Chapter 9
Xavier claimed her lips, pushed past her teeth and swept her tongue in a desperate desire to lose himself in her.
He’d nearly lost his mind when the men had leaped out of the shadows and grabbed Lissette. If not for his training, he’d have gone after her and probably would have been shot before he’d moved a single foot.
Now, he couldn’t get enough of her, couldn’t stop kissing her. Wouldn’t let her go for fear of losing her to his incompetence.
A loud bang shook the truck.
Xavier jerked back and looked out, expecting another attack.
A tall, lanky man dressed in a deputy’s uniform frowned at them from the front of the truck. “Get a room, will ya?”
Xavier sank back into the driver’s seat, started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot.
“I owe you dinner,” Lissette said from the passenger seat, her face turned away from Xavier, but clearly visible in her reflection in the side window.
“I’d like to go to the boarding house to change into clothes that don’t have as much glass in them. Would you be all right waiting for me in my room?”
She nodded. “Yes.” Lissette didn’t turn his direction. Her hand rose, her fingers touching her lips. For the few minutes it took to reach the boarding house, she remained silent, her gaze focusing on the road in front of them.
After parking in the boarding house parking lot, Xavier hurried around to help her down from her seat.
When she didn’t move, he frowned up at her. “Are you all right? I’d apologize for kissing you, but...” He shook his head. “I can’t.”
She gave a brief smile that faded into a faraway glance out the windshield. “No. It’s okay. No, it was better than okay. In fact, I was the one who initiated that kiss. I should apologize to you. You might not have even wanted me to do that. I mean, I’m a convicted felon, after all.”
“We all have our crosses to bear,” he said.
She stared down at him, her brow creasing. “Aren’t you afraid, like everyone else, that I’ll try to kill you?”
He shook his head. “If you killed me, it would be a blessing,” he murmured. Louder, he said, “No.”
“Aren’t you afraid to die?” she asked.
Not ready to delve into deeper thoughts and conversations, he gripped her waist and eased her from her seat, letting her slide down his body ever so slowly.
When her feet touched the ground, he tipped her chin upward and smiled down into her eyes. “I’m not afraid you’ll kill me,” he said. “I’m afraid I’ll die if you disappear without me.”
Her brow twisted into a fierce frown. “You’re the one leaving, not me.”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “That’s not the issue,” he whispered against her lips.
“Then what is?” she demanded.
He pulled her close. “I’m afraid you’ll disappear because I wasn’t vigilant and didn’t do my job. Whether you like it or not, you’re a target, sweetheart. I’m afraid I won’t be enough to keep you safe.”
“It’s not your responsibility to keep me safe,” she said. “The choices I made in the past are what determine my future.”
“You’re wrong, Lissette,” he said. “The choices you make now determine your future.”
“You obviously don’t know the rules of the New Orleans Mafia.” Lissette curled her fingers into his shirt as if clinging to his strength. “Once you commit, there’s no going back. If you turn on them, they’ll turn on you and come after you. They won’t stop until you’re dead.”
Xavier tipped her chin up. “You don’t have to face this alone. I’m here. I’m with you.”
“Today is almost over. That means you’re only here protecting me for five more days.” She stared up into his eyes. “After that, then what?”
Xavier drew in a breath and let it out slowly. Lissette was right. He was due to leave. If they didn’t resolve her problems before he left, she’d be on her own to solve them.
Gathering her close, he rested his chin on top of her head. “I don’t know what will happen in the future. I just know we need to resolve the issues now, before the future overwhelms us.”
“You mean, before you leave.” Lissette leaned her forehead into his chest. “I broke my own rule and got used to having you around.” She pressed her cheek to his chest. “I can hear your heart beating. It makes me feel calm and safe. How will I feel when I can’t hear that reassuring sound, or the strength of your arms around me?
” She pushed back from him. “It all goes back to the truth.”
‘What truth?” he asked, his hands falling to his sides.
“The only person I can count on one hundred percent is me.” She grimaced. “The truth is, you could leave in five days or today, and I’d still face the same dangers. Having you here only delays the inevitable.”
He reached for her.
She stepped away. “Seriously, you should leave me now, before you’re injured or killed in the crossfire.”
Xavier’s jaw hardened. “I’m not leaving,” he said. “I made a promise.”
“To protect me for the week.” She snorted. “Again, we’d only be delaying the inevitable. The mafia will find me.”
He wanted to argue with her, but she was right. For a long moment, he stood with his fists clenched, frustrated that he could do nothing to help her once he left Bayou Mambaloa.
“Maybe we can stop the guys who keep coming after you,” he offered.
She gave him a crooked smile. “Whoever’s in charge will send someone else.”
“Fine. We’re delaying the inevitable.” He tipped his chin toward the door to the boarding house. “We can delay it inside while I shower and change into glass-free clothes. You should do the same. I can loan you something to wear.”
Her gaze swept him. “You’re not my size.”
He grinned. “No, but you can cinch up a pair of sweatpants and tuck a T-shirt into them.” Xavier held the door for her. “They might not be colorful enough to suit your usual tastes, but they won’t have glass in them.”
She stepped through the door. “I could be convinced. I don’t like the idea of glass in my hair.”
He led her up to his room on the second floor and unlocked the door.
She entered, her brow dipping. “You really are ready to go, aren’t you?”
He stared around at the boxes lining the walls. “I’m mostly packed and living out of my duffel bag. It’s amazing what you accumulate in two years.” He dug into the bag and pulled out a couple of black T-shirts, jeans and a pair of sweatpants.
Lissette walked around the room, her fingers trailing over the neatly stacked cardboard boxes. “Haven’t most of your team moved out of the boarding house?”
“They have,” he said. “Some sooner than others. Most did so as they married or moved in with their significant others. A couple rented apartments or cottages in town.”
“But not you?” She turned, an eyebrow cocked.
“Like I told you before, I haven’t made the connection with Bayou Mambaloa. It didn’t feel like home.”
“Does anywhere feel like home?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Not really.” Not for a very long time. Xavier jerked his head toward the bathroom. “You can have the shower first.”
She took the sweats and T-shirt he proffered and walked into the bathroom. “I won’t be long. I really just want to get the glass out of my hair.”
“There’s shampoo. Help yourself.”
Her lips twisted into a wry grin. “I should wait and shower at home, but then I’d have to give you a raincheck for that meal I promised.”
“I’d be okay with whatever makes you comfortable. Either way, I’m seeing you home tonight.” He gave her a pointed stare. “All the way home.”
“You don’t have—”
“I do. They might take their attacks to the water. In fact, you might put Madame Gautier at risk staying out there.”
Her brow furrowed. “You think?” Her lips pressed into a tight line. “I don’t want her hurt because of me.”
“You might consider staying in town,” he said.
She chewed her lip for a moment.
“You don’t have to decide right this minute. Get the shower, then let’s eat and talk about what’s next after our stomachs are full.”
Lissette nodded, ducked into the shower and closed the door.
Xavier stared at that closed door for a long time, listening to the sound of the water being turned on and the shower curtain sliding across the rail. He could imagine her naked, standing beneath the spray, soap bubbles sliding across her light-mocha skin.
The memory of their kiss sent heat burning through his veins, making his groin tighten and his cock swell.
He had to stop those thoughts before they consumed him.
Xavier forced himself to turn away from that door and walk toward the window. Rather than think about Lissette naked, he replayed the setup and attack through his mind in an attempt to chill his rising desire.
Two men, both times, had come after her. They hadn’t tried to kill her. They’d wanted to take her alive.
Based on the trajectory of the bullet that had hit his truck, going through the driver’s side, and the fact that the woman had held the gun to his head, they weren’t opposed to killing him. It would make it easier to grab the girl.
He blamed himself for not seeing through the trap. Once again, he could have cost a life.
The bathroom door opened with a waft of damp air that smelled of his shampoo.
Lissette, with her hair swathed in a towel, stepped out, wearing his sweatpants, riding low on her hips, and a T-shirt knotted at her midriff, displaying a tantalizing expanse of her flat stomach.
“Do you have a brush I can use?” she asked. “It might take a minute to comb through the tangles since there wasn’t any conditioner.”
“I do.” Xavier hurried past her into the bathroom, inhaling the clean, fresh scent of her. He dug in his toiletries kit, found his brush and brought it out for her.
When he placed the brush in her hand, their fingers brushed against each other’s, sending a jolt of electricity up his arm and down to his groin. So much for reliving the attack. He was right back to wanting her more than a skilled protector should.
“I’ll only be a minute,” he said and ducked into the bathroom. He closed the door, but thought again and opened it a crack, poking his head through. “I’m leaving the door cracked so I can hear if anyone tries to get in.”
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll peek?” she said with a wicked grin.