Page 3 of Hunt You Down

“Yes, please.”

André stamped a kiss to my cheek and slid out of the booth, sauntering over the bar. I was watching him walk away when Mama rounded the corner with two steaming plates in her hand.

“Here we go, baby.” I sat back so she could place one of them in front of me. “My specialty: seafood jambalaya, and some red beans and rice.”

“Thank you, Mama. This looks amazing.”

“Enjoy, darlin’.” She dropped some silverware on the table. Passing André, she gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Behave yourself.”

I peered at the plate, concluding that everything in New Orleans was extremely colorful. Vibrant pink shrimp and perfectly charred sausage complemented the bright reds and greens from the vegetables. Every bite was covered in a thick sauce that brought it all together. Even the rice was perfectly toasted. Though the sight didn’t even come close to competing with the smell. Shit, was my mouth actually watering?

“Here.” André picked up a fork, loading it up with a bit of everything. He brought it to my mouth, and my eyes rolled back as a mountain of flavors exploded across my tongue. The tender shrimp fell apart, and I’d snatched my fork from André before I even swallowed.

“Oh my God, that’s amazing,” I mumbled, shoving another bite in my mouth.

“Not too spicy?”

“Just spicy enough.” Already tipsy, I happily accepted the drink André offered and took a sip. “A bit like you, I guess.”

Damn, bourbon makes you bold.

Before I could regret the words, André flashed me that smile again. Instead of nerves flipping my stomach now, it was something else entirely–something that had my jeans tightening and me shifting in my seat. I distracted myself with my food.

“So, what brings you out to New Orleans?” André asked, picking the shrimp out of his jambalaya.

“I had a bit of a hard year, and I really needed a vacation.” I talked through mouthfuls of food. My already full stomach protested, but there was no way I was stopping. “Plus, my brother just turned twenty-one, so I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone. I brought him out here as a late birthday present.”

“Where is he?”

With the next bite, I was officially done. With half the jambalaya left, I pushed the plate away and reached for my mint julep. “Well, right now, he’s probably narrowing down how many people he’s bringing back to his room tonight.”

“Separate rooms?”

I relaxed into André’s arm and gazed into those magical green eyes of his. “Yep.”

André rolled his bottom lip between his teeth, attention flitting to my mouth. Wrapping my tongue around my straw, I drained the rest of my drink and slid in closer. I dropped my voice to a whisper. “I’ll let you in on one condition.”

“What’s that?” André trailed a light touch over my chin, working a hand down my jaw and cupping around my cheek, tipping my gaze back to him.

“Why me?”

Desire pooled low in my belly and with the second drink buzzing through my system, I wanted nothing more than to knock the man down in that booth and lick him like a lollipop.

I refrained.

But if he kept dodging my attempts to kiss him, I might have to summon the strength.

“What do you mean?”

“Look at you.” I did exactly that, staring at his forest green eyes and working my way down to his soft, luscious lips that I wanted so desperately to feel against my own. Chiseled pecs and cut abs strained the fabric of his shirt. I continued south, trying to remember how to breathe when I saw the sizable bulge in his pants. I forced myself to return to his eyes. “You’re perfect. You can have any person you want in this entire country, and you chose the clumsy, homeless-looking little shit that almost knocked you over in the middle of the street. Why?”

“You’re interesting,” he said instantly. “Different. I was intrigued that a shy lil’ thing like you would be here, roaming the streets during Mardi Gras. And after I nearly frightened you off, I figured that, at the very least, I owed you dinner.”

Somewhere along the line, my eyes had dropped to André’s mouth. He noticed, stroking the pad of his thumb over my cheek. With a gentle tug, he brought me close to him. Our lips nearly touched, soft puffs of breath washing over my skin.

“Dance with me,” he whispered.

Stunned, I pulled back. “What?”