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Now I jumped in front of him. “My grandfather? He burns water.”
His grin was wider than before. “He wasn’t the chef, darling girl. He owned a very fashionable one in the heart of Duval Street. You should ask him about it at some point. From what I learned early on, the place was his pride and joy. It was also where he held his meetings, both with enemies and associates. He held court, sitting directly in front of the front window, allowing him to gaze on the activity on the street.”
“How do you know so much?”
“Because the kid I was, fearless and a total hoodlum, decided it was in my best interest to steal from the restaurant late one night. I almost made it too with four hundred bucks in my hand, which was huge to me at the time.”
This time, he stopped walking, crowding my space until I was forced against one of the colorful buildings. He placed his palm on the siding, lowering his head as his dazzling eyes danced back and forth across mine.
“You were caught,” I purred.
“By your grandfather, red-handed. I thought for certain I was going to die. There wasn’t a single person in New Orleans that didn’t know who Jean Baptiste was or what he was capable of doing to anyone who stole from him.”
“How did you get out of it?” I pressed my hand against his chest, toying with the thick material of his polo.
“Well, he asked me why I stole the money and for the first time that I could remember, I told him the truth including giving him my real name. I told him that I was starving and my mom used her social security to buy drugs.”
“Oh, my God. I’m so sorry.”
“Hey, it was a wakeup call. He gave me two choices. One, he’d call the police or two, I could work in the restaurant to pay back the money that I could keep.”
“You worked for him? How old were you?”
“Fourteen and sure, it wasn’t legal, but I started washing dishes then moved up to a line cook. After my mother OD’d, he gave me a place to live and introduced me to his entire family, including Arman. Instead of treating me like the vagrant I was, your entire family embraced the kid with the bad attitude.”
“That’s why you’re so loyal.”
“Absolutely, Zoe. Your grandfather saved my life. In turn, I saved his one day when some assholes decided to try and assassinate him. He never forgot that. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for your family. That’s why keeping you safe is the only thing that matters to me at this point.”
There was a moment shared between us that was entirely different, a sweet feeling of closeness that I hoped would last. I rose onto my tiptoes, taking my time before pressing my lips against his. I expected him to push me away, maybe more gently this time. When he wrapped his fingers around my neck, squeezing possessively as he pulled me to him, my heart fluttered.
The kiss was passionate, perhaps more so than the night before, yet there was so much more emotion involved, the moment tender as opposed to rough and desperate. He pulled me away from the wall, sliding his hand down my back, gently guiding me into an arc so I could feel exactly how he felt about me.
There were so many emotions coursing through me, another wave of sensations that might be irrational but were wonderful. I rolled my hands over his shoulders, clinging to the muscular man as if he was the breath of life, the only being I needed to survive. A number of vibrations tore through me, every nerve ending seared, and I was lightheaded. When he thrust his tongue past my lips, I didn’t bother trying to fight for control.
I wanted to surrender to his dark commands, whether verbalized or completely physical. He had a hold over me that was more powerful than anything I’d ever felt in my life. I never wanted it to end.
When he finally broke the kiss, he nipped my lower lip before pulling away. “My perfect little lamb.” His voice was darker thanbefore, so husky that another thrill drifted all the way to my toes. “Come on. Let’s keep walking.”
He pressed his hand on the small of my back again, his steps more like swaggers as we moved forward, our sudden silence more about being comfortable with each other instead of the tension we’d felt earlier.
“I’m shocked you allowed me out of my gilded cage,” I said casually as I glanced at his face once again. I bit back laughter seeing the expression on Maddox’s face as soon as I called his gorgeous estate a cage.
“Hmmm…” he said, rubbing his stubbled jaw, the one that could drive me crazy with desire. He’d sailed back to the house, carrying me from the dock to the house. Then he’d dumped me in his bed, ravaging me all over again.
It was as if for a few moments we lived in a beautiful dream, something I’d never forget.
The surprise of taking me into the quaint little town was special, allowing me to feel more happiness than I’d felt in long time.
“Well, I guess then while we’re here, I’ll need to find a hardware store so I can get some locks for your bedroom. That way I can make certain you get the full prison effect of your stay with me.”
I punched him in the arm, yanking out my sunglasses as we continued walking. Lunch had been amazing, the man insisting he take me to the restaurant he’d mentioned as being his favorite the night before. I could see why, the incredible delicacy of island and French cuisine some of the best food I’d ever had. “Very funny. Besides, I thought I was now staying in your room.”
He laughed, more jovial than I’d seen him maybe ever before. He was always so on guard, including today, but the tension we’d shared had disappeared. Still, he was performing his job, scanning the streets as we walked down the busy street in front of several quaint stores. The buildings were colorful, just as with most island towns.
“Only if you’re a very good girl.”
“I’m always good.Rourke.” I turned around in a full circle, laughing once again.
