“Whatever I do is none of your damn business. Nothing my family does is your concern.”
“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong, James. Gauthier is a family business, one of which I am deeply involved.”
“Not for long,” he snarled.
Carrie cocked her head to one side, grinning, as she traced her finger along the collar of his shirt. “Don’t be so sure, handsome. I’m here for the long haul, and there’s not much you can do about it. Even if you decide to trash the rags, slap on a five piece Armani, shave that thing off your pretty little face, and prop yourself up in daddy’s executive chair at the head of the board table, you’re not going to be able to get rid of me. Carrie Scott is here to stay. Get used to it, lover.”
He was letting her talk, hoping she would stumble, and he would pick up some useful information. The Carrie he knew wouldn’t be this cocky without good reason, but even he could only take so much.
“Besides, we could have some fun, kind of like the old days,” she said while running her fingers up the back of his head and through his dark tufts of hair.
Her words about their past were like a punch to the balls as he thought about the baby she aborted. Lucky slapped her hand away.
“Not on your fucking life. Get your shit and get out.”
She snickered, which only pissed him off more. “That’s a shame.” She gathered up her purse and walked out the door without another word.
First class bitch.
She was up to something, and it was going to get worse before it got better.
***
Over the next few hours, Lucky had managed to empty every drawer in the file cabinets and desk. Nothing. Nothing out of the ordinary anyway. He already knew Colby Gauthier didn’t always conduct business on the up and up, especially being partners with Art Flanagan, but there wasn’t anything major in the files. Nothing worth wigging out over.
The massive house was quiet except for a few phone calls. He let the machine pick up. He didn’t have any answers about his mother to give out and Joyce had his cell number.
With his head still spinning, he paced aimlessly throughout the empty rooms. His insides felt as if he might implode. The tension was too much. Lucky bolted out the front door, stopping only to lock it up tight behind him, making a mental note to call a locksmith in the morning.
He jumped on his bike and thundered past the iron gates. He couldn’t get away from the manor fast enough. He drove up and down the side streets of New Orleans. His old stomping grounds, the dive bars and underground clubs. He felt more like himself once he hit the buzz of the Quarter.
Lucky contemplated going by the hospital, but couldn’t handle any more bad news right now. His blood was still boiling as he pictured Carrie’s snide smirk. The thought of her sent bile bobbing in his throat.
He stopped off at Diamond Liquor and picked up a bottle of Jim Beam. He hadn’t drunk hard liquor since the carjacking and seeing that mother with her baby, sobbing in the gas station parking lot.
Now, he didn’t give two shits, feeling like the bottle was the only way he was going to make it through the night. He drove for a while longer before finding himself on N. Rampart Street. He pulled up to the curb and parked on the far corner, hopefully, out of Baby’s line of sight before yanking the bottle out from his saddlebag.
Breaking the seal, Lucky screwed off the cap and took a long, hard swig. The amber liquid met the acid that was searing his throat. He examined the apartment building, aching for a glimpse of Baby Jade. He slunk back into the shadow of a tree when he spotted Ma’Linn. She was lighting candles and burning what looked like a bundle of herbs or sticks, waving them in the air while she shuffled her feet. Her face pointed to the moon. Her lips were moving, chanting.
He had seen his fair share of the hoodoo voodoo shit in New Orleans, and it wasn’t exactly his thing. However, he was still mesmerized watching the old woman. Whatever she was up to, it was obvious that it was important to her. Her face, twisted and pained, appeared to be pleading. He could only guess that it had to do with her son Phillipe. Lucky hated to admit it, but if he had to guess, the man was dead. Probably been dead since the day he went missing.
Ma’Linn disappeared behind her door, leaving the candles burning and the porch lamp on. In light of his own loss, Lucky hurt for the woman. He took another guzzle from the bottle and didn’t even bother with the cap. He promptly took another.
As he swallowed, the breath caught in his throat. His heart hammered against his chest when he spotted Baby Jade strolling up the walkway. She was wearing a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt. She must have just come from the club. Her thick hair was pinned to her head with loose pieces hanging down around her gorgeous face. He wanted to bury his face in her tan, silky neck.
Baby vanished inside, leaving Lucky with nothing but his half-empty bottle. The thought of being so close to her made his body hum. Before he knew what was happening, Lucky was stomping across the street, marching up the lot, and standing right in front of Baby’s door. He could make out her silhouette through the blinds. Knowing she was moving on the other side of the door was driving him insane. He knocked, a little too hard, and waited. He knocked again.
“Baby, open the door,” he said in calm, yet commanding tone.
His pulse raced as he heard the locks clicking. Placing both hands above his head, he gripped the doorframe. He inhaled, holding his breath as the door eased open.
Literally breathtaking.
He wanted to be angry. He wanted to tell her he didn’t need her. To tell her she could go to hell, and take her new fuck with her.
But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He was melting on the inside. A fucking puddle.
Now that he stood face to face with her, Baby had completely disarmed him without saying a single word.
“What are you doing here?” Baby folded her arms across her chest.
The liquor made his head fuzzy, and her words sounded like they were coming from far away, but it didn’t stop him from pulling out the bottle and taking another drink. “You gonna invite me in?”
She tilted her head, sizing him up. “You’re drunk.”
“Nope, but well on my way.” Lucky took another swig. “You gonna leave me standing out here all night?”
After a few seconds, Baby stepped to the side, allowing him room to enter.
Standing inside of the tiny room was strange. So much had happened between the two of them in the cramped apartment. Once he was inside, Lucky turned to face Baby, who was staring at him. The confused look on her face tugged at his heartstrings.
“I guess I should be thankful you’re actually alone tonight.” His words were slurred and sloppy.
“What the hell does that mean?”
“You know, your new man. You two make a cute couple. Seriously, the lovey dovey thing looks good on you.”
She tilted her head and pulled her perfect lips into a thin line. She drew in a deep breath. The way her neck moved as she swallowed made him hard.
“Not that anything I do is any of your business, but I’m not dating Drew.”
Her words were like a lifeline, a pardon for his sanity.
“Is that it? You’re here because you think I’m seeing someone else?” she asked.
“I don’t know why the hell I’m here. I tried to stay away. I sat down the road trying to force myself to leave, but I couldn’t. I had to see you.” Lucky’s voice was softer, broken.
“Maybe you should sit down.” She moved closer.
The familiar floral scent from her hair smacked him in the face. He inhaled, trying to breathe in as much of the smell as possible.
“I don’t want to sit,” he whispered. He fought the urge to reach out and take her in his arms.
“What do you want, Lucky?” she asked with her own voice cracking.
His skin tingled with all of the blood rushing to his groin. He knew it was wrong to pull her back into his shitty life, but he couldn’t stop himself. He stretched out h
is arm and lightly touched the waves falling around her face.
When she didn’t move, he let his fingertips graze her skin. He slid his hand behind her neck, pulling her closer. His gaze locked on her jade green balls of fiery confusion.
“Lucky, we can’t. You just want to do this because you’re drunk.” Her words were barely a whisper.
Mesmerized, he watched her lips move. He shook his head. “Then why have I wanted to do this every single day since…”
“Since?”
“Don’t do that. Not now. It’s us. We’re the only ones here.” He traced her mouth with the pad of his thumb.
She didn’t move his hand, and she didn’t speak. He noticed her round breasts and the way her chest was now moving with every breath. Her lips parted as she struggled for air. It was his breaking point.
Cradling the back of her head in the palm of his hand, Lucky pulled her to him and sealed his lips over hers. He explored her mouth with his tongue, groaning like a drug addict getting a much-needed fix. Baby’s body was rigid at first, but she finally melted into his embrace, hungry for him.
One of his hands found the small of her back, pressing her warm body into his. His other hand gripped her thigh, tugging her leg around his waist. He backed her up to the wall and devoured her mouth with his before moving on to her neck. He traced her thin collarbone with his tongue. It was a part of her body that drove him crazy, delicate and begging to be caressed. She tossed her head back as his hand dipped underneath her sweatshirt. Excited by the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra, the heat from her soft tits seared his hand.
He slipped the shirt over her head and massaged her breast with his mouth, flicking the stiff, pink nipple with his hot tongue. His other hand dipped between her legs causing her to whimper. She shimmied out of her shorts, allowing them to fall before kicking them off with her toe.
He stood back, drinking in the sight of her nearly naked body, his hard on pressing against the seam of his jeans. She was perfection. Even though she was a little thinner, probably from stress, she was the most gorgeous woman on the fucking planet. Just being close to her drove him mad.
He slowly dropped to his knees, leaving her wide-eyed. His face was now level with her black, lacy thong. He hooked his fingers under the sides. With one swift movement, he ripped the threads, tossing the thin fabric to the floor.
Lucky held Baby’s gaze as he opened her legs with both palms. He felt her breathing quicken as his mouth closed in on her cleft. Braced against the wall, he lifted one leg over his shoulder and buried his face in her sex, using his tongue to explore the soft, velvety folds. He tasted her juice on his lips. Craving more, his tongue darted in and out of her while he used his thumb to circle her firm clit.
Soft moans grew into carnal cries. The circling intensified, determined to make her come in his mouth. Her body began to quiver. Her hands fumbled until she found his head, grabbing a handful of thick hair. Her hips moved with the rhythm of his tongue until the orgasm put her over the edge. He finished her off, licking her sensitive flesh, sending jolts pulsing through her fatigued body.
He stood and found her lips, kissing her hard, causing her to groan into his mouth.
He pulled away and swooped her up into his arms. Heading to the bedroom, he peered down into her flush face. “Don’t fall asleep on me, now, darlin’. We’re just getting started.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Baby Jade
Tugging the sheet over her head, Baby tried to shroud herself from the early morning sun. She stretched, tangling her long legs around Lucky’s. Sated and relaxed, she rested her head on his inked chest, trailing her index finger along the lines of his many tattoos.
She was immediately drawn to the tiny heart that had been stitched over his own years ago. It was a special piece; in honor of the baby his ex-girlfriend had aborted.
Her own heart stopped when she spotted his newest addition. Next to the red heart was a blue one, a baby blue heart balloon with a string interlaced around the red one. The words “a place where there is no darkness” had been inked in tiny script around the edges, encasing both hearts together.
Her chest tightened. It was the first time since the accident that she had allowed herself to think of his pain rather than her own. Lucky had experienced so much loss.
His body began to stir. She hopped out of bed and grabbed a t-shirt while wiping the stray tears from her cheeks. Her insides knotted. She didn’t know what to expect. The two of them weren’t exactly on the best of terms.
“Morning.”
Lucky yawned and stretched his arms above his head. Baby Jade couldn’t get a read on him. He squinted and shielded his face from the light. “My head hurts like a son of a bitch.”
“I’ll grab some Tylenol. Coffee?”
“Hell yeah,” he muttered and stumbled, naked, to the bathroom.
Baby drew in a deep breath. The man was sexy as hell.
Piling her hair up on her head, she made her way to the kitchen. She started the coffee pot, popped the top on the Tylenol bottle, and placed two on the counter before pulling out a third. It was probably needed after the way Lucky was pounding back that bottle of Jim Beam.
She decided to pop a couple herself. Every inch of her body throbbed from the intense night before. Thinking about the way Lucky had flipped her over and pulled her up onto all fours made the sensitive flesh between her aching legs pulsate.
She squeezed her eyes and pictured his lips on her hot skin.
“Damn, I feel like ass.”
Baby jumped at the sound of Lucky’s groggy voice. Being caught in the intimate moment made heat flush across her cheeks. She handed him a mug of hot, black coffee and he promptly choked back the pills. She sipped on her own cup and watched him. Even with a raging hangover, the man was a god. Everything about him made her body spring to life, but she couldn’t ignore the elephant in the room.
Her stomach fluttered. “Last night shouldn’t have happened.”
His chocolate colored eyes bore a hole through her, sending the blood thumping through her body. He took a sip and smoothed his hand over his beard, one of his telltale habits. He was choosing his words carefully.
The silence was agonizing.
“Let me rephrase,” she said. “Last night shouldn’t have happened like it did. We haven’t seen each other in months, other than the strange altercation at the hospital. You show up out of the blue, and we end up fucking like two horny teenagers.”
Lucky leaned against the counter and crossed his legs at the ankle. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his worn out jeans. “I know you’re right, but I’m not sorry it happened. You could have told me to leave.”
“Seriously? You were stone ass drunk. What was I going to do? Send you off on a motorcycle? To have another fucking accident?” Her voice escalated as her emotions spiraled out of control.
He lowered his head. “I can’t do this right now. Not today.”
“So you were just here to get laid? No talking?”
“Dammit Baby, you know it’s not like that.” Lucky’s face twisted. His full lips downturned and his heavy eyes were glassy. Deep pain etched in the lines and creases.
She knew she was being difficult, but she couldn’t will herself to stop. He had hit a nerve, and she couldn’t shake it off. “Do I?”
Lucky’s voice softened. “You should. You know how I feel about you. I gave up everything for you.”
Baby scoffed, swallowing hard to get her coffee down. “What the hell did you give up for me?” Her body trembled as rage bubbled in her gut. “One day, I wake up in the hospital, broken and bruised, and find out I lost my baby. The next day, you’re gone, not to be heard from again. I’d lost everything. I wanted to die! Do you know what that was like?”
Lucky closed the gap between them. His eyes blazing with fire and pain. “He wasn’t just your baby! He was my son, and I lost him too! Why the hell does everyone seem to forget that?” He stared at her for a second before b
acking away. “I’ve got to go. I need to check on my mother.”
Baby threw her hands up. Cocking her head to one side, she followed him through the living room. “You’re running away again? You’re just going to leave me here, like this, again?”
He stopped and turned to face her. “Baby, I didn’t leave you because I wanted to. I would never have left you voluntarily.”
With hot tears stinging her eyes, she lowered her head. “Then I don’t understand. Why?”
Lucky tipped her chin up to meet his gaze. “I think we need to talk about this after we calm down. We’re both upset, and I really do have to get to the hospital.”
She nodded and blinked, attempting to suppress the tears from spilling.
Lucky slipped on his boots and ran his hands through his hair. He placed his hand on the doorknob, but never turned.
“Last night was not a mistake. You could never be a mistake,” he said before vanishing.
Dazed, Baby collapsed onto the couch. The sobs welling up in her throat boiled to the surface. She buried herself in a pillow and opened the floodgates, allowing the tears to flow.
***
Baby Jade slapped her hands against the desktop. “What the hell?” She was arguing with the duty nurse, trying to figure out what happened to Lolli. “Gone? Was she released?”
The poor woman behind the nurses’ station shook her head. “No, she left against doctor’s orders. Like I said ma’am, that’s all I know.”
“That’s all anyone seems to know!” She had already spoken with three different nurses, none of which had any idea what or whom she was talking about, and the doctor on call was busy with another patient.
“I’m really sorry,” the nurse offered.
Baby sighed, expelling a puff of air. What a fucked up day, and now the night wasn’t looking any better. “It’s not your fault; I’m just worried. Sorry for being so rude. Thanks for your help.”
She paced the hallway outside the elevator. As the heavy metal doors opened, she hardly noticed Drew exit the packed space as people flooded the hall.
Bourbon Street Royalty: Jaded Series, Book Two Page 7
