Chapter 11
Xavier woke with Lissette in his arms, her naked body lying against his, her leg draped over his thigh. Immediately hard, he lay still, absorbing the warmth and the delicious scent and softness of her skin pressed to his.
He’d make love to her again if he had a packet of protection, but they’d made good use of the second condom before midnight, and he was fresh out.
Willing control over his desire, he studied her face, soft and content in sleep, a vast contrast to the perpetually creased brow of the most hated woman in Bayou Mambaloa.
He couldn’t condone her attempt to murder Shelby Taylor, but he could understand what had led her to take on the mission. She’d paid the price in prison and in the contempt of the residents of the small town.
He could imagine the hurt and anger of the ten-year-old who’d been abandoned by a mother who hadn’t given a damn about her.
That alone had destroyed her self-worth.
Bullies among her peers and the adults she’d been subjected to in school had only taken her self-esteem to an even lower level.
The lure of fitting in had been a temptation she hadn’t been able to ignore when the mafia had tapped into her insecurities.
He wished he could have been there for her when everyone had seemed to be against her. Wished he could have helped her build her confidence without resorting to crime.
The fact that she’d shielded the young mother in the correctional facility showed that she did care and had empathy for others, especially those who were bullied and couldn’t stand up for themselves.
She’d powered through the previous day despite having doors slammed in her face, being yelled at and being called names. He’d been impressed with her patience for the woman who’d fallen on the sidewalk while she’d berated her for her crime against Shelby.
He believed she truly regretted her attempt on Shelby’s life. He’d bet that, like him, she wished she could undo the decision that had changed her life so completely.
And like him, she knew there were no do-overs.
Her eyes blinked open, and a smile curled her lips.
“Hey,” he said and brushed a strand of her hair away from her cheek.
“Hey,” she said, her voice gravelly from sleep. “Did we sleep?”
He chuckled. “I did. Better than I have in a long time.”
“Me too.” She ran her hand over his arm. “No dreams. Must be all that exercise that wore us out.” Her fingers moved lower, across his hip and down to capture his cock. “Mmm. I hear military types like to perform calisthenics in the morning.”
“I’d put you through your paces, but we’re out of protection, and I’m hungry.” He smacked her bare ass, the sound louder than the impact.
“I owe you a meal.” Lissette yawned, rolled onto her back, and stretched her arms over her head, her breasts rising as her back arched.
Xavier couldn’t resist and bent to capture one soft, rosy, brown nipple between his lips.
“Don’t start something you’re not going to finish,” she warned while cupping her hand to the back of his head and urging him to take more.
“I finish what I start,” he said and took the other nipple in his mouth, sucking and licking, until it hardened into a tight, round bud.
“How are you going to finish without protection?” she asked, spreading her legs to let him slide between.
“You don’t need protection where I’m going,” he said and moved down her torso, kissing a path to the juncture of her thighs. There, he parted her folds and swept his tongue across her clit.
She moaned, and her hips rose.
Xavier draped her legs over his shoulders, settling in to feast on her sex with every intention of making her come apart in a spectacular orgasm she wouldn’t soon forget.
As he tongued and flicked her clit, he slid a finger into her already slick channel and swirled around. A second finger joined the first, followed by a third.
She tightened around his fingers, her body writhing to the rhythm of his tongue and fingers, stroking, coaxing, teasing and drawing her relentlessly toward his goal.
Her hands cupped her breasts, squeezed the nipples and slid lower to weave into his hair.
As he took her with his tongue, her hips rocked, her body tensing, her breathing becoming ragged.
Her fingers dug into his scalp as she cried out, “Oh. My.” Her head flung back, and her back arched off the mattress. “Xavier!”
Her body shuddered with the force of her release.
Xavier didn’t let up his tender assault on her, milking her orgasm all the way to the last tremor. Even then, he slowed his tongue, stroked her gently and sucked her clit into his mouth, loving the taste of her.
Her hands still tangled in his hair, she lay against the mattress, remnant spasms shaking her.
“Come into me,” she whispered. “You’re not finished.”
He came up on his arms and leaned over her. “I finished what I started,” he said and kissed her forehead, her nose and each of her cheeks before he took her lips.
She wound her arms around his neck. “I want more.”
“And so do I,” he said. “But first, we get food.”
Lissette drew in a deep breath and let it out on a sigh. “What time is it?”
“Seven-thirty.”
“I don’t have to be at the shop until nine.” She cupped his cheek.
“That gives us enough time to dress, get breakfast at the diner and check in with the team.” He rolled off the bed and straightened. “If you hurry, you can join me in the shower.”
Xavier strode into the bathroom and turned on the water, listening for sounds of movement from the other room.
When Lissette didn’t enter the room, he shrugged, drew the curtain aside and stepped in.
As he ducked his head beneath the spray, hands came around him from behind and smoothed over his abdomen. Pert breasts pressed into his back. He smiled and tipped his head back, letting the water run over his chest.
Her hands slipped lower, circled his cock and started a slow, steady motion, moving up and down, a finger skimming across the head, another tickling his balls.
He groaned and matched her rhythm, pumping in and out of her hands.
When she suddenly let go, his breath caught. God, he’d almost been there.
She turned him to face her, reached up to cup the back of his neck and brought him down for a kiss. Her tongue met his and caressed the length, thrusting in and out until she left his mouth and moved her lips over his jawline and down to his neck.
She didn’t stop there, moving lower until she knelt in front of him, her hands wrapping around his dick.
“Don’t start anything you won’t finish,” he said through strained lips, already on the edge and quickly losing control.
She looked up at him with a wicked smile. “I finish what I start, and we don’t worry. We don’t need protection where I’m going.” With a wink, she wrapped her mouth around him, grasped his buttocks and took him all the way in.
With warm water cascading over his shoulders and Lissette sucking his cock, he went with the flow, defenseless against the magic she wielded.
She guided his speed, moving him faster in and out. When he tensed, she slowed, teasing him to hold back and make it last. He struggled to pace himself until he could no more. One last thrust and he pulled free seconds before he came.
He reached for himself to take it the rest of the way.
Lissette brushed his hands aside and replaced them with her own, stroking until he spent himself.
He helped her to her feet and pulled her into his arms, his cock still hard, pressing into her soft belly. “Is everything a competition with you?” he asked. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“Only where it counts.” She leaned her cheek against his chest. “Thank you.”
He laughed and leaned back. “For what?”
“For accepting the full package. Huge flaws and all.”
His brow furrowed as he cupped her chin and tipped her head upward. “Sweetheart, there’s more beneath the surface than most know.” He touched her lips with his and whispered, “I see you.”
He would have held her longer, but the water turned cold.
They rinsed quickly, toweled each other dry and dressed.
“I’d rather not show up for breakfast at the diner in your clothes. Could we stop by Gisele’s shop first? I think she has a rack full of skirts and tank tops that might fit me better.”
“We can do that,” Xavier said with a smile. “Though you look pretty good in my sweats and T-shirt.”
They left the boarding house and drove into town, stopping in front of the Mamba Wamba and Remedies and Roux gift shops.
As Xavier shifted into park, Lissette frowned. “We locked the door when we left yesterday, didn’t we?” She shoved open her door and dropped to the ground.
Xavier barely caught up with her before she pushed through the open door of Remedies and Roux.
Lissette ground to a halt. “Holy shit.”
Xavier stopped short of running her over, steadied himself and looked around.
The shop was a shambles. Jars of remedies had been swept off the shelves. Packages of spices had been ripped open and strewn across the floor. Cooking supplies lay scattered throughout.
“Bastards,” Lissette gritted out. Then her eyes widened, and she darted around Xavier, heading for the door.
He followed her out of the shop and into the Mamba Wamba.
She didn’t stop to stare at the destruction. Instead, she ran to the giant birdcage lying on its side, its door open, the cage empty. She straightened and called out, “Johnny?” Running through to the back, she kept calling, “Johnny!”
Xavier searched through the racks and around the shelves.
Keychains, magnets, mugs and clothing had been slung across the room.
It looked like the hurricane had already blown through, leaving a disaster in its wake.
No matter where he looked, the only sign he found of the bird was a blue feather lying on the floor near the front entrance.
“He’s not in the office or storeroom,” Lissette said as she emerged from the back.
Xavier shook his head. “He’s not in here.” He held up the feather. I found this near the door.”