CHAPTER TWO

 

 

Etienne crossed his arms and leaned against the rough brick of the building as he watched the strange and yet oddly fascinating woman across the street. It wasn’t that she dressed strangely; they were in the French Quarter after all. No, it was more her demeanor and her essence. He tugged at his earlobe as he tried to pin down what it was about her that caught his attention.

He followed at a distance as the tour group moved on to the next location. Surprise, surprise, another history lesson of the building they stood before and no vampire legend in sight. Teresa and Richie were in rare form, with sarcasm and snarky comments whispered back and forth. Their antics got Jessie and Jackie going. The tour guide ignored them and continued his rehearsed speech. Undoubtedly, accustomed to hecklers.

Pam, Amy, and Billie stood at the back of the group. The fans they were given before the tour waving faster than a dog’s tail as they tried to cool off.

“We’re stopping at a bar somewhere soon right?” Pam asked.

“Yeah, the guide said there would be a break at some pirate place.” Amy nodded and fanned herself a little faster.

Billie only half listened. Her radar was pinging faster than a Las Vegas slot machine hitting a jackpot. She stood still, searching with her senses. She felt the suit again, but she just couldn’t locate him.

Richie dropped back to stand with Billie and the other girls. “You guys having fun back here?”

“I guess,” Pam grumbled. “I can’t believe they get away with calling this a vampire tour.”

“I tried to tell you at the bar. These guys don’t know shit.”

Billie raised an eyebrow. “And you do?”

Richie fidgeted. He’d said too much. “Well, I’m sure I could do better than that guy. I grew up hearing a lot of stories. I could tell you some that would curl your toes.”

The girls nodded. That was a close call. He’d better have a soda at Jean Lafitte’s. His loose tongue was about to get him into trouble.

They suffered through two more tour stops, and you guessed it, there were no vampires, and it was finally time for a break.

“Thank God!” Pam said overly loud.

“I’ll catch up to you guys. I want to check something out,” Billie said to Teresa, Helen, and Karen, casually searching the street for a sign of the suit.

“You got it, cher. Come on ladies! I’m buying.” Richie grinned as he escorted the girls into the darkened interior of Jean Lafitte’s. He knew Etienne was following them. He just didn’t know why. From the way Billie was acting, she sensed him as well. As much as he was dying to see what would happen, he hustled as many people as possible inside. Billie’s friends, Pam, Amy, Jessie, and Jackie chose to stick with her on the sidewalk.

Etienne remained in the shadow cast by a brick wall covered in vines. He lifted a hand, and extended his fingers, tempted to touch the human, then closed his fist. An unexpected touch from a strange man in the shadows would send her screaming into the night. That was the polar opposite of what he wanted.

She stood with her back to him, recounting a funny story. Holy hell, her laughter triggered his fangs and caused other needs to rise as well. The reverberations of the throaty sound, vibrated through each cell of his body, stiffening parts he had neglected for far too long.

“Good evening,” a smooth, sexy voice purred from the shadows.

Billie gasped and spun around. What the heck? No one was behind her a second ago. Her eyes widened as she took in the hottest man she’d ever laid eyes on. She didn’t know where to look first as she checked him out from head to toe. And there was a heck of a lot to check out.

He was tall, like get a crick in your neck looking up at him tall. Standing at least six feet three, he towered over her vertically challenged height. Wisps of long wavy black hair had escaped from his ponytail, and he wore expensive tailored black slacks with a crisp starched white shirt. His clothing would have looked odd on any other man with hair so long. But the combination on this sex god was sheer perfection.

When he took a step toward her, her gaze shot to his. She wondered what his eyes looked like behind the dark sunglasses he wore. Suddenly unsteady, she grabbed Jackie’s arm to catch her balance before she fell headlong into Mr. Sexiness.

He felt her shock and was surprised by her reaction. Ordinarily, his glasses tempered the magnetic pull of his gaze. He had better dial it back a bit before he scared her off completely.

He could also tell his acute scrutiny made her edgy. But then, he made everyone edgy. The effect he had on others was precisely why he worked hard to cultivate a warm, happy go lucky attitude for the most part. A small grin tugged at his lips as he considered what some would say about him having a happy go lucky anything, much less an attitude.

Normally, he was very careful to avoid eye contact unless he previously prepared his expression and dialed back the vibes a vampire as old as he naturally exuded. This woman threw him off balance more than he cared to admit.

But he couldn’t take his eyes off the lush beauty, which left one option. With a massive effort, he curbed his vampiric sex appeal. It wasn’t easy when he wanted to pounce on her like a leopard on a gazelle.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Etienne Delacour.” He bowed and held his breath.

Billie narrowed her eyes, searching and sensing. If this were a trick, she’d know it. She sensed nothing but the honest desire to know her. She weighed her options as she considered his outstretched hand. A gorgeous man wants to get to know me? Hell’s yes. She could get down with that. She hoped he could handle what she and her friends were undoubtedly about to dish out.

Billie grasped his hand and gave it a shake. “Nice to finally meet you, Etie. I’m Billie. Do you always follow women in the dark?”

Her crass nickname rang in his ears and yet oddly aroused him. “No, not typically. In truth, it is usually I who runs from women as they chase me.” He grinned brightly at her and then the ladies attending her. “I, of course, am terrified and afraid for my life.”

“Sure you are.” Billie snorted. “I can imagine your terrified screams as you run for your life.”

Etienne held onto her delicate soft hand for a moment longer than was proper. Finally, he had no choice, but to release her.

Billie looked at him speculatively before turning to introduce her friends.

Etienne patiently bowed to each of the ladies and accepted their hands, when what he really wanted was Billie naked in his bed. He may appear to be politely addressing her friends, but in truth, he never took his eyes off her.

Her silken black hair with its multitude of rainbow hues fascinated him. His fingers itched to comb through the soft bouncing curls. The fun he was going to have when he latched onto that wealth of richness and rode her to unconsciousness had him trembling. He tilted his head, considering her coffee and cream complexion. Her pale pink blouse accentuated her suntanned skin. I wonder if she has a bikini line or if she sunbathes nude?

He was deep in his fantasy when he found himself flanked on both sides. Billie on his left and the one called Jessie on the right. They each took an arm and steered him toward the entrance of Jean Laffite’s. Holy hell, he hadn’t been in that dimly lit establishment in at least fifty years.

Billie retained ownership on his arm with her left hand as she smacked his ass with her right. “Come on, sugar buns, I’m going to let you buy me a drink.”

Etienne was speechless. No one, and he meant no one, had ever slapped his backside. Her forward behavior and rough speech both appalled him and at the same time got him hotter than he’d been in—well, ever.

He wanted to taste her skin so badly his mouth watered. Dang, he had to get this under control before his fangs extended further. The last thing he needed was for a human to see his fangs.

“Hey, Etienne has fangs just like us!” Pam yelled above the boisterous crowd in the small brick bar.

Etienne slapped a hand over his mouth. Damn, too late.

“Did you buy them for the vampire tour, too?” Jackie asked.

Amy had just opened her mouth to add her two cents when Richie walked over and grabbed Etienne’s hand effectively changing the subject.

“Etienne! It’s great to see you,” Richie said loud enough for all the ladies to hear as he gave Et a quick wink.

He knew his longtime friend had seen the disaster playing out and rushed to help him out of the jam. “Richie! What a wonderful surprise. How have you been?” Etienne said, playing along.

“Great. Really great. We’re celebrating some of these ladies graduating Tulane and moving home. Teresa here is getting married in a month, so we’re having her bachelorette party tonight as well.”

Etienne took Teresa’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” Teresa fanned her face and giggled. “Wow.”

“I’d say,” Karen agreed, eyeing Etienne like she wanted a piece of him.

Richie set his cup on a nearby table. “I’m sorry to say the tour is getting ready to leave. It was great seeing you, man.”

Billie made a sour face. “If you all don’t mind, I’m going to skip the rest of the tour. I’ll catch up to you when you’re done. Just text me where to meet you.”

“Okay, I’ll let you know where we end up.”