Possess Me (29 page)

And Bethany only had one night.

After she’d come home and taken a shower, the panic had subsided. Everything about the day had thrown her. Her feelings, the sexuality he’d called out from her, the total loss of control.

She knew now she wasn’t cut out for temporary affairs—it was too difficult to keep her heart out of the equation. But it was already involved. She was already involved. She understood now how Isabel had felt, wanting someone you knew you couldn’t have. Although, for all Bethany knew, she had managed to run away with her fabulous Mr. M. But there was no running from what Bone Daddy was.

When the dress had arrived with Michelle, along with a note from Bone Daddy asking her to wear it for him, she’d known that she would. She wanted to please him, even as her inner voice called her a fool.

She set her shoulders back and did her best to smile convincingly. “If Aunt Rosaline could see me now, she’d probably die of shock.”

Michelle, who’d met her aunt before, made a face. “That grumpy old woman? Do you know she pulled me aside once and recommended liposuction to minimize my ‘
unfortunate
rear end’? I had to go out and buy a double scoop of Rocky Road and a new pair of shoes before I felt better about myself.”

“I’m sorry. I never knew.”

She’d found fault with Michelle? But she was so exotic, so lovely. And in New York she’d been the epitome of high fashion.

A thought struck Bethany for the first time, like a bolt from heaven. Maybe it wasn’t just her—maybe Rosaline was like that with everyone.

Allegra grimaced. “Sounds like a gem of a woman—no offense, Bethany,” she hurried to add. “Trust me, I understand family issues. Mine were so intimidated at the engagement dinner that they conveniently ‘forgot’ they’d booked a cruise during my wedding. I’m glad though. I don’t think they’d enjoy the reception.”

Allegra looked more relieved than disappointed, which Bethany completely understood.

“You’re not upset your father won’t be here to walk you down the aisle?” she asked.

Allegra beamed once more, her excitement contagious. “No, because I won’t be alone. In fact, I may very well be the first woman in history to be walked down the aisle by an honest to goodness Loa.”

Bone Daddy? Bethany recalled Allegra’s writing about him. It was hard not to be jealous of the fact that both Allegra and Michelle had, for all intents and purposes,
been
with her new lover.

Allegra must have seen something in her expression. “He brought us together, Bethany. Me with Rousseau, and Michelle with Ben, whether she’s willing to give him credit or not. He sacrificed his pleasure, and his freedom, to do it. He is what life made him, a sexual entity. But, today, when he is free to make his own choices, any choice he wants, it’s you. Think about it.”

“Don’t push her, Allegra. Just because you found your prince doesn’t mean everyone has to right now.” Michelle rubbed her shoulders, looking worried. “Sorry, but I’ve stuck my nose in other people’s love lives enough to know I’m not good at it.”

Then she focused on Bethany. “I’m glad you’re here, and I want you to have fun. But I don’t want to be responsible for your heart getting broken. Allegra’s right, he is what life made him. Not human. Not permanent. And usually, not monogamous. I’m not saying he doesn’t care about your feelings, because he sure seems to, but . . . just be careful.”

For a moment, an image from her dreams, an image of Isabel’s friend Catherine, superimposed itself over Michelle’s face. A wave of dizziness rolled over Bethany and she reached for her head, weaving.

Catherine had warned her away from Marcel. Catherine had wanted her to marry for security. To marry someone. Who? Why had she pushed her so hard? Didn’t she know what it was like to be in love?

“Bethany! Bethany, are you all right? Talk to us, please.”

Bethany blinked in confusion. She was suddenly lying on Michelle’s bed, and Michelle and Allegra were fanning her face and shaking her shoulders. “What happened?” she asked.

“We were hoping you would tell us.” Allegra sat down beside her, patting her hand soothingly.

“I don’t know. For a moment everything seemed like a dream I’d had before. Like déjà vu. Then the room started spinning.” She pushed herself up and grimaced when her hair snagged on Allegra’s bracelet. “I’m sorry about this. Really, I’m fine.”

A knock sounded on the door and Allegra paled. “It’s time.”

As Michelle opened the door to Elise, Bethany scrambled off the bed and grabbed Allegra’s hands. “Thank you for letting me be a part of your day. You are a beautiful bride. Rousseau is a very lucky man.”

The redhead’s happy smile returned. “We’re both lucky. Thank you, Bethany.” She leaned close and lowered her voice. “I love Michelle, but I have some advice of my own. Don’t be
too
careful. Sometimes it’s that leap into the darkness that can be the most worthwhile.”

Bethany smiled as she followed in the wake of the chattering women. Reason number two why people were better than books: No matter how well you think you know them, people can still surprise you.

She headed out to the garden to sit in one of the white folding chairs that had been set up for the occasion. Ben had done a beautiful job putting this together so quickly. The trees were filled with lights, and gardenias and magnolias were blooming everywhere.

A white runner lay across the grass between the chairs and the altar. The freshly painted gazebo was draped in white silk and lit with small spotlights at the base. The workers had even built a temporary bandstand, where a small jazz band was playing softly for the crowd.

There were two giant tables full of food on either side of the garden, one covered in white, the other in purple. Bethany knew that one table was meant for the living, the other for the dead. Later, the party might turn wild, but for the moment, everyone was quiet, in awe of the magic around them and the perfection of the night. There was even a cool breeze.

She felt a tug on her hair and turned to apologize, sure her loose locks had snagged some poor victim already, but no one was sitting behind her. “Emmanuel? Manuel, is that you?” Another cool breeze. “Wanted to see the wedding, too, did you? Well you’re welcome to sit with me. Just don’t play any tricks tonight, okay? Allegra deserves everything to be perfect.”

Her fingers slipped beneath the halter, adjusting the locket. She couldn’t resist. She wanted to wear it one more time. She’d promised herself she would share it, along with the letters and all her research, with Michelle tomorrow.

She’d wanted to know everything, to find out what had happened to Isabel, but she’d reached a dead end. Several love letters, a diary, and a nameless mausoleum were all the woman had left behind. Maybe they’d never know what became of her.

The music changed, and she noticed that Rousseau and Ben were standing on the steps of the gazebo. She turned her head with the other guests and spied Mambo Toussaint and Elise Adair on the other side of the aisle, holding tightly to each other’s hands.

Michelle came out first, her bouquet of magnolias held low as she walked toward them, her eyes on Ben. Bethany turned to look at the handsome blond, and sighed. You’d think it was his wedding, with that goofy in-love grin on his face. He even stepped forward when Michelle reached the gazebo, but when several people chuckled, he shrugged and stepped back, allowing her to take her place on the bride’s side.

Everyone stood as Allegra and Bone Daddy entered the backyard. Bethany heard the female gasps and knew they weren’t for the bride, despite how amazing she looked. They were for
him
.

She sighed. Couldn’t he have a disfiguring mark on his face, maybe an eye patch? Maybe then she wouldn’t feel so insecure each time he was out in public. But he wouldn’t be much longer. She couldn’t forget that. Maybe he liked the reaction for once. To be seen.

Then she noticed a man a few rows behind her ogling her cleavage and her eyes widened. Someone was noticing
her
, too.

And Bone Daddy noticed him. He narrowed his eyes on the bearded wedding guest before turning back to meet her smile with a grumpy glare. Was he jealous? The thought delighted her.

As he drew closer with the bride, he got a full view of her in the dress he’d picked out. His jaw tightened, not with irritation this time, but need. She could see it. Bethany had never felt so powerful. For tonight, at this moment, she was the siren, the woman in red that no man could resist. Not even Bone Daddy.

She watched him hand the bride to Rousseau, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. Her heart pounded as she waited for him to come to her, to sit beside her as they watched the love story’s happy ending.

He turned, avoiding her gaze as he walked toward the other side of the aisle, finding a seat beside a gorgeous female in a slinky black dress who, if her expression was anything to go by, was thinking she’d just won the man lottery. The woman immediately placed her arm across the back of his chair, using the excuse of speaking in his ear to press her obviously fake breasts against his side.

Her cheeks on fire, Bethany glanced around to make sure no one had witnessed her epic embarrassment and sat down with a thump. So much for being the siren in red no man could ignore. What an idiot! How could she have imagined she could tempt someone like him, that he would waste even one more minute of his one day in the flesh on her?

Ignoring the small frantic tugs on her hair, she fought to get her ragged breathing under control. It was tempting to slump over and cry but she held herself stiffly, determined not to let him see how badly his public brush-off had hurt her. The bastard!

The tugs got harder.

“Not now, Manuel,” she hissed from the corner of her mouth. “I’m busy.” Thinking of ways to unman a Loa. Painfully.

Here he was, watching a minister join the lives of Celestin Rousseau and Allegra Jarrod, and all he could think about was Bethany. Fucking her. He wanted to bend her over the chairs, press her against the gazebo, a tree,
anything
, and take her hard and fast—damn the audience.

Unfortunately, she didn’t look too receptive right now. In fact, she looked like she shouldn’t be allowed to handle any sharp objects for a while. And worse, she looked hurt.

Didn’t she understand that he couldn’t trust himself to sit beside her? That, for Allegra’s sake and to keep the tentative peace he now had with Rousseau, the smartest thing for him to do was sit as far away from her as possible?

He tried to catch her eye but she was focused unwaveringly on the bridal couple. Apparently she didn’t understand.

“Weddings make me so hot. Do you think they’d miss us if we disappeared for a few hours?”

Bone Daddy sighed. He was broken. That was the only way he could explain it. There was a beautiful woman rubbing against him, offering herself on a platter. Offering to satisfy a need so strong it made his teeth ache. He shifted in his chair, moving away from her and shaking his head. Bethany had ruined his day. She was the only one he wanted.

“Thank you for the generous offer,
cher
. But I belong to another.”

The large-breasted female pouted, her darkly stained lips too thin, too symmetrical for him to consider kissable. “She doesn’t have to know.”

He watched Bethany’s head jerk as though someone had yanked it, mumbling under her breath before pulling all that long, lustrous hair over her shoulder. “I would know. That is enough. But I believe there is a bearded man a few rows back who is single. Perhaps he would be willing to bring you to pleasure.”

The persistent woman bit her lip and slid her hand between his legs just as Rousseau was slipping a ring on Allegra’s finger. “I love the way you talk. ‘Bring you to pleasure.’ You seem to be ready enough. I admire your loyalty but, if I may say so, if you were truly satisfied you wouldn’t be so hard for me right now.”

His shock at her boldness turned to anger when he realized that Bethany had chosen that moment to glance in his direction. Her gaze honed in on the woman’s hand between his thighs and her jaw dropped.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

The minister’s voice cued the clapping, and as the musicians began to play a celebratory tune, Bethany got up and rushed through the crowd, heading back toward the house.

“Damn it.”

He stood and the woman followed, trying to slip her hand in his, as though she believed her wiles had worked. He pulled away from her touch, meeting her surprised expression with one of disgust. “I am taken by a woman who has enough pride not to throw herself at someone who belongs to another. And I am hard not for you but for her. I was remembering her passion, her cries as I took her. I was wishing I was beside her, touching her. And if she’ll let me after what you’ve done, I will touch her again.”