Desire After Dark: Lords of Pleasure (32 page)

“Great gods, that’s the biggest drink I’ve ever seen. What is it?”

“It’s called a hurricane, because it only takes one to blow your socks off. No other city on earth makes a better one.”

“What’s in it?”

“Rum, juice, and a bunch of other stuff. Who cares? Taste it.”

Eyeing the concoction, she used her straw to take a sip. And then she beamed in pleasure. “Oh my! That’s wonderful.”

“Isn’t it? Thought you’d like it.”

“Mmm.” She sipped happily, oblivious to the fact that he was hiding something—or so he’d thought. “What’s going on with you?”

“Me?” His left hand stopped fiddling with the box in his jacket pocket. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve had your hand in your pocket off and on all day,” she observed. “And once in a while you grin like a naughty boy with a secret. So, you’re either playing with yourself, or you have some other secret. In which case you’d better share.”

“Damn. You’re much too perceptive.” Suddenly, he was a little nervous. He wanted so much for her to love his surprise. “I was just waiting for the right time.”

“Well, since you’ve piqued my interest, the time is now.”

He took a deep breath. How to put his feelings into words? Sometimes words were so inadequate.

“When I was lying in the hospital and believed I’d lost you, I kept thinking about this,” he said, gesturing to the French Quarter at large. “I fantasized about how I’d bring you here and we’d sip hurricanes, have fun, and just enjoy being together.”

“And that came true,” she said softly, reaching across the table to take his hand. “We are together, having fun, and it’s a fabulous day.”

“Yes, it is.” He brought the box from his pocket and set it on the table between them. “But I wanted to make it even more perfect. And since we didn’t really do wedding gifts, I thought this would be something special for both of us.”

She was starting to look excited. “Now I’m dying of curiosity. May I?”

“Of course.”

His pulse gave a little leap as she removed the lid. But he needn’t have worried. As she held aloft two matching gold chains, her beautiful whiskey eyes shone.

“Luc,” she breathed. “They’re beautiful.”

“You like them?”

“Yes! I love them. One for each of us?” She examined them carefully, touching the small sword pendant on each necklace.

“Exactly. You see, when the ogres took my collar, I was royally pissed. You’d given it to me, and it wasn’t until it was gone that I realized what having it truly meant—that I belonged to you and no other. That I belonged
with
you.” He paused and cleared his throat. “When you agreed to marry me, I ordered these specially made. I wanted us both to have one, because now we belong to each other, forever.”

“They’re gorgeous.” Tears filled her eyes. “Thank you.”

Scooting back her chair, she rushed around the table. In short order, he had a lapful of happy woman, kissing him deeply, igniting his body. And his heart.

“You’ll always be my warrior,” he told her, stroking her hair. “Even the gods can’t take that from us.”

“And you’ll always be mine.

“I love you, Luc Fontaine,” she murmured, nibbling his neck.

“And I love you with all my soul, Mrs. Fontaine.” He shuddered, arousal flaring as it always did with his woman. “Finish your hurricane, baby.”

“So we can get out of here and explore just how happy you’ve made me?”

“Now you’re talking.”

She bit his ear. “We can make these naughty drinks at home, you know. And sip them from each other’s bodies.”

He stood fast, putting her on her feet. Then he grabbed her hand and set off for the car at a jog, Kass’s laughter ringing in his ears.

Hurricanes, hot nights, and the woman he loved.

Luc Fontaine was, at long last, a rich man indeed.