by Emery, Lynn
Lyrissa trembled at his touch. She moved her hand to her lap. The loss of contact felt painful.
“Sorry, nothing so romantic. I was thinking about work.” She felt his gaze, but didn’t look at him.
Noel’s sigh was barely audible. “Okay. We’re going to talk shop, so don’t get all tense.”
“I’m not tense,” Lyrissa said too fast.
“You did agree to come.” His voice forced the issue gently.
“To talk to you about the collection. I’ve got final projects for school. I won’t see you much in the next few weeks,” Lyrissa parried.
“You told Julie you had lots of free time to spend at my office.” Noel’s lips twitched with mirth.
Lyrissa cleared her throat. “I said that to irritate her.” Noel grinned widely. “Yeah, I kinda figured it out.”
“It’s got nothing to do with you. I just don’t like her,” Lyrissa added defensively
“Yeah,” Noel said, still grinning.
“Don’t flatter yourself.” Lyrissa inched closer to the passenger side window and away from him.
Noel drove down Royal Street and into a parking lot. He cut the engine and placed an arm along the back of the seat. “Come on. Let’s be friends.”
“Sorry,” she muttered. There it was again, that word coming from her lips! Mama Grace was right. Noel St. Denis was obviously a chip off the old block.
“Stop measuring me by stupid gossip. Let’s just kick back and get into some fine music.”
Lyrissa breathed deeply. “We can agree on that, at least.” She forced a weak smile. Her insides melted when she looked into his eyes. There was a soft light in them.
“Besides, Julie’s no competition for you,” he whispered and leaned toward her.
She watched him move in slow action. Lyrissa could not have dodged him if she’d wanted to, and she had no will to do so. Instead, she stared at his lips as though hypnotized. He stopped so close to her face she could feel his breath on her cheek. The tip of his nose brushed hers lightly. His cologne floated around her like exotic spices from a far-off land.
“Are you thinking about the work now?” he whispered to her again.
Lyrissa somehow managed to talk despite the huge knot in her throat. “Not exactly,” was all she could manage.
“Tell me what’s on your mind.”
“I can’t.” She closed her eyes.
“Why?”
She bit her bottom lip to stop another honest and more explicit answer. Danger bells clanged in her head. No way could she tell him that in her mind they were already naked and wrapped around each other on a king-sized bed. Lyrissa was sure she would shock even sophisticated Noel St. Denis. If she leaned over, she’d give him an earful. Another warning bell sounded. Lyrissa’s eyes flew open. Bells from St. Charles Cathedral announced the hour.
“Uh, I don’t think we drove here to sit in the parking lot,” she stammered and unlocked the car door.
“It’s sorta cozy in here, though. But I guess you have a point.” Noel gave an exaggerated sigh and got out of the car.
Lyrissa gulped deep breaths of the moist night air to reclaim her equilibrium. She took advantage of every moment available while he locked the car and turned on the alarm. “I hope we haven’t missed too much of the show,” she said.
Noel held out his hand to her. “I doubt it.”
She had no choice but to take it. Her heart raced as she walked beside him. He held onto her hand in a firm grip. Noel chatted casually about the history of jazz in New Or-leans, and in Basin Street in particular. Lyrissa kept up her end of the conversation, but just barely. Either he was an excellent actor, or he truly didn’t know the effect he was having. As though it mattered. In fact he was in the driver’s seat once more.
“Whoa, we’ll never get in.” Noel shook his head at the line of people at the door. “I’ve got a better idea. Who needs a crowd, anyway?”
“I do,” Lyrissa whispered. The last thing she needed was more one-on-one time with him.
“I couldn’t hear you over the noise.” Noel leaned his head down.
“Nothing, nothing at all.”
“There’s a smaller club just down the way. The Court of Two Sisters.”
They went down one block and around a corner. A black wrought-iron gate was set in a brick wall that dated back a hundred years. The arched doorway led through a small garden that opened up into a courtyard. Wrought- iron tables with lit candles and chairs were arranged around a wide patio. Another door led inside the nightclub. There were people sitting outside. A buxom waitress came up to them.
“Good evenin’. Y’all wanna chair out here or inside?” She gestured with her head to the door.
Noel looked at Lyrissa. “It’s up to you.”
“Inside,” she said promptly. She needed all the cool air she could handle.
“This way.” The woman bounced ahead of them.
She showed them to a table, took their order for wine, and left. Lyrissa glanced around with sinking spirits. The lighting was minimal from candles and the few lamps set flush to the walls. The club was elegant in an understated way. The atmosphere was intimate.
“You know, this is really a revival of the old club. My parents used to come here in the seventies when they were dating. It’s been closed for almost twenty years,” Noel said. He propped one muscular arm along the back of her chair.
“Interesting,” Lyrissa replied, and tried to match his casual pose. Of course he had the advantage of really being calm. A storm of desire raged inside her.
“Are you feeling all right?” Noel’s dark eyebrows came together in an expression of concern. “You look tense. Am I doing something to make you uncomfortable?”
“You wish,” she blurted out.
“So I’m getting to you. I’m glad.” Noel’s full lips parted in a sexy half-smile.
“I’m sure you are.” Lyrissa folded her arms across her breasts.
Noel stopped smiling and looked serious. “But not for the reason you think. I don’t know how to put it.”
“I have trouble believing you’re speechless.” Lyrissa tried to be saucy, but it fell flat. The anticipation thumping inside her entire body defeated the effort.
“Yeah,” Noel said, wonder in his voice as he gazed at her. His handsome features seemed to reflect puzzlement. “Saying I like you doesn’t go far enough. It... it feels right.”
“What does?” Lyrissa lost the battle. She breathed hard when his arm touched her shoulders.
“Everything. Sitting with you in my car, walking beside you, holding hands, being here, and even arguing. It all fits.” Noel traced a line along her ear lobe with a fingertip.
“Really?” Lyrissa rasped. Don't lose it. He’s pulling out the big guns! Her body, especially her heart, wasn’t listening.
“You were right, in a way. I had you in my sights,” Noel said quietly. He twirled a lock of her hair around the same finger.
“That’s refreshingly honest.” She should be outraged. Instead she wanted him to caress her face.
“I’ve met lots of women. But none of them are like you.” “If you say so.” Lyrissa said nothing more while the waitress set two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc on the table.
“I’ll bring the appetizers in a minute. They’re free.” The woman grinned at them, and then took off.
“I really care about you, Lyrissa.” Noel ignored the wine and continued to stare at her.
“Let’s not get intense. I find you attractive, too.” Lyrissa flashed a sassy smile. “We can enjoy each other. Nothing heavy.”
“That’s what you want, a casual affair?”
“We’re grown-ups. Have you been madly in love with every lover you ever had?”
“No, but...” His voice trailed off as though he were trying to find the words.
She jumped in while she still had the upper hand. For once he was off-balance. “Let’s take it nice and easy. Don’t pretend some mad passion. It’s not necessary with me.�
�� Lyrissa congratulated herself on the blinding inspiration. In one fell swoop she could further her real agenda and satisfy this craving for him. It was purely physical, she told herself. Those stories of forever romance she’d inhaled as a teen had messed with her head. All her shivering came from too many months of abstinence after her last break-up. Scratch the itch and it would go away.
He cupped her face in one large hand. “What if I want more?”
“We can have something special with no strings.” She let her tone and expression say take it or leave it.
“I think—” He stopped when a band came out and started to play.
Lyrissa leaned forward with a superior smile. It was good to be the boss. “Ye-es.”
“We should dance,” Noel said.
Noel ran his fingers down her arm, and then pulled her to her feet. He worked fast. Lyrissa found herself wrapped in his arms swaying to the beat before she could speak. Her mouth worked as words tried to come out. She realized the “No!” was only inside her head. Her inner Amazonian guard had failed once again. Here she was exposed, or rather, enclosed. Still, the other part of her, that wimpy romantic, thought, what a luscious captivity. His arms cradled her as they moved. The music teased the dancers with sensuous notes from an alto sax, soft and sweet. Lyrissa stiffened when he pulled her closer.
“Relax, just an easy thing. Isn’t that what you said?” Noel whispered in her ear.
Lyrissa refused to look up into his eyes. “Yes,” she tossed back.
“Good,” he answered, a smile implied in his voice.
The sneaky, low-down dog! She would beat him at this game if it killed her. Then he really hit below the belt. Noel pressed his body against hers. She could feel herself getting wet. Her breasts ached to be free so he could touch them with his fingertips.
“You’re good,” Noel said in a voice like melted butter, all warm and rich.
“What?” Lyrissa closed her eyes.
“A good dancer.”
“Oh, um-hum,” she mumbled back.
“Let’s discuss this casual affair. How should we begin?” He used one strong forefinger under her chin to lift her face to his.
Flecks of burnished gold in his eyes mesmerized her. “Th-this is a good start. You know, dating,” Lyrissa stammered out at last.
“The second act. What about the finale?”
Lyrissa tried for humor to fend him off. “And what happened to act one?”
“We met and you learned not to hate me on sight.”
“I wasn’t orchestrating a play!” she protested. His moves fascinated her, and not the ones on the dance floor, either.
He went on with a soft smile. “Act three, you agreed to our first date.”
“This isn’t supposed to be a date. And by the way, we really need to talk about the collection.” Lyrissa added the last statement in desperation. A pitiful attempt—but all she had at the moment.
Noel was merciless in his offensive. His smile never wavered. “The last act, Lyrissa. There’s always a climactic ending.”
Lyrissa could not afford to look into his eyes again. Her Amazon had fled to the hills and left her exposed. “Go play with one of your debutantes.”
“You put up a good fight, but I’m not the enemy, Lyrissa.”
“Your family will—”
“Just have to get over it,” he finished, before she could. Guilt seized her. Maybe she was a gullible idiot, but his voice rang with real tenderness for her. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”
“I think you’ve written the ending to our little play,” Lyrissa said softly. Her heart told her it would be a tragedy.
“You’re wrong, and I’m going to prove it... if you’ll let me.”
Noel lifted her head again and kissed her. His tongue swept across her lips, then parted them. Lyrissa opened herself to him and clutched his forearms with both hands. He groaned deep in his throat at her acceptance. Her last feeble vestige of cynicism went up in smoke. She forgot about secret legacies and family retribution. She was a woman who’d found the one man whose soul matched hers.
The music stopped and her head cleared. She pulled back from the cliff she was about to jump off. “No music, time to sit down.” Lyrissa walked away on butter soft legs.
“You’re a tough one, lady,” Noel said with good humor.
Not very, she thought to herself. She fell onto the chair at their table and fanned her face with a cocktail napkin. The waitress walked over.
“Y’all ready to order?” She smiled at Lyrissa.
“Bring me a tall glass of very cold anything and a glass of ice,” Lyrissa said as she dabbed at her throat.
“Iced tea?” the young woman asked. She scribbled the order when Lyrissa nodded. “And food?”
Noel wore an amused expression. “Give us a few more minutes to decide.” He glanced at Lyrissa. “You okay?”
“I’m just fine, thank you,” Lyrissa clipped. “Why shouldn’t I be?”
“You look upset.”
“Me? No way.” Lyrissa stared at the damp napkin she was waving and put it down. She picked up the menu.
The waitress came back with three glasses on a tray. Noel ordered a carafe of white wine along with their food. By the time the waitress had left, Lyrissa had recovered somewhat. Lyrissa avoided Noel’s attempts to draw her out again. Instead, she steered the conversation back to his family’s art collection. After three tries to change the subject, he gave in.
“Basically my idea is to select certain art objects and use them as a corporate asset,” he said.
“You’ll sell the precious St. Denis heritage to the highest bidder. So much for sentimental value.” Lyrissa sipped from her glass.
“We’ll choose very carefully if, and that’s a big if, we sell anything. Mostly I’ll use it to boost the company’s value on paper. That’s where you come in.”
“Yeah,” Lyrissa said.
“You don’t think we appreciate what we’ve got, dc you?” Noel said.
“Maybe it all came too easily,” Lyrissa replied. “I mean to your family.”
Noel wore a thoughtful expression. “You’re right, in a way. I try not to take what we have for granted. But 1 didn’t choose my family any more than Tony Tate chose to be born in the projects.”
Lyrissa studied his handsome face. “I guess you’re right.”
“With my schedule, I can’t volunteer as much as he does, but I do what I can.”
“I know how much you contribute to charities. You’re all over the society pages.” Lyrissa smiled.
“So you despise me for being one of those check writing philanthropists.” Noel smiled back at her.
“No indeed. Those checks come in handy” she quipped.
Noel laughed. “Refreshingly honest.”
Their food came and they talked for another hour over dinner. Lyrissa tried hard to remember she was on a mission. Still she found herself lost in the pleasure of being with an intelligent, sexy man. Noel could be playful in a charming boy-child way. He was quite different from the driven CEO who ran Trem6 Corporation.
“Now, where do we go?” Noel wore an eager expression. “Go?” she repeated, dazed. “Home?”
“Tipitina’s. The Alvin Batiste Trio is playing there.” Lyrissa shook her head. “School night. I have an early meeting with my dissertation advisor.”
“Next time?” Noel gazed at her steadily.
She didn’t trust herself to answer. Lyrissa looked at her wristwatch. “Wow, look at the time. It’s later than I thought. I really have to go.”
“Sure.”
Noel paid for dinner and they left. They were quiet during the drive to her house. Once they arrived, Noel parked in the driveway and turned to her. Lyrissa swallowed hard and looked back at him. Fatal error. His mouth curved lusciously into a smile. She wanted to run her tongue over his candy-coated lips. Noel reached for her, and Lyrissa found herself sliding right into his arms. He kissed her tenderly, a slow, searching exploratio
n that seemed to ask if there could be more. They both sighed when it ended.
“Good night, Lyrissa,” his baritone voice rumbled. “Good night.” She rested her forehead against his. “I have to go in.”
“It’s not really all that late,” he whispered.
Lyrissa trembled at the implication, or rather invitation. She wanted to give in. Her body tingled with the desire to hold him, kiss him, and make love to him. But she still had a measure of control despite his assault on her senses. With one last self-indulgent sniff of his sweet musky scent, she sat back.
Noel walked her to the front door. Lyrissa stopped him from kissing her again. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to leave him if he did. He left, but Lyrissa knew she’d hear his voice for the rest of the night.
Chapter 10
“Yes indeed, it’s time to shake it out of that bed!” the male voice said with exuberance.
“Oh, Lord!”
Lyrissa slapped her hand around on the nightstand trying to find the snooze button. The disc jockey rattled »n, oblivious to the pain he inflicted. A stack of magazines flew to the floor before she finally hit the elusive target. Then she opened her eyes slowly. Sunlight cast a thin line into the mauve carpet beneath her window. Lyrissa got up and opened the blinds. She took a deep breath. Now that she was up, it was a glorious morning. A bird trilled a lovely song from the oak tree branch nearby. When footsteps approached, Lyrissa hopped back into bed and pretended to be sound sleep.
“Morning,” Mama Grace said from the bedroom door.
“Mornin’.” She shrank deeper under the floral sheet.
“I’m not surprised you’re having trouble getting up. You came in very late.”
Lyrissa peered up at her. “Uh, not too late.”
“It was almost midnight,” Mama Grace said.
Her expression would have made any professions gambler proud. It gave nothing away. It was no use hiding under the covers like a kid. There would be no escape. She had to face them both eventually. Lyrissa sat up and combed her hair with her fingers.
“Really? Well, I just came in and fell into bed. Didn’t look at the clock.” Lyrissa yawned loudly and stretched “Guess I better get these bones moving.”