Seduction's Kiss (The Allure Chronicles) (3 page)

“Somewhere else?”
Understanding crossed his face. “Oh, no. I wasn’t planning on
crashing anywhere else.”

“You somehow got the
impression that I wanted to sleep in the same bed as you?”

“You want exactly what
I do.” He arched an eyebrow.

“No, I don’t. That’s
why I jumped out of bed.”

“You were
surprised—that was the point. Now why don’t you come back to bed so
we can get things started.” He pulled away the blanket and sheet
revealing what I already knew. He was completely naked. And
completely aroused.

“Oh god.” I grabbed my
stuff as I headed for the door. My clothes from the day slipped off
the top of the duffel, so I bent to pick them up where they landed
right next to his bed. As I reached for my shirt I came face to
face with a picture of a half-naked woman, and from the looks of
the rolled-up posters beside it, there were more like it. Of
course. This perv had planned this all along. What a creep. I stood
up, and did one quick look around for the rest of my stuff. I
wouldn’t be stepping foot into his room again. I’d rather sleep on
the floor or outside.

I turned the doorknob,
and it took an extra turn. “You locked the door?” I said mostly to
myself as I opened the door.

“I figured you wouldn’t
want anyone walking in on us.” Shaun’s voice came from right behind
me.

I didn’t turn around.
What if he was still naked? “I’m sleeping on the couch. Stay far
away from me.”

“You don’t have to be
this way. No one’s going to judge you.”

“Uh, this isn’t about
being judged.” Why was I even arguing with this weirdo?

“If you change your
mind, the offer’s still open.”

“No.” If I hadn’t been
exhausted and humiliated, I probably would have done more. It
wasn’t until I was curled up inside my sleeping bag that I started
to beat myself up about how I wished I was the kind of girl who
would have slapped him. I just wasn’t, at least not when I was
sleeping in some crappy apartment in a city I’d never been to
before. The trip was definitely epic—epically awful.

I remained staring at
the wall until I heard Shaun’s door close.

“Want me to hurt him
for you?”

“What?” I whirled
around quickly, but since I was in the sleeping bag that meant I
ended up half on the floor. I say half, because a guy gently helped
me back onto the couch.

“Who are you?” The room
was dark enough that I couldn’t really see his face. Could things
get any worse? First the most attractive guy I’d ever seen rejected
me, then a weirdo groped me, and now this?

“I’m Duncan. I live
here. I’m guessing you’re here with the girl who’s in Chad’s
room?”

“Uh, yeah.” All right,
hopefully this roommate wasn’t as pervy. Shaun had called him
weird, but I no longer trusted his judgment.

“You didn’t answer my
question.” He just stood there. I tried to get a better look at
him, but in the nearly absent light I couldn’t make out all of his
features.

“What question?”

“Want me to kill
him?”

The question had to be
a joke, but he said it completely serious. He’d stepped closer to
the window so I got a quick look at his face. He wasn’t bad
looking—he had nothing on the Blond though. Not that his
attractiveness mattered. “I think he can live to see another day,
but if he goes near me again I might change my mind.”

“Ok, suit yourself.”
Duncan turned and walked away. I heard a door open and close, and
repositioned myself in an attempt to actually get some sleep.

To keep my mind off the
horrible night, I started going through the list of work I’d have
to do when I got back to campus. Somehow my tedious assignments
were relaxing to contemplate. Despite the craziness of the night, I
eventually fell asleep.

The next time I woke
up, no one was copping a feel, but Shaun was sitting in a chair
staring at me, and he was only wearing a pair of briefs.

I groaned. “What part
of stay away from me don’t you understand?” I pulled the sleeping
bag tighter around me.

“I’m just sitting in my
living room.”

“Staring at me.”

“It’s not like I’m
jacking off in front of you.” There was something in the way he
said it that made me think he’d done that in his room not too long
before. So much for the polite gentleman. Between the near nudie
pictures, the groping, and now the jerking off comment, I was
pretty sure his entire personality the day before had been an
act.

“Lovely image.” I
unzipped my sleeping bag.

He smiled. “Yeah? You
like it?”

“Oh my god. No. I was
being sarcastic.” I picked up my duffel “Now if you’ll excuse me
I’m taking a shower.” The thought of using a shower in that
apartment scared me, but I desperately needed to wash away the
remnants of the horrible night. I hoped there was a good lock on
the bathroom door.

“Want some company?” He
called after me.

I spun around. “Are you
serious?”

He smiled sheepishly.
“You can’t blame a guy for trying.”

“Yes, I can.” I headed
toward the bathroom. I needed to get changed and out of that
apartment as soon as possible. I had a feeling that Reyna wasn’t
getting up for a while, but that didn’t mean I had to wait
around.

“Man, you like this
hard to get stuff.”

“It’s not playing hard
to get, it’s telling you to get lost.” I didn’t bother turning
around. I didn’t want to encourage him at all.

Thankfully the lock was
a strong one, and the water was hot. I gave myself a few minutes to
enjoy the spray before drying off and getting dressed. I brushed
out my wet hair and tied it back into a low pony tail. That would
have to do.

I braced myself for
facing Shaun again when I opened the door to the bathroom, but he
was nowhere to be seen. I let out a sigh of relief. I grabbed my
purse and camera and stowed the rest of my stuff behind a chair. I
glanced at the microwave clock in the kitchen on my way out. Eight
thirty. Hopefully I’d find something to do that early on a Saturday
morning.

I had no real idea of
where I was going, but I assumed my best bet was the streetcar the
guys had pointed out the night before. If I got on heading
downtown, at least I could explore the city and get something out
of the trip.

The neighborhood had a
different feel in the morning. There was a quiet calmness that made
me nearly forget my insane experience with Shaun. I walked the few
blocks to St. Charles and waited on the median. I wasn’t sure how
often the cars ran, but at least I’d left Mr. Crazy behind.

After a few frantic
moments of searching, I found the exact change the driver said I
needed to ride the streetcar. I slid the cash and change into the
machine, and the driver closed the door behind me. Without any
warning the car started moving, and the jerking motion nearly had
me flying through the air. Luckily I was able to grab hold of a
pole, and then I held onto the first few rows of seats before
falling into an empty one. The car was mostly empty, and I was glad
no one seemed to notice my latest awkward moment.

As the car moved
downtown, I opened the travel app on my phone. Reyna might not
believe in GPS, but I did. I also believed in any app that could
make my life easier. I searched for cafes, and quickly recognized
the name of one. Café Du Monde. Evidently they were known for these
donut like things called beignets and chicory coffee. Both sounded
pretty good at the moment.

The outdoor café,
covered by a huge green and white stripped awning, was busy, but I
had no trouble finding a place to sit. I’d barely sat down when a
waiter walked over. I’d already decided on my order thanks to my
app. “One order of beignets and a coffee.”

The server smiled and
walked off. I was positive I wasn’t the only one ordering that same
thing.

While I waited, I
opened the app and tried to keep planning my morning. It looked
like most of the shops and galleries in the French Quarter wouldn’t
open for a while, but it could still be fun to walk around.

My breakfast arrived,
and I bit into the hot and sweet beignet. On the first bite I got
powdered sugar all over my black t-shirt. Perfect. Oh well, I’d
dust it off. The beignet was delicious, and the chickory coffee
gave me the pick me up I needed. Hot chocolate was my comfort
drink, but after the night I’d had and the lack of sleep, I needed
something stronger.

I glanced at my phone.
Nine thirty. Less than twenty-four more hours left. We were
planning to leave at eight the next morning so we’d be back in time
for a mandatory sorority meeting.

After finishing my
breakfast, I paid and wandered around Jackson Square for a while to
admire the artwork hanging from the wrought iron fence. I took some
pictures of the large Cathedral and listened to a solo violinist
performing a jazzy tune before heading over to Royal Street.

I stepped into a few
galleries, but the owners all looked at me skeptically. I wasn’t
sure if it was the remaining powder I couldn’t seem to get off my
t-shirt, or my age, but none of them thought I could afford their
work. I couldn’t, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t look.

The one exception was
the owner of a photo gallery I stopped in.

“Nice camera.” He
gestured to the Nikon around my neck.

“Oh, thanks. It was a
graduation gift from my parents.”

He set aside some sort
of book he’d been reading. “Graduation from?”

“High school. A few
years ago.”

“Great gift. What do
you use it for mostly?”

“Oh, pretty much
everything. I’ve been into photography for a while.” My parents had
bought me my first camera when I was seven, and I’d never stopped
clicking away.

He laughed. “Same
here.”

I really looked at the
guy. He was probably in his thirties. Owning a gallery in downtown
New Orleans in my thirties didn’t sound so bad.

I gazed around at his
street scenes and portraits. “Your work is beautiful.”

“Thank you. I try to
capture the essence of the city.”

“This is my first time
here. I’m impressed.”

“Really? You’re first
time in New Orleans? What do you think of the Crescent City so
far?”

I thought over my
experience. “I’m enjoying my morning.”

He laughed. “Not so
much the rest of the visit?”

“I had a bad night.”
Ok, that was too much information, but who cared. I wasn’t going to
see this shop owner again.

“Ah. I think I catch
your drift.”

I shrugged.

“You should check out
the Midnight Cauldron.”

“The Midnight
Cauldron?”

“It’s a Voodoo shop,
but with a different feel from the rest. I think you’ll find
Kalisa, the owner, entertaining.”

“Voodoo? Like
witchcraft?”

“Yes and no. You should
check it out. She’s just off Bourbon, but don’t let the address
fool you. Tell her Harold sent you.”

“Okay.” I took another
look at his work not sure what he meant by letting the address fool
me. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” He handed
me his card. “Don’t be a stranger.”

“Ok.” I pocketed the
card and headed out.

The Midnight Cauldron
didn’t look like much on the outside, but I decided to take
Harold’s advice and check it out.

Unlike most of the
shops nearby, the door was closed, but I pushed it open. A chime
jingled as I walked inside. The smell of incense hit me as I gazed
around the crowded shop. A counter spanned nearly the whole store.
I walked up to it and looked into the case.

Rabbit feet? Frogs
legs? Yeah, not the kind of stuff I needed.

“Can I help you?”

I jumped back startled
by the sudden appearance of a woman that I assumed was the shop
owner. Her long dreadlocks and mouth full of metal capped teeth
weren’t what caught my attention first. Instead it was the ample
cleavage that she had on display. The woman gave a new definition
to well-endowed. “Hi. I was just looking around. Harold at the
gallery down the street suggested I stop in.”

Her lips spread into a
wide smile. “Harold’s lovely, isn’t he?”

“I just met him for a
few minutes, but he seemed nice.” I looked around at the candles
lining the store. They were in every color imaginable and created
an eerie glow despite the small amount of sunlight filtering in
through a crack in a window.

“I see.” Her eyes
narrowed like she was sizing me up. “Is there anything in
particular you’re looking for?”

“Not really. I’m just
exploring.”

“Exploring? Where are
you from?”

“Right now I’m living
in Atlanta, but I’m from Charlotte.” I’m not sure why I was so
forthcoming with details, but I didn’t see any harm in it.

“Are you here with a
boyfriend? Lover?”

I laughed dryly.
“No.”

“Meaning you don’t have
either?”

“Exactly. I’m with a
friend.” No reason to explain more.

“Your friend has a
man?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re happy for
her, but secretly you’re jealous.” She stuck out her tongue
slightly as she smiled.

“I’m not jealous.” I
crossed my arms over my chest.

“No? You don’t yearn to
be desired, wanted?”

Of course I did, who
didn’t? “Sure, but I’m not jealous of her.”

“Fair enough, but you
want a man. I can tell.”

“Sure, who doesn’t?” I
shrugged. The conversation was turning awkward. I needed to find
something to buy so I could make a polite exit.

“I have the perfect
thing for you.” She turned and started rifling through a number of
little vials. “Yes, this should do the trick.”

“What?”

“Come on back with
me.”

“Now?” I asked
nervously. Wasn’t this a voodoo shop? What were the vials for? I
didn’t know voodoo involved potions. I decided to voice my concern.
“I didn’t know voodoo involved this stuff.” I gestured to the vials
and bottles.