Sweet Evangeline (Moon Magic Book 2) (19 page)

“No, I’m waiting until Evangeline talks to Arabella. Then, I suggest the three of us get together and compare notes.”

“You got it.” After talking with the older man, Eric felt better.

* * * *

Waiting on Elizabeth to get there, Evangeline paced the floor. Zak lay on the couch and watched her. He didn’t have that luxury when her man was around. The big guy was territorial and Zak had no desire to piss him off. It wasn’t that Evangeline wouldn’t be worth fighting for, and if she gave him any indication it would do any good, Zak would pull out all the stops, magical and otherwise. But there was no need; even Zak could tell that Evangeline was totally devoted to McAllister. Sei la vie. If she couldn’t be his girlfriend, maybe she would be his sister. Either way, he wasn’t about to let go of this new family he had found. Then he thought to ask, “Evangeline, did you ever hear piano music?”

At Zak’s words, Evangeline stopped breathing. “Yes.”

“Occasionally, we would be allowed into Duvalier’s home. There was a beautiful baby grand in the main room. At times, he would allow your mother to play and I would channel the music to you.”

“I thought you said Black Eddie blocked all of your magic.”

“He only blocked what he knew we could do. Your mother taught me to conceal some of my gifts, such as the one I used to escape.”

“And what would that one be?”

“Watch.”

About that time, Eric came back into the room. He had his eyes on Zak, who looked altogether too comfortable for his tastes. The guy was too pretty for words. Eric had not realized his capacity to feel jealousy—the cold, steely, brittle, sharp pangs of uncertainty and an unwillingness to share. But what he saw next froze his brain. As he stood there, the young stud actually vibrated. Or rather the air around him glistened and shook and then as Eric watched, Zak literally faded from view. He simply disappeared. As flabbergasted as Eric was to this bizarre talent, he was more interested in the reaction of his beloved. His eyes turned to observe Evangeline’s reaction to the stupendous event. She broke out into joyous laughter and her face lit up like she was seeing a Christmas tree for the first time.

How in the hell was he supposed to compete with that?

* * * *

Elizabeth and Evangeline called Arabella and in the matter of an hour and half they were all together at the Hyde Park residence. The plan was that tomorrow, they would all head to New Orleans and break the news of her daughter’s resurrection from the dead to Nanette and to Angelique. They all knew Nanette would know, magically, that something was going on, but they all determined together to put her off until they could sit down with her. They didn’t want her to have a heart attack.

Arabella’s due date was fast approaching and Jade wasn’t happy about the upheaval at this time during his wife’s pregnancy, but Arabella would not hear of being left behind. She informed Jade she wouldn’t mind giving birth in New Orleans, if need be. Jade didn’t like the sound of that, not at all.

Evangeline finished packing for them. She had made Zak comfortable in one of the upstairs bedrooms and now she and Eric were all alone. But Eric was acting strange. He had been watching her with a ferocity she had never noticed before. Maybe he was just starved for their love-making, she knew she was. Or maybe he was trying to decide how to end it. She pushed those horrid thoughts from her mind—she was going to give this everything she had. It had been three nights since they made love and Evangeline was determined there would be no more delay. Tonight, she would take matters into her own hands, so to speak.

He was in the bed, leaning up against the headboard watching her as she moved around the room. Already dressed in her night-clothes, she had no idea of the picture she made as she hurriedly gathered their things up and stored them in Eric’s leather luggage. He had moved in with her for all extents and purposes and that was fine with her. They hadn’t actually discussed living together, it had just happened and neither one of them had ever seen the need to put it into words. It just was.

But something was wrong. And Evangeline couldn’t stand it any longer. Placing the last suitcase on the floor, she turned to look at him. He was hard to read, but if she wasn’t mistaken, he looked sad. That would never do. Locking her eyes with his, she approached him. God, he was good-looking. The muscles of his shoulders, arms and chests bulged with strength. The covers were pulled up to his waist, and she hoped he was naked underneath. She swallowed, looking at him actually made her mouth water. “May I join you?”

“Of course.” The news that her mother was alive and that she had a second chance at being with her was ultra important to her, but this man sitting on her bed was everything. If he was sad, she was sad. And that was unacceptable.

She climbed up in the bed with him and then took his breath away by straddling him, bringing them face to face. “What’s wrong? Have I done something to displease you?”

“Hell, no. You could never displease me.”

Laying her head on his chest, she cuddled into him. “I love you.” Since they had said those three words the first time, it seemed like they couldn’t say them enough. His arms crept up to embrace her. “I love you, sweetheart.”

“Can’t you tell me what’s on your mind? I know something is wrong. I can feel it,” she whispered, allowing herself to steal small kisses from the area over his heart.

Taking a deep breath, he looked her straight in the eye. “Jealous. I was—no, make that—I am damn jealous of you and Zak.”

His words caused Evangeline to sit straight up and meet his determined gaze with her own equally surprised countenance. “Eric Angelos McAllister, what in the hell are you talking about?”

“When I walked in and saw you in his arms, I thought my life was over.”

“I can’t believe you.” She picked up one of his hands and turned the palm over so she could trace his life-line with her tongue. “If you don’t know how I feel about you yet, I must be doing something wrong.”

“Zak is one good-looking guy.” Evangeline tried to hide a smile. Eric was unsure of himself? Could this be all there was to it? But no, they hadn’t made love the two nights before Zak arrived.

“Yes, he is,” she readily agreed. “But, let me explain something to you, Eric.” She pulled back the sheet, exposing his semi-erect state. Even flaccid, he was big, but erect he was a thing of beauty. Could she dare? Dare!—and the devil take tomorrow. Picking up her gown, she fitted her already creamy cleft directly over his cock, not so it was inside her, but instead held between the lips of her labia with the tip nudging her clit. She literally had him sandwiched in a very delicious place. “I admit Zak is a very attractive young man, but you are something else entirely.” Slowly, she began to move—rubbing herself up and down his shaft. “You turn me inside out; I only have to be near you to want you. And when I’m this close to you, when I’m touching you like this—Eric, you make me want to cry with happiness.”

All the time she spoke to him, she continued to massage him between the lips of her vulva. With every word she spoke to him, with every move she made, he grew harder and harder. But then she stopped and lowered her head. “Angel, I love you, I adore you, no other man exists for me, but you. And when something comes between us, like it has for the past few nights—I could just die. I lay in your arms last night and the night before and longed for you, but I didn’t know how to reach out. I was afraid you would reject me.”

“What?” Eric almost shouted with amazement. “Why didn’t you say something? I was just trying to give you space and time. I thought you were upset—I wanted you to realize that I love all of you—not just your body.” She lay over on him completely, hiding her face in his chest. Soon, he felt a dampness—tears were flowing freely from her precious navy blue eyes.

“Oh, thank God. I thought you didn’t want me anymore.”

“Not want you?” He flexed his cock inside her. “Does this feel like I don’t want you?”

“But I’m taking unfair advantage—any man…”

He picked her up and off of him completely, flipping them over until she was lying on her back and he was almost on top of her. “This type of misunderstanding comes when we don’t talk to each other.” He kissed every inch of her face—soft, small, close mouthed, sweet kisses. “I desire you. I ache for you. There is no other woman in the world for me. Do you know what was bothering me?”

“No.” Her voice was small and almost imperceptible next to his shoulder.

“I was afraid you wanted Zak and not me.”

Flinging her arms around his neck, she sought his mouth with her own. Kissing him until she had no breath to continue, she tugged his head down until it lay on her chest and she kissed the top tenderly. “Not a chance, McAllister. You are my Angel. You belong to me, foretold by the fates themselves—I will never love anyone else—nor will I ever want anyone else. You see, Eric, for me—it’s not just sex—it’s sex with you. You are the beginning and the end for me. You are everything.”

* * * *

“I want you so much, baby. I need to be inside you. Turn around love.” He moved back so she could get up and position herself the way he wanted her to, her bottom raised and uplifted for him. At the delectable invitation, he began to guide his huge shaft deep inside her. Then he positioned her, sitting astride him, with her back to his face. She began to ride him, setting a rhythm that he aided by lifting her hips and thrusting upward like a heat-seeking missile. “Evangeline, you drive me insane. Lay back against me, babe. I want my hands on your beautiful breasts.”

“Are you sure this won’t hurt you? We’ve never done it like this before.” Evangeline lay back; her head next to his, but just a few inches lower, using his shoulder as a pillow.

“Oh, my love, this is very natural position for me. How does it feel for you?” Before she could answer, one large hand enclosed a breast and the other began to caress her clit. With upward thrusts of his hips and the hungry movements of his hands he made her heart sing. “Move baby, move all you want.” She gratefully met his movements with ones of her own.

“Eric, I could scream with pleasure. This feels incredible. I’ve missed you so.” Bending his knees, he let himself go, ramming upward, impaling himself over and over again in her liquid heat.

“Oh, baby, I love you. I love you so much.” He raised his head and kissed her on the cheek and on the neck, all the while finding paradise with every jack-hammer stroke of his hips. At his tender admission, Evangeline came with a force that surprised her. She ground down on his shaft, words of love tumbling from her lips, her whole body quaking with sheer bliss. Eric tightened his hold on her absorbing her pleasure.

“You are mine, Eric. You belong to me. I can’t live without you.” Her admission in the face of his jealousy and their misunderstandings humbled him. How in the world had he ever merited a woman like this? He rubbed his palms over her nipples, making her gasp, even as her inner muscles milked his shaft. The torturous delight of her sensuous massage robbed him of sight and coherence, and he rammed upward one final time, convulsing underneath her even as she vibrated above him. He ran his hands over her body from neck to thigh, branding her as his own.

Lifting her by the waist, he turned her to lie next to him, her head on his arm, face to face. “Do you understand now, love?” Evangeline soothed a hand over his hair-roughed chest. “Zak is not a factor. I’m sure he is wonderful. My mother trusts him enough to place her survival into his hands.  But you—you are so sexy you make my mouth water. My nipples ache when I’m around you and I am constantly aroused—dripping wet—if you’re near.” Looking up at him and seeing the heat in his eyes, she let her tongue dart out and tease the nipple that was too tempting near her lips. “And if that’s isn’t bad enough—I worship the ground you walk on. I would die for you in a heartbeat, did you know that?”

“I don’t deserve you. No man could deserve you. You are Heaven sent.” His words bathed her in a cocoon of warmth and love, but she couldn’t resist teasing him just a bit.

“Heaven-sent? I don’t think your dad would agree with you.”

“No more of that, babe.” He pressed butterfly kisses all over her face, trying to eradicate any memory of his family’s poisonous words he knew had pricked her very soul. “I am totally and irrevocably in love with you, Evangeline. And that is all that matters.” She clung to him and tears of happiness flowed from her eyes.

But their time of sweetness was shattered when an ear-splitting crack reverberated through the bedroom, a shower of glass rained havoc over their previous peace. Immediately and without thought, Eric covered her small body with his large one.

“Was that a gunshot?” He could barely register her voice; Eric was full of shock and an iron-clad determination to protect her from harm.

“Yea, don’t move baby.” He started to rise up, when she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him back down.

“Don’t you dare step in front of that window.”

They could hear Zak’s footsteps as he came down the stairs. “I’ll be careful, love. Stay low. You wait here until I come for you. I’m going to get the youngster, load the luggage and come back for you. We’re heading out of here tonight. I’m not letting you stay in this house a moment longer than I have to.”

“But what if the shooter is still outside?”