A burst of rich laughter jerked him to his feet. He hadn’t recognized the voices, but he knew that laugh.
Angelique was here?
He kept the light off and walked to the window, glancing down at the driveway below. What in God’s name was she up to?
A taxi idled at the curb while three women weaved giddily up the walk. Angelique was in the middle, shaking her head as the other two dragged her closer to the house.
“They’re asleep. The lights are out. You won’t see anything anyway.”
One of the other women tugged on her arm. “You enjoyed the lap dance, didn’t you? That was for you. This hunt is for us.”
Gabriel’s lips quirked. They were drunk. He’d been in that state often enough to recognize the signs. It also sounded like they’d been having a wild night. And if he was reading the situation correctly, Angelique’s friends weren’t quite ready for it to be over.
He grabbed a pair of well-worn jeans lying on the end of the bed, quickly sliding into them as he headed down the stairs before the women woke the rest of the house.
He didn’t want to admit he was in a rush to see her.
He’d been here a week now, lying low until his cuts and bruises faded, fantasizing about Angelique, and learning what he could from BD.
The man was a welcoming host, and a great talker, but getting him to say anything about the things he’d seen as a Loa was a herculean task that Gabriel had yet to manage.
All BD would say was that his memory wasn’t what it used to be. Or that the Loa were called the Mysteries for a reason. He did think more would come to him, especially if Gabriel could tell him, specifically, what he was looking for. Then he’d smile, letting Gabriel know without words that it would take information to get any in return.
Gabriel wasn’t sure he could tell him anything if he wanted to. Not anything he would believe, anyway. He hardly remembered what had happened himself. His one witness, Emmanuel, had been noticeably absent the last few days, so there was no one around to fill in the blanks.
Bethany had been harder to avoid. That woman was brilliant and abnormally tenacious. Despite his silence on the subject, and her obvious curiosity, she’d kept his family at bay and treated him as a welcome guest. It was easy to see why his sister was so fond of her.
How she would react to this strange, late-night intrusion wasn’t clear. Gabriel, however, couldn’t be more fascinated.
He opened up the side door and leaned against the frame, waiting to be noticed.
Angelique had grabbed the collar of the taller girl’s blouse, unintentionally causing her to choke. “Kelly, please. I told you in confidence. I’ll get you an autographed picture, I promise. I’ll buy you those matching tutus we passed in the shop. Anything. Ive, tell her to be reasonable.”
The woman named Kelly turned, laughing even as she pried Angelique’s fingers off her shirt. “Relax, Ang. We aren’t going to kidnap him or anything. And stop tempting me with tutus. Think about how brilliant this is—we could charge people. Why not? They have haunted tours and vampire tours . . . We could do this.”
He’d been enjoying the show, but he couldn’t resist interjecting a note of reason. He didn’t think Bethany or BD would appreciate becoming a stop on the tourist route. “By this, do you mean trespass on private property in the middle of the night and look in other people’s windows?”
Three surprised shrieks had him wincing, coming closer, and raising his hands apologetically. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
The smaller one, Ive, recovered first. “Are you him? Angelique, what were you talking about? He’s not too pretty at all. More the rough and dangerous type. He looks like he just came out on the winning end of a boxing match . . . or a highly physical session in the bedroom. Bebe, he’s absolutely perfect.”
“You forgot to mention he’s practically naked, Ive. Jackpot!”
He caught Angelique’s horrified gaze and started to laugh. He wasn’t sure how she did it, but she continuously took him by surprise. After their last encounter, he hadn’t thought anything could embarrass the bold, fearless beauty. Her blush was disarming. Enchanting. And funny as hell.
She covered her face with her hands and peered through her fingers. “Gabriel? What are you doing here?”
He crossed his arms. “Me? I’m an invited guest. What are you doing here? And who do you have with you?”
“Wait—this isn’t Bone Daddy? This is Gabriel? The Gabriel?”
He could feel his smile growing. He couldn’t help it. “The Gabriel? Well, I’m the only one I know. Why? Has she been talking about me?”
“Has she been talking about yo—”
He watched as Ive whipped Kelly around and stopped her midsentence. “Kel? Remember those discussions we’ve had about over-sharing?”
“Of course I do.”
The other woman stared at her in meaningful silence until Kelly grasped her meaning. “Oh. Oh, damn.” She turned to Angelique. “I’m sorry. I’m horrible. I shouldn’t do shots. Get me away from the umbrella drinks and all I do is talk and talk and talk. Do you think that was why the stripper asked if I wanted to be gagged? I thought he was just being kinky.”
Gabriel snorted, deciding it was time to get the conversation back on track. “The taxi driver is looking impatient, and he’s probably charging you a fortune.” He smirked. “He might even be calling the voodoo police. If you’d like, I could give you three a ride home.”
Of course, he’d have to swipe Bethany’s keys, but he’d deal with the fallout later. He just wanted to spend more time with Angelique, though he didn’t want to think about why right now.
“No, no. We have to go. Come on, girls. I think we’ve made enough regrets for the night. For the year.” Angelique swayed on her feet as she spoke, and he came closer, ready to catch her.
Her friends weren’t faring much better. And they had horrible poker faces. The blonde nudged the woman beside her. “Look, we have to take the taxi back to the hotel. We’re exhausted. But Angelique doesn’t have a way home. You could take her, Gabriel. Just you two. Together. Alone in her apartment. Without us.”
Did one of them just wink at him?
Angelique groaned and dropped her chin to her chest, her long curls spilling over her shoulders and hiding her face. “When the world stops spinning I am going to get you both back, you know.”
They walked down the drive, leaving Angelique behind, and giggling like a pair of teenagers. “We know,” one of them singsonged. “But it will be worth it. We’ll call you tomorrow.”
Gabriel watched the taxi drive away, hoping the driver knew where he was going, because he was close to certain neither of the women would.
After a few minutes of silence he started to worry she had fallen asleep standing up. “Angelique?”
“I was hoping you were a tequila-induced hallucination,” she muttered.
He thought about Emmanuel. “I’ve been there before. Unfortunately for you, I’m real.”
She sighed. “I figured.” Her hands came up to push her hair back, revealing a rueful expression. “My old roommates. They’re harmless. Usually. I should never have told them about BD.”
“Why did you?”
She huffed. “We tell each other everything. It’s a girlfriend rule.”
He narrowed his gaze. “Everything? Is that why I’m the Gabriel?”
Angelique lifted her chin, one high-pitched hiccup the only sign that she was impaired. “Yes, I’ll admit to that. You are the Gabriel. But you don’t know if you’re the Gabriel, my mysteriously sexy dream lover, or the Gabriel, my friend’s irritating brother who is absolutely no fun at dinner parties.”
He just stared at her, and after a minute or two, she began to smile. A minute more and a chuckle escaped from between her lips. She held out her arms helplessly. “There’s no way to get out of this with dignity. And I’m too tipsy to try. I just hope we didn’t wake Bethany up. She’s been really nice to me.”
&nbs
p; He reached out and took her hand, drawing her closer to the door. “Me, too. But we would have known by now. Trust me. Come inside. I’ll get dressed; then I can drive you home.”
She didn’t argue, and he was grateful. Just her hand in his, and he wasn’t sure he would be able to let her go. The same intensity. The same need as before.
He opened the door and stepped aside to let her walk in ahead of him. It was an old-school habit with benefits. He closed his eyes as that lush body slid against him, her soft, sweet-smelling hair brushed over his bare chest.
She walked through the darkened kitchen to the small breakfast table. The outside light came through the window and it seemed to be shining on her.
Poetry again. He was in sorry shape. It was obvious his resistance when it came to Angelique Rousseau was nonexistent. Hadn’t he told himself a thousand times this week to stay away from her? Now she was here, she needed a ride home, and all he could think about was bending her over that table and lifting her skirt to reveal the biteable ass beneath. She’d make those sounds he loved as he spread her legs. And then he’d take her. The way he had every night in his mind.
“I’ve been having the craziest dreams about you lately.”
Angelique’s voice was hushed in the darkness, but it jolted him out of his fantasy. He moved closer. “What was I doing?”
She turned around to face him, her hand going up to her temple as she swayed. “Oops, I think I turned too fast.”
Hell, he’d forgotten. “You’ve been drinking.”
She huffed out a laugh. “Without a doubt.”
He took a step closer. “I’m supposed to be a gentleman.”
Her warm brown eyes were sparkling. “Even in my current condition I could argue that point.”
One last step and he was right in front of her. She tilted her head back to look up at him. “Don’t you want to hear about my dreams?”
He clenched his fists, nails biting into his palms as he tried to restrain himself from touching her. “That might not be a good idea.”
“There you go again. Throwing down a challenge I won’t be able to resist.” Angelique reached out to touch his chest and he clenched his jaw.
“You’ve been hurt.” Her soft hand skimmed along his rib cage. Tracing the fading but still-colorful bruises there.
“You mentioned my bad habits before, remember? I accidentally ran into a fist or two the other night.” He remembered the shadows. Yet another reason he should resist her.
She nodded, a wrinkle of worry forming between her arched brows. “You should replace a few of your habits with something less dangerous.” She bit her lip, the backs of her fingers swirling around his hard nipples. “Ive was right. You are absolutely perfect.”
Gabriel groaned, wondering why he’d ever thought he stood a chance against her. Against this. “You’re the dangerous one. Do you know that?”
He didn’t wait for her answer. He gripped her hips and lifted her onto the table, taking her mouth with a ferocity that should have shocked him. Any finesse he had was gone, but she didn’t seem to mind.
If anything, she matched his wildness. Demanding just as much. Needing just as much. Her nails scratched his back as she pulled him closer and he growled. Loving the sensation.
Then she was reaching for his hand and placing it underneath her skirt, between her thighs. He hissed at the feel of her damp, cotton panties beneath his fingertips. She covered his fingers with her own and pressed down against her clit, massaging herself in firm, swift circles, showing him how she wanted to be touched. This was what he needed. Not the fantasy. Not the dream of her. He wanted raw sex and real passion.
Energy surged through him. Power. Touching her did this to him. But he had to have more. He had to have everything.
His fingers slipped beneath the elastic band and cotton fabric to touch her and he moaned as her arousal soaked his skin.
He lifted his mouth and she sighed. “Gabriel, you’re making me so dizzy. How are you doing that?”
His free hand stilled on the zipper of his pants as her words splashed over him like an icy wave. He wanted to believe it was him, his kiss that made her dizzy, but he knew that wasn’t entirely true. He could taste the tequila mixed with Angelique’s unique flavor on his tongue. He knew she wasn’t in complete control.
A second ago it didn’t matter. He wanted her too much. So much he hadn’t thought about where they were or what he was doing. A vein on his temple throbbed. He hadn’t even thought about condoms.
His body didn’t care. His cock was still trying to punch a hole through his jeans and his hand was still between her legs, craving the contact.
But satisfying this craving wouldn’t happen unless he was the only thing affecting her senses.
Maybe he was a fucking gentleman after all.
He took his hand from beneath her skirt. Slipping his arm beneath her legs and his other around her back, he cradled her in his arms.
Angelique smiled up at him, then leaned her head on his shoulder. “You’re carrying me to bed? I never pictured you as a romantic.”
“Neither did I.” His thoughts were grim. “You need to sleep, Angelique. And I need a cold shower. Maybe an ice bath.”
“Sleep?” She yawned. “You’re not taking me up there to sleep, are you?”
He walked up the stairs slowly, reveling in the weight of her in his arms. Her scent. She cuddled closer, humming a little under her breath, and his lips twitched.
“Quit wriggling or I might change my mind.”
She laughed softly, and then her breathing began to change. Slow and deep. She’d fallen asleep. Too bad. Parts of him had really been hoping she’d change his mind.
He got to his bedroom door and angled his body to carry her inside without disturbing her.
“Sleepwalking?”
Gabriel tightened his grip on Angelique and looked up to see BD standing in the shadows. “Not quite.”
His host smiled, studying the bundle in Gabriel’s arms. “She is special, isn’t she? And stronger than her brother gives her credit for. I’ve always known that.”
Gabriel shook his head. “You think you can do anything when you’re young.”
“She’s not that young.” BD laughed. “But if that makes your stay on the couch more comfortable tonight, keep thinking it.” He pointed toward his bedroom down the hall and lowered his voice. “Bethany’s orders.”
The two men shared a look of masculine understanding and Gabriel nodded. “That was the plan.”
BD turned away and Gabriel could have sworn he heard the man mutter, “What a shame.”
His thoughts exactly.
CHAPTER 6
“HERE, ALLEGRA BROUGHT YOU SOMETHING FROM CAFÉ Bwe.”
Angelique smiled gratefully at Bethany, accepting the steaming coffee. “My brother may be a pain, but he makes a damn fine cup of go juice. This might just save my life.”
The jury was still out on whether or not it was worth saving. How had she let her friends talk her into drinking that much?
Bethany had woken her up this morning with a knowing grin and no mercy. Despite her hangover, Angelique had allowed herself to be pushed into the shower and dragged to Mambo Toussaint’s voodoo shop.
After what she did last night, she deserved a little suffering. She glanced up at Bethany and blushed, hurriedly taking a sip of hot liquid and promptly scalding her tongue. Lovely.
Bethany made a tsking sound and patted her on the shoulder. “Quit beating yourself up. As far as I’m concerned, nothing happened. I picked you up this morning so we could help the Mambo with some spring cleaning.” She paused, looking over her shoulder at the others, before lowering her voice. “We seem to be making a habit of this. Me covering for you. Not that I’m complaining. Just . . . be careful.” She moved as if to step away, then added, “But if your friends try to ogle my husband through our windows again, I can’t be held responsible for my actions.”
Angelique wondered if a person coul
d melt into the floor from embarrassment. Ive and Kelly were a fearless duo at the best of times, but even she hadn’t thought they would actually go through with it.
Gabriel had seen her like that. Intoxicated and behaving like a teenager with a crush. He’d touched her. She supposed she should be grateful that he’d been the one to stop this time, before they were interrupted. A drunken romp on someone else’s kitchen table was not what she wanted to be regretting this morning.
Liar.
She looked around the back room of Mambo Toussaint’s voodoo shop, which was closed for the day. The usually busy store was still and quiet. The shelves filled with oils and herbs, the racks of books about the occult, stood unfondled while Mambo Toussaint, Ben’s mother, Elise Adair, and Bethany chattered over unopened boxes.
The Mamas. Seeing them together, so different and yet so perfectly in sync after a lifetime of friendship, always made her smile. One a colorfully attired voodoo priestess and the mother of Michelle and Gabriel, the other a blonde, always perfectly groomed and elegantly dressed socialite, married to a successful Louisiana businessman. And now they had adopted Angelique’s mother, Theresa, folding her into their lives and hearts as though she’d always been there.
But Angelique was glad her mother and sister-in-law weren’t around. Or Michelle. She didn’t think she could look them in the eye just yet after her childish display.
At least Bethany forgave her. Or this particular chore was putting it out of her mind. She watched the rapture on her new ally’s face as Bethany opened a box of old, dusty books.
“You have the best job in the universe, Mama Toussaint.” Bethany gasped as she lifted one thick, frayed tome. “People just give you these?”
Angelique stood and wandered toward them curiously as the Mambo nodded in answer. “I’ve purchased a thing or two at different estate sales, but for the most part yes. Old family members who have no one left to pass their knowledge to, hougans and practitioners who wish to ensure their legacy lives on until it can be passed to the next generation—they send their collections to me.”
Tempt Me Page 7
