Stefan: Le Beau Brothers: New Orleans Billionaire Wolf Shifters with plus sized BBW for mates (Le Beau Series Book 3)

by V. A. Dold

  “El. Mon amour. If not exposing your body to my gaze is what puts you at ease, done. I’ll do anything for you, even if that includes shopping for a variety of blindfolds so we can change it up.”

  She grinned at him, really grinned with her eyes and all. “Has anyone ever informed you, you’re a little crazy?”

  “Yes, but only once. I paid a huge amount of money for a stunning woman at an auction who promptly told me I was insane.”

  That had her laughing which set his wolf’s tail to thumping happily.

  “Just so you know, you’re still a bit in the dog house. I have errands to run this afternoon and I think your help may be required.”

  “I’d love to. When do you want to leave?”

  “Right now, if you’re ready,” she said with a wicked gleam in her eye.

  Within minutes they were out the door and in Stefan’s truck.

  “Where to, my lady?”

  “The Lavender Salon in Gonzales.”

  “You got it.”

  *****

  A quick thirty minute drive and they were parking in front of the salon.

  “I saw a hardware store and diner as we drove through town. Do you want to call me when you’re ready to leave?”

  “I think you misunderstood me. You’re enjoying the services with me.”

  Horror registered in Stefan’s eyes before he could mask his reaction.

  “Okay. If that’s what you want, I can share this with you.”

  El tried to hide her smile as she ordered two green science skin renewing facials and signature manicures and pedicures for both of them. She saw Stefan avoiding the ladies’ eyes and suppressed a laugh.

  Paybacks are a bitch, Le Beau.

  Over the next two hours Stefan, being a good sport, played along and seemed to actually enjoy the experience. The women sure did. That’s okay, there were more stops to be made today.

  When El walked to the counter to pay for their beauty treatments, Stefan insisted on paying for both of them and offered to come back with her if she wanted him to. Who would have thought a he-man would enjoy a mani-pedi?

  Stefan beamed at her as they clipped their seatbelts. “Where are we going now with our beautified selves?”

  “The grocery store.”

  Stefan started the truck and minutes later parked again. “So, what are we getting?”

  “I got my period while we were getting facials, so I’ll go to the pharmacy counter to pick up Mémé’s medicines and you can buy Kotex® super tampons, Always® Overnight Maxi Pads, and Midol® for me.

  Stefan visibly swallowed hard but didn’t say a word. Gathering his courage, he watched as she walked away humming a cheerful tune. One last deep breath and he turned toward the one place in a store NO man ever entered willingly, the forbidden aisle of that time of the month.

  All right, you can do this. Just grab what she wants and get out.

  The Midol® was the least terrifying so he searched for that first. It took a few minutes, but he located the stuff in the middle of the pain relievers. Shit, there were five kinds of this crap. He figured the Teen version was safe to ignore, but which of the other four? Minutes of decision making later he had all four options in the basket. Better safe than sorry.

  Now for the tampons. He cringed, he didn’t even like thinking the word and now he had to touch it. Ah, hell. There were three versions of super and another three super plus. Frustrated, his lip curled in a silent snarl. Screw it. All six landed in the bottom of the basket.

  All that was left was the maxi pads. A quick search of the gazillion pads on the shelf and he spotted one that had ‘OverNight’ on the package.

  Score!

  As he reached for one, he noticed another variation next to it and then another.

  What the hell are wings?

  With wings, without wings, heavy with wings, fresh active with the stupid wings, and one with clean plus odor.

  What the devil is that?

  All five joined the basket.

  Carefully, he peeked out the aisle to make sure no one was watching and sprinted to the register. As fast as he could, he scooped the evil packages onto the belt. When he finally looked up, the cashier was eyeing the items with raised brows.

  “You got a lot of girls in your family?”

  “No. Why.”

  “Oh. Um, no reason.”

  She began to ring them up one at a time in what felt like slow motion.

  Dang it, can’t she go any faster?

  Thankfully, he paid and the stuff was all in paper bags without anyone recognizing him. Rather proud of himself, he headed to the pharmacy with two bags full of girly shit.

  “What did you buy?” El asked, curious to see what he had added to her order.

  He smiled brightly. “Just the stuff you said you wanted.” Then he waited for her approval.

  “How did you end up with two bags for three little items?”

  His expression turned sheepish. “There were,” he cleared his throat as he searched for a word, “choices.”

  El’s eyebrows shot up. “You bought them all?”

  Stefan hesitated... “Yeah.”

  She busted out laughing, she couldn’t help it.

  He scowled at her amusement and waited for her to stop.

  “I was trying to make sure I didn’t buy the wrong ones. It isn’t all that funny.”

  El immediately felt a little bad. “Sorry. You’re right. Thank you.”

  Stefan nodded once and waited for her to precede him out the door.

  They sat buckled and ready to leave, and he was afraid to ask what was next. “Where to now?” he asked tentatively.

  “I don’t know. Do you have anything you want to pick up while we’re here?”

  He scanned the street and spied a bakery. “Sweets for my sweetie. Let’s walk, it’s only a few doors down.”

  As they entered the bakery, El got an idea for her next little payback. She plastered an innocent expression on her face, then turned to Stefan. “Can you hold this while I look over the choices?” Without giving him the option, she pressed her purse into his chest and walked away.

  He had no recourse but to stand in the middle of a busy bakery holding a bright red purse the size of carry- on luggage. There was no way to hide the monstrosity. Then, to add insult to injury, Cade walked in. He locked eyes with his brother and wanted to crawl under the nearest table.

  “Nice look, brother.”

  “Shut up,” Stefan hissed.

  “Care to explain,” Cade waved his hand up and down Stefan’s body, “this?”

  “El is picking out what she would like to order and asked me to hold it for her.”

  “Wow, you REALLY pissed her off. The purse is the ultimate punishment a woman can dish out.”

  “Oh, you’re wrong. There’s worse.”

  “I’m afraid to ask but I can’t help myself. What?”

  Stefan leaned close to Cade and whispered, “Tampons and maxi pads.”

  When Cade looked at him in confusion, he added, “She made me go into the aisle of ...evil, and find the stuff and then check out at the register. Alone.”

  “Ah, hell! That is worse.”

  “She also made me join her at the salon for facials and a mani-pedi, but that was actually kind of cool.”

  Cade felt Stefan’s forehead. “You feeling all right?”

  Stefan swatted his hand away and said, “Maybe you should take Anna. You might get laid after the baby is born. I hear women avoid sex after all the pain.”

  Cades eyes grew wide. “That’s not true.”

  Stefan nodded with a serious, concerned expression. “That’s what I heard. By the way, why are you here?”

  “Anna has a craving.”

  “Ah. Well, give her a hug from me when you get home.”

  “Sure. Man, I better get those bear claws and get on the road. Good luck with El, it sounds like you need it.”

  It was taking El forever to choose what she wanted. Si
nce he wasn’t sure if they were eating in or doing take out, he remained standing where she’d left him. A few minutes passed and Cade clapped him on the shoulder as he said goodbye and left for home.

  Thankfully, a heartbeat later, El came back carrying a tray with two of the gooiest caramel rolls he had ever seen and tall glasses of milk. Looked like they were eating in.

  She set the tray on a small table in the middle of the shop, then pulled her chair. The second her hands were free, he thrust the purse back at her and took his seat.

  Stefan’s mouth began to water. “These look delicious.”

  “I know, right? I can hardly wait to lick the warm, gooey caramel from my fingers.”

  His gaze shot to her lips, a vision of El licking something else played through his mind. Reflex had him licking his lips as he adjusted his inseam.

  What initially appeared to be innocent caramel rolls and milk turned quickly into the wicked caramel roll of cruelty and torment.

  He tried to enjoy his roll, but his mouth was bone dry and throat so tight he couldn’t swallow. Instead, he was forced to watch his mate moan in ecstasy with each successive bite. When she slowly slid one caramel-coated finger between her lips and proceeded to seductively lick and suckle every speck of gooeyness from it, he lost it. For the first time since he was sixteen, he creamed his jeans.

  El opened her eyes and smiled innocently.

  “I can’t eat another bite. You done?” she asked.

  “More than done.” Carefully he stood and hid his wet crotch from view as they headed for the truck. Regardless of any additional planned stops, he was done.

  What he didn’t know was Cade had watched everything from the sidewalk. His family would know the torment he had endured within the hour.

  “I hope you have everything. I need to get back and check on Mystic,” Stefan said as his excuse to drive straight home and change his soggy jeans.

  “Oh, okay. Should I be concerned? Is there anything wrong with her?”

  “No, just want to make sure she’s settled in. I don’t want to chance losing the foal.” It was a lame excuse, but he was taking it.

  When he was looking left to check traffic, she glanced at his pants. Mission accomplished.

  Once they were on the main road, he asked, “Would you like to go two-stepping with me? I’d like to take you to my cousin’s place. She has live country music tonight.”

  “I love to two-step. What time should I be ready?”

  “Let’s head out at four thirty. That way we can watch the sunset on the way and eat dinner there before the band takes the stage.”

  “Jeans and a shirt okay?”

  “Perfect. We’ll need to wear warm jackets, too. It gets cold in the boat at night.”

  “Boat?”

  “The only way to get to her bar and grill is by water. It’s hidden out in the bayou.”

  “Why would she hide it? You can’t make money that way.”

  “It’s a shifter bar. We don’t want the random public stumbling in.”

  Her eyes grew large. “Oh.”

  A warning bell dinged. He was low on fuel.

  “I need to stop and fill up. You want anything while we’re there?”

  “I think I’ll use the ladies’ room.”

  El went in while Stefan filled the tank. She glanced at the magazine and newspaper stand as she passed headed for the restrooms. Her gaze froze on the image under the main headline.

  Her heart smashed into her ribs, NO! It can’t be!

  Donald, one of the men, was released yesterday and headed home. To Louisiana. To New Orleans.

  Stefan crashed through the door, eyes frantically searching the store. “El! What is it? What’s wrong?”

  Panicked, El backed away from him, shaking her head.

  When he reached for her, she shrieked and fell to the floor crab walking frantically until her back slammed into the freezers on the back wall.

  Stefan raised his hands and stepped back.

  What the devil happened?

  *****

  Anger rolled off Cade as he drove home. El was deliberately humiliating Stefan and it was going to stop. He called each household and organized another meeting. Instead of going home, he parked at the main house. Everyone was already there waiting for him to arrive.

  “Hello. Thanks for dropping what you were doing on a moment’s notice.”

  “What’s the emergency?” Isaac asked.

  Cade repeated everything Stefan had told him and what he watched go down at the bakery. When he finished the men all wore identical looks of horror and the women, though sympathetic, hid embarrassed grins behind her hands.

  “This needs to stop. Now,” Cade snarled.

  Emma nodded. “I agree. Here’s what I suggest. I’ll prepare the cabin, you boys keep an eye on Stefan and try to find out where he plans to be in two days. Ladies, we’ll take care of El. Based on whatever opportunity or excuse is presented, we get them to the island. The men will be in charge of Stefan and we’ll be responsible for El. Whatever you need to do or say, it doesn’t matter, just get them there.”

  She looked from face to face. Everyone agreed and operation “Drastic Measures” was on.

  Chapter Twenty

  Julia’s

  She wouldn’t allow him to follow her into the house, so he waited in the truck until she was safely inside, then headed for the barn.

  Mémé took one look at El as she came through the door and knew something had happened. Her concern increased one hundred fold as her granddaughter sank to the couch, ashen and shaking.

  “What’s happened?”

  “He’s out.”

  “Which one?”

  “Donald. He’s here.”

  “What do you mean, here?” Marie’s voice rose in alarm.

  “In the city.” Slowly she raised her head as if with great difficulty. “He moved back home with his parents.”

  Marie began to pace the room. “At least this time you’re protected.”

  “Protected? How?”

  “He’ll never get near you as long as Stefan draws breath. Your mate would die before he allowed harm to come to you. Stick close to him. Trust him. For God’s sake, do what you have to do to accept him.”

  *****

  The timing was perfect. As Stefan steered the boat around the first bend, the sky began to turn from blue to shades of orange and red. It created the illusion of fire raining into the dark waters surrounding them.

  El was very quiet. He still didn’t know what had set her off; hopefully she would tell him soon.

  Although she was very edgy, she was less terrified. A peaceful, romantic night in the bayou may be just what she needed.

  A variety of birds called the swamp home and most ignored the boat as it passed, except one. The large bird took flight as they drew near. Its immense wingspan dramatically silhouetted against the blazing sky. Egrets, cormorants, herons, and ibises abounded, but Stefan guessed the irritated bird was a great blue heron.

  As the boat moved through the channel, El glanced at the water, fascinated at how it resembled the black scrying mirror she’d seen psychics use. A perfect reflective surface for the trees and sky.

  “I love the moss in the trees,” she said gazing into the branches and allowing the peace of the bayou to ease her nerves.

  Elegant tendrils of moss dangled from the cypress trees and waved in the breeze, some long enough to kiss the water’s surface. The effect against the painted sky colored them a kaleidoscope of reds and oranges. With the cooler temperatures of winter, the few swamp creatures that were visible, moved slowly. It was easy to imagine what the world looked like when the dinosaurs ruled the earth.

  “My brothers and I tried to twist some moss together and make a rope swing for the swimming hole. It didn’t turn out quite the way Marcus planned,” Stefan chuckled. “He was mid swing when the vine snapped and dropped him next to a sleeping gator. We’d never seen him move so fast.”

  El laugh
ed with him as she visualized the boys and their escapades.

  The boat continued to chug along slowly and steadily through the endless maze of canals toward the small, isolated bay Stefan searched for. As the bow cleared the next bend, the sounds of people celebrating life began to float to them, amplified by the water that dominated the landscape.

  The long, narrow pier that served as a parking lot came into view with only a few boats secured. It was still early. Give it a few hours and the whole area would be echoing with a boisterous crowd and loud, upbeat music.

  A small expanse of grass with irregularly shaped pavers created an attractive sidewalk leading to the wraparound decking and brightly painted entrance.

  Stefan tossed a rope onto the pier as a man was walking by. Without a thought or being asked, the man said hello and secured their boat to the pier for them. That’s the way it is in the bayou. You see a need and you fill it.

  Stefan stepped onto the dock and held the boat steady and offered a hand while El carefully joined him. One good hand and a cast made it a little harder to gracefully exit a rocking surface without taking a bath.

  The Backwater was the most popular shifter bar in the state. Accessible only by the waterway, all the locals, along with their friends or family, patronized the place. Once in a while humans discovered it, but they were quickly encouraged to leave and never return. Julia’s was where the shifters living in the area danced, drank, and caught up on local news.

  “I’m surprised.”

  “About?”

  “I was expecting a...newer building.”

  Stefan chuckled. “It’s made to look dilapidated on purpose, helps keep unwanted visitors away.”

  El blushed. “Oh.”

  With his cowboy hat firmly in place, he held the door and kept his palm on the small of her back as they entered the nearly vacant bar.

  “Wow!” El exclaimed.

  “That’s pretty much the normal reaction when people first see this place.”

  Every man and woman in the room greeted Stefan by name as she checked out the interior. Her eyes widened as she looked around the ultra-modern bar and grill. Every possible upgrade you could imagine a restaurant and bar to have existed within those walls. The few people sitting at the long, highly polished bar were dressed in everything from biker leathers to one man in a designer silk suit. Since it was country music night, they both dressed to match the theme. Cowboy hats, jeans, and boots.