by Ju Ephraime
Knowing the secret she was withholding from them about the coat almost made her break down and confess the whole thing, but it wasn’t her secret to tell. Also, she didn’t think that had anything to do with whoever had pushed them off the road. After all, Pierre can’t be in Martinique; he’s supposed to be in St. Barth, waiting to hear from her. She hadn’t contacted him, so he didn’t know where she was.
Feeling quite put-upon, she was close to tears. Foxx leaned close and laid his hand over hers, smiling at her. “In the end, Gabrielle, everything that’s done in the dark will come to light.”
“I enjoy Martinique. I love spending time with Raymond. If that’s a crime, then I’m guilty, but I swear to you I never have, nor do I have, any intentions of causing any harm to him.”
“Of course,” they both said, in unison.
“Drink your coffee,” Wolfe told her, as he got up to leave.
She was surprised at the way the questioning ended so abruptly. She soon found out why when she saw Raymond standing at the table, looking from one to the other.
“Qu’est-ce qui se passe?”
“Nothing,” they both answered.
She remained silent, looking from one to the other.
“Don’t tell me nothing, Wolfe. I’ll ask you again. What’s going on?”
“We were just talking to Gabrielle, to see if she could remember anything about what happened. We thought maybe there was some sort of clue she may or may not have missed.”
“What are you now, the police? I know you both have the best intentions and are concerned about me, but I’m not a child. I don’t need protecting. Gabrielle is my responsibility. Leave me to deal with this, okay?”
He was standing rigid. The anger was coming off him in waves. She had to conclude that all the LaCasses had furious tempers. They just knew how to keep them hidden. The waves of anger rolling off Raymond turned his features to a granite mask. She’d have expected this from Wolfe, but not Raymond. He was more like Wolfe than met the eyes.
She was fearful they would come to blows, but she should have known better because, as if by magic, they reached toward each other and both Raymond and Foxx were caught in Wolfe’s embrace. He was the eldest of the three of them, and he set the tone. By reaching out to his two brothers, he’d broken the tension that was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Soon, they were all three laughing and joking as if she had imagined the incident that had just taken place.
Raymond must have seen the surprise on her face because he reached down to her and brought her up into his embrace, still keeping his other hand around his brothers. She had no choice but to complete the circle and wrap her arm around Foxx. What a family. She was impressed.
They behaved as if everything was all right, and the suspicion they had of her was all of a sudden put to rest. She didn’t buy it, but if they wanted to play that game, she would go along with it. She always opted for peace and not war. And more than anything, she didn’t want to be the cause of any contention between these three brothers.
She could leave the island the moment she got the coat back. She suspected she had feelings for Raymond, but she would leave, if staying on the island would jeopardize him. She still didn’t know how she could have been responsible for anyone trying to kill them, but she could tell that no amount of denying it on her part would make them believe her. She didn’t even want to know what his parents would make of all this.
A sudden thought occurred to her. What if somehow Pierre had followed her to Martinique? She didn’t see how that was possible, but this was a desperate man, and desperate people did desperate things, although she didn’t think her brother would want to cause her harm. After all, she’d done him a favor. But she would leave the island on the first flight she could get.
*****
Raymond could tell Gabrielle was not comfortable with whatever his brothers had told her. He’d get to the bottom of it after he’d taken her back to her hotel, but something told him he should not leave her alone until they had straightened things out. He didn’t want her bolting from him. She looked as if she was ready to run, by the way she was holding her body, all stiff and aloof.
He was still upset with Wolfe because he knew he was the one who’d started this. He did not trust Gabrielle, for whatever the reason. God help him if he was proven right. But this was neither here nor there. He needed a ride to the automobile dealership. They’d promised him a loaner vehicle until they could get a replacement for his Jaguar.
“Foxx, can you drop me off at the dealership?”
“I’ll take you,” Wolfe chimed in.
“I know you and Foxx have this thing going on, but I asked Foxx, and the last time I checked, you didn’t answer to Foxx. Foxx, are you taking me, or should I call a taxi?”
“I said I’ll take you, Ray,” Wolfe chimed in again. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, I’m ready, but take note, I wanted Foxx to take me, but it seems you’ve got your own agenda. Let’s go.”
He put his arm around Gabrielle and had to grit his teeth against the bloom of heat that shot through him at the contact with her. He was glad to know he was still in great working order because he was getting stiffer by the minute. Standing there with his arm around her, he looked into her gorgeous eyes. Such eyes, they draw me to her every time. Before he could think, he smoothed his hand over the bandage that covered the bruise on her beautiful face.
Her eyes widened, and a flare of passion crossed her face. His heart rate increased. God, he wanted her—he wanted her now. Every part of him was on fire for this woman. But there seemed no possibility of a future for them. He just felt that things were not as they seemed—there was something she was keeping from him. On the island they had a saying, buying devil in a bag. Loosely translated, he didn’t know what he was getting into. He began moving away, and his voice was gruff as he said, “We need to get going.”
“Yes, of course,” she agreed. She moved away from the shelter of his arm. Disappointment twisted like an ache inside him. God, he had to be strong if he was to survive the void that losing her would create. Part of him wanted her to stay on the island a bit longer, but another part of him wanted her to leave before she took a bigger piece of him, if she hadn’t already.
They walked to the parking lot, the four of them together, Raymond and her at the front, Foxx in the middle, and Wolfe bringing up the rear. It was a solemn procession.
“Have it your way then Raymond, Foxx will drive you.” Wolfe waved them off before he turned and walked to his vehicle. Raymond was upset with Wolfe and his high-handed attitude. Part of him knew Wolfe didn’t mean any harm by it, and that he was only looking out for his best interest, but part of him wanted him to back off. It was his decision to make in regard to Gabrielle, and no one would make that decision for him or influence him in any way.
“Raymond, do you have my bag? I have my cell phone in it, and I want to call my manager.”
“Your bag was left in the vehicle, but the policeman who was interviewing me told me that everything that was left in the vehicle is at the police station. We can pick them up there.”
“They brought the vehicle up from the side of the cliff already?”
“Yes, they have to check it for evidence.”
“What evidence?
“Paint chips from the other vehicle, to check if the vehicle was functioning properly, that I was not speeding, etc.”
“Oh, I’d not thought about all that.”
“That’s okay. We’ll go there after I pick up the loaner from the dealer.”
“I can take you to the police station, Ray,” Foxx chimed in.
“That’s okay. We’ll go there after I pick up the loaner.”
“Do you even know if you’ll be able to drive with your foot, Ray?”
“If I can walk, and I’m walking now, I can drive. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, but don’t hesitate to ask if you need me for anything, you know that. Feel free to
use me, and I’m sorry about the incident at the hospital.”
He pulled out of the parking lot and merged into the traffic. It took them fifteen minutes of driving on the highway before they got off and turned onto the local road to the dealership. The silence was heavy. Arriving at the dealership, they all three exited the vehicle.
“Thanks, Foxx. You don’t have to come in with me,” Raymond said.
“You’re welcome, Ray, but I’m not leaving until I’m certain you are indeed getting a vehicle, regardless of what you say. I know you’re grown and all, but I’m still your older brother, and I feel responsible for you. Also, I have to report back to some interested parties.”
“You don’t have to feel responsible for me, Foxx. And who are the interested parties you have to report back to? Are you running a mafia gang now?”
“As if you needed to ask. There’s Wolfe, Maman et Papa, the rest of the family, and last, but by no means least, there is my wife. She took a liking to Gabrielle and would not let me forget it, if I didn’t ensure everything was right with the both of you. Good enough for you?”
“Okay, since you put it that way.”
“What do you mean? There’s no other way,” Foxx replied.
“For your information, I didn’t want to tell Maman et Papa about the accident. I didn’t want to worry them.”
“Well, we can only keep it from them for so long. And since you went to get your own place, Maman is very hurt about it. Also, she does not know about Gabrielle. Wolfe and I thought it was not our place to explain your friend to Maman. We left that for you to do. We hoped you’d go visit them soon. You know Maman does not like to be left out of anything to do with her children.”
Chapter Thirteen
They arrived at the dealership, and the salesman came up to Raymond to tell him there was a vehicle waiting for him in the pickup area. It turned out to be a fairly new vehicle, less than three months old, not the Jaguar XFR, but it could hold its own. Even Foxx was impressed with it, though he drove a BMW. Men had a thing about cars. She just saw them as vehicles to take her from point A to point B.
They took their leave of Foxx and were soon on their way to the police station. She was beginning to feel a little lightheaded, so she leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. In no time she had fallen asleep and was caught up in a dream with Raymond as the main character.
She was back at the hotel, and there was a knock at the door. She peeked through the peek hole and saw Raymond standing there with a bouquet of wild orchids in his hand. As she opened the door, he came in and handed her the bouquet of flowers. They were beautiful.
“Where did you get such beautiful orchids?” she asked.
“These flowers grow wild all over the island, but these came from my maman’s garden.”
“Oh, thank you, Raymond. I love them.” She reached up to give him a kiss on the cheek, but he turned his head and took her mouth instead. The growl that rumbled from his throat was the only warning she got before he caught her to him, burying his hands in her hair as he kissed her, plundering her mouth as if he’d never stop.
Melting into him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave herself up to the kiss. Without breaking the kiss, he lifted her and carried her to the bedroom, where he lowered her down to the bed, following her with his body.
He tasted of liquor and his own unique flavor. It always amazed her how two people could drink the same liquor and it would taste so different on each individual. The same thing with a perfume scent; the unique body chemistry of each individual dictated the final scent. He kissed her as if he couldn’t get enough of her, moving from her mouth to her breasts, first one then the other.
Fierce desire for him took hold of her, and she couldn’t wait to have him inside her. She was naked under the robe she was wearing, having just come from the shower. Spreading her legs wide, she arched her hips against him, desperate for him to soothe the ache that was driving her insane with need.
“Ray, Ray,” she whispered against his mouth, as he reached between their bodies and unzipped his pants, allowing the thick head of his penis to spring free. He went back to worshipping her breasts as she wiggled her body into position so that the head of his cock was rubbing against her entrance.
Impatient for him to give her what she so desperately needed, she raised her hips off the bed and pressed her hot, wet pussy against his cock. She repeated the movement several times, driving both of them crazy. She was just about to take hold of his cock and put it inside her, but she had to get one more feel of that smooth, thick, bulbous head against her clit. Just as she reached down, he thrust forward, and the two movements had him buried inside her to the hilt.
The breath caught in her throat as sensation and pleasure arced inside her. Looping her legs around his hips, she drew him deeper, and he began to move in a thrust-and-grind movement that soon had her screaming at the force of the orgasm that gripped her. Her breath locked in her throat as wave after wave of orgasm shook her. It felt so good she began whimpering, making inarticulate noises as her pussy began tightening, gripping him inside her until he, too, found his own release as he flooded her womb with spurt after spurt of his seed.
It took her a few minutes to catch her breath. The weight of his body felt wonderful to her. Here I was, wondering how the man’s semen smelled so strongly of orchid. Boy, it’s as if we’ve just made love in a field of orchids, or maybe that is the natural scent of his body. Oh well, I love it.
“Gabrielle, he said, rolling off her, “your orchids are crushed to a pulp. There is nothing left but a few stray petals.”
“Oh, that’s where the scent of orchid was coming from. For a minute there I thought your body naturally exuded orchid juice.”
“You thought what? I’ll give you some orchid juice. Feel this, I’m ready for you again.”
“Gabrielle, Gabrielle, wake up, wake up. Are you having a nightmare? We are at the police station. You need to come in and sign for your bag.”
“Police station?” It took a while for the sex haze she’d been rolling about in to fade from her sub-consciousness. Boy, oh boy, what a dream I was having.
“Were you dreaming? I thought the knock on the head did something to you because you were making all sorts of strange sounds. I tried waking you a couple of times, but I didn’t want to take my eyes off the road long enough to do that. I didn’t want another accident.
“But I feel better now that you said you’d been dreaming. What were you dreaming about that would cause such strange noises? I’ve only heard those noises from you when we were making love.”
“Hmmm.”
“Is that what you were dreaming about?”
“Why should I tell you?”
“Because I was thinking something was seriously wrong with you, worried about you, and you were having sex with someone else while you sat next to me.”
“Who said it was someone else?”
“If I played a role in this dream, then tell me about it.”
“I’ll do you one better. How about if I re-enact the dream with you when we get back to the hotel?”
“Okay, we have a deal. Let’s shake on it.”
As his hand closed over her much smaller one, she felt almost euphoric as her heart did its funny little flip.
*****
Gabrielle was still a bit sore after the number of times he’d reached for her in the wee hours of the morning. She couldn’t believe it was less than twenty-four hours ago that they’d first made love. It seemed as though she had known him forever.
They walked into the police station and collected their things. The entire meeting went off without a hitch. In less than fifteen minutes, they were on their way back to her hotel.
“How are you feeling, Gabrielle? Do you want us to stop and get something to eat, or do you want to wait until we get to your hotel?”
“I’ll wait until we get back to the hotel. I don’t feel up to eating in a public place.”
“O
kay, we’ll be there in less than thirty minutes.”
“Don’t speed on account of me. Take your time. I had a huge breakfast. Although a lot has happened to us since then, I can wait.”
Taking her phone from her bag, she saw she had missed several calls. She wondered who could be calling her so many times. Whoever it was would have to wait. She turned the phone off and settled back into her seat. She couldn’t help thinking, in the scheme of things, that the urgency for the coat had become a moot point. The best laid plans of mice and men.
As he’d promised, they got back to the hotel in twenty minutes. She was not feeling that great. Her body was beginning to show signs of the bumps and bruises she’d suffered in the accident. She just wanted to take a nice hot bath and take a nap for a couple of hours. She knew she wouldn’t be good company feeling the way she did. She would have to tell him. She hoped he didn’t misinterpret what she said because the way she felt had nothing whatsoever to do with him.
“You don’t have to accompany me to my room. I’ll be fine, Ray. I just want to relax for a bit. I’ll call you later.”
“Are you sure? I could run you a bath and see that you are settled in and then leave. I don’t feel comfortable leaving you this way.”
“I’ll be fine, Ray, and when you are around me, you make me feel things and do things I don’t normally do.”
“Are you saying I’m a bad influence on you?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying and don’t go twisting my words.”
“Well, humor me and let me see to your needs. I promise I won’t touch you in any sexual way or do anything to make you feel sexual.”
“Ha ha ha. How are you going to control how my body reacts to you or how I feel about you? If you promise to behave, you can come up to help me, but I need to go to sleep. I believe those painkillers are doing a number on me.”