Stop. Talking. Handcuffs, huh? Why didn’t you say so in the first place? Help me get him to the bed before he wakes up.”
“You know he weighs more than both of us put together. What’s going on in that brain of yours, Legs?”
She took Rousseau’s legs and grunted. Man, he was heavy. “Ever seen The Exorcist?”
Ben huffed, his muscles straining as he half carried, half dragged his friend toward the bed. “Yeah. So?”
“This will be nothing like that.”
Chapter 8
“Am I crazy?”
“No more than anyone in love, Legs. I think you might be on to something though. Are you sure you want me to leave?” Ben looked worried.
Allegra shrugged, climbing up onto the bed and straddling Rousseau’s thighs. He was still har
d. Even when he was sleeping.
She wasn’t going to let that fact turn her on.
“No. But it might help him relax and let his guard down.”
“I’m handcuffed to a bed without a stitch of clothing on. How much lower does my guard have to be?”
Allegra jumped, nearly kneeing Rousseau in the groin.
“Careful now.” He shifted on the bed, rattling the cuffs. “I have a feeling you’re going to want use of that particular part of my anatomy. At least, I’m hopeful.”
Hazel eyes. For the moment. “Rousseau?”
His gaze was fixed, unblinking, on her breasts. “Mm-hmm?”
“I think that’s my cue. Try not to screw this up, buddy.” Ben leaned over and kissed Allegra on the forehead. “Good luck, Legs. And thank you. For everything.”
From the look in his eyes she had a feeling he was talking about more than what they’d done together. Michelle was going to kill her.
Rousseau snorted. “I’d call you a traitor if you hadn’t left a beautiful naked woman on my lap.”
“You’re welcome, lucky bastard.”
“I’m sorry about earlier.”
“Keep it to yourself. My story is I knocked you out and got you handcuffed to a bed. Who do you think people will believe?”
He flexed his biceps while looking over Ben’s leaner form with a raised eyebrow. “Depends. How good is their eyesight?”
A surprise chuckle escaped Allegra’s throat. It was such a simple exchange. Lighthearted. It reminded her of their first meeting. This was Rousseau. This was the man she wanted. A man who deserved to control his own destiny.
She stared at him as Ben’s footsteps faded, as she heard the door open, then slowly close behind him. Finally, he lifted his gaze. Still hazel. Still hers.
“Why am I tied up again?”
Allegra swallowed at Rousseau’s question. She wasn’t sure herself. She didn’t know if it would work or if he needed to be restrained. Bone Daddy was strong, but she was getting to know him. He might be intrigued enough to give her the time she needed. All she was sure of was that if he touched her, she might not be able to go through with her plan. And she needed to. Everything depended on it.
“My chute failed.”
His perfectly arched eyebrows rose. “Excuse me?”
“My accident? It was my own fault. I wasn’t careful. I had too much experience, I was too cocky and I so badly needed my fix of clear blue sky. It was the one place I was free, you see. From the need to make something more of my life. From the driving ambition to prove myself. From my lack of ability to truly connect to the world below. Nothing can happen to me here, I thought.”
Rousseau’s smile was tinged with sadness. “I never understood why people jumped out of perfectly good planes until now. I can see the appeal of it.”
Her sigh was shaky. “Then my chute failed. It was torn. I aimed for the tree line, hoping it would break my fall, and it did. I got tangled in the ropes, hanging by my arms and legs, unable to free myself. For eleven hours I waited for search and rescue to find me. After I lost the feeling in my limbs, all I had was time to think.”
“Bebe.” He sounded pained. In agony for her. But she wasn’t finished with her confession.
“I came to the conclusion that my life was based on fear. I sought out physical danger, took challenges and dares no sane person would take, to prove I was brave, but I wasn’t. Not where it mattered. Not with other people.”
He made a sound of protest but she shook her head, rubbing the scars on her arms. “Even before the accident, something inside me was empty. I filled it by moving, traveling, never stopping long enough to find love or make any real friends. Every time I started to wonder if there was something missing inside of me, if my parents’ avoidance of strong emotions might have been passed down to their daughter, I ran again.” A watery chuckle escaped. “Michelle doesn’t count, of course. She adopted me. I had no choice in the matter, thank God. I’d be all alone if it weren’t for her.”
“You’re too hard on yourself. I’ve seen your heart. There’s no emptiness or fear there. Just loneliness.”
She looked into Rousseau’s eyes and laid her hand on his chest gratefully. “Thank you, but today is the first time I’ve seen what bravery really looks like.”
Rousseau frowned. “Today?”
“Bravery isn’t a mad woman jumping from the plane without double-checking her chute. It’s the person on the ground, watching and ready to catch her. It’s the person who sticks around, even when it’s hard, to fight for the people they care about. People like Ben. People like you.”
He looked away. “I’m not brave, Allegra. My father forced me to pay for his sins without my knowledge. It’s not like I had a choice.”
She knew better. “Bone Daddy said, ‘He laid his family out like a platter.’ His whole family, not just his son. You offered yourself, didn’t you? To save your mother and sisters from your father’s mistakes? Tell me I’m wrong.”
His expression told her everything she wanted to know. She’d been right. Rousseau had taken the Loa into himself willingly. “That’s what courage is, Rousseau. And I’d bet my last dollar you never shared that truth with the rest of your family. You didn’t even tell Ben the whole story. You carry it every day, and you’d still make the same decision each and every time, if it meant the people you care about would be safe. And that’s why you stayed away from me for so long. To keep me safe.”
His laugh was haggard and bitter. “Yes, I’m a paragon. That writer’s imagination of yours is working overtime to canonize me. If you knew how many women I’ve had? How many men? The Loa isn’t particular, love. He just wants to fuck his way through the human population, and I’ve come along for the ride. I’m not a hero, Allegra. I’m an emptied-out shell.”
Some part of her knew BD was listening, and that he didn’t like Rousseau’s conclusions. Good. He needed some tough love, as far as she was concerned.
She slid her hands up his chest and flicked his nipple piercings, making him shudder. “You’re very hard on yourself, aren’t you? I’ve watched how people treat you. All those willing and eager partners. They don’t see you. They don’t even see him. Not really. But I do. I’m curious. How many of those men and women you’ve had ever stopped to wonder if you were satisfied? How many wanted nothing but to make you come? To make you happy?”
A flash of gold kindled in his eyes, and Allegra sat up straighter. Game time.
Bone Daddy’s smile was all deviance and persuasion. “Why would you worry about something like that, cher? You know how it satisfies me when you scream out in ecstasy. When your body quakes at the touch of my tongue, my fingers. That makes me happy.”
“But none of your lovers have ever given you an orgasm, have they?”
He shrugged lazily. “When you are given a buffet after a lifetime of famine, do you wonder if the person in the line behind you is hungry? Whether or not the chef has eaten? Or do you feast?”
Allegra felt the truth like a punch in the gut. She’d been no better. She’d reveled in the orgasms he’d given her, not realizing until it was pointed out to her that Rousseau hadn’t had the same release. How many women left his side the morning after, thinking they’d had the best sex of their life, never wondering about him again?
“I’m sorry, BD. But I’m on to you now.” She lowered her chest, scraping her hard nipples across the cool metal on his. His smile wavered. “You still want to satisfy me?”
His gaze heated to molten gold. “More than I imagined possible, cher.”
She fought the haze of arousal and remembered pleasure at the feel of his strong, muscular body against hers. “Good. Then this shouldn’t be too hard. No pun intended.”
She smiled. “I won’t be satisfied until I make you come.”
Allegra kissed him, loving the taste and texture of his succulent lips. Rousseau’s lips. Everything about him felt tailor-made for her. Perfect. He’d be impossible to resist without
the sexual magic of his Loa. All she could do was hang on and hope that she had the strength to outlast him. That he wanted her enough to give her the chance.
She shifted, dragging her body against him and placing hot, open-mouthed kisses on his neck, his chest, the tense muscles of his stomach.
“Cher, I want to taste you again. Climb up and give me your sweet pussy.”
She chuckled against his hip. “Not now. I’m busy.”
He rattled the handcuffs, his arms bulging as he struggled against bonds she had a feeling he could break at any time. Allegra ignored him, spreading his powerful thighs with her body.
Her mouth watered at the sight of his thick cock. “Have you ever had sex without a condom?”
He snorted. “I’m older than you know, cher, and I’m not stupid. If this body got a disease, it would put an end to my fun. Why do you ask?”
His surprised moan as she took him in her mouth was gratifying. He didn’t need a coating of honey rum, he tasted sweeter than any liqueur all on his own. A guilty pleasure. She could see him becoming her own personal addiction.
Her lips stretched wide to take more of his thick cock in her mouth, eyes watering when he hit the back of her throat. She tried to close her fist around the base of his shaft, but he was so big. She couldn’t believe he’d fit inside her ass.
She shivered.
“You’re imagining me finally claiming you. Set me free, and I will give you what you need.”
She lifted her mouth from him and smiled. “Does Rousseau know you already did that without him?”
His eyes widened in genuine surprise. He hadn’t believed she’d bring that up. “He does now.”
“I promised him there wouldn’t be lies between us, remember? And when he’s finally inside me, I want him to know I’m not wondering who I’m sharing our first time with.”
She licked her finger, slipping it between his thighs. When one finger pushed inside, his ass tightened and desire turned the gold molten. “You’re trying to make us lose control. Rousseau fights me again because of your confession and you torture me. Is that the big plan the Mambo shared through her gris-gris? I’ve survived more than this longer than she’s been alive, cher. I can withstand torture.”
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