Remington turned to me. “Henri, what would you like?”
“If we don’t have it here, we will bring you whatever you need. Mr. Theriot is an excellent customer, and we appreciate his business.”
“Coffee would be great. Thank you.”
“He’d like three creams and two sugars,” Remington said. I stared at him in awe.
“How did you—”
“I pay attention.”
I looked at him, and our eyes met. There was something there, something that made my heart beat much too fast, something I had to be imagining.
It wasn’t about me. He was watchful, observant, cautious. I’d noticed it from the moment I saw him in the car. He was always checking his surroundings, probably due to whatever the nature of his business was.
“And for you, Mr. Theriot?” Claude asked.
He considered for a moment. “Champagne for me.”
“Of course. I’ll be right back with your beverages, and Max will be out in just a moment to show you some of the options we have available today.”
Remington merely nodded his acknowledgment, and the young man scurried off into a room behind the counter.
A few moments later, I was sipping my perfectly made coffee, and Max, who I assumed was Maximilian, the owner, was showing me clothes unlike anything I’d owned—suits with fabrics so soft I wouldn’t want to take them off and shirts that were silky smooth and required cufflinks. Even before I was so deeply in debt, I only bought clothes sold at a bargain or thrifted things. I’d never imagined having the money for garments like those Max was showing me.
Remington spoke knowledgeably with Max about fabrics and mentioned colors I’d never thought to use to describe my clothing.
“What do you like, Henri?” Remington asked. I hadn’t been sure I’d get a choice, which would have been fine. I was doing this for Remington, and he was already paying me an enormous sum plus buying these clothes. I would wear whatever he wanted me to.
“If there’s something you prefer for me—” He interrupted me before I could finish.
“These clothes are for you. I want you to enjoy wearing them.”
Why did it matter? I was just an employee. “I really like this one.” I ran my hand over the fabric of a navy suit with pale blue pinstripes.
Remington smiled. “It’s gorgeous with your coloring.” Heat filled my cheeks.
“What else do you like?” Max asked. “Or if there’s not anything here, we have more options available.”
“Oh, no. This is… There’s so much here, I…”
“Take your time, Henri,” Remington said. “Choose whatever you like, then I’ll choose a few items I want to see you in.”
I looked over everything, feeling completely overwhelmed.
“Do you need anything else while you’re deciding?” Claude asked.
“No, thank you,” I said. I would like more coffee, but it would only add to my jitters.
“Beignets,” Remington said. “We would both like some beignets.”
Max told Claude to go to Café DuMonde and bring us back several orders of beignets. The young man nodded enthusiastically and took off almost at a run.
I couldn’t believe Remington only had to ask for something and everyone jumped to give it to him. No wonder he told me he could have whatever he wanted.
I selected several more outfits, then Remington requested to see a few other options.
Claude returned with the beignets, and Remington set one on a napkin and held it out to me. Trying not to cover myself in powdered sugar, I took a bite. It was so good I barely held back a moan as I chewed it. It was so soft and flaky but also crisp, warm, and sugary, and just perfect.
When we’d made selections, I tried everything on so Max could do any necessary alterations. I was amazed how easily Remington and Max had determined my size. Most of the items needed only minimal tailoring, and some didn’t need any at all.
When everything had been whisked to the back for the alterations to be made as we waited, I had another beignet, and Claude brought me a bottle of sparkling water.
I realized Remington was watching me. “Tonight I want you to wear the suit you chose first. You look amazing in it.”
“Thank you.” I hadn’t expected Remington to compliment me so easily. He really wasn’t at all what he seemed at first.
“This dinner…”
“We’ll be eating at Commander’s Palace.”
My eyes went wide. “Really?” From what I understood, they served some of the best food in the city.
Remington smiled. “Yes, really, and it’s as good as you’ve probably heard. The man I’m consulting with, X—”
“Wait. That’s his name? Just X?”
“He has several names for different facets of his life, but that’s what I call him.”
“Okay.” I had so many questions.
“He’s bringing his boyfriend, Emilio, who is a… computer specialist.” I got the feeling he wasn’t simply a computer guy, but something more criminal. “From what I’ve learned about him, I think you’ll get along well.”
“He’s probably so much smarter than—” Remington laid a finger over my lips.
“Don’t put yourself down. That’s a rule I expect you to follow during our time together—and afterward too.”
Again, I wondered why he cared.
Remington picked up the last beignet and held it to my lips. I took a bite, then he took one. He offered me the rest, but I shook my head. He polished it off, then kissed me, licking the powdered sugar from my lips, uncaring who might see.
It made my heart flutter. This man was dangerous in ways I hadn’t even realized when I’d first met him.
Max returned a moment later with several bags filled with all my new outfits. I could see why Remington liked this kind of shopping experience.
“Please let us know if we can do anything else for you,” Max said.
Remington nodded. “I’ll call you when I’m ready for another appointment.”
“Thank you, sir. Have an excellent day, and you also, Mr. Henri.”
“Thank you,” I said as Remington gathered all the bags in one hand, refusing to let me carry any. He took my hand with his other one and escorted me out the door.
We didn’t say much on the walk home. I took in the sights of the city as afternoon turned to evening. When we stepped inside Remington’s house, it was cool and dim. I thought how lovely it would be to climb in bed with him and have him take me as the last of the day’s light faded, but he’d told me I had to wait, and he seemed determined to stick to his word.
“When is your reservation?” I asked.
“A car will be here to pick us up in an hour.”
I frowned. “So there’s really not time for…”
“Are you so eager to earn your pay?”
Heat filled my face. “I just want to be sure I’m keeping you satisfied.”
“Knowing you’re anticipating what will happened later makes me very satisfied. I’m thinking about how good it will be to make you beg after I bring you home. I can tease you, toy with you, do anything to you that I want. That pleases me very much.”
“It… it does?” My voice shook. I already wanted to beg. I couldn’t believe he was paying me for his attention. I would have been willing to pay him at that moment. What would it be like after two weeks with him?
“Oh, yes, very much. Now come on. It’s time to get dressed.”
“Do you always have someone else drive you?” I asked as we climbed the stairs.
“Not always, but I only take my Ferrari out when I can be sure of its safety.”
“I guess it’s in the garage to the side of the house.”
“Of course. I’d never leave my baby out in the elements.”
I was still laughing as he sent me into the shower, saying he had some emails to answer. He took his turn after me, and when he stepped out of the bathroom, he was naked and totally unselfconscious about it as he walke
d across the room and opened the closet door.
He stood there, contemplating the row of suits I imagined had all come from Maximilian’s. I couldn’t take my eyes off his ass. It was so round and tight. I wanted to touch it. I wanted to drop to my knees and—
“Are you getting ready or watching me?”
“Sorry, sir. I…”
“I’m not saying I mind. In fact, I like it, but I still expect you to be ready on time. I’m never late.”
I’d already guessed he was a man who valued his time and expected others to as well. Reluctantly, I turned away, biting back the question I wanted to ask. If he wanted me to get ready, why was he standing in front of me naked? I still wasn’t sure how far I could push him. I had a feeling I’d enjoy a spanking from Remington, but now wasn’t the time to find out.
11
Remington
I didn’t like the pain that flashed in Henri’s eyes. He turned, but I reached out and grabbed his arm. “Look at me.”
When he did, I stepped closer and brushed an errant curl from his forehead. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head. “Nothing.”
“I told you I wouldn’t hurt you. I meant it.”
His expression softened, and whatever was troubling him seemed to melt away. I was going to find whoever had hurt him in the past, track them down, and make sure they paid.
I turned my attention back to my closet. After I put on my suit, I realized Henri was fully dressed. He was stunning, but he needed one more finishing touch. I pulled out a silk pocket square that matched the pale blue stripes of his suit perfectly. “Come here.”
He did, and the way he stared at me told me he was pleased with how I looked. I knew I looked damn hot in the suit I was wearing, but it was nice to see how much he appreciated it.
I tucked the silk square into Henri’s pocket, and when I looked up, his lips were parted and his pupils blown. “Why are you doing this?”
“Dressing you up?”
“No… Well, yes… But I really mean making sure I have everything, all these little touches and…”
“No one’s ever done that for you, have they?”
He shook his head, and I brushed the backs of my fingers over his cheek. “I will make you work hard for these next two weeks. I’ll ask a lot of you, but I’m also going to spoil you rotten because that brings me pleasure too.”
“It does?”
“Yes, it does.”
I could tell how nervous Henri was as we entered Commander’s Palace. I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Just be yourself.”
He looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “But I’m—”
“Good evening, sir,” the hostess said. Henri tried to step away while I spoke, but I held his hand tightly.
“Good evening. I have a reservation under Theriot.”
“Oh yes, sir, for four. Would you like to wait for your other guests to arrive or be seated now?”
“We’re ready to be seated.”
“Right this way.” I placed my hand against Henri’s back and encouraged him to walk in front of me. We followed the hostess to the table I’d requested when making the reservation. It was tucked into a quiet corner, the perfect place for the kind of discussion I needed to have with X or for the kind of night I wished I could have with Henri. Maybe I’d bring him back here one night and seduce him course by course until it was all he could do to sit still in his seat.
I pulled out Henri’s chair, and he looked at me with surprise. “I told you I was spoiling you.”
I seated myself, and the hostess handed us menus and wished us an enjoyable evening. “I know exactly what you are,” I said, returning to our earlier conversation. “You’re the man I’ve chosen to bring with me tonight.”
“I don’t know what to order or what all the forks are for.
“It’s not that complicated. You’ll be fine. You have a natural grace.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m always sure of everything I say.” I wished that were actually true. I faked it when I wasn’t, though, and that had served me well enough.
“Are there any foods you don’t like?” I asked.
“Raw tomatoes.” He screwed up his face in such an adorable way that I had to smile.
“Nothing else?”
“Not really.”
“Then I’ll order for us. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”
Henri didn’t look at all convinced of that, but when the hostess headed toward us followed by X and Emilio, he put on a fake smile and listened intently as I introduced them, though it was obvious he already knew X by his public identity, Thomas Carrington, billionaire philanthropist—and until he’d gotten together with Emilio, the nation’s most eligible bachelor. I did not like how star struck Henri was over X. There was nothing X could give him that I couldn’t.
X was giving me a knowing look that I hated. Lance had raved about how impressive the man was after assisting him in a take down, and our phone conversations had gotten friendlier since I’d threatened him if he dared harm my idiot brother.
I should have insisted we have this conversation alone, and I should have told Henri who X really was, but I had a small hope that Henri wouldn’t recognize him.
The four of us made small talk for a few moments, then a team of servers arrived at our table and took our orders for drinks and appetizers. I ordered Henri a sangria and chose a very fine whiskey for myself. X ordered the same, and Emilio chose a margarita on the rocks.
When our drinks arrived, I ordered for Henri and myself, and X and Emilio placed their orders.
“So how did you two meet?” Emilio asked after the servers left.
Henri tensed and looked at me for help.
“I was doing reconnaissance on some… businessmen we’ll be discussing later, and Henri gave me some invaluable assistance. The moment I saw him, I knew I had to have him.”
I glanced at Henri, and he was watching me with such admiration that, for the first time, I wondered if it would’ve been better to just let him go. I wanted him too much. It would be easy for the lines to get blurred between us. Ours was a professional relationship, nothing else, except I felt like there was more, and I liked how Henri made me feel.
“Awww,” Emilio said. “That’s, like, sweet if you like possessive men.” X looked at him with arched eyebrows, and he added, “Which I do.”
The fond smile X gave him made something in my chest tighten. He was a man who did what he wanted. He ruled an underground organization so well he struck fear in most people he met. When he wasn’t playing vigilante, the power and money behind his family had people in awe of him. Yet he’d found a man he so obviously loved, and they were making it work.
Emilio had already been part of his world, though, working for him as a hacker. Henri might be putting himself in danger by taking clients off the street, but I was sure he wasn’t used to being around people who killed easily. Even where he’d been, he was obviously in way over his head. No matter what happened between us, I was going to make sure he didn’t go back to the streets. No one was going to pay for what he should bestow as a gift.
The fact that I was paying for it didn’t escape me, but that was different. I was trying to help him.
Our servers returned with our first course. I’d insisted everyone have the turtle soup, and for once, X seemed willing to defer to my judgment. No matter how many times he’d visited my city, he couldn’t possibly claim more expertise about New Orleans than me.
The way Henri’s face lit up as he tasted the soup made the whole dinner worthwhile. Seeing him so happy made me hardly care if I got the information I needed out of X, and that was a dangerous attitude. The situation with the gunrunners was the first mission where my father was deferring completely to me. I could not fuck it up.
The soup was followed by a crisp romaine salad which featured bacon crumbles, gruyere, and a creamy black pepper dressing. Henri loved our main course of stuffed quail as much as I�
��d hoped he would. It was one of my favorites. The stuffing was a spicy mix of cornbread crumbs and boudin, and it was served over tangy roasted cabbage and root vegetables. It tasted like heaven.
“This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten,” he said after a few bites. X was smiling at him and at me. I found that unsettling.
“Is this your first time at Commander’s Palace,” he asked Henri.
“Yes, I haven’t had the pleasure before.” I pressed my thigh against his under the table. He was handling himself perfectly. It was like I’d told him, he had a natural grace, and he could fit in anywhere he wanted to. I wanted him to fit into my life. I knew that was crazy. I’d known him for a day, and I was definitely not looking for a relationship, but he was… beautiful in every sense of the word.
His red hair shone in the low candlelight, and his skin looked even smoother and creamier than usual. As much as I was enjoying every bite of the incredible food, I wanted to taste Henri even more. This wasn’t the sort of establishment where you dragged a man to the bathroom and fucked him as he bent over the sink, though I couldn’t help but consider it.
As the evening went on, Henri relaxed, possibly because of the excellent wine our server had selected to go with each course. Commander’s Palace was one of the few places where I had absolute trust in the sommelier. While the wine had surely helped, I hoped some of Henri’s ease was because of the company. X was amazingly easy to talk to. Years of training by his wealthy family had certainly done its job. He knew how to converse with anyone and how to make people feel comfortable. Emilio seemed to feel as out of place as Henri did, so the two of them were getting along just fine.
I knew that soon we would have to turn our talk to business, but I was enjoying our interaction. I could honestly even imagine X becoming a friend, something extremely rare for me. I had family, I had enemies, and I had short-term lovers. That was it. In my line of work, I could never fully trust others.
When it was time for dessert, our server asked what we would like. Henri and Emilio had just been discussing their love of chocolate, so I made an inquiry. “I know it’s not on tonight’s menu, but Henri is quite fond of chocolate. Would it be possible for him to have the chocolate lava cake?”
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