Too Haught

by Leela Lou Dahlin

  “You followed me back here with me in a robe and you in barely nothing. We’ve got no privacy,” he said before he placed an open mouth kiss on her lips that made her want to pull him to her, but he moved away just as quickly. “No time.” He lightly sucked in a patch of skin that was close enough to her nipple to make them harder but didn’t satisfy at all. “No condom.” He nipped her skin right next to her belly button with his teeth, and she could feel herself grow wet.

  “Your point?” she asked, trying to be in this conversation, but that photo shoot had done a number on her libido. Here she hadn’t felt the need for sex in a long while, and less than 24 hours after seeing Beau, she was a freaking nymphomaniac. It didn’t matter how hard she’d come, something about him made her want more.

  He didn’t say anything, but he looked confused as he gripped her knees. She spread her legs so the backs of her thighs were almost parallel to the floor and was rewarded for her flexibility with a gasp and then a groan from Beau.

  “Kiss me, Beau.”

  He looked at her eyes, but it excited her to see how hard it was for him to look away from her. Bending down like he was in a trance, he gave her a kiss on the lips of her pussy like he would the lips on her face and then drew her throbbing clit inside his warm wet mouth. He kissed her like he was famished and this would be his last meal. He cupped her ass to bring her so close she couldn’t even pump her hips against him, and she tried to hold back the scream that was building inside her. It was too much, and she tried to tell him to stop, but no words would come out. She grabbed his head and tried to pull him away, but she ended up bringing him closer. The rhythmic pulsing of her body contracted again and again as her orgasm hit her so hard her abs hurt. Then just like that he was gone and she was disoriented.

  “Just let me put these back on.”

  She let him put her panties on and sit her up as she sat there feeling like a rag doll.

  “Let’s get you back to the shoot and we can talk about this later.”

  Karessa stood up and stared at the man in front of her. In all the years she’s been in business, she’d kept her head and was at each and every shooting of her product. Being around Beau, she’d reverted to her old self of following him around and begging for scraps of attention.

  “This isn’t going to work,” she said as she moved around him and stepped into the slippers she’d worn when she entered the room.

  “I know you’re freaked, but it’s all right. No one knows what happened.”

  She could barely believe what she was hearing. “Is that what you think the problem is? That I don’t want anyone to know that I’m just another notch on your belt?” Karessa didn’t really want to look at him, but she wanted to see what he thought of her words.

  He looked puzzled.

  Good. “When we were together before I left, it wasn’t me who didn’t want anyone to know about us. That was you. I’m just surprised that, after all this time, I can turn back into the pathetic girl I was before.”

  “It wasn’t ever like that, Karessa.”

  She chuckled, but it wasn’t a happy sound. It was filled with the bitter disappointment she had in herself. Was she really that different from her mother? Karessable was her project and the only baby she’d ever nurtured from conception to success. She’d been a part of each and every detail, but she’d let a man turn her head, and she’d dropped the ball.

  “It was always like that.” She walked away and ignored her name being called by the man of her dreams. The pace started off pretty brisk, but by the time she was almost at the shoot, she was practically running until a hand reached out and caught her.

  “Where’s the fire?” Alec looked her over like he was assessing for damage.

  “Sorry, I was lost, but I’m back. What did I miss?”

  Alec squinted at her like the answers to his questions would come if he looked hard enough. His gaze shifted to somewhere over her shoulder and then back to her. “Nothing much. Just True doing what she does…being bossy. Why don’t you go in and see if you can calm her down?”

  Karessa turned around to see Beau heading up the hallway in a slow stroll like he hadn’t a care in the world. “I think I will.” She walked a few steps away and watched the frown form on Alec’s face. It was terrifying, but at least it wasn’t directed at her. Maybe she should just quit while she was ahead. She had a few memories to sock away for a rainy day or a sexually frustrated night. That would have to be enough, because snacking on Beau was too difficult. She needed the whole meal from appetizer to dessert, or she’d have to give him up cold turkey. With that man, there was no in between.

  Chapter 9

  Beau

  The expression on Alec’s face was a good indication of where his brother wanted to go, but Beau really wasn’t in the mood.

  “I just saw Karessa.”

  “Alec, I know. I just watched you talk to her as I walked up the hall.”

  Beau’s brother was the hardest to read, but he had the best advice…when he needed it. Which he didn’t right now.

  “Let me tell you something, Beau.” When Alec started on his ‘Let me tell you something’ conversation, it was as if he were channeling an ancient spirit…an ancient spirit who was long-winded. Standing in the hallway in nothing more than a pair of boxers, a modest robe, and shower shoes while bracing for an interrogation or lecture from Alec was making it hard to keep his normally carefree demeanor intact.

  “I don’t want to know something, Alec. I’m going through some things, and I’m not in the mood for a lecture, especially when you’re trying to talk to me about women. You don’t seem to be doing particularly well in that area.”

  Alec opened his mouth, but paused. “I don’t want to lecture you, but this is the first time Karessa has been back for longer than a layover, and I’d like to see her having a good time.”

  “What are you saying, brother?”

  “Just what I said. I know True is orchestrating whatever this is, but I don’t want either of you to get hurt. Especially Karessa.”

  “It’s not my plan to hurt her, Alec.”

  “I don’t think that’s ever been your plan, but it happened all the same. Didn’t it?” Alec stood there like he was waiting for an answer, but it wasn’t going to be coming. “We can both pretend you weren’t a lost soul after you kicked Karessa across the sea.”

  “It wasn’t like that.” Beau didn’t want to talk about this at all but his brother was like a dog with a bone.

  “I’m going to act like you’re not insulting my intelligence or trying to make me doubt what I saw with my own two eyes.”

  “I’m not going to hurt her.”

  His brother nodded, but gave him a look that told him he was going to be monitored. Great. This was all he needed today. The only good thing was he was wearing the sweet smell of Karessa, but he’d have to wash that off if he didn’t plan to walk around showing everyone how large his erect cock was.

  Ducking into the bathroom, he came face to face with Luc. Damn could he not catch a break today.

  “Beau, right?” the man asked as he dried his hands and Beau glared at him in the mirror.

  “Yep.”

  “Have you ever been to France?” Luc turned to him, leaned against the sink, and crossed his arms.

  “Why do you ask?” Beau tried to sound bored, but he’d admit that his heart rate kicked up just a bit with the question. He’d come in to get a few minutes alone and empty his bladder, but he didn’t know he’d have to deal with shit while he was in here as well.

  “One night I was comforting a very sad and platonic friend on her birthday, and I could have sworn I saw a man who looks just like you outside her apartment. He was holding flowers and a gift box.” Luc squinted his eyes slightly like the answer to his unspoken question would ease out and he’d have to look hard to find it.

  Beau didn’t say anything to that, but he was shocked. It was worse than he thought this would be, but he wasn’t going to deny it.
<
br />   “It probably wasn’t you. We are all said to have at least twelve identical matches in the world at any one time. I must have run into one of yours.” Luc gave him a smile, patted Beau on his shoulder with a few loud taps, and walked out of the bathroom.

  “I need a drink,” Beau said to the empty room and hoped he’d be able to survive this weekend.

  After taking a few breaths, a long leak, and several moments while he washed his hands and face to pull himself together, he decided he’d stayed in the bathroom for far too long. Walking back into the studio, the first person he could see was Karessa. She was helping True with something, and the bride and groom stood by the bed in their designer underwear.

  Beau took in the ambiance of the room and noted the differences from the last time he was there, getting reacquainted with Karessa. It had been so quiet he could hear the hum of the lights and there had been no piped in music and the scent of Karessa had been prevalent in the room. He missed all that, but it was probably for the best they couldn’t focus on each other at this point. Beau could see Alec talking to Luc about something as they watched the group around the bed.

  Camden, Gemmi, Karessa and True had just completed the shoot, judging by the way they stood around the small television screen looking at the images they’d created. Moving toward them, Beau was hoping other people would show up so they could all eat and he could shake the weird mood that was riding him like the ghost of the past.

  “Looks like we’re done here,” Beau said. Everyone looked his way.

  “There has been a change of plans.” True stepped away from the group, hooked her arm around Beau’s and took a couple of steps away.

  “What? I’m going to have to take Karessa to dinner by myself?” Beau smiled at True and hoped that his playful tone came through because right now they could probably do with some time alone to talk about her parting shot.

  “No. We decided that the girls are going to have a bachelorette party on our own.”

  “What? So what are the guys supposed to do?” Beau asked quietly.

  “There’s a mountain of food here, a DJ and a full bar. Have fun.” True gave his arm a squeeze and turned away.

  The group of people who were with the shoot--makeup, wardrobe, lights, and accessories had all of their equipment put away in a hurry. Beau, his brothers, Luc watched as the women gathered up their belongings before leaving them behind with a wave. Camden got a few kisses as Gemmi stopped by to say goodbye.

  “I’m going to ask her tonight,” Gemmi whispered to Camden before she gave him one more kiss and followed the other women out.

  “So, what are we doing now fellas?” Luc rubbed his hands together like he was ready to take on the night.

  Beau looked at his brothers and decided he didn’t care what they were going to do or where they were going to go. He just wanted to have a drink and relax. He’d done more thinking in the last twenty-four hours than he had in a good long while. He was a man who liked to keep his own counsel and not depend on others to back up his rationales or tell him what to do, but with Karessa he was thinking that he might benefit from the input of another person, but that idea itself was making him think he probably needed a drink and a little time to clear his head.

  “I’m thinking we head over to the bar, get a few drinks, and then find a deck of cards so I can relieve you fellows of any extra cash you have.” Beau looked at the men standing around him and figured if he could take his mind off Karessa for a little bit some clarity may come to him.

  “First idea I’ve heard from you in a while that makes sense.” Alec stood up and looked around at all the other guys. “Let’s head over to the bar and see what they’ve got for us.”

  Beau watched the men saunter off toward the bar. “I’ll go find some cards,” he called out after them, then went toward True’s office. The office door was open when he arrived, and True was looking for something in her desk.

  “Well, well, well…” True practically sang when she noticed Beau.

  “Do you have any cards? Since you and the female population of the party are leaving, we thought we’d fill the time with poker and not killing Luc.” Beau went over to the scrap drawer and hoped to get lucky enough that the cards were in there.

  “I do have cards, but if you play cards the same way you’re playing Karessa, you are bound to lose all the way around.” She looked through her bottom drawer and came up with a few unopened decks of cards.

  “What?” Beau looked at the cards that she’d placed in his hands and then looked back at his friend. “What are you doing with so many packs of cards?”

  “Hey! You don’t know my life. I’m happy to supply your boy band with cards, but now I’m going off with the girls.” She looked somewhat perplexed, and Beau thought of what she’d said before she handed him the cards.

  He put his hand on her arm to stop her departure. “I’m not playing with Karessa. When she’s around, I barely know if I’m coming or going, but she’s got to get back to her life, and I have to remain here and live mine. I know you are pushing to get us together, but now is just not the right time.”

  “There is never a right time, Beau, and while you wait, things could be happening that would keep you apart for an even longer time. You can’t wait for things to happen all the time, sometimes you need to make things happen. Have you ever thought of that?” True was rarely this serious about anything, and he wanted to agree with her, but he didn’t know if he could or should change his way of thought. His plan had worked out wonderfully, and she’d had all the money and prestige anyone could ask for. So what if he was unhappy? But thinking now that she could be unhappy too didn’t sit well with him.

  He sighed and wasn’t sure what answer to give his friend. She must have known that, because she gave him a sweet smile, kissed his cheek, and moved toward the door. “Lock up when you’re done and get home. It’s a big day tomorrow.”

  “What’s tomorrow?” Beau thought he knew, but it never hurt to get more clarification.

  “Did you not get the whole summary of where you are supposed to be and when?”

  True was looking a bit stressed, and if she blew up at him, his brother Alec would feel the shift in the universe and come for his ass. He wouldn’t allow anyone to get her upset, so it was pretty ironic that it was not even on his radar when he did it, which was very often.

  “I do have it just not with me, and it’s not at the forefront of my mind. Don’t worry. I’ll be everywhere I’m supposed to be.” Beau was happy to see that brought her tension levels down.

  “You’d better be, Beau Haught. I want this day to go without a hitch. One of the Haught boys is getting married…who knows if this will ever happen again?” She looked as if she wanted to say something else but stopped herself, before changing her mind and starting again. “I’d also like one of my best friends to feel comfortable coming back into town. I don’t like it when you two aren’t getting along.”

  “I never stopped her from coming back to town.” Beau didn’t know why he said that. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He didn’t want to fight with True, but there was a small part of him that was feeling a bit contrary. He needed to control that a bit better. It wasn’t True’s fault he couldn’t have what he really wanted. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was…what it was. “I take that back. I’m sure I’m the reason she hasn’t been back, and I’ll work hard to make sure she feels comfortable enough that I’m not considered a factor for her not to return in the future.”

  True stared into Beau’s eyes like she was trying to find the truth in what he was saying. It took a few seconds, but she must have seen something that she was okay with. She nodded and gave him a hug before turning to leave.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow. Make sure there are no physical altercations in my studio, and that if you all have marks on your body, they don’t extend to your face. Pictures last forever…but wedding pictures, last even longer than that.”

  “I feel like I’m getting the shor
t end of the stick trying to monitor these guys. I shouldn’t have to be responsible for what happens when drinks and testosterone mix.”

  True laughed and turned toward him as she neared the door. “You got the short end of the stick? I’m going to have to deal with a wide range of emotional women. From the looks of it, I’ve got one who’s anxious and star struck, and the other is pissed. All of the rest of them had better be mellow, because I’m all in my feelings about things as well. Alcohol will be a factor for us as well, and that mixed with estrogen may make tonight a good time, a bitch fest, or an episode of your favorite bad girl slug-out reality show. Only time will tell.”

  “Sounds a bit scary,” Beau said honestly.

  “You have no idea.”

  “If anyone can handle it, you can.”

  “Don’t suck up now, Mr. Haught. You are on the very top of my shit list right now.” The glare she gave him would be terrifying if he didn’t know she loved him too much to actually kill him.

  “I’m sure there is another Haught that is above me on that list, if you were being honest.” Beau loved to poke the bear when that particular animal was True.

  The glare turned into narrowed eyes. “Goodnight, Beau.”

  “I love you too, True.” He chuckled to himself at how fast she was to leave when Alec was going to be discussed. He’d have to keep that in mind for other times he wanted to get out conversations quickly.

  He followed True to the door and watched her get into the limo bus she must have ordered. People jumped to do her bidding, that was for sure. When she needed things done, they got done, because how the hell did she get that together so fast.

  When the doors of the bus opened, the lights came on and he could see Karessa staring at him. His heart clenched like it normally did when she looked at him that way; like the sun rose and set with him. He wondered if she knew he could see her. Beau lifted his hand to wave at her and was given an answer as she hurriedly turned away.

  He wanted this wedding to be over so they could go back to their separate corners of the world. It was torture knowing that she’d be leaving soon, but he’d do his best to focus on the now and make sure he wasn’t the reason she didn’t want to come back. It was the least he could do.