Hurricanes and Handcuffs: A Red Hot Cajun Nights Story (4 page)

CHAPTER FIVE

Gabbi shivered beneath the carnal heat of Jax’s stare. The lingering doubts she’d harbored of him not liking the dress vanished into the ether. If him visually eating her alive was any indication, he’d already mentally undressed her and was halfway through the first course.

Her knees wobblier than jelly, she took a hesitant step forward—and collided with the person behind her. Something cold and wet splashed the side of her arm.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” The woman leaned forward and frantically dabbed at Gabbi with a wad of beverage napkins.

That’s when Gabbi realized who she’d just T-boned. She corked a groan. Of course it would have to be her boss’s cousin. “It’s okay. Really.”

Despite Olivia’s continued insistence on blotting the sodden area right beneath her shoulder, Gabbi nearly forgot the woman’s presence as Jax started toward them, his gait purposeful and slightly predatory. Perhaps that last part was a figment of her imagination. Then again, the dark intensity in his eyes did remind her of a jungle cat on the prowl...for peacock.

Swallowing, she waited for him to draw to a halt in front of them.

“Olivia, I believe you’re making Gabbi uncomfortable with your poor attempt at feeling her up.”

It took a moment for Jax’s words to register, much less the fact that he’d called her by name. She gaped at him. “You recognized me?”

“I’m not that much of a blind idiot.” He gestured to the blonde wig. “Although that’s a nice touch to try to fool me.”

“I wasn’t attempting to hide my identity from you.” Well, maybe just a little. At first.

Olivia straightened, and after squinting hard at Gabbi, she nodded. “I would never have guessed it was you, Gabbi. Fab costume, by the way.”

Gabbi smiled at the other woman. “Yours too.”

Preening, Olivia twirled, causing the wispy hem of her zebra-striped ball gown to float gracefully around her ankles. “We needed one Noble here who isn’t a complete party pooper who refuses to dress up.” She cocked an eyebrow at Jax.

He ignored his cousin and instead drilled Gabbi with his penetrating gaze. “I looked for you earlier. Guess this is why you weren’t in the kitchen.”

His mood proved impossible to read. She couldn’t tell if he was amused, mystified, or mad. Perhaps a combination of all three. “I didn’t realize I was supposed to be shackled to the stove the entire night.”

“You know damn well I don’t expect that. I just wanted to show my appreciation for all of your hard work.”

His pronouncement softened the edges of her grumpiness. She relaxed her shoulders. “I hope you’re happy with the results.”

“I am. I could never have pulled this off last minute without you.”

Damn straight he couldn’t.

Jax finally veered his attention onto his cousin. “Weren’t you in the process of taking that water to whatshisname?”

Olivia sighed. “Cal.” She sent Gabbi an apologetic smile. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

She could feel the intense sizzle of Jax’s scrutiny on her while she watched Olivia rush off. Now that she was alone with him the air became super charged with an overwhelming awareness that zinged between them. Unable to resist, she peered up at him and caught him staring at her mouth. Her lips automatically tingled at the phantom memory of their kiss. Pulse revving, she smoothed a hand over her tummy to steady her nerves. His pupils nearly overtaking his irises, Jax tracked the motion of her fingers. Certain she was about to jump out of her skin, she cleared her throat. “What do you think of my costume?”

“You have every man in this room dying to take it off you.”

His response was so unexpected it took her a moment to find her tongue. Here he’d provided the perfect opening to her seduction and she’d almost let it slip between her fingers. Channeling her nonexistent inner vixen, she batted her eyelashes. “Including you?” It didn’t come out as sexy as she’d hoped, and she winced.

His mouth quirked at one corner. “No, I’m completely immune to your charms.”

He was joking, right? Fairly positive that he was, she tried for a bolder approach and tiptoed her fingers up along the buttons of his starched shirt. “How about now?”

A chuckle rumbled from him. “Gabbi, what are you doing?”

Good question. God, did she really suck at flirting? Granted, her skills were pathetically rusty. Assuming they existed in the first place. Frustration welling inside her, she settled her palm against his chest. That’s when she felt the rapid pace of his heartbeat. She lifted her gaze to his, and sucked in a breath at the smoldering heat in his eyes. Coyness abandoning her, she blurted the primary thought tumbling around in her brain. “I want you to kiss me again. Desperately.”

His gaze darkened. Sliding his hand to her elbow, he steered her toward the hallway. Her body buzzing with heady anticipation, she barely registered the crush of people he led her through as they made their way to the kitchen. Although the room was empty, he didn’t stop until they reached the back stairway. He pressed her up against the door, slamming it shut with her weight. The next instant his mouth devoured hers in a kiss that left her head spinning. Gasping, she tunneled her fingers through his silky hair, holding on for dear life.

She wouldn’t have thought it possible, but the kiss was a thousand degrees hotter than the one last night. Apparently sobriety made all the difference. Which was rather ironic, considering how the drugging intoxication of Jax’s kisses was far more potent than any alcohol in existence. He slicked his tongue over hers, coaxing a whimper from her. Splaying his palms on her ass, he squeezed each cheek and hiked her tighter to him. She went willingly, desperate mewls pouring from her as she sucked on his tongue.

He tore his mouth from hers, his breaths ragged. “I’m crushing your feathers.”

It took her a second to realize that wasn’t some kinky dirty talk she wasn’t hip to. She glanced down at the scooped neckline of her costume and noticed a couple of feathers with the tips broken off. Wise decision not to go with the rental option.

Jax shoved her mask up and stroked her cheek. “Where is this headed, Gabbi?”

She knew he was asking in the most basic of terms. This wasn’t an inquiry beyond the next twenty-four hours. Her heart squeezed at that sad fact, but now that she’d set the wheels in motion there was no way she’d step on the brake.

“Hopefully your bed. Or mine.” She backed up her bold statement by sliding her hand to his fly. The impressive bulge she discovered tenting his tuxedo pants prompted a greedy ache deep in her core. She fondled him shamelessly, her pussy clenching as he surged and thickened in her grasp.

He groaned and shackled her wrist between his fingers, reluctantly easing her off him. “I’ll never get through the rest of the party if you keep doing that.”

“We could have a quickie.”

“Not a fucking chance. I want you naked, those gorgeous tits quivering and your nipples available for my feasting when I ease inside you the first time.”

Well how could she argue with that? She licked her lips. “Then I can have you after the party?”

A slow smile tipped his mouth. “Oh, you’ll get all of me. Maybe more than you can handle.”

The wicked promise in his gaze brought a rush of moisture between her legs. She squirmed restlessly, and he drifted his fingertips along her collarbone, increasing the fevered longing buzzing in her cells. She’d give her soul to have his hands on her breasts. Or maybe his mouth. That’d leave his fingers free to delve inside her wetness and relieve the relentless throbbing in her clit.

He followed the slope of her shoulder and proceeded to travel lower, his knuckles grazing the outer swell of her breast. She leaned into him, her sight fixed on his mouth. Rather than kiss her, the teasing bastard inched backwards. Devilment twinkled in his eyes. “No, to get that you have to give me something.”

She blinked at him. “I am. Me.”

“But that won’t be for another three hours. At least.”

“What do you want?” Scraping her bottom lip between her teeth, she rubbed wantonly against the delicious thickness of his erection.

Gripping her by the waist, he made a tsking sound and pinned her to the door, restricting her movement. He slipped his hand underneath her feathered skirt and boldly caressed her thigh before gliding upward. He grazed the outer edge of her panties, and her pulse quickened along with her breaths. She swallowed past the dryness in her throat when he hooked the elastic band resting on her hip and dragged her panties down. Coaxing her legs wider, he slid the triangle of lace past her thighs and stooped to assist her from the garment.

His grin sinful, he pressed the drenched scrap of fabric to his nose and breathed in the evidence of her arousal. “Now I know how excited you are, naughty girl.” Straightening, he tucked her panties in the pocket of his tuxedo jacket. “You’ve earned your reward.”

Cupping the back of her head, he traced the seam of her lips with his thumb before claiming her mouth with a hungry growl. His tongue demanded complete enslavement of her senses, each wet, seeking thrust pushing her deeper beneath the undertow.  He retreated slightly, shifting the dynamics of the kiss to a lazy exploration that was no less hazardous to her equilibrium. His tongue played with the tip of hers before he sucked her bottom lip between his teeth.

By the time they came up for air no oxygen remained in her lungs and her brain was mush. Her body quivering with a million pinpoints of electric sensation, she gaped at him. “Can’t you just toss everyone out now?”

He chuckled. “Trust me, I’m tempted.” His gaze hooded and sexy, he stroked the curve of her jaw. “I’m going to fuck you in every way imaginable. And several that haven’t even been invented yet.”

With that enticing promise hanging in the air, he opened the door and ushered her into the kitchen.

The remainder of the night was a study in agonized frustration. Every inch of her burned for Jax’s touch. Her breasts felt heavy and achy. If she had her damn panties on she would have soaked through them hours ago. As it was, knowing the bit of lace rested in Jax’s safe keeping only amped up the torture. A few times she’d caught him with his hand in his pocket and a devilish smile on his lips.

The kinky bastard was killing her.

A handful of guests lingered in the solarium. Mentally willing them to hurry the hell up and be on their way, she grabbed a waste basket and began clearing some of the trash cluttering the tables. Maybe the stragglers would get the hint that the party was officially over.

Because, damn it, she was freakin’ ready to get the
real
party started.

A hand suddenly squeezed her ass. She whipped her head around and met Jax’s hot stare. The tension didn’t completely vacate her body. “Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to cop a cheap feel of a woman who’s on the edge of raging horniness?”

“Why? Going to tackle me amid the remains of the mini muffulettas?”

“No, I was thinking more along the lines of the beignets. Powdered sugar and honey makes me frisky.”

“Mm, I like the way you think, baby.” Jax freed the trash basket from her grip. “This isn’t your job.”

“I don’t mind. It gives me something to focus on.”

Ignoring her attempt to reclaim the bin, he shoved the receptacle underneath the table. “The only thing I want you focusing on is my cock.”

“What do you think I’ve been doing for the last three and a half hours?” she countered grumpily.

“Oh yeah?” He leaned down to brush his lips near her ear. “Your pussy nice and juicy wet for me?”

“If you’d get rid of those Chatty Cathys over there you’d find out first hand.”

A primal growl rumbled from him. Turning his back on her, he strode to the group near the doorway. A minute later he steered them toward the hall. She tiptoed forward, covertly spying on their progress as they made their way to the mansion’s main atrium. They disappeared from sight and she gusted a relieved breath.

She was one step closer to finally having Jax. Which meant she was one step closer to letting him go.

No, she wouldn’t think about that. Wouldn’t let it stop her from cutting the cord. Just because he was hot for her now didn’t mean it would last. Jax was incapable of holding onto a woman for more than a night. She wouldn’t fool herself into thinking she’d be the exception to the rule. So she’d grasp onto this moment and revel in every hedonistic second.

Endless minutes ticked by. Surely he’d bid his guests goodbye by now. It shouldn’t be taking this long.

Unless he’d changed his mind. But he wouldn’t do that to her. Yes, he could be incredibly insensitive at times, but even he wouldn’t be such an asshat to leave her waiting here while he went up to bed.

Would he?

Doubts and a fair amount of aggravation brewing inside her, she spun away from the table and stalked to the doorway. She crossed the threshold the same instant Jax rounded the corner of the hall. His eyes practically glowing with an inner fire, he advanced on her, forcing her to take a shuffling step backward.

“Where do you think you’re going?” His palms coasted along her shoulders in a possessive sweep, stalling her in her tracks.

“You were taking forever.”