Possess Me (15 page)

Michelle let her hands glide down his broad shoulders, over the cloth heated by his skin until she reached his ass. She squeezed. “Tempting you to take me? No. I’m not tempting you, Benjamin . . . I’m
daring
you.”

He raised his head to look at her. His cheeks were flushed, and a hank of his sandy blond hair had fallen over one eye.

She couldn’t resist. “Double-dog dare ya.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. “Oh, Mimi.” His lashes lifted, pinning her with a gaze that sent a jolt of excitement, and a purely feminine thrill through her body. And then he grinned. “You are in so much trouble.”

She cried out in surprise when he spun her around to face the wall. She could have sworn she saw . . . But Ben wasn’t giving her time to look around or get her bearings.

He threw up her skirt, growling at the sight that awaited him. “I can see I’ll be spending a lot of money at the lingerie shop.” Her underwear fell apart like cobwebs in his hands and her knees wobbled at the wildness, the passion in him.

Ben cupped the curves of her ass with his palms and he groaned. “Just as lush as I remembered. I’ve been dreaming of this ass, Mimi.”

Her fingers curled into the stucco wall and she arched her back, spreading her legs, knowing he could see everything. Wanting him to. He lifted his hands and she heard the click of his buttons as he ripped open his jeans.

“I hope to hell you brought a party favor.”

Ben froze and swore beneath his breath. When she heard the sound of foil tearing, Michelle lowered her head in relief.

He pressed his lips against her shoulder. “I can’t believe I almost forgot. You drive me crazy, woman.”

She felt his erection slide between her legs, his hand glide across her belly and down to touch her heated sex. She held her breath when he found it—the small bar that pierced her clitoris. He fingered it curiously, twirling the tiny ball already soaked with her arousal until she cried out in pleasure. “You’re full of surprises. Did you get this on another dare, Mimi? How does it feel?”

She couldn’t concentrate. “
Please
.”

“I love the sound of that. I wanted to explore every inch of your body. Wanted to make sure you were so
distracted
you couldn’t think of anything but me.” He scraped his teeth lightly over her chin. “But I can’t wait, Mimi. After all these years, I can’t wait one more second.”

He gripped her hips, and she felt the head of his cock push inside her. She was so wet, desperate for him, but the fit was still snug. “Ben.”

“
Yes
.” His knees bent and he slung his hips forward, filling her with a powerful thrust that made them both shout out loud, uncaring who heard. “Yes, Mimi. So tight, Michelle. So ready for me.”

He was in her. Deep. In her body. And her mind. She pushed her hips back, demanding more, taking him even as he took her. He growled, and she heard him clearly in her head.

“I don’t need a spanking,” she panted, her nails struggling for purchase on the wall. “You do.”

She could sense his hesitation. His disbelief that she’d heard him. She couldn’t think about why that was important. All she knew was she was too close to something amazing, too close to the strongest climax of her life to let him hesitate now.

“I know. Oh, God. Ben, don’t stop.”

One hand left the wall and she reached down, her fingers circling his shaft as it slid out of her, her thumb pressing against her piercing with every thrust.

“
Fuck,
Mimi.”

There was no more thinking, no more talking, just two bodies clinging to each other, racing for the end they both could feel waiting just out of reach.

His hand covered hers between her thighs, increasing the pressure of her grip. “Come, Mimi. I want to hear you. Feel you fall apart around me.”

Michelle couldn’t hold back. A wave of pleasure so intense it was blinding crashed over her body. Her pleasure. And his. She could feel him, feel the lightning lash his spine, the blood pound in his cock as he came hard against her.

Was that his thought or hers? She couldn’t tell. She leaned her forehead on the rough wall and tried to catch her breath as ripples of her orgasm made her legs quiver.

He caressed her hips, still inside her, still in her mind. It was overwhelming. She’d never felt so vulnerable. So exposed.

“I don’t mean to interrupt. But that was beautiful.” The soft, female voice coming from the doorway of the club took them both by surprise.

Ben pulled out of Michelle and turned, his body protecting her, a little too late, from the watchful eyes of the younger female.

Michelle looked over his shoulder. She’d thought she’d seen a flash of someone before Ben distracted her. The woman was all in black with black hair. She even had black lipstick. But underneath the makeup Michelle knew she had to be in her early twenties. “Um, thank you?”

Ben huffed out a laugh, his breath ruffling the curls on her temple. He tucked himself back in, and then buttoned her shirt over her broken bra, his gaze tender.

She had to get out of here. Michelle turned and started to walk down the alley toward the street without a word.

“What the hell?”

Michelle heard Ben’s rapid footsteps behind her, and walked faster, ignoring him as he matched his stride to hers.

“So that’s what a distraction gets? A quick fuck against the wall, forget the pillow talk, and you’re gone?”

“There are no pillows in seedy alleys, Adair.” She crossed the street, tugging on her skirt, uncomfortably aware of her lack of underwear as a breeze picked up around her. She muttered under her breath. “That Goth girl probably kept them as a keepsake.”

“You mean these?”

Michelle saw the shredded thong dangling from his finger and rolled her eyes. “Don’t suppose you’re going to give those back.”

“Don’t suppose so.” But Ben wasn’t laughing. He looked . . . mad. Michelle felt her stomach knot at the grim look on his face and turned away, picking up her pace.

He followed her home in silence. She unzipped the hidden pocket in her skirt, pulling out her keys, and he jerked them out of her hand. He opened her door and followed her up the stairs.

“Ben, I—”

“Don’t worry, Mimi. I know you’re not inviting me in.” He reached around her and opened her door, his lips a breath away from hers. “But you and I both know what happened between us, and what it means.” He stepped back and let her see his determined expression. “This is the last time I let you run away.”

She watched him jog down the stairs and when the door closed behind him she leaned against the doorframe, closing her eyes. This wasn’t good. What had she been thinking? She’d stayed away from him all these years for a reason. She knew this would happen. Knew her feelings for him would be too strong to shrug off.

“What are you so afraid of,
cher
?”

She walked inside her apartment and slammed the door. “I refuse to talk about my love life with you.”

Bone Daddy walked through her door, following her as she stepped out of her heels and headed to the bedroom. “So you love him.”

“Not listening.” She turned off the light, falling on her bed and pulling her pillow over her head. She just needed to sleep. Maybe in the morning she’d find out she hadn’t just let her hormones make the biggest mistake of her life.

“Well, you may not want to listen,
cher
. But I’m not going anywhere until you do.”

She squealed into the pillow in frustration. “Why? Why do you care?”

He paused for so long she thought he’d gone. She was just starting to relax when he spoke into the darkness. “Damned if I know.”

“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU NEVER TOLD ME YOU HAD THIS ABIL
ity. I tell you everything. Is he here right now?”

Michelle handed one of her student’s change from the money box and nodded at Allegra. “Yep.”

She and the other teachers in the art department had decided to raise money for New Schools for New Orleans by having the kids sell their artwork in Jackson Square. It was a chance for them to learn responsibility and show off their talents, as well as give back to the foundation that was trying to improve the districts.

She’d invited Allegra a few weeks ago, but she’d been surprised to see her this morning. Even more surprised that she’d found herself admitting that she could see Bone Daddy. But after what Allegra had gone through with Rousseau, she’d already known things like Loa existed. And it was nice to have a girlfriend to talk to. “Did you finally tire Rousseau out? Or did he realize the café had to be open in order for him to make money?”

Allegra blushed, her pale, freckled skin flushing at the question. She lowered her voice. “You know I’ve been looking forward to spending some time with you. Besides, I’m the one tired out. That man is a
machine
.”

Michelle choked on her raspberry ice, laughing as her friend turned the same shade of crimson. “Oh, poor Allegra. But what a way to go.”

“That’s what I always say.” Bone Daddy sat beside one of the teenager’s canvases, studying the subject. “Michelle, I do believe this child is a prodigy. He’s perfectly captured the pain-filled plight of the adolescent male. The bikini-clad woman on the hood of that sports car just screams, ‘No one understands me.’”

She sighed, closing her eyes. “Do you remember if that book I loaned you mentioned how to shut him up?”

Allegra’s blue eyes widened. “No. What’s he saying?”

Bone Daddy crawled closer to Allegra, through the bodies of the people walking around the teenagers’ art show. “Tell her I’m saying how much I wish I’d had another taste of her sweet honey. That I almost regret the climax that took me from her, because I didn’t have the chance to lick every delicious freckle on her body.”

“He says hi.”

Allegra snorted. “I bet.” Her expression turned serious. “I wanted to ask you . . . about Ben.”

Michelle’s jaw tightened. She’d been doing her damnedest not to think about him all day. But between Bone Daddy’s continuous lectures and her own body’s traitorous desires, it wasn’t working. “What about him?”

“It’s just that we—that I—the other night—”

“I know, Allegra. And for the single ladies everywhere, I salute you.” Michelle clapped her hands with a humorous smirk.

“You aren’t upset?”

Allegra really looked worried. Why? As far as she knew, Michelle hated Ben. She couldn’t know what they’d done last night, what she wanted to do again. Could she?

“I showed her your fantasy that night at the club, my beauty. Don’t be upset with me. She knows you wanted him.”

“Great.”

“What? Is he talking again?”

Michelle leaned forward in her chair and grabbed Allegra’s hand. “Hon, I love you. I’m so relieved that you’re happy. You followed your heart and it worked out. Rousseau is a lucky man. As for Ben”—she shrugged and tried to smile—“it’s complicated. But not because of you.”

Allegra’s shoulders slumped in relief. “Thank God. Because I desperately need you to come to dinner with us tonight.”

“You desperately need me to go out to dinner with you?”

“Yes. And Rousseau’s family. And mine. And Ben.”

Michelle was glad she was sitting down. “Your family is in town? What aren’t you telling me?”

Allegra pushed her strawberry locks behind her ears and bit her lip. She was practically beaming, and Michelle had a sneaking suspicion as to why.

“True love,
cher
. This is what happens when a boy meets a girl, and the boy’s Loa tempts her into his bed. A fairy tale. It’s what could happen for you if you stopped avoiding poor Adair like the plague.”

Bone Daddy was getting on her last nerve. She focused on Allegra. “Did he ask you to marry him?”

“You know, I think he did.” Allegra was nearly jumping out of her seat. “I told him we had all the time in the world. That his life had been stolen for seven years.” She paused and looked into the space between their chairs. “No offense, Bone Daddy. I said I wasn’t going anywhere. But he wouldn’t . . . Well, let’s just say he convinced me he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Michelle was surprised when she glanced toward the Loa and saw him flinch. Had he never thought about what it might have been like for Rousseau? He wasn’t a devil, but every human deserved to control his own fate. His own body.

Why was she feeling sorry for him? He was a Loa. Immortal, powerful. Though outside of a body he seemed lost and kind of sad. Did he miss Rousseau? Miss being a part of his life and circle of friends?

Allegra squeezed her hand. “Please say you’ll come. You know how my parents are. So . . . so . . .”

“White-bread and stuffy?” Michelle broke in, making Allegra laugh.

She nodded, still giggling. “Exactly. I need you.”