Page 70 of Secrets & Desires
“You know I did. When all this is over, I’d like to do that again. Maybe even try some newstuff.”
Nox slid his finger into her cunt and moved it gently in and out, while his thumb stroked her clit. Livia could feel the excitement build again in her body. “That’s it, Livvy, just lie back and let me do the work.” Nox nipped her nipple with his teeth before taking it into his mouth as he stroked her. Livia tangled her fingers in his dark curls as he sucked at her breasts, making her nipples rock hard. Then he moved down to tongue-fuck hernavel.
“God, that’ssogood.”
“Sensitivebelly.”
“You know it.” Livia sighed as he moved further down to take her clit in his mouth, while his fingers moved up to stroke her belly. Livia spread her legs wider and Nox, his tongue dipping in and out of her cunt, began to finger-fuck her navel with his thumb, finding a rhythm that drove her crazy. He made her come again and again, before plunging his straining cock back into her. Livia cried out as she came hard, breathless and sweating, clawing at his buttocks, urging himdeeper.
At moments like these, she could pretend everything was okay, that everything was happy. Nox knew how to command her body entirely and he was relentless in making her come every single time. God, she loved this man. She would do anything, try anything he wanted to, but in the end, it came down to their animal selves, almost feral in their carnal desire for eachother.
They fucked until they were exhausted. Then, his head resting on her breasts and her arms around him, Nox fell asleep, but Livia’s mind was whirling withquestions.
This whole thing was so confusing, with a myriad of suspects. But in her mind, Livia felt sure she knew who was behind all of this, and tomorrow she would start to find out more about the man she was certain was trying tokillher.
Sandor.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Charvi Sood was surprisedto find Livia not in the music room, but at one of the computers in the college’s library. “Hey there,kiddo.”
“HeyCharvi.”
“What youdoing?”
Livia smiled at her. “Research. Charvi, you might be able to help me out.” She looked around the library then lowered her voice. “What do you know about Florian Carpentier, Sandor’sfather?”
Charvi felt cold inside. “Why doyouask?”
Livia just looked at her and Charvi nodded. “Okay, butnothere.”
They went to Charvi’s office and the older woman locked the door behind her. She offered Livia a cup of coffee and when they had their drinks, they sat on her old comfortable couch. Charvi sighed. “What I’m about to tell you, I’ve never told anybody, mostly out of respect for Gabriella’s wishes. When she died, I thought about going to the police about it, but they seemed so certain that Tynan had killed her and Teague that I didn’t want to cause Nox any more pain. That was the real reason I stayed away from him.” She sipped her coffee, collecting herthoughts.
“Before Gabriella met Tynan, and after we had decided to split up—she was worried what our relationship could mean for my career, can you believe it? —she worked a little for the Carpentier’s as a consultant. Eleanor Carpentier was a lovely woman and she and Gabriella became good friends. Then one day, Gabriella called me, hysterical. I went to her apartment to find it in disarray, and Gabriella bleeding and bruised. She had beenraped.”
“Oh, god.” Liviafeltsick.
“At first, she wouldn’t tell me by whom, she just said she couldn’t go out in New Orleans anymore for fear of seeing him. Eventually I got it out of her. Florian Carpentier was not a good man. He beat Eleanor, raped her too, I believe, and Florian didn’t even bother to hide it. I tried to make Gabriella go to the police but she swore he would kill her if she did. She swore me to secrecy and for a time it seemed like things would go back to normal. Then, about a month later, Gabriella left town unexpectedly and didn’t return forayear.”
Livia’s eyes were full of understanding. “She waspregnant.”
Charvi nodded. “She had the child and Florian and Eleanor brought him up astheirown.”
“Sandor. Sandor is Nox’s half-brother.”
Charvi nodded. “When Eleanor died, and when Florian got Alzheimer’s, Sandor took over the business with Teague. Then when Nox was at college, they all died. Over the years, I’ve tried to find reasons why Tynan would have done it, but there are still none. He loved Gabriella, and those two boys were his life. I truly believe they were allmurdered.”
Liviaswallowed. “By?”
“I think Florian got confused, thought his secret might be revealed. He went mad, shotthemall.”
“But how the hell would he have the brain power to frameTynanthen?”
“He was a vicious man, no doubt about it, and thought himself above the law. But I believe hehadhelp.”
Livia closed her eyes. “Sandor.”
Charvi nodded. “Over the years, I’ve become more convinced. I don’t know Sandor at all, so I can’t speak to whether he takes after his mother or his father. Wouldn’t any loyal son help his father, even after his father committed such aheinousact?”
