“Just pull it back. You’ll never get it all up.”
“I refuse to be beaten,” Livia muttered. Eventually, Moriko pushed Livia’s hands out of the way.
“Let me.”
As Livia held the trays of food, Moriko deftly worked Liv’s hair into a messy bun at the nape of her neck. “That’s the best you’re going to get, girl, so live with it.”
Livia tentatively patted it. “You’re a miracle worker. From now on, I’ll pay you to be my hair wrangler.”
Moriko laughed. “You couldn’t afford me.”
When they arrived at the mansion, they were stunned into silence. The old plantation home had been modernized to some extent—a plaque on the door detailed its history and its passage to the Renaud family in the 1800s, wherein all slaves were freed and the plantation became a family homestead rather than a working freehold.
The imposing white building with shuttered windows and soft light radiating from within was decorated with high-quality Halloween trimmings. Moriko grinned at Livia as they passed a batch of expertly carved pumpkins. “You think they got Michelangelo to do them?”
Livia rolled her eyes. The place screamed money and opulence but Livia wasn’t impressed. As they moved into the kitchen, she saw Marcel talking to a young man who was dressed in a dark navy sweater and jeans, and who Livia guessed was the owner’s assistant. He had dark curls and the most intense—and beautiful—green eyes she had ever seen.
The stranger sensed her scrutiny and looked up. Their eyes met and Livia felt a shudder of desire ripple through her. God, if even the staff looked like supermodels here…
She nudged Moriko. “Does Marcel want us to change now or after we’ve set up?”
“After. Apparently, there’s a dedicated room for us.”
“Fancy.”
“I know, right? Usually we have to squat in the back of the van to get ready.”
Livia snorted and between them, they quickly arranged the canapes on the silver trays. When they had finished, Livia saw the handsome assistant had gone and Marcel was nodding at them. “Lovely job, the food looks great. So, this thing kicks off in an hour but guests are starting to arrive, so we’ll start with the welcome pumpkin-spice sidecars first up. Think you can cope?”
“No worries, boss,” Moriko hugged Marcel, who turned red with pleasure. “We’ll show these rich kids a good time…wait, that sounded dirtier than I meant it to.”
Livia snorted with laughter as Moriko shrugged. “Come on then, let’s get dressed.”
A half hour later, Livia was regretting the tightness of her skirt. It had been her go-to throughout college—short, black, and figure-hugging even back then when she was ten pounds lighter. She’d dragged it out of her closet this morning—it had been the cleanest, most professional skirt she could find. I need to go shopping, she told herself as she plastered a smile on her face and made the rounds with a tray of drinks.
The mansion’s main ballroom (“Main ballroom,” she’d muttered to an amused Moriko, “because the other ballrooms are too small.”) was decorated beautifully, even the cynical Livia had to admit. Twinkle lights draped the walls and soft music was playing as the guests milled around and talked and drank. Moriko was making the first pass with a canape tray and Livia could tell her friend was gritting her teeth, fending off unwanted remarks and come-ons.
“Hey, Livvy,” she heard Roan Saintmarc’s voice behind her and turned. She was actually relieved to see a friendly face; if the guests weren’t turning their noses up at her presence, or trying to talk her into bed, they looked through her as if she were invisible. Roan’s smile was friendly. He indicated the man he was talking with, a tall, dark-haired man with a neatly trimmed beard and dark brown eyes.
“San, this is my friend from my favorite restaurant. Livia, this is Sandor Carpentier, a good friend of mine.”
Sandor Carpentier had a warm, open smile as he shook Livia’s hand. She grinned at them both, happy to see friendly faces at last. “Can I get you fellas a refill?” She waved the bottle of Krug she was holding and topped up their glasses. “Boss tells me the good bourbon will be out soon,” she said with a wink.
“If I know Nox, it will be,” Roan said, and looked around. “Talking of whom, have you met our lord and master yet, Liv?”
She shook her head. “But he would probably tell me to get back to work. Nice seeing you, Mr. Saintmarc, Mr. Carpentier.”
“Sandor, please,” the man said, and Livia decided she liked his merry, twinkling eyes. He didn’t seem as aloof as the others, even Roan. “And if you knew Nox, you’d know that’s unlikely. He’d probably insist you join us for a drink.”
Livia smiled and made her excuses. Despite what they said, she didn’t want Marcel to get into trouble if she was caught fraternizing with the guests. She made her way back to the kitchen to refill her tray. Moriko was just coming in from the garden.
“Hey boo, I just finished up my break and Marcel told me to let you grab one now that I’m done. There are a couple of good places to hide and take your shoes off out there.”
Livia smiled at her friend gratefully and headed out of the kitchen door into the lush gardens. It was darker down here than at the front of the mansion, and she could see a fog coming in off the bayou at the end of the property. Livia thought it was much spookier, befitting the Halloween vibe of the party, and yet more beautiful than any of the decorations inside.
With a soft moan, she eased off her heels and wondered why she hadn’t worn her usual flats. No, she knew why—she wanted to make a good impression for Marcel. She knew she could pull off the cool, professional vibe with her heels on, and at least it gave her a few extra inches when she needed to be seen. Still, her feet pulsed with pain and when she put her hot soles on cool ground, she sighed with relief.
She crept barefoot into a little grove, and seeing the edge of a stone seat, headed for it. She stopped, seeing the other end was already occupied. “Sorry,” she said, then saw it was the assistant she’d shared a moment with earlier.
He had changed out of his sweater and jeans and was now wearing what looked to be a very expensive black suit. Perks of the job, she suspected, but her attention was drawn by the way it fit his broad shoulders and slim figure so well. She meant to turn and go, but the sheer sadness in his eyes took her breath away. “Are you okay?” Her voice was soft and the man stared at her, his eyes intense, before he half nodded then shook his head.
“Not really, but common manners dictate I say I am. So…” His voice was deep—a beautiful, deep baritone that sent a shiver through her. Livia hesitated for a moment, then sat down next to him.
“Escaping from the melee? Me too. Just for a minute.” She smiled at him, noticing again how gorgeous he was, except for that pain in his eyes. She wished she could take it away for him. “Are you hiding from the mukety-mucks?”
His mouth hitched up in a half-smile. “Kind of.”
She leaned forward conspiratorially. “I won’t tell,” she whispered, and he laughed. It changed his whole face, turning it from brooding and slightly dangerous into a boyish, joyful thing.
“Right back at you.” He looked at her name tag. “Livia. Not O-livia?”
She shook her head. “No, just Livia.” She shivered at the cool air coming up from the water. “It really is beautiful here.”
He nodded, and seeing her trembling, he shrugged out of his jacket and put it around her shoulders. She felt her face get hot. “Thank you.”
They gazed at each other for a long moment, and Livia felt tongue-tied. He smelled wonderful too, all clean linen and woodsy spice, and for a moment she found herself having to resist the urge to run her fingertips over his long, thick lashes. They were so black they looked like he had eyeliner on.
She swallowed hard, the desire to kiss this stranger overwhelming and bewildering. She cast around for something to say. “I was thinking, that mist from the bayou must have known there was a Halloween party here tonight.” God, could she have
sounded any dumber? She cursed herself, but he smiled at her.
“I guess it must have known. I find it…romantic. Dark, malevolent perhaps. But also sensual.”
Livia could feel a pulse beating furiously between her legs and was amazed. She hadn’t had this reaction to a man in forever…or ever, if she was being honest. Electricity hung in the air between them. She had to dispel it before she did something reckless. She had Marcel and Moriko to think about here.
She nudged him with her shoulder. “Hey, you better get in there before all the food is gone. Honestly, they’re like sharks, these people. Fins and everything. The food is really good, too. I hope your boss agrees.”
Another smile, amused and sweet. “I’m sure he does.” He stood and offered his hand. “Shall we sneak into the kitchen and grab something, then?”
Trembling, she took his hand—the skin surprisingly soft and dry—and stood. “Okay. But afterward, you have to tell me your name.”
Their bodies were really close now and Livia could feel his body heat through her clothes. He trailed a finger across her cheekbone and Livia shivered. She smiled, but stepped away from him. “I think we’d better get inside.” As much as I’d like to fuck you right here, right now.
His smile didn’t change and he squeezed her hand. “Of course.”
“Nox!” They both heard the female’s voice from across the garden. “Nox, where the hell are you?”
A thrill of panic went through Livia as her companion called out. “Right here, Ambs, keep your shirt on.”
I should have known…
Livia was frozen. Shit, shit, shit. This was Nox Renaud. He smiled down at her and put his finger over his lips for a second before his smile widened into a conspiratorial grin. “I have to go.”
She nodded and shrugged out of his jacket. “Here, you better have this back. I’m going inside now, anyway.”
He thanked her, taking the coat, and with a last regretful look towards her, disappeared back towards the direction of the shouting woman.
“Oh fuck,” Livia hissed to herself. “Way to be unprofessional. Catering one-oh-one, don’t almost kiss the client. Jesus.”
Her face flaming with embarrassment, she went back into the kitchen and managed to work the rest of the party while avoiding any contact with Nox Renaud or his friends…difficult, but not impossible. When it became clear the party was winding down, Livia hid out in the kitchen and dealt with the clean-up.
Marcel was all smiles when he came to thank them both. “Liv, you didn’t need to do this,” he said, looking in amazement at the stack of empty, clean trays she was loading into the van. She grinned at him.
“No problem, boss.” She made herself busy untying her apron. “Did you get good feedback?”
“Very good feedback. And a somewhat unexpected bonus, which you’ll find in your paychecks. No, don’t argue. Say what you want about the Renaud family, but Nox is a very generous man. He also told me that I was his go-to caterer for the future, which isn’t saying a lot because he rarely entertains guests, but it’s still something.”
“It is something. It’s a big something.” Moriko kissed Marcel’s cheek and he gave her a hug.
“Thanks, Morry. He also said he’d be recommending me to his friends and clients. Good guy. Jeez, look at the time. Come on, kids, let’s get out of here. I’ll buy you both a late dinner.”
Later, at home in bed, Livia could not help but look up Nox Renaud on the internet. She flicked through pages of photos of him, drinking in the shape of his face, the green eyes that looked just as sad in his childhood pictures as in every photo of him as an adult. She traced his face with her finger. In some pictures he had a beard, which made him look even more handsome, she thought. When she began to read about his history—the murders/suicide of his parents and brother, the mysterious death of his teenage sweetheart, the years of suspicion aimed at Nox himself—she learned he’d been thoroughly investigated after the death of Ariel Duplas. Nox was only eighteen at the time and was the only suspect, but the police had completely exonerated him. The piece Livia was reading made it clear that his family’s deaths had broken the handsome young man.
Since his family tragedy and the subsequent investigation, Renaud has kept a low profile. His luxury food importing business with friend Sandor Carpentier has made him a billionaire, but this has just served to draw more attention and comparisons to other tragic figures. Many locals refer to him as New Orlean’s own Howard Hughes—a reclusive man with a myriad of secrets. Only once a year do we really get to see the man, at his annual benefit on Halloween, but it doesn’t stop gossip magazines the world over wondering about the romantic life of this devastatingly—and some say, dangerously—handsome young man. As he approaches forty, will Nox Renaud ever break free of his past?
God, I hope so. The thought came unbidden to Livia as she slid her finger over his photograph. Not that it would have anything to do with her, but she had sensed something special in the man she had met—that he was more than just another handsome rich boy. There were hidden depths there, she was sure of it.
When she went to sleep that night, she dreamed of Nox Renaud and his beautiful green eyes, and of the moment his lips would press against hers.
Chapter Three
Amber rolled her eyes as Nox sat down at the table. It was the French Quarter, with busy streets and lunchtime crowds, and the restaurant Amber had chosen was almost full. “You’re late again, Renaud. Where’s the Rolex I bought you last year?”
Nox sighed, kissing her cheek. “You know I don’t like to wear it out in public. It looks too ostentatious. Not that I’m not grateful for it,” he added, seeing Amber’s frown, “it was a lovely gift, I just don’t know if it’s really me.”
Amber opened her mouth to argue, then gave up. Nox looked different, had seemed different—lighter—since the party. Amber had wondered if it was just the relief of getting it over and done with for another year, but it had been a week since the party and every time she had seen him, Nox had been happy.
“What’s going on with you?” She asked him now, and Nox, who was reading the menu, glanced up and smiled at her.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…you look different. You look…lighter.”
“I haven’t lost weight, far from it.”
Amber rolled her eyes again. Nox was nowhere in the vicinity of overweight. “I mean emotionally. You seem to be carrying yourself more cheerfully than usual.”
Nox laughed, his green eyes twinkling. “Do I?”
“Fine, don’t tell me then.” Amber snatched the menu from him grumpily and sulked behind it. Nox smothered a grin.
“Ambs…you ever have one of those moments in life, however fleeting, where someone or something just reminds you why you’re alive? Someone who sets off a thought process that makes you reevaluate your entire existence?”
“Is this your fancy way of saying you got laid?” Amber felt a twinge of jealousy go through her and brushed it away. He doesn’t belong to you…he never did.
Nox shook his head. “No, I haven’t…no. I just had a moment with someone, a woman, at the party. I’d like to see her again is all.”
“Really?” Amber ran through all of the party guests in her head, and Nox just smiled and shook his head. “Who?”
Nox hesitated and smiled ruefully at her. “Can I just have this secret for a little bit? I swear, the moment it becomes more than a…moment…you’ll be the first to know.”
Amber relaxed. “Of course, honey.” She reached over and squeezed his hand. “I’m very happy for you. It’s about time you got your pickle tickled.”
Nox burst out laughing and Amber joined in, her blue eyes amused. As they ordered their food, she studied her friend. They had known each other for more than half their lives. They’d been drawn together by Amber’s twin, Ariel, who had come home from school one day and told her family that she had met the most beautiful boy in the world.
She hadn’t been
wrong. Nox Renaud was the kind of boy that sculptors made statues of. That strong jaw, those perfectly symmetrical features. Big green eyes. Sensual mouth. God. More than once since Ariel’s death, Amber had wondered if she and Nox would end up together—mostly out of convenience—but he’d never made an advance and she had never found the courage.
She had to admit, it hurt a little that Nox had finally shown interest in someone and it wasn’t her, but she could not begrudge her friend his happiness. Amber’s own love life was…complicated. She always kept two lovers at a time, but never let either near her heart. Her beauty, her wealth, her position in society—she didn’t need a husband, which made her lethal to the women of New Orleans, who kept their husbands away from her. Little did they know, Amber wasn’t interested in any of them. What she wanted was far more complex. Far more Nox-like, she told herself, then pushed the thought away. He would never be hers and she would have to accept that.
“So, when are you going to make your move?” She asked Nox, who blinked with nervousness. To her amazement, two spots of pink appeared on Nox’s cheeks as he shrugged.
“I don’t know. I’ve been working on getting the courage up to approach her.”
Amber almost spat her water out. Nox Renaud—billionaire, drop-dead-gorgeous businessman—was nervous about asking a girl on a date. “Wow. I haven’t seen you like this since…”
She trailed off and looked away. Ariel was always there, always between them. Amber swallowed the lump in her throat. Nox’s smile had faded and he nodded. “I never thought this day would come, Ambs…and look, no one, no one will ever replace her.”
“I know that, sweetie, but hopefully someone will mean just as much to you some day.”
His eyes danced in a way she hadn’t seen for years. “I hope so too, Ambs. I really hope so too.”
Livia tried to stop thinking about Nox Renaud as she practiced her scales up and down, using the plain rhythm to distract herself. In the week since she’d met him, her body had felt wired, her brain whirling. To have that much chemistry with someone she probably would never see again…it didn’t seem right. She faltered in her playing and then crashed her fingers down on the keyboard.
Dr. Orgasm (A Holiday Romance Collection Book 2) Page 87