Dangerous Kiss

by Michelle Love

  Odelle blinked at her as if she had only just remembered Livia worked there. “Oh, hello. It’s …”

  “Livia.”

  “Of course. Hello again, Livia.”

  There was a small smile playing around Odelle’s lips and Livia couldn’t work out if Odelle was mocking her or not. She decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. “What can I get for you today?”

  Odelle was studying her. “An egg white and spinach omelet, please.” The smile was back and Livia realized Odelle was attempting to make a joke with her.

  She smiled back tentatively. “Of course.”

  “And your company, if that’s possible. Just for a few minutes.”

  Livia’s eyebrows shot up and she looked around. “Well, um …”

  “If you can’t, that’s okay.”

  Livia glanced at Marcel. “I guess I’m due a break but I’ll have to run it past my boss.”

  “Of course.”

  Livia spoke to Marcel who seemed surprised but shrugged. “Go for it. We’re slowing down now anyway.”

  “It’s just for ten minutes at the most.”

  Livia sat down with Odelle, feeling oddly out of place. The blonde woman smiled at her, but her eyes were searching Livia’s face. Finally, she spoke. “Nox is very taken with you.”

  Livia nodded. “And I with him,” she said carefully, having no idea where Odelle was going. Was she about to give Livia the full-on ‘gold-digger’ warning?

  Odelle picked at her omelet. “Nox is very important to me. You may have noticed that I don’t make friends easily. I have a tendency to speak my mind and people tell me I have no tact, so forgive me if I say anything out of turn.”

  “Sure.”

  “I like seeing him happy. He deserves it.”

  Livia held up her hands. “Odelle, let me preempt you. I’m not interested in his money.”

  “But he does have money.”

  “It’s his, not mine.”

  Odelle nodded. “For what it’s worth, I actually never considered you to be that kind of woman. You genuinely do seem to care about him.”

  Livia lifted her chin. “I do care. I love him, Odelle.”

  “I believe you. What I wanted to say was this—be careful which of his friends you trust. They are not always who they seem to be.”

  “Like … Roan?”

  Odelle smiled. “Roan, God bless him, is not blessed with brains or cunning. No, I mean … Amber Duplas.”

  Livia felt awkward. “She has been nothing but kind to me, Odelle.”

  “And I’m sure she means it. But she’s also been fucking Roan behind my back.”

  Livia was shocked. “Odelle, I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’m not naïve. I know who Roan is; I know who Amber is. I’m going to marry Roan; did you know that?”

  Livia shook her head. “I didn’t … Odelle, are you sure you should?”

  Odelle smiled. “You see things as very black and white, don’t you? I’m marrying Roan because, despite his infidelities—and yes, there have been more than one—he needs me. And I need him. You might have seen I don’t do well in social situations. He is my anchor, and I am his. Where he puts his dick … I gave him an ultimatum. Get rid of the other women. Do I think he’ll be faithful forever? No, of course not. But he’s trying. For me. Mostly for my money, to be fair, but also for me.”

  “Why are you telling me all of this, Odelle?” Livia felt uncomfortable.

  Odelle smiled. “Because I like you. I don’t often feel that towards other women, but you, Livia, seem like the genuine article. No bullshit. Despite your relative low background …” She stopped and held her hands up. “There goes that sledgehammer tack again. What I mean is, despite the difference in our social standing …that’s no better …”

  Livia chuckled suddenly. “It’s okay, Odelle, I get it.”

  “Sorry. But what I mean is … you are completely guileless. It’s refreshing to me.”

  “Fair enough. Look, I really do have to get back to work but …” Livia pulled her notepad from her apron and scribbled her cell phone number down. She gave it to Odelle. “If you ever need to talk.”

  “Thank you, Livia.”

  “Take care, Odelle.”

  Livia told Nox about Odelle’s visit and he seemed pleased. “Despite her manner, she has a good heart.”

  “I’m just getting that.” Livia had decided not to tell him about Odelle’s warning regarding Amber. Nox looked exhausted and drawn and she stroked his face. “Did the police have any other information?”

  Nox shook his head. “Only that Pia was killed in an identical manner to Ariel. I went to see Pia’s parents. They’re broken.”

  “God, poor things.”

  Nox held her hand to his face. “When I think of how you used to run around the streets alone …”

  Livia frowned. “Nox … I won’t let this stop me from living my life, you know. I don’t want to be stuck in an ivory tower. I have work, I have college.”

  “Everyone you love. That’s what the killer wrote.”

  “Are you sure he means you?”

  “Why else would he put Pia on Ariel’s grave? No, I’m sorry, Liv, until he’s caught, you get a protective detail.”

  Livia was annoyed. “How about you talk to me about it, rather than tell me, Nox? I don’t want some hulking guy with me all the time. I can look after myself.” She pushed back her chair and took her plate to the sink, flicking on the water and rinsing it. She felt Nox’s arms slide around her waist but she was too pissed to let it go.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled into her hair. “I’m just terrified something will take you away from me.”

  She turned in his arms. “I get it, but don’t ever dictate how I run my life, okay? That’s not going to be how this works between us.”

  He nodded, his eyes sad. “I know. Forgive me.” He bent his head and brushed her lips with his. Despite herself, Liv responded to his touch, kissing him back. She really couldn’t get enough of him, his taste, his scent, his hard body and beautiful face. She smoothed his curls back from his face.

  “Take me to bed, Renaud, and show me how sorry you are.”

  Nox’s cell phone rang and they both sighed. “Raincheck for a few? It might be about Pia’s case.”

  “Go ahead,” she said and let him go. She cleared their dinner things as he answered the call, once again glad Nox wasn’t someone with a huge staff. It would make these intimate dinners difficult. She listened to him speaking.

  “Thanks, Detective … are you sure you don’t want me to make an official statement? Yes, anything, anything to help. I’d like to pay for the funeral but I also don’t want to upset the family … yes … yes, of course.”

  He hung up and sighed, rubbing his eyes. Livia could see the strain on his face and went to him, pulling him into her arms. “I’m so sorry, baby.”

  He held her tightly, burying his face in her neck, and she could feel his tears. “Just promise me, Livia … don’t ever leave me.”

  “I promise,” she whispered, and knew the truth of her words.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Livia was worried about Nox’s state of mind for the next few days and although he told her he was making good progress with Dr. Feldstein, he looked drawn and tired. Livia comforted him the best way she could, spending all her spare time with him talking, making love, and hanging out.

  Soon though, she felt unable to cheer him and asked him if he would like Amber to come see him.

  “Amber’s out of town.”

  It was Livia’s turn to look surprised. “She is?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  She shrugged. “It’s just, you never said.”

  “Should I have?” Nox smiled at her, his expression a little confused.

  “No, I guess not.” Livia brushed it off but she wondered why Nox knew exactly where Amber was at any one time and why it bothered her so much.

  Nox was studying her. “She wanted to get away because
Pia’s murder dragged up bad memories, sweetheart. Nothing insidious. I thought you liked Amber?”

  “I do, very much,” she reassured him, but something felt off to her. Why would Amber desert her best friend at a time like this? Even if it did bring up memories of her sister’s murder, why wouldn’t she want to be around the people she was closest to? Livia felt her skin prickle with unease. What did she really know about these people and how they operated?

  “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “Actually, I’m pretty bushed, but I have to practice for the recital. Do you mind if I use your mother’s studio?”

  “It’s your studio now, baby, and of course. Would you like some alone time?”

  “If you don’t mind,” she smiled to soften the blow, “otherwise I’ll be distracted by your gorgeous body. I’ll make it up to you later.”

  Nox grinned, his whole face lighting up, and Liv felt a frisson of desire go through her. “I’ll hold you to that.”

  At the piano, she ran through her composition again and again, concentrating on the finer details of it. She wondered if it even counted as jazz now, it was so slow and almost classical in its melody. Charvi had assured her that it still had its roots in her favorite genre.

  “It’s very New Orleans jazz,” she had told Livia at their last tutorial. “Slow, sensual, laissez-faire. It’s almost listless in its sexuality, as if, yes, you desire this man, but just being with him, being still with him, is enough.”

  And it was true, Livia did love just being with Nox, even if they were napping on his couch or reading together, his head on her stomach. Or just being. Being in the moment with Nox felt so natural.

  Maybe that’s why this thing is freaking you out, she told herself. It’s all a bit too easy, as if I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  She moved her fingers over the keys again and again, and when after an hour or two, she heard the music room door open, she smiled to herself. She had her eyes closed, practicing the chords as she felt his fingers sweep her hair back from her shoulder and his lips against her neck. She continued to play as he unbuttoned her dress slowly, stroking the skin of her back, then trailing his lips down her spine. Livia shivered, closing her eyes as Nox chuckled, a deep sound from the back of his throat.

  “Keep playing, beautiful.”

  Livia giggled softly as he lifted her and slid underneath her, perching her on his lap as he began to peel her dress away from her shoulders. Livia managed to keep playing the melody as he stripped her to the waist. She wiggled against his groin, feeling his cock long and hard against her buttocks. Nox nibbled at her earlobe as he caressed her bare breasts. “You want me inside?”

  She nodded, turning her head to kiss his mouth. Nox gently closed the piano lid and set her on top of the piano, removing the rest of her clothes. Livia kissed him as he stripped.

  With him seated on the piano stool, he lifted her on top of him. Livia took his cock in her hand, marveling at the thick, hot length of it, and then guided him inside of her, moaning softly as he filled her. They rocked together, eyes locked on the other’s, their mouths hungry as they kissed.

  “God, I love you,” Nox growled as their lovemaking became more intense. He swept her onto the floor and began to thrust hard as she wrapped her legs around him. The sensations he was sending through her body were intoxicating and she forgot all of her earlier irritation and misgivings, giving herself to him entirely.

  Nox, knowing he had command of her body, smiled down at her as he drove her towards orgasm. “You and me forever, Livvy. Promise me.”

  “I promise, God, yes. I promise … Nox …” Her back arched up and she felt him climax as she gasped through her own ecstasy, pumping thick, creamy cum deep inside her. Livia panted for air, laughing and telling him how much she loved him as they collapsed to the floor.

  Nox smothered her in kisses, making her giggle, and then started to blow raspberries on her stomach, tickling her sides. Livia shrieked with laughter, twisting and turning to escape him. She turned on her side—then gasped as she saw it. At the window of the mansion, a figure.

  Someone was watching them.

  Chapter Seventeen

  At Livia’s scream of fright, Nox took off, immediately grabbing his pants and shoving his legs into them even as he began to run to the door. Livia followed him down the long hallway of the mansion, but she stopped as he yelled at her, “Stay inside, baby. Call 911.”

  Adrenaline was spiking in her veins as she grabbed her cell phone and called, cursing for once the fact that Nox refused a security team. She got through to the emergency services, who assured her someone was on their way.

  “Keep calm, ma’am, and stay on the line. Is your partner back?”

  “No,” Livia tried to stop her voice from trembling, “he’s still out there.” She went to the door, peering out into the cold night, shivering from terror and from the cold. She had only managed to grab Nox’s shirt to cover herself. She couldn’t see Nox, couldn’t hear him. “Nox!”

  “Stay inside!” His voice was far away but she felt a little relief that he was still within earshot.

  “He’s still looking for whoever it was,” she told the dispatcher. “Please hurry.”

  “We are, sweetheart, just stay calm.”

  A gunshot rang out in the night and Livia screamed, dropping the cell phone. “Nox!” Her terror made tears pour down her face as she ran out into the night, not caring about her own safety as long as she got to him. She heard shouting, and another gunshot. She ran towards the sound, screaming his name, and it was a huge relief when he came into view.

  Nox looked at her, a strange expression in his eyes, and Livia stopped. “Baby?”

  “I told you to stay inside,” he said softly, and to her horror, blood began to drip from his hairline down his perfect face. He reached for her as his knees gave way, and Nox Renaud collapsed to the ground.

  Livia didn’t know how she had managed to stop screaming. After the police arrived, followed a few minutes later by a medical team, she watched Nox being loaded, unconscious, into the ambulance. A policewoman wrapped a blanket around her and when they got to the hospital, a kindly nurse gave her some scrubs to put on. They wheeled Nox straight into the emergency room and it wasn’t long before the doctor came to look for her.

  “Mr. Renaud was shot in the head but, thankfully, it’s a relatively minor wound. I say relatively because, obviously, any headshot will have its complications. What’s encouraging is that the bullet took out a chunk of skull bone but didn’t penetrate his brain. We’re going to go in now and see how much damage was done, and I’ll come update you as soon as we know more.”

  “Doc? Will he be okay?”

  “We’re going to do everything we can. Keep the faith.”

  The police officer with Livia thanked the doctor. When they were alone, she asked Livia to go over what had happened again and Livia told her again.

  “Could you make out whether the intruder was male or female?”

  “I saw them for maybe a split second before whoever it was stepped away from the window.” Livia was calm, knowing the police had to ask these questions, but desperately worried about Nox. “Nox went out after them and I called you. The next thing I know, Nox is on the ground, bleeding.” Her voice broke as the shock hit her full-force. “Oh God … oh God …”

  She dropped her head into her hands and began to cry. The police officer rubbed her back, and shortly afterward, Livia heard a familiar voice as someone sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms.

  “Shh, it’s okay.” Sandor held her tightly as she leaned against him. She cried herself out then looked up. Sandor, drawn and shocked, tried to smile at her. He handed her a tissue and rubbed her back. “He’s going to be okay, sweetheart.”

  “You bet your ass, he is,” Amber stated determinedly as she walked into the room, nodding at the police officer. “Hey there. Amber Duplas.”

  “I know who you are, Ms. Duplas, and thanks for comin
g.”

  “You called them?” Livia, wiping her eyes, looked surprised.

  The police officer nodded. “You were in no condition, and we know Mr. Renaud’s contacts. We thought it would be best to call them.”

  “Thank you. You’re very kind.”

  “I’m going to step out now, but I’ll be back to ask more questions.”

  “Of course.”

  When she was alone with Sandor and Amber, she told them what had happened. “They shot him,” she said incredulously. “They actually shot Nox.”

  Amber put her arm around her. “Listen, the docs say he’ll be fine … most likely.”

  “They told you that?”

  Amber smiled. “I’m legally Nox’s next of kin. We’re each other’s, actually—comes of having no living relatives.”

  “I see.” Liv felt a wave of exhaustion and Sandor seemed to notice.

  “Livvy, they may be hours. We can get the nurse to bring a cot in for you so you can rest.”

  “Thank you, San, but I couldn’t. I just need some coffee.”

  Amber stood. “I’ll go find some.”

  Sandor kept his arm around Livia. “At least lean on me and try to relax some. They may be operating for a while.”

  In the end, the doctor came back after a couple of hours. He was smiling, and Livia felt some of the terror lift. “Mr. Renaud will be fine. The bullet didn’t enter the brain cavity at all. As we thought, he lost a bit of skull bone but he was incredibly lucky. The bullet glanced off of him. He’ll be missing a chunk of skin and hair for a while but we were able to close the wound. He won’t even need to see the plastics team. He’s in recovery now, and then we just need to wait for the anesthetic to wear off. He might have a concussion—in fact, I’d say that’s a given, so we’ll keep him in for a couple of days.”

  Livia felt the tears pouring down her face. “Thank you, doctor, thank you so much.”

  He patted her hand. “Get some rest. You can see him in an hour or so.”