Page 11 of Secrets & Desires
“I’m afraid my music knowledge extends as far as Pearl Jam and Tom Petty. That kind ofmusic.”
“I adoreboth,” Livia encouraged him. “For my undergraduate thesis, for the recital, I did a slowed down piano version of “Rearviewmirror.””
“I gather speed, from you fucking with me…”Nox quoted and their gazes locked. Livia feltbreathless.
“Anticipation is a marvelous thing,” she said softly and Noxnodded.
“Oh, I agree.” He grinned and swept her hair back over her shoulder, stroking the back of his finger down her neck. “Your skin issosoft.”
Tingling sensations were racing through her body at his touch.God, I want you,she thought. But as she’d said, the anticipation of making love with this man was electrifying. Her eyes dropped to his groin, his erection obvious in his denim jeans. She looked up at him from underneath her lashes. “I wonder how long we canholdout.”
Nox grinned. “Personally speaking, and to be blunt, I think it would be amazing to be inside you right now… But yes, let’s keep this going until we don’t have a choice. Why bow to society’s pressure to rush intoanything?”
Livia suddenly crushed her lips to his, sliding her hand over his groin and squeezing. God, he washuge.Nox gave a moan. “God, Livvy, try to make it easy on me, whydon’tyou?”
She chuckled, loving that he’d used her nickname so soon. “Listen, you have all the cards here, Mr. Billionaire. This, at least, is onmyterms.”
Nox laughed, burying his face in her neck. “You smell so good, it’sintoxicating.”
She stroked his dark curls. “How is it I feel like I’ve known youforever?”
Nox sat up and studied her. She stroked the thick dark eyelashes she had been dreaming about, and he leaned into her touch. “I know, I feelthattoo.”
She grinned at him. “Nox Renaud, we’re going to have a lot of funtogether.”
And she meant it. She wanted to erase the haunted look in his eyes forever, even if this thing between them was only fleeting. The thought caused an unexpected shock of pain—already she felt so comfortable with him, they were so in tune with each other. A small voice inside her –whispered,you don’t know him yet, but she pushed it away. For now, they would have fun and that wasenough.
They spenta blissful two hours on the riverboat, and then took a cab back to the French Quarter to an upscale burger joint that Livia suggested. Nox didn’t seem the type to turn his nose up at everyday fare and she was right, he practically swooned over the juicy burger, which was smothered in sautéed mushrooms and melted cheese. Livia grinnedathim.
“It’s good,right?”
“Damn good.” He took a swig from his bottle of beer and she grinned, picking a stray mushroom from hischeek.
“I like a man who enjoys hisburgers.”
Nox muffled a belch in his fist and apologized. Livia chuckled. “Excuse me,” he said and she kissed his cheek. There was already such a change in him now from when they had met. He was relaxed and laid back, and even the sadness in his eyes was less apparent. She couldn’t believe it was becauseofher.
“Tell me more about yourself, Nox.” Her smile faded a little and she looked at him steadily. “I’m so sorry about yourfamily.”
There it was, the wariness in his eyes, and he looked away from her for a moment. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have saidanything.”
“No, it’s okay,” he said. He wound his fingers through hers. “I can’t pretend it didn’t happen and I want to be honest with you from the start. Yeah, it was rough. That doesn’t begin to cover it, but for now I’ll just say…it took somegettingover.”
“Can you get over somethinglikethat?”
He shrugged. “Idon’tknow.”
Livia stroked the back of his hand with her finger. “I think society places too much pressure on someone to ‘get over’ things. Why? Whyshouldwe get over things? Can’t we just acknowledge that the pain will always hurt like hell, no matter how much time has passed? We just go on, live our lives, pretending we’re okay when we’re not.” She cupped his face in her hand, her eyes locked on his. “That night in the garden, you were so honest with me. I asked you if you were okay and you said you weren’t. Let’s always be that honest with each other, whatever happens, wherever thisgoes.Deal?”
Nox’s eyes were intense on hers. “How old are you, Livia Chatelaine? Because you have the wisdom of someone much, much older. Yes, ofcourse, deal.” He leaned over and kissed her. “We have so much to learn about each other, and I can’t wait. One question…I’ll be forty in two years and you’re what, twenty-three,twenty-four?”
“Twenty-seven.”
“Does the age gapbotheryou?”
Livia shifted around and sat on his lap, not caring if the other diners were watching them. She hooked her arms around his neck and nuzzled his nose. “You just said I was much older,” she whispered to him. “So…whatagegap?”
Nox slid his hand under her shirt and stroked her belly as she kissed him. The feel of his big fingers against her skin made her weak. “God, I want you.” She gave asmallmoan.
