Nile felt her heart thundering at the base of her throat when he parted her thighs and settled between. An instant later, he was sinking deep inside her. What remained of her breath caught on a weak cry while she savored his throbbing stiff length buried in a wealth of her need.
Taurus shuddered, resting his head on her shoulder in order to relish her tight heat housing him. For every thrust he subjected her to, desire seemed to ache anew. The pleasure of taking her was an equal dose of torture and elation.
His movements began to slow after what seemed a delicious eternity. Yet when Nile’s responsive cries grew more helpless and affected, his desire intensified yet again and his thrusts gained strength. The lounging robe she’d worn was a wrinkled heap about her. Nile refused to imagine what a scandalous picture she made, giving herself so eagerly to the fully clothed man above-a man whose name she still didn’t know.
***
“That’s it. That’s it. Keep ‘em open.”
Nile couldn’t even muster enough strength to frown at Darby; whose instructions were delivered with just a bit too much perkiness. Her lashes fluttered close and Darby’s voice lost its perk and gathered steam. It was then that Nile understood ‘keep ‘em open’ must’ve been in reference to her eyes.
“What are you doing?” She managed once her eyes were opened to slits once more.
Darby tapped an index finger to her chin and pretended to concentrate. “Let’s see…I think I’m trying to wake you up.”
“Smart ass,” Nile grumbled. “I was only taking a nap,” she explained while trying to sit up.
“And I’m pleased to see you resting but you’ve got little over an hour left before the show.”
“What?” Nile hissed hair whipping round her face as she looked past Darby to the dark skies beyond the open drapes. “An hour? But-but I was about to have breakfast.”
Darby laughed; her honey blonde curls bobbing as she nodded toward the untouched cart of food waiting at the foot of the bed. “I wondered about that, but things fell into place when I read the card.” Her eyes narrowed devilishly. “Then, of course, there’s the fact that you’re naked.”
“What card?” Nile blinked, purposefully ignoring her best friend’s inquisitive stare and the fact that she was indeed naked in the tangled king bed. “What card?” She repeated, grimacing when Darby went to retrieve what she’d found on the room service table.
Strolling toward the bed, Darby scanned the card again and decided to read aloud. “Thank you- Taurus Ramsey.”
Whatever sluggishness Nile had been feeling was dashed away like dust being cleared by a bucket of cold water.
“Ra-Ramsey?” She breathed, wondering and praying it was just a coincidence. Surely he wasn’t one of the Ramseys. All she wanted then was to sink back into bed.
“Thank you?” Darby drawled not noticing Nile’s reaction as she was too busy teasing her. “He leaves you breakfast and in bed for an entire day. Need I ask what you did to deserve such thanks?”
“Darby…don’t.”
Tilting her head then, Darby strolled close and folded her arms across the front of the sunflower yellow top she wore. Taking note of her friend’s strained appearance, she knelt beside the bed and squeezed Nile’s hand. “Is everything okay Ny? Did this guy… do anything?”
Nile hesitated but a moment before answering. “Well…he did many things.”
Darby grinned. “Apparently. Were they things you wanted-is what I mean.”
“God yes,” Nile responded without hesitation that time, but uttered a weak curse just the same. “I shouldn’t have.”
Darby tugged on a lock of Nile’s hair. “That’s what we usually think about one night-or in your case-one day stands.”
“I know him.” Nile shared, smiling at the surprise on Darby’s face. “This wasn’t our first time.”
“Alright what the hell’s going on?”
“It’s a very long story.”
“How long?”
“About a year.”
“I’ll take the condensed version,” Darby decided and then raised a brow. “But I’ll expect the uncut story when we’re done with everything. So get your ass in the shower and start talkin’.”
***
“Does Johari know you cry when you get pissy drunk?” Fernando watched his brother slosh an eighth helping of Hennessey into the stubby beaded glass he held.
Moses grinned but it fell short of reaching his eyes. “No.” He told his brother.
Fernando tilted back the rest of his Bourbon-helping number six for him. “Well just make sure you don’t ever let her see you this way. You’re a pitiful sight when you’re like this. You don’t want her to turn tail and run now that you’ve finally got her.”
Now Moses’ laughter came through full and rich. “She’s seen me at my worst. I think she can handle it.”
Fernando massaged his eyes. “Yeah…folks can handle all sorts of shit if you give ‘em a chance.”
Moses’ eighth glass of Hennessey vanished like a flash. “I know where you’re goin’ with this.”
“And?”
“And what man? Hell…” Moses groaned, smoothing a hand across his bald head. “All I intended to do was conduct a simple investigation-find what we need to get these keys, secure the family’s safety and bury this whole mess.” He leaned against the desk in Fernando’s office and began to smooth suddenly damp palms across his jeans. “Now I’ve uncovered shit that’s another can of poison. Somethin’ that could rip a hole through two people we love a lot.”
Fernando clapped his brother’s shoulder on his way to the bar. “So what are you gonna do?”
“Gotta tell Taurus and then we go from there, I guess.” Moses sighed, folding his arms over his chest while he debated. “I’m in no hurry to move fast though. It can wait ‘til he gets back from Montenegro. No need to upset his time with Dena.”
“And in the meantime?”
Moses stood. “In the meantime, we need to sober up.” He headed behind the bar to program the coffee pot for six cups. “And you need to get home to your fiancée.” He told Fernando and then smirked. “I was plannin’ to propose to Twig after all the funerals and will readings were done,” he said using his pet name for Johari. “Losing Zara almost destroyed her. I don’t want any more ugliness to touch her.”
“Then don’t let it.” Fernando said, reaching beneath the bar for two coffee mugs. “You’ve wanted Johari for your wife since forever and waiting for the perfect time is the last thing you need to worry about.”
Moses’ laughter roared through the office then. “Perfect time in the Ramsey family? Brotha you’re drunker than I thought!”
Fernando raised his empty Bourbon glass in a mock toast and joined his brother in laughter.
***
Montenegro evenings were even more breathtaking than daylight hours. It was a dreamscape with a maze of lights twinkling in almost every exquisite corner. The light reflected off the serene waters of the Adriatic in a manner that was nothing less than hypnotic.
Amidst its own lush gardens and perfectly groomed lawns, the Hotel Brillante was yet another glittering star amongst the rest. Inside, its guests were dressed for evenings touring the city’s nightlife or enjoying all the events going on inside the immaculate hotel.
The biggest draw had to be Nile Becquois’ showing. It wasn’t that strange for the reclusive artist to appeal to huge crowds which generated hundreds of thousands of dollars for her work. As she rarely held showings, the lofty figures were as much for the quality of the art as they were for the mystique of the artist herself.
Darby could hear Nile’s fifth sigh in the quiet confines of the elevator car they shared.
“Think you’ll see him tonight?”
“No.” Nile managed trying to ignore the lurch in her stomach when she spoke. “Please don’t ask such questions if you expect me to get through this evening without making a mad dash back to my room.”
Darby waved her hands abou
t her in a gesture of serenity. “Just try to think about the kids. That should keep your feet on the ground.”
Nile agreed, her thoughts going right to the twenty kids who sought her studio-their studio for solace. God, how often had she wished for a place to escape to when she was a child? Still, in spite of the grossly inappropriate things she’d seen as a child, they didn’t hold a candle to what her kids witnessed on a daily basis. Witnessing murders and having their lives endangered while playing outside their homes or inside their homes… No, she would not lose that studio. She’d do whatever was needed to ensure that.
The elevator doors opened on the corridor leading to the Hotel’s Galleria Brillante. Nile raised her head, checked her chic black gown through the mirror in the car and then exited and greeted her patrons with the grace of a queen.
~~~
Taurus decided to keep a low profile for the duration of the evening; which would be easier said than done because of his sister. Dena was determined to fulfill every promise that he’d enjoy himself which including introducing him to his favorite artist. Little did Dena know that nothing could improve on the enjoyment he’d already had. Well…maybe only the opportunity to enjoy it again.
Taurus recalled the day’s events while observing his view of the gallery from his seat in the deep black armchair nestled in a far area of the large room. A full year had passed and he feared she’d ruined him for any other. He hadn’t even considered the idea of dating-not that the offers were frequent.
It was as Mick said, he was beyond that. He needed more. He needed a woman as desperate to be seen for her true self as he was. Why he thought Nile Becquois was that woman, he had no idea. Perhaps it was the sadness, the unease in her lovely stare that said more than words.
Or perhaps it was just the need for a healthy dose of sex, a voice pointed out in his mind. Taurus smiled, tugging on the cuff of his black double-breasted suit coat while acknowledging the truth in that statement. That day in her suite reminded him of their time together a year before. What they couldn’t or wouldn’t express in words came through in act. She allowed him to possess her and he in turn was possessed. The more he took of her, the more he’d wanted until exhaustion dealt its hand.
Unlike before, he thought, he wouldn’t lose her. He wouldn’t let her out of his sight until they spoke. Heaven help her if she thought to brush him off again because he didn’t think he could allow it without a fight. If it meant fighting dirty…so be it.
“Smart man.”
Taurus looked up realizing it was the gentleman standing next to his chair who spoke and not another voice in his head.
“Smart to take a load off and simply wait for a chance to speak with her,” said the grinning man who extending his hand for Taurus to shake. “Claude Neveau,” he said and stared out over the crowd as well. “Yes, I have a feeling Miss Becquois will be caught in a crowd for quite a while.” Turning back to Taurus, Claude waved a hand toward an empty chair. “May I?”
Taurus only dipped his head. “Are you a fan?” He inquired lightly once the gentleman had settled in the chair.
“Who wouldn’t be-especially a man?!” Claude playfully scoffed.
Taurus laughed though his striking light gaze remained void of any humor. Leaning back in his chair, his gaze followed Nile across the room while Claude Neveau rambled on.
“…her allure goes far beyond her work-which is genius-erotic genius…she’s beautiful and tough, but she’s like crystal. You can’t see how tough until you get close or as close as she’ll let you before the steel and cold settle in.”
“Hmph, you don’t sound bitter over it.” Taurus noted.
Claude shrugged. “To have a beauty like that even glance at you is nothing short of heaven. But it’s not only her looks.” Claude cautioned while making himself more comfortable. “It’s the look she gives you when you’re speaking to her-the look that says she’s heard it all before and knows you’re full of shit.”
Taurus silently urged his hands to uncurl from the fists they were clenched into. “You sound as if you know her well,” he inquired of Claude, wondering if the man knew how close he was to having his face disfigured should the answer displease him.
Claude shrugged. “Not as well as I’d like to. In truth, I’ve only met her during the few shows she puts on every other year or so.” He brushed a stream of lint from the hunter green fabric of his tailored suit. “My boss is a huge fan and often sends me to make purchases for his buildings. Still…I hope one day my acquisitions will be enough.”
“For?”
Claude grinned. “Well my friend, it’s widely known that she dines with whoever buys a painting and has a private dinner with the top buyer. Hell, when one canvas can start at twenty-five thousand and go up, I guess she feels it’s the least she can do.”
Taurus rested his head back against the chair. A soft smirk curved his mouth but he offered no response.
CHAPTER FIVE
“I have got to get something to eat besides these damned canapés.”
Darby continued to look over the note cards she’d been using during her speech. “You had a perfectly good meal go to waste in your hotel room because you were… otherwise occupied.”
Nile’s gaze shifted toward the elaborate updo Darby wore. “How’d you like me to rip out one of those curls?”
“No need to get snippy.”
“Then how long are these jokes gonna last?”
“Long time. It ain’t every day-or every year for that matter that I get to tear into you over something so steamy.”
Nile curved a hand around the knot in front of Darby’s crimson halter dress. “Look you tear into me all you want but I have got to get some real food.”
“The refreshment table is filled with-”
“Let me revise my threat to rip out curls.”
“Listen,” Darby squeezed Nile’s upper arms, “just hold tight for a few more seconds. My announcement should take your mind off your stomach.”
“You just become more deluded with age, don’t you?” Nile criticized, rolling her eyes in a bored manner when Darby supplied a devilish laugh and sauntered away.
Alone for the first time that evening, Nile had nothing but an empty stomach and a head full of visual images from her morning, noon and afternoon with Taurus Ramsey.
God, he was a Ramsey. One of the Ramseys. She knew that without a doubt and could’ve laughed and cried over her luck. Wondering if he knew who she was-who her father was-set every part of her on edge with worry…and fear. Goosebumps broke out along every part of her bared by the daring cut of her plunging V-neck gown. She was most thankful for the intrusion on her thoughts when a patron tapped her shoulder.
Nile turned to smile down at a petite dark woman with fresh, lovely features and waves of shoulder length hair framing her face.
“Forgive me for scaring you,” Dena apologized with a laugh. “You’ve been surrounded by a crowd for much of the night and I so wanted a chance to speak to you.”
“No, it’s fine.” Nile assured her with a laugh of her own. “Thanks so much for coming out for the show.”
Dena’s expressive gaze scanned the elaborate room. “I’ll bet these things get pretty tiring after a while,” she noted.
“You’ve got no idea,” Nile agreed. “It’s such a treat talking to a female guest for a change.”
“I can imagine.” Dena fiddled with the flaring sleeves of her navy blouson dress. “I did wonder why there were so many men.”
Nile shrugged and looked around the room as well. “The nature of my work is very um… provocative and tends to appeal to more men.”
Dena grinned. “Well that explains why my little brother is such a big fan.”
“Well that’s still always good to hear!” Nile raved.
“Then you’ll be pleased to know he’s filled his office and home with your work. If he had his way a piece of your work would be on every floor of every Ramsey building.”
“Ramsey?�
� Nile queried, her dark gaze narrowing slightly.
“Oh please forgive my manners,” Dena apologized with a laugh and extended her hand. “Dena Ramsey. My brother Taurus is a huge fan and when I heard about your show, I knew I had to get him here.”
Nile summoned strength to her weak hand in order to return Dena’s shake. Now on top of an empty stomach and explicit images from that day’s heated romp, she had a heart racing to block her throat and burst her eardrums.
Thankfully, the lights dimmed just then and everyone’s attention was directed towards the stage. Darby stood there beaming and waiting for a modicum of silence before addressing the crowd.
“Good evening! I’d like to thank you all for coming out to partake in this rare treat-a showing by Miss Nile Becquois!”
Applause and whistles followed Darby’s opening line.
“Your support of Nile also supports the kids she works daily to provide a place of beauty and hope. But tonight, it seems that one person in particular will obtain all the praise for ensuring Nile’s kids maintain their studio. I’m thrilled and honored to announce that this show consisting of all twenty pieces selected from the artist’s most private works are the sole purchase of one of our guests here tonight!”
Thunderous applause tore through the hall. Nile’s eyes glazed with tears. She joined the rest of her guests in looking around the room in search of the generous patron.
“Now for the bad news,” Darby added while waving her hands to regain the crowd’s attention. “Tonight’s very giving patron chooses to remain anonymous. The canvases will be on display through the end of next weekend, so please enjoy them as well as the delicious refreshments in the rear of the gallery. Thank you.”
“Oh congratulations!” Dena remarked and shook hands with Nile again. “I apologize for my brother missing in action, I so wanted him to meet you.”
Nile covered Dena’s hand with her own. “It’s no problem and I won’t be leaving for a while yet so I’m sure I’ll meet him before then.” She lied and hoped the woman couldn’t tell.
The Ramseys Boxed Set Page 109
