He glanced at his watch. “We don’t have time to get into it right now. I promise to tell you soon.”
“All right.” She didn’t ask any more questions.
He knew he had never told her much about his life, but he could never think of the best way to explain that he was a fallen angel and had lived for centuries. There never seemed to be a good time to bring it up in conversation, but he did know he had to tell her soon.
Terrance had the car waiting for them. They sat quietly in the back, holding hands and basking in the faint hints of pleasure. When they pulled up in front of her store, Dominic helped her out and kissed her.
“I’ll stop by around one to take you out to lunch, okay?” he murmured against her lips.
“That’ll be fine.” She went to the door and turned to wave.
He smiled at her. Glancing down the street, he couldn’t see anything out of place, but there was an uneasy feeling about the neighborhood. He wasn’t sure if Delacourte was hanging around. He wasn’t going to give him easy access to her.
“Terrance, after you drop me off, I want you to come back here and just keep an eye on things. I don’t have a good feeling about leaving her alone today.”
“Fine, sir. To tell you the truth, I was going to ask if I could do that. Something’s setting my alarms off as well.”
* * * *
“So she spent the night with him. An interesting development, but it doesn’t change anything. She’s still mine and I won’t be letting her go.”
“She’s scared of us. If you hadn’t grabbed her, we might have gotten another chance, but now she won’t let us near her.”
“I don’t care. No one breaks up with me. I’m the one who does the leaving. She has to learn that.”
“What do we do now?”
“We wait awhile and when their guard is down, we’ll make our move.”
Vincent moved down the street after he had watched Dominic drop Teresa off. No one looked at him twice even though he was mumbling to himself.
* * * *
“Are you ready for lunch, love?” Dominic came into the book store. He had been ready for lunch from the second she left his side.
“One second.” She finished ringing up a customer. Grabbing her purse, she told her assistant she’d be back.
As they got into the car, she laughed. “Where are we going?”
“A little restaurant I found the other day. They serve great Cajun food.”
They were seated in a cozy corner booth. They sat chatting about their day while they waited for their food to arrive. As he was taking his first bite, her hand slid up his thigh. He stared at her in shock as she cupped the bulge in his pants. She looked back at him with an innocent smile, but he saw the gleam in her eye.
He leaned over and said, “Have I created a monster?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She squeezed him lightly.
Biting back a groan, he spread his legs a little to give her better access. “This might not be a good thing. How am I supposed to get out of here without embarrassing myself?”
“I’m sure you can find a way.” She stroked him while she took another forkful of salad.
He hurried up and ate as she teased and played with him. Before she even finished half of her food, he stood up and gestured to the waiter.
“Put it on my tab.” He grabbed her and pulled her from the restaurant.
She was laughing the entire time. He glared at her fiercely.
“You think this is funny, huh? I’m just one big joke to you.” He ruined his seriousness by winking at her. “Luckily, my house is close by.”
He didn’t wait for the bedroom. Slamming his front door shut, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her like he was dying of thirst and she was the only water around. He took her breath away with each stroke of his tongue and nibble of his teeth. Her hands struggled with the buttons on his shirt while his moved down and unsnapped her pants. She pulled his shirt off as he pushed her pants down. She stepped out of her pants and he stripped his off. He pushed her against the wall and wrapped one of her legs around his hip. He slid his fingers in between her legs and tested how wet she was.
“You’re dripping, love. Have you been wet all day?”
She couldn’t talk so she nodded. She leaned her head back against the wall while he eased his shaft inside her. He thrust hard and fast. There weren’t going to be any gentle touches or long love making this time. She had primed him with her caresses at the restaurant. He set a quick pace. A few breathless minutes later, they both yelled as their orgasms ripped through them.
He lowered her leg, but held her tight to him. They let the wall support them because their legs felt like limp noodles. He kissed her softly and whispered words in a low voice. She couldn’t understand them.
“I think we need to take a quick shower and head back to work.”
She agreed and they made their way upstairs to his shower. After the shower, they dressed and made their way back to their respective jobs. She remembered her date with Danielle as Dominic was dropping her off.
“I met a new friend and we’re getting together at your club around nine. Can you have a table reserved for us?” She leaned in the window of his car.
“Sure, sweetheart. Anything for you.” He couldn’t help a twinge of jealousy. He really hoped her new friend wasn’t male.
Randy was waiting for him when he returned.
“Hey, boss. I talked to the oungan. He said his mother would be happy to talk to you. His mother is a very powerful mambo or priestess as you would call her, but it has to be tomorrow.”
“Fine. Tomorrow will work out better anyway. Thanks, Randy. Oh, could you put a reserved sign out on table nine? Teresa is coming with a friend tonight and I want her to have a good table.”
“Sure, boss.”
* * * *
Dominic felt a tug on his soul when Teresa came into the club. What worried him more was the feel of another fallen that arrived at the same time. There wasn’t despair in the mental touch he felt like there would have been if the fallen had turned to madness. He would have to keep track of the pull and see what developed. Right now, he had to greet his woman.
A knock sounded on the door as he stood up. Randy stuck his head around the door.
“Your girl’s here, boss. Something must have happened last night because you’re both smiling.”
“Thanks for letting me know, but whatever happened is between her and me.”
He made his way out to the front of the club. He scanned the crowd, just double-checking for any trouble. He went to table nine where Teresa sat with her friend. He couldn’t stop his snort of disbelief. Who would have thought Teresa’s new friend would have been another fallen? That was where the pull had come from. The brunette’s gaze jerked up to meet his and he could see the ironic smile on her face.
“Dominic, I’m glad you could join us.” Teresa jumped up and threw her arms around him.
As he hugged her close, he studied the other fallen over her head. There wasn’t any hint of darkness in her blue eyes. He would have taken Teresa away at that moment if there had been any. Yet there wasn’t any sign of her being an Enforcer either. Her low cut shirt bared a great deal of her chest and there wasn’t a brand to be seen. He kissed Teresa and smiled at her.
“I’ve been missing you all day, love.”
The brunette stood and offered her hand. “Danielle Weston. I believe we have a mutual friend, Mika’il.”
“Yes, I believe we do. It’s nice meeting you, Miss Weston.”
“Please call me Danielle. You have a nice club here, Dominic. A very fitting name, I would think.”
“I thought it was appropriate.” He could tell Teresa was puzzled by the undercurrents racing between him and Danielle. “How did you two meet anyway?”
“I stopped by her book store to look for a guide book. She was being accosted by some strange man and I interrupted before anything could happen.”
“Yes, it was and I guess my mind was on other things last night. He didn’t do anything to me but threaten me. I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore and he told me no one broke up with him. He was the one who did the leaving and I would regret having done it.” She shrugged. “I was scared, but Danielle came in before he could do anything to me.”
He glanced at the other woman. “Thank you for helping out. I know you didn’t have to.”
“It wasn’t for you. I did it for her. That man is creepy and you might want to find him before he does anything else. Something isn’t right about him.”
“I know. We’re working on finding out what we can do. Right now, I would like to dance with you, Teresa. It’s been so very long since I held you in my arms.”
She laughed. “It’s only been five hours.”
“It’s felt like a long time.”
Danielle waved them to the dance floor. She was going to get a drink.
It was a little later when Dominic heard the call of another fallen. It was the same one who had tried to contact him last night. He rubbed his forehead and tried to block him out.
“It’s exhausting at times,” Danielle commented as she moved to stand by his side.
“What is?”
“To try and block out their voices when you don’t want to hear them.”
He glanced at her. “Whose voice?”
“The unrepentant ones.”
“How can you hear them? You’re not an Enforcer.”
“I’m neither prey nor predator, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hear them. It doesn’t mean I can’t release them from their pain. It just means I choose not to.”
“Can you be that cruel?” He turned to check on Teresa who was sitting at the table talking to Randy.
“Cruel because I choose not to end their suffering and pain? Maybe you have to convince yourself you’re doing something good in the world. You’re ridding it of monsters, but I see it as playing God. We got in trouble once for wanting to be like Him. I’m not about to make the same mistake.”
She had a point. He pulled a card from his pocket. “Even though I’m sure you can handle anything that comes your way, here’s my card in case you need me.”
She took it and the card disappeared. She grinned up at him. “I think Mika’il’s been holding out on you Enforcers. He hasn’t been telling you the whole truth.”
“You’re right. I think the cagey bastard likes to keep us guessing.”
They laughed and Teresa thought how perfect they looked together. Both were tall beautiful people with startling blue eyes. They had the same look in their eyes. It was as if old souls looked out onto a world they had seen too much of. They made a wonderful couple.
“I’m glad you and the boss man finally got together, Teresa,” Randy said as he slid her drink over to her. “He’s been panting after you for years. I never thought he’d make a move on you.”
“I guess I never thought about the fact he might want me.”
“It always amazed me. You seemed so oblivious at times. The man’s tongue would hang out of his mouth when you walked by.” Randy laughed. “You’re good for him. You make him laugh and enjoy life. Before you met, he was pretty unhappy, I think. Don’t get me wrong. He’s the best boss I’ve ever had. He really cares about his employees, but I had a feeling something was missing. It was you.”
She smiled at the club manager. “Thanks, Randy. He does seem happier.” She gestured to Dominic and Danielle. “What do you suppose they’re talking about?”
“Nothing important, I’m sure. He’ll be back to get you in a moment.”
They saw Dominic kiss Danielle’s hand and turn to come towards them. There was a strained look on his face. He stood at the table and looked down at her. He wore a tired smile.
“Are you ready to go, Teresa?”
She didn’t ask. Waving goodbye to Danielle, she grabbed her purse and they headed out. His car was waiting at the curb for them. After they got in, he looked at her.
“Where do you want to go? My house, your apartment or out to Paisible?”
“Why don’t we go back to your town house? We can sleep a little later tomorrow because we won’t have the long drive into the city.”
“Sounds good. We have a meeting with a mambo or Vodou priestess tomorrow night. Randy set it up for us.”
“Why?”
“My instincts are telling me that Delacourte is messed up in the dark side of Vodou. We’ll need expert help if we’re going to get him to leave you alone.”
“Vodou scares me.” She shivered at the thought of going to a Vodou priestess for help.
“Only because you don’t understand it. Like every religion, it has its good and bad side.”
“I’m willing to try and keep an open mind.”
“That’s all I can ask.”
They walked into his house. Without turning on any lights, he led the way to his bedroom. Their clothes scattered on the floor and he fell face first on to the bed. She noticed the dark markings on his back, but the room was too dark to make them out. She straddled his butt and started rubbing his shoulders. Tension had knotted his muscles.
“You’re so tense. What are you worried about?”
He groaned as she worked a particularly hard knot loose. “Mostly a problem at work. It’ll fix itself at some point.”
“I hope you’re not overly worried about Vincent. I think he’ll lose interest in me when he finds another woman.”
“Maybe, but I’ve learned the hard way it’s better to be prepared for any emergency.”
She moved her hands from his shoulders to his shoulder blades. There were two thin vertical scars on his skin and that was where the markings originated from. He stiffened when she ran her fingers over the scars.
“Another reminder of the past?”
“Yes.”
She decided not to ask. He would tell her when he was ready. She moved to his feet and worked her way up, taking her time with each muscle. She cupped his well-formed butt and squeezed. This time, his groan had a slight hitch to it. She slid her fingers down between his legs and lightly stroked his balls. She urged him to roll over and she licked her lips when she saw his erection.
“I still can’t believe this is for me.” She reached out and grasped it softly.
“Only you can get me hard just from the sound of your voice, love. It’s all for you.”
“Maybe I should call you for a little phone sex one day. See just how far my voice can take you.” She palmed his balls with her other hand and rolled them with her fingers.
“Do whatever you want.” She could tell he wasn’t interested in talking anymore.
“Oh, I will.”
She lay down between his legs and licked him. She blew a puff of air on the wet skin and he arched his hips. She placed her mouth on just the head of his shaft. Sucking, she tasted the pre-cum pearling at the tip. Arching his back, he tried to push deeper into her mouth, but she wouldn’t let him.
“Please, Teresa,” he begged. Fisting his hands in the bedspread, he stopped himself from grabbing her head and forcing her to take him.
She finally granted his plea and slid him deep into her warm moist mouth. She sucked and licked him, enjoying every taste and texture. His groans told her he was enjoying it as well. His head was tossing from side to side. Right before he came, he pulled away from her. Rolling her over, he plunged into her. She gasped and welcomed him in.
“We’re going over the edge together. I won’t go there alone anymore.” His voice was harsh.
They came together and he saw a glimpse of what Heaven looked like or as much as he could remember of Heaven.
* * * *
On the other side of New Orleans, Vincent Delacourte stood in Chalmette Cemetery staring at the shifty little bòkò he had contacted. The sorcerer had performed a ceremony earlier without Vincent being present. He didn’
t want to reveal his secrets and spells.
“Now, you’re paying me one hundred thousand dollars for voye lamò. Are you sure you want this person dead?”
“Yes, I’m sure. She’s denied my right to own her. She has forfeited her life.”
The bòkò shrugged. He didn’t really care as long as he got his money. “Okay. I’ve performed the ceremony and cast the spell. The dead will find her soon.”
Vincent pointed to the briefcase he had set on the ground beside the tombstone. “There’s your money.”
“It was nice doing business with you. I hope you achieve what you’ve set out to do.”
Chapter Six
They were just leaving after finishing breakfast when Danielle arrived at the bakery. She walked up to them and gestured to Dominic.
“I need to talk to you for a moment.” She smiled at Teresa. “I won’t keep him long.”
Teresa nodded and walked towards St. Mary’s Church down the street. The other two watched her for a few minutes. Danielle turned to Dominic.
“There was a killing on the east side of the city last night. We both know who did it. You need to deal with this right now before any more die.”
“I can’t leave her alone.”
“You do what you have to do to keep her safe, but you also have another job to keep this city clean from the unrepentant. You can’t continue to ignore him. Mika’il isn’t inclined to send another Enforcer to help you out right now.”
“I’m working on it.”
“Work faster.”
* * * *
Teresa ducked into the soothing coolness of the old church. There were signs of neglect. The wooden pews didn’t shine with fresh wood wax. The altar cloths were frayed on the edges. She sat down in one of the side pews and sighed. The noises from the street were dulled into a distant rumble. She began to feel a tranquility settle into her, a peace she hadn’t felt since she woke up in Dominic’s arms. She saw Danielle and Dominic standing side by side and she thought about how perfect they looked together. She bit back a sob.
“There now, child. What are you crying for?” An elderly voice came from the shadows behind her.
Gasping, she whirled around. Tears blurred her eyes and she wiped them with her hand.
Fallen: Dominic Page 6