“My parents will love you, I think. I mean, you are very good to me. And the fact you saved me during this hurricane will show them more about your character than I could ever tell them. But a wedding would mean all of our families have to come together and that’s worrisome.”
“Then we will elope. There is nothing you can come up with that I will not have an answer to,” I tell her then move the tray of half-eaten food away and push her down and kiss her to let her know everything will be fine.
As long as we’re together, it will be fine, won’t it…
The Libertine Book 8
Chapter 1
CAMILLA
The lush foliage of New Orleans looms under us as Cyprian’s private jet flies over my hometown. He looks out the window, leaning over me as he’s given me the window seat. “It looks positively uninhabited down there. Where do all the people live?”
“Underneath the canopy of trees. Have you ever taken an airboat ride?” I ask him as he seems to be intrigued with the way the terrain looks wild and free.
“I have not. Do you think that’s something we could do? Does your family own one?” He looks excited.
I giggle. “No, but there are tons of swamp tours. It’s been awhile since I’ve been on one. Since my entire family is home for my last visit of the summer, I think one is in order. I hope you don’t find alligators frightening. The men who drive those things delight in trying to scare anyone they see the least bit afraid of the creatures.”
“I’ve never been around any before.” He wraps his arm around me and holds me tight. “Can I count on you to protect me, Cami?”
“Sure, Cyprian. I’ll do my best,” I say as we see the small, private airport near my family’s home break out of the trees. “Here it is. It won’t be long now. And there’s Papa’s car, waiting for us.”
“I am beginning to get nervous,” he tells me as he slips his arm off my shoulders and takes my hand. “Have you told them everything?”
With a nod, I say, “I have. I told them we’ve been seeing each other for a couple of months and moved in together two weeks ago. I told them about me quitting my job and how you’re going to pay my way through the rest of college and all that jazz. My father was a bit apprehensive but told me he trusted my judgment.”
“Okay, so there’s nothing I need to know other than that, right?” he asks as I shake my head. “What about my parents? What did you tell them about them?”
“Oh, well, about them.” I scratch my head as I kind of sugar coated them to my parents. “You see, here’s the thing, I kind of embellished them a bit.”
“Embellished? You mean lied, Cami?” He looks at me with fear in his dark eyes.
“Lied is too strong of a word. I told them your father is retired and lives alone in Clemson in a mansion. And that’s true. I told them your mother is the owner of a nightclub in L.A. and that’s true too.” I look at him to see what he thinks about that.
“It’s an adult nightclub,” he says. “And she is an ex-stripper.”
“Who cares about what she did in the past? Not me!”
He shakes his head. “And I am to leave that out, I suppose.”
“Please,” I say as we start to land. “They don’t need to know everything. If we play our cards right, we’ll be three kids into a marriage before our families ever have to meet.”
He smiles with my words and kisses me, gently. “When you put it that way, how can I argue?”
“You can’t,” I say and take a deep breath as the small plane starts to descend. “I hate this part.”
He holds my hand a bit tighter as we land and gives me that smile that makes my heart go pitter patter. The last couple of weeks have been so nice and quiet and completely amazing. I still worked, as I gave them my two weeks’ notice and had to give them time to hire another person. But now I’m officially free from that job and feel excited about being able to start school in the fall with nothing else to do but learn.
Once the jet lands, we get out and my father and younger brother get out of Papa’s Lincoln Continental to greet us. The warm, sultry air hits us as we go down the stairs someone from the airport has pushed up against the plane. I find myself waving like I’m in a parade as my father and brother watch us. “Hi!”
Papa meets us at the bottom of the stairs and picks me up as he hugs me tightly. “Mon canard, I’ve missed you,” Papa says with his thick French accent.”
“I’ve missed you too, Papa,” I say as he lets me go. Then I gesture to the gorgeous man to my right. “This is Cyprian Girard. Cyprian, my father, Thomas Petit.”
Cyprian extends his hand and my father takes it in a firm handshake as Cyprian says, “It’s an honor to meet the man who raised such a wonderful woman.”
Papa smiles at me then looks back at Cyprian as he lets go of his hand. “Call me Tommy, Cyprian.” He gestures to my brother, “This is Camilla’s younger brother, Carlyle.”
My brother shakes his hand. “Nice to meet you, Cyprian.”
“You too, Carlyle. Your sister tells me you’re going to LSU in Baton Rouge. She says you’re majoring in business.”
We follow them to the car as Carlyle says, over his shoulder. “I am.”
Cyprian looks at me, giving me a wink. “You should let me know when you’re ready for an internship. I can offer you one next summer at Libertine Investments if you’d like. It comes with a car and a one bedroom apartment while you’re working.”
I watch my brother’s blue eyes light up. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah,” Cyprian says with a smile. “So, you just let me know before March of this coming year and I’ll get that approved by the board.”
Papa looks at us as he gets to the car. “Don’t wait, son. Tell the man, yes, right now.”
Carlyle smiles and nods. “The answer is yes, Cyprian. Thank you so much.”
Cyprian opens the back door, letting me get in first. He whispers, “I think this is going well, so far. Don’t you?”
“I do,” I tell him then kiss his cheek.
I see my father’s eyes glance at us and a smile moves over his face. “You two look sweet together. My daughter has never looked as beautiful as she does under your arm, Cyprian.”
I blush and lean my head on his shoulder. “Thanks, Papa.”
Cyprian sighs with relief, I suppose. Things are going well. It looks as if we’ll have no problems with my family. But he’s yet to meet my big sister. She’s always been protective over me. It was she who bawled out two of my past boyfriends when they dumped me. Both with no real explanation as to why they found it better to leave me than to try to work things out with me.
She thinks I’m perfect, I know I’m not. I know I can be hard to deal with at times. I know how I was with those other guys. Sometimes I was cold and distant. At times, I was bitchy. With Cyprian, I’m trying to watch out for those things. I’m really trying with him, more so than I’ve ever tried before with anyone else.
“Your sister arrived a couple of days ago, Camilla. Her husband had to stay in Cape Town to work,” my father tells me. “Do not bring up his absence as she gets teary-eyed when anyone does. I fear their marriage has hit a rocky patch.”
My heart freezes. If she’s having a rough time, she tends to make others have one as well. “Is she keeping it together for the kids, though? Not wearing her heart on her sleeve, is she?” I ask, hopefully.
My brother looks back at me. “She is doing well for who she is.” He looks at Cyprian. “Our oldest sister is a bit much at times. Her passionate personality can be somewhat hard to take. She is much more French than any of us, including our Papa. And your last name is French as well, Cyprian. Tell us how your family is. Is your father a passionate man? Is he married to a French woman?”
“My father isn’t married,” Cyprian says as he ignores my hand tapping on his leg to let him know to guard his words. “My mother is American and my papa is of French descent but he’s never been abroad. He was born in the states to a famil
y who was third generation immigrants. He has no real connection to that country any longer.”
“So, your parents are divorced?” my father asks. “Mon conard, has been tight-lipped about your family.”
I lean over and whisper to Cyprian, “That’s his little nickname for me. It means, my little duck.”
He leans over and kisses my cheek. “I know. I think it’s cute.”
I blush as I seem to have forgotten, Cyprian is a very smart man. I seem to forget so much about him and who he is. Perhaps I have a problem getting to really know people. Maybe that’s what had my other relationships going south. I should pay more attention to what he says, I think.
“So, they are divorced?” Papa asks, again.
Before Cyprian can answer, I do, “No, they were never married. Can this inquisition end now? I don’t want Cyprian put on the spot about his family. His family is small. He, his father, and his mother makes up the little family who are very busy living their own lives.”
Cyprian gives my knee a squeeze. “I don’t mind answering your father’s questions.”
“I mind them asking too many things,” I say and peck his cheek. “Let me guard you a bit. Once we get home, you will be met with more than you will care for.”
“She’s right,” Carlyle tells him as he looks back at him. “Catarina is one hell of a big sister.”
Cyprian chuckles. “Is she now? A passionate creature who looks after her younger siblings. What’s not to like about that?”
“You’ll see,” I say as we pull into the driveway of my parents’ modest home on the outskirts of New Orleans. “For here we are.”
Why did I decide to bring him home to meet my family…?
Chapter 2
CYPRIAN
Teal eyes land on me as we enter the Petit home. Straight black hair frames her plump face, which is beautiful. Her bronze lips part as she looks me up and down. “You must be Cyprian Girard. Just so you know, I have already researched you. You were news, recently. How are you feeling after having your appendix removed?”
“This is my sister, Catarina,” Cami tells me as she gestures to the bold woman who continues to look me over.
I reach out for her hand and she places it in mine. I kiss the top of it as she narrows her eyes at me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Catarina. Your sister has told me much about you.”
“So you will understand when I dig deep into you, Cyprian,” she says, making a chill run through me.
Camilla has made it clear, I am not to go divulging too much about my past with women. She thinks her family would never allow her to be with me if they knew it all.
Cami shakes her head. “No, Rina. He is not to be bothered with your incessant curiosity. He’s been through surgery only a couple of weeks ago and I am fiercely protective over him. So, don’t push me.”
Catarina looks at her younger sister with a smirk on her face. “You will have to leave his side sometime, dear sister.”
Cami looks at me and winks. “Stay close, Cyprian. Lions await you.”
I nod and find another woman coming into the room. “And this is the new man in my baby girl’s life. It’s nice to meet you, Cyprian. I am Anashe, but you can call me, Ana.” Cami’s mother has a British accent, as do the majority of people who come from Cape Town, South Africa, I suppose.
I take her extended hand, delivering a kiss to the top of it as I bow a bit. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ana. I can see where your daughters get their great beauty from.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Cami smile. The corner of my other eye catches, Catarina frowning as she says, “Spoken like a true, libertine.”
Cutting my eyes at her, I respond, “I see you know the moniker of the investment company my father started before my time. You see, he meant it not as the one definition that means a man who behaves sexually immoral. He meant it as the definition that means, free thinker. But you probably know that, if you read up on me and the company I am CEO of.”
She nods and smiles an eerie smile at me. “Of course, you would say that, Cyprian. You and I have much to discuss when we have a chance to. Perhaps wine on the back porch later will find us chatting about you and your past that’s shaded a bit more than some.”
I find Cami, pulling at me to go with her somewhere. “Don’t mind her, Cyprian. Come with me, let’s put our things in my old bedroom.” We wheel our luggage down a short hallway. She opens the third door on the left and I find a pink bedroom.
“Your mother hasn’t changed a thing since you left, has she?” I ask as I go inside with her.
With a shake of her head, she closes the door behind us. “No, she’s left all of our bedrooms the exact same way we left them. Did my sister intimidate you, Cyprian? I’m sorry about her.”
“She loves you. I find it sweet. I can handle her, Cami. Don’t worry.” Taking her in my arms, I hold her tight and kiss her long and sweetly. Gazing into her eyes once I’ve set her lips free, I find her to look even sweeter. “Your family is gorgeous. Our children will have great genetics. We’re sure to have us a houseful of pretty kids.”
She smiles and bats at my arm. “A houseful is a bit too many. Especially with the size of your home.”
“I have room for at least nine kids. You can give me nine, can’t you, baby?” I tease her.
“Rogue,” she says as she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me more deeply than she’s done since my surgery.
Her tongue moves over mine as her hands move up into my hair and my hands travel to her rounded bottom. I pull her into me and find my cock springing to life. That can’t happen yet, so I pull my mouth from hers. “Naughty vixen.”
She smiles and lays her forehead against my chest. “With you, I am.”
I look at her small bed and see we’ll be sleeping nearly on top of one another. “This next couple of days will have me exercising my self-control, I see. You will lay nearly on top of me.”
She pulls out of my arms and giggles. “I can make a pallet on the floor if you doubt your ability to control your urges, Cyprian.”
Pulling her back into my arms, I kiss her again. “No way. I will sleep with you for the rest of my life. Nothing like my self-control will ever get in our way.”
She runs her hand over my cheek and I see my world in her deep blue eyes. Taking her hand, I hold it to my lips as I gaze at her and think about how lucky I am to have found her in this huge world we live in.
Is it possible to love someone so completely…?
Chapter 3
CAMILLA
The smell of chicken and dumplings fills my nostrils as Cyprian and I go into my mother’s kitchen. We find her, stirring a pot as my sister tosses flour coated balls of dough into a huge pot.
My three-year-old niece, Sadie, and one-year-old nephew, Sax, make their way to me but stop just short as they seem a bit shy about Cyprian. I let his hand go and pick them both up, holding one on each hip.
“My, my, those kids look good on you, baby,” Cyprian says with a chuckle.
“First things first, Cyprian,” my sister says.
“Shush,” my mother reprimands her. “Your sister is twenty-five, plenty old enough to be thinking about children. I’d like a few more grandkids.”
“I meant they need to be married before any talk of that happens. That’s all I meant by that comment.” My sister looks past me at Cyprian. “Is that in the cards for you?”
He laughs and sits at the small round table in the kitchen. “I’ll let that be a mystery for a while, Catarina. You are quite the big sister, aren’t you?”
“I am,” she says as she eyes him. “And you are an enigma, Cyprian.”
“You don’t trust me to do right by your little sister?” he asks.
I find their banter annoying and butt in, “It doesn’t matter what she thinks. Mama, can you please tell your eldest to mind her business and her manners?”
My mother nods as she stirs the pot of boiling deliciousness. “Camilla is right,
Catarina. Leave her man be.”
I put the kids down and sit next to Cyprian who leans over and whispers, “I love being called your man,” He leaves a quick kiss just behind my ear, sending heat through me.
This celibacy thing while he heals is as close to torture as I’ve ever been. Sleeping with him each night has left me waking to him gloriously naked, while I keep my body wrapping in night clothes, afraid of what would happen if we were both naked.
He has been a rock of self-control, which I find amazing. The man seems to be transforming right before my eyes. His normal demeanor of raw sexual prowess has nearly disappeared.
I see him gazing at my niece and nephew who’ve gone back to playing at the little table my mother has made for them in the kitchen. “You remember me telling you the kids’ names, right?” I ask him.
He nods. “Sadie and Sax, right?”
“Yes,” my sister says. “My husband had to stay in Cape Town. My mother’s from there. Did Camilla tell you that?”
“She did. She and I have talked about so much these last two weeks. We now know one another inside and out.” He drapes his arm across my shoulders. “I’m sure your husband, Peter, misses you and his kids very much. He’s the manager of a hotel there, right?”
“He is. If he misses us, I have no idea. I’ve yet to speak to him since we got here a couple of days ago. He’s not answered my calls,” she says as she looks at the pot instead of us.
“Are you sure he’s okay,” I ask her as I’d never be okay with anyone not taking my calls after such a long trip.
“He’s fine. I called the hotel and his assistant told me as much. He just doesn’t want to talk to me is all.” She throws one last dumpling into the pot and walks over to the sink to wash her hands.
I get up and go to help them by picking up the bowl of flour, tossing out the unused portion and washing the bowl while my mother chastises Catarina. “Not in front of the c-h-i-l-d-r-e-n.”
Dirty Little Virgin: A Submissives’ Secrets Novel Page 218