Now that she was here, the warding power of the medallion would grow weaker and weaker, until it lost its power completely amongst the overwhelming presence of his brethren.
Gabriel almost regretted what she’d go through. But she should not have come to New Orleans. Now that she was here, he wasn’t going to deny himself the pleasure of seducing her. The subtle nuances of her nervous desire excited him immeasurably: the breathless sigh, the pulse in her throat, the fight against her own base appetites that mirrored his own. He could still taste her on his tongue, feel the rounded firmness of her ass in his palms. His groin felt imprinted by the cloaked heat of her femininity.
He couldn’t remember ever feeling so frustrated in all his life. He wondered if fucking both their brains out would satisfy the lust boiling his blood, or if it would only worsen, make him insane with lust. He wondered if it was worth the risk in tempting the beast. Could any woman be worth so much?
She stopped suddenly on the sidewalk. Gabriel ducked into a doorway, waiting to see what she would do. He watched her indecisive profile, as she crossed and uncrossed her arms, kicked at a ball of trash on the pavement. Finally, she made up her mind and moved forward and into a local bar.
Apparently, she wasn’t ready to give up the night just yet.
He grinned and trotted up the sidewalk. Just his kind of girl. He liked a woman who didn’t know when to quit.
But she didn’t need to be out too late. He couldn’t sense any danger, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t out there. He wanted to make sure she got to her room okay.
He chuckled, thinking of a few ways to wear her out and entertain her if she was feeling restless.
Gabriel waited a few minutes before sauntering through the door. Inside was darker than out, almost smoky-like. A live band took up a space on a far, center wall, and most of the light and noise came from there and the crowded dance floor. Looking around the hazy space, he saw mostly tourists, probably from the nearby hotels.
Their scent gave them away--they were missing that certain spice that only natives had to them, not like his Jessica though. She was a force unto herself.
Gabriel sidled up to the bar, got a beer, and turned around, propping his elbows on the bar as he scanned the crowd for her. He spotted her at a table, nursing a drink and giving a brush off to a man hitting on her. His ears prickled to hear her soft rebuttal, barely audible, even to his own keen ears.
Doesn’t like to dance?
A challenge, and she didn’t even realize it. She was damn well in the wrong place, not to be a dancer. Music was a part of life here, dancing in the blood, necessary as air or water to live. He was going to introduce her to one of the finer points of Louisiana living.
Jessica just wanted to watch. She liked watching people dancing, drinking, talking ...
flirting. Interaction had always fascinated her for some reason, even after she’d become disillusioned with society. She just liked the atmosphere, especially down here. Of course, just because she liked to watch didn’t mean she wanted to do it herself--especially not with some slush who could barely stand and reeked of stale beer.
A chair scraped behind her. Jessica mentally rolled her eyes and shuddered. She sensed more than saw someone come up behind her elbow.
Much as the guy deserved a hit to the gut, she wasn’t going to get physical.
Dammit! She’d tried to be nice. Repeatedly. There was just no way to be nice to people any more. Courtesy had disappeared fifty years ago, along with manners. She hated being mean--it always made her feel like a dog when she got through.
Jessica swiveled in her chair, her stomach clenched with the rebuttal she was going to have to deliver.
She stopped, stunned to look up and see Gabriel Benoit standing before her.
Her brain only took a few seconds to jump-start this time. She was getting better at recovering. A few more times seeing him and she might even act normal. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. Before she could demand to know what he wanted, he surprised her by speaking first.
“You followin’ me, cherie? Dere’s laws against stalkin’, you know,” he said with that husky, lilting tone that made her want to melt to the floor in an orgasmic puddle.
She recovered as the words sank in. Jessica sputtered at his audacity. “Me? Are you serious? You’re the one following me!”
He shrugged. “Don’ matter. Law’s the law. What you gonna do about it?” He looked down her blouse with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
Jessica slowly followed his line of vision, saw her neckline gaped, and put a hand to her chest, gasping in outrage. She managed to find her voice and said, “What makes you think I’m following you? Who approached who’s table here?”
He looked disappointed that she’d covered her chest, but only briefly. Really, as little as she had up top, she didn’t know why he acted so interested.
“I only came ta save you some time, cherie. You don’ gotta go through all dis subterfuge to get me.” He held his arms up and open, like he was there for the taking. “I’m all yours if you wan’ me.”
Jessica grinned despite herself. The man really had some balls. She gave him a once over. “Thanks, but I have toys at home.”
“I guarantee, no’ like dis toy.”
Jessica laughed. “But mine come with an independent power supply. Can you keep going and going and going...?”
One thick, black brow arched. A dimple appeared on the side of his mouth. He crossed his arms over his chest, looking smug in a supreme male sort of way. “I can give you more’n you can handle, petite.”
Jessica snorted very unladly-like, secretly excited--not that she would ever admit it.
“I somehow doubt that.”
His voice dropped an octave, and all amusement left his face. “Don’ make me prove it.”
Hot shivers stroked up her spine. The room suddenly felt too small, too private.
She was insanely aware of how fast her heart beat, how rapid her breath came, and how damn good he smelled. It was a struggle to remember how to use her voice. All the moisture had fled her body and pooled in one central location. “I don’t think so,” she said inanely.
He smiled crookedly, baring a dimple. “All mouth and no action. You don’ know what dose lips are for.”
She didn’t want to think about her lips. All she could do was stare at his and wonder about what tricks he could perform. The kiss he stole in the alley came back full force--all the heat, the uncertainty, the rough force of his body pressing her into the wall. She wasn’t acting like herself. She should’ve been scared or nervous, but the only things her nerves were doing were coming to life in anticipation.
Jessica swallowed with effort. Her face flushed with heat. She stood up abruptly, not liking his height advantage over her. She could tell he wasn’t nearly as affected as she was. She also couldn’t think of a thing to say to him, nothing challenging or witty. He had to think she was a moron, some dumb little thing ripe for the taking.
The blonde curse was striking, leaving her open and vulnerable.
“You know I’m right, don’ you? Would you like me to show you what lips can do?” He grabbed her arms suddenly.
She looked down at the manacles of his hands one stunned moment, marveling at the contrast of bronze against her pale skin. Erotic images flashed in her mind, of cream and golden bodies entwined, rough and soft. The contrast of his flesh against hers seared her mind’s eye. She looked back up at his face, wondering frantically if he could read her mind, wondering a breathless moment if he was going to kiss her like she wanted to be kissed.