WMIS 08 Forever With Me (35 page)

“Call her.”

Chapter One

~Kate~

“Hello?” I ask breathlessly as the cab I’m in whizzes down the interstate, heading directly for the heart of New Orleans.

“Where are you?” Savannah asks with a smile in her voice.
 

“In the cab on the way from the airport. Are you sure I shouldn’t check into a hotel room?”

“No way, Bayou Industries owns a beautiful loft that we’ll pretend you’re renting while you’re here. Come directly to the office. I have a meeting, so I won’t be able to greet you, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I reply and bite my lip as the cabbie cuts off another motorist and my stomach rolls. “I’m hoping to make it alive. I might not survive the cab ride.”

Savannah chuckles in my ear and then I hear her murmuring to someone else in her office. “I have to go. Eli will meet you.”

“Eli? I thought I’d meet with Beau—”
 

“Eli’s not as scary as we’ve all led you to believe. I promise.” And then she’s gone. The cab swerves again, and I send up a prayer of thanks that I didn’t eat breakfast this morning as I use my hand to fan my face.
 

It’s darn hot in the Big Easy.

During all the years I went to college with Savannah and her twin brother, Declan, I never did make it down here to visit them, and I can’t wait to explore the French Quarter, eat beignets, have my tarot cards read, and soak it all in.

Of course, I’d rather soak it all in while not wearing so many clothes. Who knew it would be so hot in May? I shimmy out of my suit jacket, fold the sleeves over so they don’t wrinkle, and watch as above ground cemeteries, old buildings, and lots of people zoom by.

Eli is the one Boudreaux sibling I’ve never met. I’ve seen photos of the handsome brother, and heard many stories about his stoic, tough, playboy ways. Van says the stories are exaggerated. I guess I’ll find out for myself.

Well, not the playboy part. That’s just none of my business.

Finally, we come to an abrupt stop. There’s a red cable-car on one side and mountains of concrete on the other. I stumble out into the hot Monday afternoon, and sweat immediately beads on my forehead.

It’s not just hot. It’s sticky.

But I smile despite the discomfort, tip the reckless cabbie and roll my suitcase behind me into the blessedly cool building, where a woman sits behind a long, ornate desk, typing furiously on a computer while speaking in the phone.

“Mr. Boudreaux is unavailable at this time, but I’ll put you through to his assistant, one moment.” She quickly pushes a series of keys, then smiles up at me.

She’s very smiley.

“I’m Kate O’Shaughnessy.”

“Welcome, Ms. O’Shaughnessy,” she says, holding that smile in place. “Mr. Boudreaux is expecting you.” She types furiously and begins speaking into her phone again. “Hello, Miss Carter, Ms. O’Shaughnessy is here for Mr. Boudreaux. Yes ma’am.” She clicks off efficiently. “Please have a seat. Can I get you some water?”

“No, thank you.”

Miss Efficient simply nods and returns to her ringing phones. Before I have a chance to sit, a tall woman in black slacks and a red sleeveless blouse walks out of the elevator and straight to me.
 

“Ms. O’Shaughnessy?”

“Kate, please.”

“Hello, Kate. Mr. Boudreaux is in his office. Follow me.” She smiles and offers to take my suitcase, but I shake my head and follow her into the elevator. She doesn’t ask me any questions, and I’m thankful. I’ve learned to lie well in this business, but I don’t know what she’s already been told. I’m led past an office area and into the largest office I’ve ever seen. The massive black desk sits before a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. The furniture is big and expensive. Comfortable. There are two doors, each on opposite sides of the room, and I can’t help but wonder what they lead to.

“Ms. O’Shaughnessy is here, sir.”

“Kate,” I add without thinking, and then any hope of being able to think at all is tossed right out of those spectacular windows when the tall man standing before them turns to look at me. The photos didn’t do him justice.
 

Yum.

The door closes behind me and I take a deep breath and walk toward him, hiding the fact that my knees have officially turned to mush.

“Kate,” I repeat and hold my hand out to shake his over his desk. His lips twitch as he watches me, his whiskey-colored eyes sharp and assessing as they take a slow stroll down my body, then back up to my face. Jeez, he’s taller than I expected. And broader. And he wears a suit like he was born to it.

Which, I suppose he was. Bayou Enterprises has been around for five generations, and Eli Boudreaux is the sharpest CEO it’s seen in years.
 

He moves around his desk and takes my hand in his, but rather than shake it, he raises it to his lips and places a soft kiss on my knuckles.

“Pleasure,” he says in a slow New Orleans drawl. Dear God, I might explode right here. “I’m Eli.”

“I know.” He raises a brow in question. “I’ve seen photos over the years.”

He nods once, but doesn’t let go. His thumb is circling softly over the back of my hand, sending my body into a tailspin. My nipples have tightened, pressing against my white blouse, and now I wish with all my might that I hadn’t taken off my jacket.

“Please, have a seat,” he says and motions to the black chair behind me. Rather than sit behind his desk, he sits in the chair next to mine and watches me with those amazing eyes of his.

A lock of dark hair has fallen over his forehead and my fingers itch to brush it back for him.
 

Calm the eff down, Mary Katherine.
You’d think I’d never seen a hot man before.

Because I have.

Declan, the youngest of the Boudreaux brothers, is no slouch in the looks department, and is one of my best friends. But being near him never made my knees weak or made me yearn for a tall glass of ice water. Or a bed. Or to rip his clothes off his body.

Whoa.

“Did Savannah fill you in on what’s happening?” Eli asks calmly, his face revealing nothing. He crosses an ankle over the opposite knee and steeples his fingers, watching me.

“Yes, she and I have talked extensively, and she’s emailed me all of the new-hire paperwork, as well as the NDA’s, which I’ve printed and signed.” I pull the papers out of my briefcase and pass them to Eli. Our fingers brush, making my thighs clench, but he seems unaffected.

Typical. I don’t usually inspire hot lust from the opposite sex. Especially not men who look like Eli. Which is fine, because he’s my boss and my best friends’ brother and I’m here to work.

I clear my throat and push my auburn hair behind my ear. With all of this humidity, it’s going to be a curly mess in no time.

“That’s a beautiful ring,” he says unexpectedly, nodding toward my right hand, still raised near my ear.
 

“Thank you.”
 

“Gift?”
 

He’s a man of few words.

“Yes, from my grandmother,” I reply and tuck my hands in my lap. He simply nods once and glances down at the papers in his hand. He frowns and glances up at me, but before he can say anything, his office door swings open and Declan walks in with a wide smile on his handsome face.

“There’s my superstar.” I squeal and leap up and into his arms, and Dec squeezes me tight and turns a circle in the middle of the wide office. He finally sets me on my feet, cups my face in his hands and kisses me square on the mouth, then hugs me again, more gently this time. “You okay?” he whispers in my ear.

“I’m great.” I gaze up into Dec’s sweet face and years of memories and emotion fall around me. Laughter and tears, love, sadness, affection. “It’s so good to see you.”

“Have you done anything fun since you got to town?”

“I almost lost my life in a cab,” I reply with a laugh. “I came straight here.”

“I’ll take you out tonight. Show you the French Quarter. I know this great restaurant—”

“That won’t be necessary,” Eli interrupts. His voice is calm. He’s standing now, his hands shoved in his pockets, his wide shoulders making the large office feel small. “You have a gig tonight,” he reminds Declan.

“I can take you out before.”

“Don’t worry about Kate this evening,” Eli replies, still perfectly calmly, but his jaw ticks.

I feel like I’m watching a tennis match as my head swivels back and forth, watching them both with curiosity.

“You know what Savannah told you,” Declan says softly to Eli.
 

No response.

Declan glances back down to me. “I really don’t mind calling the gig off tonight and settling you in.”

“I’ll be fine, Dec.” I grin and pat his chest. “Where will you be playing?”

“The Voodoo Lounge.”

“I might just show up.” I push up onto my tiptoes and kiss his cheek.
 

“I don’t want you wandering around the French Quarter after dark.”

“I’ll take her,” Eli offers, earning a speculative look from Declan who then gazes down at me and kisses my forehead softly.

“I’ll save a seat for both of you then,” he replies with a happy smile. “Have a good afternoon. Don’t let the boss man run you ragged.” He winks at me and grins at Eli, then slips back out the door.

“You and Declan are close,” Eli says when I turn back around. His hands are still in his pockets as he rocks back on his heels.

“Yes. He, Savannah, and I were sort of the three amigos in college.”

“Are you planning on fucking him?”

“Excuse me?” I feel my jaw drop as I stare at the formidable man before me. I prop my hands on my hips and glare at him. “That’s none of your darn business.”

He purses his lips as though he’s trying not to laugh. “It’s none of my
darn
business?”

“That’s what I said.”

He tilts his head and looks like he’s about to say more, but then he saunters to my suitcase and pulls it behind him as he gestures for me to follow him.

He’s kicking me out?

“Miss Carter, I’ll be out the rest of the day. Reschedule my appointments.”

His assistant gapes at him and then sputters, “But, Mr. Freemont has been waiting…”

“I don’t care. Reschedule. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Eli calls the elevator, his eyes never leaving me as we wait for the car to arrive. “Do you have a change of casual clothes in here?”
 

“Yes. The rest of my things are being shipped down and should arrive tomorrow afternoon.”

He nods and motions for me to lead him into the elevator.

“Eli?”

The air literally crackles around us as he glances down at me and raises a brow. He’s barely touched me and my body is on high alert and my mind is empty.

“Where are we going?”

“To your place.”

“You know where my place is?”

“I own it,
cher
.” He sighs and finally reaches over and tucks my hair behind my ear, making me shiver. “Are you cold?”

“No.” I clear my throat and step away from him. “If you’ll just give me the address, I’ll take a cab to my place.”

“I wouldn’t dream of endangering your life again,” he replies with a half-smile, and every hair on my body stands on end. Good lord, what this man can do with a smile.
 

I need to get my hormones under control. It’s simply been too long since I got laid, that’s all. And I’m not going to scratch this particular itch with this particular man. He’s my boss. My best friends’ brother.

No way, no how.

“You coming?” he asks.

Yes, please.

I realize the elevator has opened and he’s standing next to me, waiting for me to go first.

“Of course.”

“Of course,” he chuckles. “We can walk it, it’s not far, but it’s hot out, so we’ll drive.”
 

I nod and follow him to his sleek, black Mercedes, which he expertly drives down the narrow streets of the French Quarter. I can’t help but practically press my face to the window, trying to take in everything I see at once.

“It’s so beautiful,” I murmur.

“Have you been here before?”

“No. I can’t wait to walk around and soak it all in.”

He parks less than three minutes after we set off, and kills the engine. “We’re here.”

“Already?”

“I told you, it’s not far.”

“I could have walked that, even with the heat.”

“It’s not necessary to make you uncomfortable,” he replies simply and climbs out of the car, gathers my bag, and with his hand on the small of my back, leads me up to a loft that sits above an herb shop called Bayou Botanicals. I can smell sage and lavender as Eli unlocks the front door and ushers me inside where I stop on a dime and take in the beautiful.

The outside of the building is well kept and beautiful with worn red bricks and green iron railings, but the inside is brand new and simply opulent.