Chapter 8

 

“Am I crazy?”

“No more than anyone in love, Legs. I think you might be on to something though. Are you sure you want me to leave?” Ben looked worried.

Allegra shrugged, climbing up onto the bed and straddling Rousseau’s thighs. He was still hard. Even when he was sleeping.

She wasn’t going to let that fact turn her on.

“No. But it might help him relax and let his guard down.”

“I’m handcuffed to a bed without a stitch of clothing on. How much lower does my guard have to be?”

Allegra jumped, nearly kneeing Rousseau in the groin.

“Careful now.” He shifted on the bed, rattling the cuffs. “I have a feeling you’re going to want use of that particular part of my anatomy. At least, I’m hopeful.”

Hazel eyes. For the moment. “Rousseau?”

His gaze was fixed, unblinking, on her breasts. “Mm-hmm?”

“I think that’s my cue. Try not to screw this up, buddy.” Ben leaned over and kissed Allegra on the forehead. “Good luck, Legs. And thank you. For everything.”

From the look in his eyes she had a feeling he was talking about more than what they’d done together. Michelle was going to kill her.

Rousseau snorted. “I’d call you a traitor if you hadn’t left a beautiful naked woman on my lap.”

“You’re welcome, lucky bastard.”

“I’m sorry about earlier.”

“Keep it to yourself. My story is I knocked you out and got you handcuffed to a bed. Who do you think people will believe?”

He flexed his biceps while looking over Ben’s leaner form with a raised eyebrow. “Depends. How good is their eyesight?”

A surprise chuckle escaped Allegra’s throat. It was such a simple exchange. Lighthearted. It reminded her of their first meeting. This was Rousseau. This was the man she wanted. A man who deserved to control his own destiny.

She stared at him as Ben’s footsteps faded, as she heard the door open, then slowly close behind him. Finally, he lifted his gaze. Still hazel. Still hers.

“Why am I tied up again?”

Allegra swallowed at Rousseau’s question. She wasn’t sure herself. She didn’t know if it would work or if he needed to be restrained. Bone Daddy was strong, but she was getting to know him. He might be intrigued enough to give her the time she needed. All she was sure of was that if he touched her, she might not be able to go through with her plan. And she needed to. Everything depended on it.

“My chute failed.”

His perfectly arched eyebrows rose. “Excuse me?”

“My accident? It was my own fault. I wasn’t careful. I had too much experience, I was too cocky and I so badly needed my fix of clear blue sky. It was the one place I was free, you see. From the need to make something more of my life. From the driving ambition to prove myself. From my lack of ability to truly connect to the world below. Nothing can happen to me here, I thought.”

Rousseau’s smile was tinged with sadness. “I never understood why people jumped out of perfectly good planes until now. I can see the appeal of it.”

Her sigh was shaky. “Then my chute failed. It was torn. I aimed for the tree line, hoping it would break my fall, and it did. I got tangled in the ropes, hanging by my arms and legs, unable to free myself. For eleven hours I waited for search and rescue to find me. After I lost the feeling in my limbs, all I had was time to think.”

“Bebe.” He sounded pained. In agony for her. But she wasn’t finished with her confession.

“I came to the conclusion that my life was based on fear. I sought out physical danger, took challenges and dares no sane person would take, to prove I was brave, but I wasn’t. Not where it mattered. Not with other people.”

He made a sound of protest but she shook her head, rubbing the scars on her arms. “Even before the accident, something inside me was empty. I filled it by moving, traveling, never stopping long enough to find love or make any real friends. Every time I started to wonder if there was something missing inside of me, if my parents’ avoidance of strong emotions might have been passed down to their daughter, I ran again.” A watery chuckle escaped. “Michelle doesn’t count, of course. She adopted me. I had no choice in the matter, thank God. I’d be all alone if it weren’t for her.”

“You’re too hard on yourself. I’ve seen your heart. There’s no emptiness or fear there. Just loneliness.”

She looked into Rousseau’s eyes and laid her hand on his chest gratefully. “Thank you, but today is the first time I’ve seen what bravery really looks like.”

Rousseau frowned. “Today?”

“Bravery isn’t a mad woman jumping from the plane without double-checking her chute. It’s the person on the ground, watching and ready to catch her. It’s the person who sticks around, even when it’s hard, to fight for the people they care about. People like Ben. People like you.”

He looked away. “I’m not brave, Allegra. My father forced me to pay for his sins without my knowledge. It’s not like I had a choice.”

She knew better. “Bone Daddy said, ‘He laid his family out like a platter.’ His whole family, not just his son. You offered yourself, didn’t you? To save your mother and sisters from your father’s mistakes? Tell me I’m wrong.”

His expression told her everything she wanted to know. She’d been right. Rousseau had taken the Loa into himself willingly. “That’s what courage is, Rousseau. And I’d bet my last dollar you never shared that truth with the rest of your family. You didn’t even tell Ben the whole story. You carry it every day, and you’d still make the same decision each and every time, if it meant the people you care about would be safe. And that’s why you stayed away from me for so long. To keep me safe.”

His laugh was haggard and bitter. “Yes, I’m a paragon. That writer’s imagination of yours is working overtime to canonize me. If you knew how many women I’ve had? How many men? The Loa isn’t particular, love. He just wants to fuck his way through the human population, and I’ve come along for the ride. I’m not a hero, Allegra. I’m an emptied-out shell.”

Some part of her knew BD was listening, and that he didn’t like Rousseau’s conclusions. Good. He needed some tough love, as far as she was concerned.

She slid her hands up his chest and flicked his nipple piercings, making him shudder. “You’re very hard on yourself, aren’t you? I’ve watched how people treat you. All those willing and eager partners. They don’t see you. They don’t even see him. Not really. But I do. I’m curious. How many of those men and women you’ve had ever stopped to wonder if you were satisfied? How many wanted nothing but to make you come? To make you happy?”

A flash of gold kindled in his eyes, and Allegra sat up straighter. Game time.

Bone Daddy’s smile was all deviance and persuasion. “Why would you worry about something like that, cher? You know how it satisfies me when you scream out in ecstasy. When your body quakes at the touch of my tongue, my fingers. That makes me happy.”

“But none of your lovers have ever given you an orgasm, have they?”

He shrugged lazily. “When you are given a buffet after a lifetime of famine, do you wonder if the person in the line behind you is hungry? Whether or not the chef has eaten? Or do you feast?”

Allegra felt the truth like a punch in the gut. She’d been no better. She’d reveled in the orgasms he’d given her, not realizing until it was pointed out to her that Rousseau hadn’t had the same release. How many women left his side the morning after, thinking they’d had the best sex of their life, never wondering about him again?

“I’m sorry, BD. But I’m on to you now.” She lowered her chest, scraping her hard nipples across the cool metal on his. His smile wavered. “You still want to satisfy me?”

His gaze heated to molten gold. “More than I imagined possible, cher.”

She fought the haze of arousal and remembered pleasure at the feel of his strong, muscular body against hers. “Good. Then this shouldn’t be too hard. No pun intended.”

She smiled. “I won’t be satisfied until I make you come.”

Allegra kissed him, loving the taste and texture of his succulent lips. Rousseau’s lips. Everything about him felt tailor-made for her. Perfect. He’d be impossible to resist without the sexual magic of his Loa. All she could do was hang on and hope that she had the strength to outlast him. That he wanted her enough to give her the chance.

She shifted, dragging her body against him and placing hot, open-mouthed kisses on his neck, his chest, the tense muscles of his stomach.

“Cher, I want to taste you again. Climb up and give me your sweet pussy.”

She chuckled against his hip. “Not now. I’m busy.”

He rattled the handcuffs, his arms bulging as he struggled against bonds she had a feeling he could break at any time. Allegra ignored him, spreading his powerful thighs with her body.

Her mouth watered at the sight of his thick cock. “Have you ever had sex without a condom?”

He snorted. “I’m older than you know, cher, and I’m not stupid. If this body got a disease, it would put an end to my fun. Why do you ask?”

His surprised moan as she took him in her mouth was gratifying. He didn’t need a coating of honey rum, he tasted sweeter than any liqueur all on his own. A guilty pleasure. She could see him becoming her own personal addiction.

Her lips stretched wide to take more of his thick cock in her mouth, eyes watering when he hit the back of her throat. She tried to close her fist around the base of his shaft, but he was so big. She couldn’t believe he’d fit inside her ass.

She shivered.

“You’re imagining me finally claiming you. Set me free, and I will give you what you need.”

She lifted her mouth from him and smiled. “Does Rousseau know you already did that without him?”

His eyes widened in genuine surprise. He hadn’t believed she’d bring that up. “He does now.”

“I promised him there wouldn’t be lies between us, remember? And when he’s finally inside me, I want him to know I’m not wondering who I’m sharing our first time with.”

She licked her finger, slipping it between his thighs. When one finger pushed inside, his ass tightened and desire turned the gold molten. “You’re trying to make us lose control. Rousseau fights me again because of your confession and you torture me. Is that the big plan the Mambo shared through her gris-gris? I’ve survived more than this longer than she’s been alive, cher. I can withstand torture.”

She didn’t answer, her tongue too busy tracing the veins of his flushed cock while her finger thrust in shallow pulses between his cheeks. He might call this torture, but she knew he liked it. She pressed deeper, finding the spot she knew would drive the Loa and Rousseau insane.

He bucked off the bed, nearly dislodging her. “Stop this now.”

“You want me to stop sucking your cock? Why don’t you want to come?”

He clenched his jaw. “I did say you were a clever girl. But I didn’t think you could be cruel.”

She withdrew her finger and straddled him again. “I’m not trying to be cruel, BD. Or torture you.”

“Then ride me. If you are going to do this, do it right. Ride the Loa. Let me feel your sex soaking my cock and we’ll see who comes out the victor.”

There was danger there, she knew. The challenge had been thrown down, and neither of them could resist. Could she please him without giving in to her own need? Could he tempt her into forgetting long enough to get what he wanted and keep the life he’d grown accustomed to. A lot was at stake.

She shifted on his lap, aligning their bodies so his cock was flush against her.

He hummed out his pleasure. “You’re so wet for me, cher. Think about what I can do to you, the things I can teach you about your body. You were dying to know if all the rumors were true? They are. I can prove it to you.”

Allegra stared straight into those hypnotic eyes, steeling her spine. “You think, Bone Daddy. Think about taking me without a condom. You said you and Rousseau have been safe, and I trust you. Think about how tight and wet I’ll be for you. Seven years is too long to go without a physical release. Wouldn’t you like to break that record inside me? With nothing between us?”

“You fight dirty, I see. And you talked to the old man as well as the priestess. I can see him in your mind. What if he was wrong? What if giving me what I want changes nothing? You think you care, but Rousseau knows I’m unable to deny a genuine request. It is not allowed. Would you be willing to stay with him, to take him into your body and bed, knowing he’d been with someone else?”

“I know I care about him. I love him, BD. And nothing changing is a chance I’m willing to take.”

Could she? Knowing it wasn’t Rousseau’s choice, could she accept him in spite of it?  That she felt enough for him to consider it had to matter. Her love had to make a difference. She couldn’t give up on him without trying to save him.

Allegra laid her hands on his chest, slowly lowering herself onto the head of his shaft. Oh, God, it was going to be a tight fit. Her thigh muscles tensed, reminding her that he’d taken the pain away.

“You wouldn’t be so ready for me if you were in pain.” He glanced down at her leg. “You know that I can make that permanent. That and more, if you give in.”

Her arms and legs began to burn and tingle, though not as intensely as before. She looked down and gasped. The scars on her arms and legs were gone. Not a trace remained. It was as if the accident had never happened. She met his gaze, unable to stop the momentary tears of gratitude that welled in her eyes.

“Ah, cher, now you see me. Let me go, and I will give you more pleasure than you ever imagined. I will take my time with you. Days and nights of nothing but paradise. And when you finally leave my bed, you will never have to hurt again. Never have to hear the whispers of pity from your family, from strangers. You’ll be free.”

She hovered over him, her body frozen, her mind in chaos. He’d just offered her everything she’d wanted every day since the accident. A second chance with a whole body. Freedom from pain and pity. She wouldn’t be human if she wasn’t momentarily tempted.

But the cost was too high.

“I’ll be free. But Rousseau won’t.”

His expression grew dark. “What do you care? You barely know the boy. You lust for him, that is all. Is that enough to refuse what I’m offering?”

“You know it’s more. That’s why I scare you.” She didn’t need to look to know he’d returned her scars. She could feel them. “It’s not entirely selfless, those gifts you dole out, is it? You do it so you won’t have any return customers. They get a new job, a new life, and Rousseau stays with you.”

His smile took a decidedly wicked turn. “Yet still you admire me. Want me. Your tender heart pines for him, but your body is aching for the both of us.”

“Yes.” She couldn’t deny it if she wanted to. She was drawn to the Loa. Maybe it was her inner adrenaline junkie. Maybe it was because, despite the terms of the deal, Bone Daddy made sure that Rousseau had more freedoms than he needed to give him. She couldn’t explain it, but she could feel something good in him. She got the sense that Ben and the Mambo, even the old man did as well. It was deep down, but still there. A spark of light. She was betting everything on not being wrong.

“Yes, I want you, Bone Daddy.” She lowered herself onto his cock, shamelessly moaning at the impossible fullness, her body struggling to accept all of him despite her arousal. “Rousseau.”

“Allegra,” he groaned, his hips lifting helplessly. “You’re a witch, aren’t you? A redheaded sorceress with your freckles and hot, tight—Ah, like that. Ride me just like that.”

“I’ve never done this,” she admitted breathlessly. “Been on top. Bare like this. I want to feel you come inside me so badly.”

“He wants it more.” Bone Daddy’s sensual growl had her tightening around him in reaction. “Mercy, Allegra.”

“What does Rousseau want? Tell me.”

His jaw was clenched, full lips tight with need. “He wants to claim you. Cover you in his come, fill you with it again and again. It’s very primitive, cher. He’s imagining you round with his child even now.”

“He is?” God, why was that so hot?

Allegra lifted her hand and cupped her breasts, teasing her nipples while he watched. “These would get bigger,” she said, playing into the new fantasy. “He’d have to be careful he didn’t suck them too hard.”

“You’re playing with fire, cher.” Her sex tightened around him once more, and he moaned. “Do that again. Bend over so I can suck them.”

She did, quickening her pace, riding him harder until he wrenched his mouth away, head tossing on the pillow as he fought the inevitable.

“Come for me,” she whispered. “It’s the only thing I want. The only way to ever make me happy.”

He snarled, and then he was free from the handcuffs, his grip tight, almost painful on her hips. “Your wish is my command.”

He had her on her back with one leg over his shoulder before she could react. And then… “Oh God.”

“BD,” he corrected gruffly, slamming into her with enough force to shake the bed and rattle her bones. “You feel too good.”

Allegra arched her spine, her hands lifting to caress his neck. His jaw. “Please come,” she moaned. “I’m so close.”

She wasn’t sure how much longer she could last, but she had to. Everything depended on it.

He was so deep in this position she couldn’t do anything but take it. “Faster. Like that. Yes. Oh fuck, yes.”

“You win, Allegra.” His voice was hoarse and aching with something she couldn’t define as he wrecked her with each forceful thrust. “Your heart. Your passion. Your tight little—I can’t—”

She opened her eyes in time to see his flash with joy and wonder as his cock pulsed inside her. “So good,” he moaned.

They came together as thunder crashed overhead, shaking the small loft and nearly drowning out their dual shouts of pleasure. The strength of her orgasm took her by surprise. It was more than pleasure. A tsunami of energy rushed through her body. It was like flying and every dare she’d ever taken and won. The clouds parted and she saw the world beneath her, fresh and new and beautifully made.

The power of it had Allegra collapsing beneath him, shuddering and crying in reaction.

A tender, trembling hand caressed her cheek, wiping away a tear. “Are you okay, bebe?”

Bebe? She sniffled, lifting her lids to look up into his eyes.

His smile was as gentle as his touch and his eyes were a sparkling hazel. Not a trace of gold. “Rousseau?”

“You did it, Allegra. He’s gone.”

She studied his face, looking for any trace that he might be deceiving her and his grin grew. “I can’t read your mind anymore, but I can see that expression. I swear to you, love. He’s promised me he’s gone for good, and he wouldn’t lie about that. I think he decided you’d more than paid what was left of my father’s debt.”

Allegra wrapped her arms around him and tugged him down, covering his face with joyful kisses. “I wasn’t sure I could do it, or if it would even work.”

“Well, it did. And I’d be happy to pay you back if you let me breathe for a minute.”

He was laughing. Rousseau was laughing.

She pulled away from him with a frown. “You don’t owe me anything, Rousseau.” She sat up so she could face him. She didn’t want gratitude. Not from him. Not for this. “I don’t want a payback.”

He grabbed her waist, pulling her onto his lap as if unwilling to lose contact for even a moment. “I didn’t mean it like that. Don’t you know how I feel? He thought you did. From the first moment I saw you, I knew you were mine. But I didn’t want what was inside me to scare you away.”

He pressed his forehead against hers. “He knew you were someone I could care for. He let me feel what you were feeling, that it was so much more than sex and desire. He let me feel your love, Allegra, not for him. For me. I think that was one of the reasons he let me go. Love is a powerful spell. Not even he is immune.”

“So our Loa was matchmaking?”

Rousseau scowled. “Let’s not saint him just yet.”

“He was,” she said grinning unrepentantly. “With an assist from Ben and Mambo Toussaint, of course. And—”

“They’ll hold that over my head forever.” His expression sobered. “And I’ll let them.”

She bit her lip. “You said he wasn’t immune. Are you?”

“Oh, bebe, did I not make it clear that I’m in love with you? I suppose I’ll have to keep proving it. What are you doing for the next sixty years? Whatever your plans, as long as we can always keep a place in New Orleans, I’ll be right beside you.”

She kissed him without holding anything back, and she felt his cock stir against her hip. She leaned back in surprise. “Already?”

Rousseau laughed in delight. “I’ve had seven years of lessons from the master of kink and no one to enjoy them with. I’m impatient to show you all I’ve learned.”

He tossed her beneath him and she giggled, gasping when she realized she still felt no pain. “He healed my leg.”

She still had her scars, but she’d been sure Rousseau would be the only gift he’d left behind. It was so much more than she’d hoped for. 

“He liked you more than I was comfortable with.” Rousseau traced one particularly jagged scar on her arm. “And he loved these. They make you even more beautiful, you know.” His lips brushed over each scar he came across, and Allegra shivered. Through his eyes she felt more beautiful, and stronger than she had in a long time. A warrior.

Yes. My warrior queen.

Bone Daddy?

Thank you, cher. I’d forgotten how good it feels to come, it’s been so long. That boy is stubborn, you know that, right? And broody. You should be prepared for that, it’s not that easy to live with. But I agree with him in one thing. You were worth the wait.

Where will you go?

Are you worried for me? Just take care of Rousseau. He loves you, cher. Give him those babies he wants so badly. You may see me again. Ben needs a good woman. Or man. We’ll see.

Think Michelle.

Bon Dieu, why would I do that? The woman hates me.

Rousseau ducked his head to get her attention. “Where’d you go?”

“I think Ben’s in trouble.”

“What? Where did that come from?”

Allegra beamed, grabbing his head and pulling him toward her for another kiss. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

He took her mouth with all the desire she’d imagined when she first planned this crazy seduction. She’d had no idea what she was in for, but she didn’t regret a thing. How could she. Rousseau was free and he loved her. She felt like she could fly again.

Thank you, God. Oh, and Bone Daddy.

A devilish chuckle echoed through her mind before Rousseau took charge, distracting her so thoroughly that she had no time to think about Loas or voodoo spells or her best friend’s love life. No time for anything but the man she loved.

“Say my name, Allegra.”

“Rousseau.”

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