Page 6 of Secrets & Desires
Since his familytragedy and the subsequent investigation, Renaud has kept a low profile. His luxury food importing business with friend Sandor Carpentier has made him a billionaire, but this has just served to draw more attention and comparisons to other tragic figures. Many locals refer to him as New Orlean’s own Howard Hughes—a reclusive man with a myriad of secrets. Only once a year do we really get to see the man, at his annual benefit on Halloween, but it doesn’t stop gossip magazines the world over wondering about the romantic life of this devastatingly—and some say, dangerously—handsome young man. As he approaches forty, will Nox Renaud ever break free ofhispast?
God,I hope so.The thought came unbidden to Livia as she slid her finger over his photograph. Not that it would have anything to do with her, but she had sensed something special in the man she had met—that he was more than just another handsome rich boy. There were hidden depths there, she was sureofit.
When she went to sleep that night, she dreamed of Nox Renaud and his beautiful green eyes, and of the moment his lips would pressagainsthers.
ChapterThree
Amber rolledher eyes as Nox sat down at the table. It was the French Quarter, with busy streets and lunchtime crowds, and the restaurant Amber had chosen was almost full. “You’re late again, Renaud. Where’s the Rolex I bought youlastyear?”
Nox sighed, kissing her cheek. “You know I don’t like to wear it out in public. It looks too ostentatious. Not that I’m not grateful for it,” he added, seeing Amber’s frown, “it was a lovely gift, I just don’t know if it’sreallyme.”
Amber opened her mouth to argue, then gave up. Nox looked different, had seemed different—lighter—since the party. Amber had wondered if it was just the relief of getting it over and done with for another year, but it had been a week since the party and every time she had seen him, Nox had beenhappy.
“What’s going on with you?” She asked him now, and Nox, who was reading the menu, glanced up and smiledather.
“What doyoumean?”
“I mean…you look different. You look…lighter.”
“I haven’t lost weight, farfromit.”
Amber rolled her eyes again. Nox was nowhere in the vicinity of overweight. “I meanemotionally. You seem to be carrying yourself more cheerfully thanusual.”
Nox laughed, his green eyes twinkling. “DoI?”
“Fine, don’t tell me then.” Amber snatched the menu from him grumpily and sulked behind it. Nox smotheredagrin.
“Ambs…you ever have one of those moments in life, however fleeting, where someone or something just reminds you why you’re alive? Someone who sets off a thought process that makes you reevaluate your entireexistence?”
“Is this your fancy way of saying you got laid?” Amber felt a twinge of jealousy go through her and brushed it away.He doesn’t belong to you…heneverdid.
Nox shook his head. “No, I haven’t…no. I just had a moment with someone, a woman, at the party. I’d like to see her againisall.”
“Really?” Amber ran through all of the party guests in her head, and Nox just smiled and shook hishead. “Who?”
Nox hesitated and smiled ruefully at her. “Can I just have this secret for a little bit? I swear, the moment it becomes more than a…moment…you’ll be the firsttoknow.”
Amber relaxed. “Of course, honey.” She reached over and squeezed his hand. “I’m very happy for you. It’s about time you got your pickletickled.”
Nox burst out laughing and Amber joined in, her blue eyes amused. As they ordered their food, she studied her friend. They had known each other for more than half their lives. They’d been drawn together by Amber’s twin, Ariel, who had come home from school one day and told her family that she had met the most beautiful boy in theworld.
She hadn’t been wrong. Nox Renaud was the kind of boy that sculptors made statues of. That strong jaw, those perfectly symmetrical features. Big green eyes. Sensual mouth.God.More than once since Ariel’s death, Amber had wondered if she and Nox would end up together—mostly out of convenience—but he’d never made an advance and she had never found thecourage.
She had to admit, it hurt a little that Nox had finally shown interest in someone and it wasn’ther, but she could not begrudge her friend his happiness. Amber’s own love life was…complicated. She always kept two lovers at a time, but never let either near her heart. Her beauty, her wealth, her position in society—she didn’t need a husband, which made her lethal to the women of New Orleans, who kept their husbands away from her. Little did they know, Amber wasn’t interested in any of them. What she wanted was far more complex.Far more Nox-like,she told herself, then pushed the thought away. He would never be hers and she would have toacceptthat.
“So, when are you going to make your move?” She asked Nox, who blinked with nervousness. To her amazement, two spots of pink appeared on Nox’s cheeks as heshrugged.
“I don’t know. I’ve been working on getting the courage up toapproachher.”
Amber almost spat her water out. Nox Renaud—billionaire, drop-dead-gorgeous businessman—wasnervousabout asking a girl on a date. “Wow. I haven’t seen you like thissince…”
She trailed off and looked away. Ariel was always there, always between them. Amber swallowed the lump in her throat. Nox’s smile had faded and he nodded. “Ineverthought this day would come, Ambs…and look, no one,no onewill everreplaceher.”
“I know that, sweetie, but hopefully someone will mean just as much to yousomeday.”
His eyes danced in a way she hadn’t seen for years. “I hope so too, Ambs. I really hopesotoo.”
Livia triedto stop thinking about Nox Renaud as she practiced her scales up and down, using the plain rhythm to distract herself. In the week since she’d met him, her body had felt wired, her brain whirling. To have that much chemistry with someone she probably would never see again…it didn’t seem right. She faltered in her playing and then crashed her fingers down on thekeyboard.
