Mating Fever (5 page)

“I don’t think so.” She gasped as his tongue
thrust, wet and hot, in her ear, sending goosebumps chasing over
her skin. He withdrew it, then tugged her earlobe with his teeth
before swiping a wet path behind her ear.

“Mmm. You taste good. I could eat you
right here,
chere
.”

Why did he make her feel so weak and
vulnerable? She couldn’t scrape him off of her. “Please don’t.”

“You don’ sound sure. You sound like maybe
you think yes.” His voice dropped an octave, making her quiver with
sensual promise.

With an effort, Jessica reined in her
careening libido. “I think I said no, Gabriel. You’re embarrassing
me.”

He pulled back and studied her with
mirth in his eyes and a lazy grin. “I hardly got started. Ah dis
color is a blush? It looks sweet on you,
chere
. Such a preddy face, why you hide from
me?”

Jessica’s face flamed even more at that
remark. She was gratified when, reluctantly, he released her. She
resisted the urge to wipe her kiss dampened skin, cooling in the
climate controlled air. He grinned at her as if he knew exactly
what she wanted to do.

Jessica glared back, then her eyes narrowed.
“You didn’t just happen by, did you?”

He looked wounded. “You don’ trust
me,
chere
?”

“I don’t know you,” she said indignantly.
“Why should I trust you?”

“Because I am your champion. And I have
decided to sacrifice my day and put myself at your disposal. I will
show you Nawlins.”

“That’s so thoughtful of you. But I have a
tour guide. I believe I can find my way around.” She brushed past
him and strode from the hotel. He fell into step beside her, not
looking the least perturbed by her determined efforts to brush him
off.

“We should go for coffee, and luncheon at the
Bayou Cafe. And then you must tell me what sites most pique your
interest.”

Jessica stopped and stared at him. The
truth was, she really
didn’t
know her way around New Orleans, and it had occurred to her
before that knowing a local would help her in her quest. She
couldn’t really afford to hire a tour guide--not if she wanted to
continue having a hotel room or money to buy things to eat. “All
right. I’ll have lunch with you. But I warn you, if you try
anything, you’ll draw back a nub.”

He smiled that toe curling grin again
and made a sweeping gesture with his arm. “After you,
cherie
.”

She stopped in her tracks and gave him a once
over. “Wait a minute. Are you going like that?” Never in her life
had she seen a restaurant that would allow patrons to go in half
naked.

“Somethin’ wrong? You don’ like what
I’m wearin’? I’m hurt,
cherie
.”

“Well ... uh ... there’s just so much
of you ... exposed.” Jessica blushed as she realized she was
staring at his crotch. Not that it was exposed. She probably
wouldn’t still be standing if it had been. She was sure the sight
of
that
would make her
faint.

“Not exposed enough for what I’d like to do,”
he said, full of promise.

“And what would that be?” she asked and
immediately regretted it.

He grinned. “Gimme some time, I show
you.”

“That’s not necessary. I’m sure it’s
pretty--” She looked pointedly at his chin, trying very hard to be
good.

“And fun to play with. You ever slid down a
pole?” He hooked his thumbs on his pockets, emphasizing the object
of their--his discussion.

She blushed straight to her roots and
realized all attempts at not being a pervert had failed. She was
too curious by half about how he looked without his clothes on. Why
did she feel like a prude all of a sudden? “I’m not even going to
think about what you just said. Can’t you at least button your
britches?”

He looked down at himself, fingering the half
open fly deliberately to make her look at it. “Scared d’serpent
gonna break free and bite you? I promise, he just nibbles. He likes
warm hidey holes bedder anyway.”

Jessica strangled on her saliva and coughed
with embarrassment. She took a deep breath to recover before giving
him a hard stare. “Well, it isn’t getting anywhere near this hole.
I thought you were going to behave?”

“You started it. I’m just waitin’ for you to
move so we can go.”

Jessica spared him a warning glance and
stepped outside, waiting for the doorman to hail them a cab to take
them to Bayou Cafe. Gabriel said nothing as they made the five
minute drive through traffic, but it wasn’t like she could ignore
his presence. He seemed to fill the confined space and wind her
nerves tight, until she felt ready to spring at any moment. He
watched her constantly, as if eating her with his eyes, and Jessica
had the unnerving notion that he could see straight through her
clothing.

The cab stopped and Gabriel paid, then held
the door open for her as they entered the cafe. The scent of
sausage and spices filled the air with a tangy nip, and Jessica’s
stomach began to rumble with hunger.

“Mmm. Smells good,” she said, taking a seat
at a booth.

“Dey serve the best gumbo in town,” he said,
sliding in beside her.

“Can’t you sit on the other side?” she asked,
trying to scoot away and get some distance.

“I could, but I won’t.”

Jessica tried to ignore him, but it was
nearly impossible when he slipped his arm on the back of the booth,
right over her shoulders. Jessica cleared her throat noisily,
trying to warn him off, but he recognized hints about as subtle as
he flirted. Finally, she looked over the menu while he played with
a lock of her hair, wiggling her shoulders as he tickled her with
it.

A waiter came up and offered her a brief
reprieve. “Are you ready to order?” he asked.

“I’ll have d’gumbo special, a coffee, and a
glass of water.”

“I’ll have the same,” Jessica said, setting
the menu aside.

Gabriel gave her a look. “Bedder bring
us a pitcher of water.” The waiter smiled and walked away. “Can you
stand the heat,
chere
?”

Jessica wiped her hands nervously on her
skirt, squirming to get comfortable and failing. “I could probably
handle it better if I wasn’t so close to the fire.”

Jessica saw that sultry grin from the corner
of her eye.

“You have no idea,
chere
.”

She thought she probably did. Changing the
subject, she asked, “Why’d you send me to that shop last
night?”

“Mikel’s?”

“Yes.”

“He’s good, no?”

Jessica fingered her necklace, playing with
the medallion. “Very. But I just get this feeling you wanted me to
do more than just get this fixed.”

The waiter came back with their water, and
Gabriel took a sip before answering. “Did Mikel tell you a
story?”

Jessica twisted in her seat to watch him
suspiciously. “Don’t tell me you believe that crap too? Wait, this
is a trick, right? Some little thing y’all do to the tourists to
bilk them out of money?”

The food arrived before he could answer, and
she soon forgot all about it as her mouth caught on fire. Gabriel
dug in to his meal with gusto, while Jessica nibbled at hers. Her
tongue burned like a torch, and she had to take two sips of water
for every bite of food. She didn’t know how he could stand it.

He paused, studying her. “So how do you
like gator gumbo,
petite
? Too
spicy for you?”

“Alligator?” Jessica’s stomach protested
instantly. She dropped her spoon in her bowl.

“Oui
.”

Despite her sudden ill feeling, the delicate
meat she’d thought was chicken was actually quite tasty. “It’s
good. But yes, it’s too spicy for my tastes.” She pushed her bowl
away and fixed her coffee, heavy on the cream and sugar.

“I could show you a bedder spice. It goes
down smooth as silk and heats you from da inside.”

Jessica chuckled despite herself. “You’re
incorrigible. Shut up and eat your food.”

Gabriel finished off his
and
her gumbo and stretched out his
legs when he was done, rubbing his stomach as he sipped his black
coffee.

Jessica looked at his hands wrapped around
the mug and wondered if everything on him was as big. She blushed
at the thought and knew he’d begun to corrupt her.

“So what are you doin’ down
here,
chere
?”

She didn’t see much harm in sharing her past
or why she’d come. “I came looking for my birth parents. I didn’t
find out until I got here that they died years ago.” It pricked her
heart that she’d never known them, that they’d given her up for
reasons she’d never understand or know. Maybe it was too personal
information to give to a near stranger, but she thought it would
help her feelings having someone to share with.

“I’m sorry,
chere
. What were their names? Nawlins can be an
intimate place.”

“Shelly and Jacques LaValle.”

He stiffened and straightened in his seat,
setting his coffee down.

Jessica noticed his strange reaction, getting
her hopes up. “Do you--did you know them?”

He wiped his mouth with a napkin,
balled it up, and threw it onto the table while she watched him
intently. “No,
chere
, no. I’m
sorry.”

Jessica felt downhearted. She was going
to find answers, somehow. If she hadn’t cleaned out her adoptive
parents’ house after their death in a car crash, she would’ve never
known she
wasn’t
their child.
Sometimes she wished she’d never found that damn birth certificate
in all that junk. Sometimes she wished things were as they had
been. But wishing wasn’t going to get her anywhere but smack in the
middle of depression. “Any way, I’m going to the cemetery to see
them today.”

“Which one?”

“It’s in the Garden district. I thought maybe
I’d take a tour if I find a cheap one.”

“You shouldn’ go dere.”

Jessica blinked at him. “Huh? Why not?”

“It’s dangerous for you.”

Jessica rolled her eyes, finally getting what
he was hinting at as she was brought full throttle back to the
question he’d conveniently failed to answer. “Don’t tell me you
believe that werewolf and vampire crap.”

He didn’t say anything.

“You do!” And here she thought he was normal
except for wanting to get in bed with her. Her ego suffered a
serious blow. She should’ve known it was too good to be true.

He was crazy.

“It’s against pack law for me ta go there,”
he said finally.

It was a shame, really. He was so gorgeous. A
beautiful man like that always had to have something wrong with
him. “Well, you don’t have to come along. In fact, I’d prefer to be
alone when I visit.”

“As you wish,
chere
. I just hope you can handle yourself.
Before you go runnin’ into trouble, why don’ you let me show you
around a liddle?”

Jessica was sorely tempted. She sipped her
coffee, considering it. It was still pretty early, not too long
after noon. Hell, she could probably talk herself into anything as
far as he was concerned--he didn’t have to be charming. “Okay, but
you’ll remember to behave yourself, right?”

“I s’pose that depends on what you mean
by behavin’,
chere
. Dis ole
dog don’ do tricks without a treat.” Gabriel left some cash on the
table and slid out of the booth, eyeing her appreciatively as she
got up, as well.

“This girl doesn’t give them unless she sees
something really special.”

Gabriel looked affronted as they headed
out. “You sayin’ I’m not sometin’ special,
chere
? You don’ like my tricks so
far?”

Jessica suppressed a laugh and walked along
the building shaded street. The wind flirted in her hair and skirt,
flashing a length of thigh. She caught him staring, and a little
thrill shot through her despite her mind’s misgivings. She grinned,
feeling unaccustomedly saucy. “You remind me a little of Pepe Le
Pew.”

He choked. “I stink?”

Jessica burst out in laughter. “No. You smell
really good, actually--maybe too good.” And maybe she shouldn’t
have admitted that. “No, I feel a little like the poor cat he
chases is all.”

He grinned, moving closer. “Hunted? Loved?”
He caught her hand. “You want me to kiss you all over and whisper
French nothings into your ear?” His kissed up her arm to her neck,
making noisy smacking sounds.