“True, but you don’t need to worry. After all, you have something I want.”
Marie took a deep breath, hoping to slow her racing heart. When those strong arms first circled her waist, she’d felt elated. That feeling only lasted until she realized the sweet citrus scent she smelled was not LD’s. “Actually, I did find the remaining items. When do you want them back?”
Marie’s stomach knotted as Black laughed. “Are you in such a hurry to be done with me?”
“Yes.” She regretted the word as soon as it escaped from her lips. Black’s expression changed from amused to haunted in the blink of an eye. Taking a step back, Marie continued, “What I meant was I want my life back.”
Black’s frown stayed in place as he spoke. “I know what you mean.”
The words he spoke were hard and cold and before she could form a response, Black turned and melted into the crowd. Muttering a curse under her breath, Marie started after the man. She didn’t want to talk with him, but she needed to know how and when to return the remaining diamonds. Only after this task was complete would she be able to return to her normal, predictable life, which was as boring as watching a snail cross the street.
Her life was not boring, Marie thought, as she pushed her way through the crowd and stopped. It was scheduled and organized, which was a must when raising two children and running a business. What if she booked her dentist appointments six months in advance and her yearly exam twelve months ahead? It didn’t mean she was boring, just organized.
True, but you organize your life in such a way it covers up your deepest fear.
No! No, I don’t.
You’re scared life is passing you by, just like the people in this club. Here one second, gone the next and you’ve never gotten on for the ride.
Tears silently slid down her face as the crowd moved around her without noticing her. It was true. Life was passing her by. She wanted to experience life, but she wasn’t sure how. Blinded by tears, she turned in the direction she thought Tammie would be. She wanted to get out of the crush. She needed space to breathe and think. She needed…
“Marie.”
A large gentle arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her close.
“LD.”
Chapter Thirteen
The drive back to her house was deafeningly quiet on LD’s part, not to mention totally unnerving for Marie. No matter how much she prattled or how mundane and safe the topic, he didn’t make a sound. Not even a grunt to indicate he was listening. The only response was a look that would freeze lava.
Well, fine. If the man didn’t want to converse, she would oblige him. Marie clenched her jaw as an uncomfortable silence fell over the inside of the car for the remainder of the trip.
When they reached her house, he parked the car and walked her to the door. After unlocking it, rather than leave, he followed her inside. Now, the irritatingly silent man stood in her entryway as she locked the front door and activated the alarm system. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face him. He stood there, hands in jeans pockets, looking slightly bored and she couldn’t help but wonder why he stayed.
His cool aloofness was upsetting, but the fact she couldn’t read his feelings was disconcerting. Normally, if she allowed herself, she could feel another’s emotional state. At the moment, LD was a kaleidoscope of emotions, one bleeding into another, nothing taking top priority. She wished he would focus on one feeling, even if it were anger. At least then she would have a clue as to what this sexy man was thinking.
Without looking at him, because if she did she’d be staring at those oh-so-nice-butt-hugging-jeans and drooling, she moved to the hall table where she dropped her purse and keys. Enough of this cold shoulder treatment, she thought. If he had nothing to say, she sure did.
Then it hit her. Fear, the kind that leaves you paralyzed and speechless, swamped her. The emotion was intense, raw, and directed at her. In that instant, she knew the truth he’d been trying so hard to hide. He was scared for her. Turning, she bumped into him. She hit the edge of the hall table as she took a step back.
He lifted a hand and traced the outline of her lips with his index finger even as he moved closer. He was close enough she felt the heat radiating from him. Desire flamed up fast and furious and smothered his fear. She sensed the change and it thrilled her. His hand moved to the back of her head as he wedged her legs apart first with one foot, then the other. He moved between them until their bodies touched. His face was so close she could feel the subtle movement of his lips against hers as he whispered, “Damn you, Marie.”
Primal was the word that flowed through her mind and body as LD devoured her mouth. He took what he wanted without hesitation, but then gave back equally. She raised her hands and ran them through his short hair, pulling him closer.
She deepened their kiss even as the logical side of her brain screamed for her to stop. How could she let herself enjoy this man so much when her life was in utter turmoil?
As if he sensed her thoughts, he dropped his hands to her waist and rotated his hips against her warm core and she moaned. Enjoy the moment, the passion-filled part of her brain responded. It might be your only chance. Are you willing to give that up? No, she thought as she broke the kiss. “LD.”
“Yeah, me too.” His voice was husky.
“You too, what?” she asked as he trailed kisses down the side of her neck. Shivers raced through her body as his mouth traced a path back up her neck.
“I need you,” LD whispered next to her ear. “I’ve needed you since I first saw you.”
Marie’s heart tumbled and her voice cracked as he ran his hands under her jacket. “You mean since you got back to New Orleans.”
LD pulled far enough back to look her in the eyes. “Boston.”
“Boston?”
He took a deep breath and studied her face as if deciding what to tell her. “I’ve wanted you from the moment I spotted you in the Royal Bostonian.”
His fingers glided over her back, distracting her from his words. “Oh.”
He answered with a grin that did funny little butterfly things to her stomach. Lightly circling her wrist with long warm fingers, he continued to hold her gaze as he raised her hand to his mouth. His lips were soft and warm against her palm. Then, without breaking eye contact, he lowered her hand until she cupped him.
He was warm, hard and heavy in her palm. Knowing she caused this reaction in him felt empowering, thrilling and arousing. She watched his face as she traced the length of him. His eyes closed and his head rolled back as a moan escaped his parted lips.
Then his fingers wrapped once again around her wrist, but this time he moved her hand away. “We’ll be finishing this before it’s even started if you don’t stop.”
“That’s a compliment I like hearing,” she answered as his large hands skimmed lightly across her shoulders and down her arms, stripping off her jacket.
It dropped to the floor as his gaze locked on the corset-style top she wore. “No wonder all the men at the club were lusting after you.”
Marie laughed. “No, they weren’t. Who would notice me when there were so many beautiful women there?”
“Trust me, they noticed.” LD gave her a look that almost made her believe him.
His fingers opening the button at the waist of her pants reminded her where they were. “I think we should head upstairs.”
He ignored her words and opened the zipper on her black leather pants. Then he pushed them down over her hips, causing her to lean away from the table, then back onto it. He dropped to his knees, affording her a view of the front door. “LD, anyone walking up the front sidewalk can see through the leaded glass.”
Her words didn’t cause him to pause or even hesitate. He simply lifted one foot at a time, removing each shoe before he slid the pants off. When finished, he looked up at her from his kneeling position and she knew what he saw. Her—in nothing but a red corset top and thong. Desire was evident in his eyes. Desire and something else she cou
ld not name.
“There’s no time to head upstairs. Now, take off your top.” His words were low and sounded forced as if he was having difficulty speaking.
Her heart rate jolted up a notch. “The door.”
The smile he bestowed on her was pure devil. “I know. It adds to the excitement. Now, remove that top.” He emphasized his request by running one finger under the edge of her panties, tickling the sensitive skin, causing her to jump. “You know you want to.”
He was right, she did. Slowly, her gaze glued to his, she unhooked the eyehooks, one at a time. “Tammie told me not to dress like an old lady tonight.”
With each hook that opened, she could see his need grow. “That’s why I wore this.”
“The next time you wear it, is for me only. Not anyone else.” His voice was rough as his eyes followed the path of her hands.
When she finished, she hesitated for a moment and his gaze moved back to her eyes. He didn’t have to ask, she knew what he wanted. Letting go, the top fell to the floor.
For several heartbeats, neither breathed nor moved, then he smiled up at her. The smile reached his eyes and reminded her of a young boy in a candy store.
“You are more beautiful than I dared to dream.”
The words were whispered as if he were afraid to say them out loud for fear the dream would vanish. Then he nudged her legs further apart as he pulled her panties to one side.
Oh man, she tasted better than he’d fantasized about.
The tiny rational part of his brain that was still functioning, knew he shouldn’t be doing this. He might have to arrest her in the next few days. Then in a few months she’d be telling a judge and jury how he’d seduced her. If he were a smart man, he’d have left her at the front door. No, better yet, he would’ve had Rob bring her home.
He’d never been jealous before, but the thought of his friend here with Marie turned him green and pushed all reasonable thoughts from his head.
Turning his full attention back to Marie, he explored and learned. When he heard the catch in her breath and her request that he stop, he knew she was exactly where he wanted her. He applied a little more pressure, causing her thighs to quiver.
“LD. Oh—my. Please.”
He smiled as he backed off, but her hand in his hair pulled him closer. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”
He didn’t, not until he was sure he’d done his job and done it thoroughly. He looked at Marie as he stood imprinting the image she created into his mind as he reached into his pocket. She was leaning back on her hands, eyes closed. Her face was soft, relaxed and a slight smile played at the corner of her lips. With her breasts high and taut, she was the picture of feminine beauty. Slowly, she opened her eyes and met his gaze. She watched as he stripped his clothes off and covered himself with a condom. Her silence was unsettling, causing his hands to shake.
Taking a steadying breath, he looked back at her. She was staring at him with a look he couldn’t decipher. “If you don’t want to do this, we won’t.”
A deep husky laugh escaped her as she scooted back onto the table. “What I want is for you to stop talking and come here.”
He smiled and was eternally grateful he wasn’t leaving. Because if he wasn’t buried deep inside her soon, he might explode, he thought, as he moved closer to her. “I think I can manage that.”
“This isn’t the time for conversation, LD.” She opened her legs to him. “We’ll talk later. All you want.”
He had no problem obliging her wish as her hand wrapped around his shaft, cutting off his ability to speak. She positioned him at her opening.
“But right now,” she wiggled against him, “I need you inside me.”
The table slammed against the wall as he buried himself deep inside her in one deep long, slow stroke. He was grateful she didn’t want to talk because after she touched him, his mind stopped functioning. Now, with her warmth surrounding him, he focused on regaining enough control to make this moment last past the next stroke. But she was so hot, so warm, so perfect and the way she moved was going to cause this to end far too soon.
“Be still a moment.” He managed the words through gritted teeth.
“No. I want to come with you inside me, now.” Her words unraveled the tiny fragment of restraint that was left and he gave her exactly what she asked for. When she screamed his name and climaxed two strokes later, he followed her on the next in stroke.
Some time later, the world came back into focus. He wasn’t sure how long they’d been in this position, but it was long enough his body was starting to protest. Raising his head, he realized Marie was still leaning back, braced against her arms. Straightening, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. She was warm and pliant. He shifted her until her head rested against his chest and one hand lay over his heart.
“Are you okay?”
“Perfectly okay.”
“You’re sure? I got a little carried away.”
A happy, sultry laugh escaped her as she rested against his chest. Then she moved away so she could see his face and immediately missed his warmth. “Goodness, if that was a little carried away, what are you going to do to me when you get totally carried away.”
He wagged his eyebrows at her and she laughed more. Then he grew serious. “I don’t think I’ll ever get totally carried away with you, because that would mean we’ve reached the end of this journey. With you, there will always be more, something new to discover, explore. I don’t want to reach the end.”
Marie’s heart tightened as she looked into his eyes. She felt it. He meant every word he’d said. And if that wasn’t enough evidence, his growing shaft confirmed he was ready to do more exploring.
She looked away as reality threatened to seep back in. He was going to hate her when he found out about Black and the lies. But for once in her life, she was going to live for the moment and not worry about the future. Meeting his gaze again, she licked her lips, “Could we please go upstairs for the next round of—hm—exploring?”
LD’s laugh was strong and pure. “Hold on tight.” Marie barely had time to wrap her legs around his waist and grab for his neck as his hands slid under her bottom. He picked her up with ease and headed for the stairs. “Exploring. I like that. We’ll just refer to it as that when we’re around other people. Our own private code, no one will be the wiser. What do you think?”
She laughed along with him. She hadn’t felt this lighthearted and safe in days. The thought of spending a lifetime feeling this way was unbelievable. She’d never felt this content and satisfied.
“Which room?” LD asked as they reached the second floor.
“Door to the right.”
“I hope you have condoms up here, otherwise I have to go back downstairs.” He flipped on the light, then crossed the room and laid her down gently in the middle of the bed.
“In the nightstand drawer.” Amazingly, she felt herself blush, even after what they’d just done.
His smile grew wider. “Good.”
With that, he stood and crossed the room as if he owned it, and entered the master bath. Pulling back the covers, she crawled between the sheets to wait for LD. For the first time in days she relaxed, the tension slowly left her body. With LD here, she could let down her guard and not worry about every little creak and squeak the house made.
She smiled as she recalled their lovemaking. Despite LD’s confidence, she couldn’t imagine a repeat performance tonight.
* * * * *
Diamond Retrieval: Day 3
Marie stretched as she woke slowly, and a smile played along her lips as she remembered LD’s five a.m. wake-up call. She was asleep by the time he returned from the bathroom and woke when the bed dipped under his weight. He’d pulled her next to him spoon-style, kissed her gently on the cheek and told her to go back to sleep. Later, she woke to find him entering her. He then proceeded to make slow passionate love that left her as fatigued and satisfied as earlier.
R
eaching across the bed, she searched for him and found nothing but cool sheets. She sat up and looked around. The door to the bathroom was open, but she heard no noise. She called out, but only silence answered her.
He’s gone.
Did you really think he’d stay around?
Yes, I did.
Well, he didn’t. So get up and get to work.
Disappointed, Marie tossed back the covers and totally hated the responsible-minded part of her that always seemed to win. As she swung her legs off the bed, she turned and saw it. A cup of café au lait, a bag of beignets and a note were on her nightstand. Bypassing the first two in lieu of the last, she picked up the note and read.
Sorry, I couldn’t stay and wake you, but if I did we’d both be late. Call me later so we can make plans for more exploring tonight.
LD
Marie laughed as she reached for the coffee. It was still warm and her day was going to be absolutely wonderful. Taking a beignet from the bag, she popped it into her mouth and tried to focus her thoughts on the day’s activities. The phone rang and without thought, she reached for it and then snatched back her hand.
Death.
The word danced across her senses like the Spirit of Death dancing across a graveyard.
The phone continued to ring.
Marie picked it up. It was halfway to her ear before the sense of rage slammed into her. The person on the other end was furious to the point of being out of control. As she moved the phone closer, wave after wave of fury engulfed her. The anger was suffocating and directed at LD.
“Black,” she whispered the one word into the phone.
“You did not answer the phone I gave you.”
“I…” The phone was downstairs forgotten in her purse. “I’m sorry, I was busy.”
“I know you were preoccupied with LD.” His voice was low and modulated like a person attempting to control a pending outburst.
Marie didn’t know how to respond, so she said nothing. There was no way she was going to verify that statement. It wasn’t any of his business.
Bayou Treasure Page 12
