Page 5 of Secrets & Desires
“Not really, but common manners dictate I say I am. So…” His voice was deep—a beautiful, deep baritone that sent a shiver through her. Livia hesitated for a moment, then sat down nexttohim.
“Escaping from the melee? Me too. Just for a minute.” She smiled at him, noticing again how gorgeous he was, except for that pain in his eyes. She wished she could take it away for him. “Are you hiding from the mukety-mucks?”
His mouth hitched up in a half-smile. “Kindof.”
She leaned forward conspiratorially. “I won’t tell,” she whispered, and he laughed. It changed his whole face, turning it from brooding and slightly dangerous into a boyish, joyfulthing.
“Right back at you.” He looked at her name tag. “Livia. Not O-livia?”
She shook her head. “No, just Livia.” She shivered at the cool air coming up from the water. “It really isbeautifulhere.”
He nodded, and seeing her trembling, he shrugged out of his jacket and put it around her shoulders. She felt her face get hot. “Thankyou.”
They gazed at each other for a long moment, and Livia felt tongue-tied. He smelled wonderful too, all clean linen and woodsy spice, and for a moment she found herself having to resist the urge to run her fingertips over his long, thick lashes. They were so black they looked like he hadeyelineron.
She swallowed hard, the desire to kiss this stranger overwhelming and bewildering. She cast around for something to say. “I was thinking, that mist from the bayou must have known there was a Halloween party here tonight.” God, could she have sounded any dumber? She cursed herself, but he smiledather.
“I guess it must have known. I find it…romantic. Dark, malevolent perhaps. But alsosensual.”
Livia could feel a pulse beating furiously between her legs and was amazed. She hadn’t had this reaction to a man in forever…orever, if she was being honest. Electricity hung in the air between them. She had to dispel it before she did something reckless. She had Marcel and Moriko to thinkabouthere.
She nudged him with her shoulder. “Hey, you better get in there before all the food is gone. Honestly, they’re like sharks, these people. Fins and everything. The food is really good, too. I hope your bossagrees.”
Another smile, amused and sweet. “I’m sure he does.” He stood and offered his hand. “Shall we sneak into the kitchen and grabsomething,then?”
Trembling, she took his hand—the skin surprisingly soft and dry—and stood. “Okay. But afterward, you have to tell meyourname.”
Their bodies were really close now and Livia could feel his body heat through her clothes. He trailed a finger across her cheekbone and Livia shivered. She smiled, but stepped away from him. “I think we’d better get inside.”As much as I’d like to fuck you right here,rightnow.
His smile didn’t change and he squeezed her hand. “Ofcourse.”
“Nox!” They both heard the female’s voice from across the garden. “Nox, where the hellareyou?”
A thrill of panic went through Livia as her companion called out. “Right here, Ambs, keep yourshirton.”
I should haveknown…
Livia was frozen.Shit, shit, shit.This wasNox Renaud. He smiled down at her and put his finger over his lips for a second before his smile widened into a conspiratorial grin. “I havetogo.”
She nodded and shrugged out of his jacket. “Here, you better have this back. I’m going inside now,anyway.”
He thanked her, taking the coat, and with a last regretful look towards her, disappeared back towards the direction of the shoutingwoman.
“Oh fuck,” Livia hissed to herself. “Way to be unprofessional. Catering one-oh-one, don’t almostkissthe client.Jesus.”
Her face flaming with embarrassment, she went back into the kitchen and managed to work the rest of the party while avoiding any contact with Nox Renaud or his friends…difficult, but not impossible. When it became clear the party was winding down, Livia hid out in the kitchen and dealt with theclean-up.
Marcel was all smiles when he came to thank them both. “Liv, you didn’t need to do this,” he said, looking in amazement at the stack of empty, clean trays she was loading into the van. She grinnedathim.
“No problem, boss.” She made herself busy untying her apron. “Did you get goodfeedback?”
“Verygood feedback. And a somewhat unexpected bonus, which you’ll find in your paychecks. No, don’t argue. Say what you want about the Renaud family, but Nox is a very generous man. He also told me that I was his go-to caterer for the future, which isn’t saying a lot because he rarely entertains guests, but it’s stillsomething.”
“Itissomething. It’s abigsomething.” Moriko kissed Marcel’s cheek and he gave herahug.
“Thanks, Morry. He also said he’d be recommending me to his friends and clients. Good guy. Jeez, look at the time. Come on, kids, let’s get out of here. I’ll buy you both a latedinner.”
Later,at home in bed, Livia could not help but look up Nox Renaud on the internet. She flicked through pages of photos of him, drinking in the shape of his face, the green eyes that looked just as sad in his childhood pictures as in every photo of him as an adult. She traced his face with her finger. In some pictures he had a beard, which made him look even more handsome, she thought. When she began to read about his history—the murders/suicide of his parents and brother, the mysterious death of his teenage sweetheart, the years of suspicion aimed at Nox himself—she learned he’d been thoroughly investigated after the death of Ariel Duplas. Nox was only eighteen at the time and was the only suspect, but the police had completely exonerated him. The piece Livia was reading made it clear that his family’s deaths had broken the handsomeyoungman.
