The Tempting: Seducing the Nephilim. D. M. Pratt

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СКАЧАТЬ to send Beau away. Millard knew what no one else did.

      When Beau came back from the dead and Eve …. well… happened, A.V. stepped in, stepped up and stood by him. He never left his side. Their friendship picked up and just kept going without a single hiccup. Yes, secretly, A.V. kept a candle of hope Beau would see him as he saw Beau, until the day Eve woke from her coma. When the call came, A.V.’s heart broke again. He thought, though beautiful and smart, Eve was not worthy of Beau’s love or trust. He didn’t trust her, just some “gut somethin’ southern lawyers have,” he told Beau. Beau said he loved her from the first moment he laid eyes on her and that was that. A.V. never said another disparaging word about Eve or about his deeper feelings for Beau. He was asked to be the best man at the wedding and, after the wedding, to stand Godfather to Philip along with Cora as Godmother for the christening. Friendship was his fate and he accepted it to keep Beau in his life.

      As they stepped out of the building and into the street, they were assaulted by the sweltering air that made everyone move slower. It was why the south was the south: that unbearable humidity could suck the sweat out of you and leave you limp, lazy and soaked. The tiniest breeze rolled off the river and cooled their wet faces, giving a small respite from the heat of the late afternoon. It felt good and carried the sweet smell of chicory coffee and freshly fried beignets covered in a thick dusting of powdered sugar. Beau could see A.V. was as tense and angry as a caged tiger.

      “What the hell was that legacy bullshit about?” A.V. asked finally.

      “Let it go,” Beau said. “I have. All of it.”

      A.V. started to pursue the line of questioning, but one side glance from Beau stopped him in his tracks.

      “Well, fine, because this whole cluster fuck is an exercise in futility. They can’t win. You know it, I know it and those arrogant old toads up there know it,” A.V. said.

      “At five hundred dollars per lawyer, per hour, they’ll drag this out and earn enough to satisfy their coffers,” Beau said.

      “Not if I can help it,” A.V. said.

      A.V. breathed in the air. He filled his lungs, letting out a huge sigh to expel all the frustration from the day. Beau followed his lead and visibly relaxed. He rolled the last of the tension off his shoulders with a shrug.

      “You got time for a drink or a coffee?” A.V. asked as they walked.

      “I do, but I want to go home and see Eve and hold my son. Remind myself of the reasons I’m staying in New Orleans and fighting to get my life back,” Beau said.

      “Back? You know, you never told me where you were all those years Millard was looking for you.”

      “I know and I am grateful you never asked,” Beau said.

      “You must know I’m curious as hell; have been since you showed up.”

      Beau stopped and looked at A.V. for a long time. Perhaps he was sizing him up or considering if he should share some part of “the lost years” as A.V. jokingly referred to them.

      “Let’s just say I was doing all the things we promised we’d do and then some,” Beau said.

      “That sounds ominous,” A.V. said.

      A.V. looked at him. Beau knew by his even stare that A.V.’s “lawyer gut feeling” was twisting around inside his stomach, in turmoil from a thousand unanswered questions.

      Beau had always been a bit of a mystery, even as a kid.

      “It is,” Beau said with a laugh as A.V. rolled his shoulders and continued walking.

      “I have a couple of buddies who did a few tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. They say the same thing.” A.V. pointed to Beau’s eyes. “They have the same look in their eyes when they say it too. Seen stuff you wish you hadn’t and can’t erase the images from your mind.”

      “Let’s just say I promised I wouldn’t tell and it’s very important that I keep that promise,” Beau said.

      “Let’s just say, whatever it is, when you’re ready to share, I’m here to listen.”

      “I know and thanks,” Beau said.

      “We’ll get through this bullshit with Millard and the Trust too. I’ll make sure the Gregoire Estate is yours, Eve’s and Philip’s. Hang in there.”

      Beau and A.V. shared a hug. A.V. turned, walked away and in a moment, disappeared into the crowd that filled Royal Street.

      Beau watched him go. Millard’s threat gnawed at him as he headed to the sanctuary of the one place he knew he should never have come back to.

Chapter Five

      That night Eve sat at her vanity and brushed her hair. It was a ritual her mother had taught her. Eve found it relaxing. Each stroke seemed to pull away all the stress and left her to relax in the moment. She looked at herself in the mirror. The dark circles seemed more evident this evening than at any other time. She hated wearing makeup, but tonight she wanted to look exceedingly pretty for Beau. He had been in New Orleans most of the day arguing with the lawyers, fighting over contracts and trying to undo what his grandfather had done. He’d missed both dinner and his most favorite ritual of putting Philip to bed. Eve heard the sound of his car driving up their gravel driveway. There was a long pause before the car door slammed. She wouldn’t be able to hear Beau arrive once they moved into the big house. She wondered what it would be like living in the monstrously large main house of Gregoire Manner.

      Eve dabbed a little concealer on the dark circles under her eyes and pulled out her favorite scent- a small blue crystal bottle of pear and amber oil from Egypt that Cora had given her. She dabbed her finger and traced down her long neck and into her décolletage, letting the oil ride in between the cleavage of her breasts. They were high, full and pressed against the tight bodice of her cream-colored nightgown. She listened to the noise downstairs in the small study just off the parlor as Beau uncapped a crystal decanter and poured himself a glass of single malt scotch. It must’ve been an incredibly stressful day—he wasn’t a drinker. A few moments later she heard his heavy steps coming up the stairs. She tied her hair back into a long braid and tied a small ribbon at its end. It was loose enough so that if he ran his fingers through her braid, it would tumble apart. She knew that playing with her hair was one of his pleasures. Eve stood and lit scented candles. She dimmed the lights in the room. She felt his presence at the door before she turned, the match still between her fingers.

      “How was your day? We missed you,” she said.

      Beau barely looked at her as he crossed the room while pulling off his clothes and headed into the bathroom.

      “I’ve had better,” he answered.

      The next sounds Eve heard were his shoes and pants falling to the floor. The metal on metal of the shower curtain being pulled back blended with the squeaky turn of the handles inside the shower and the sound of falling water. She peaked through the crack in the door and watched the steam billowing up as the hot water from the shower clouded the room. She stood and watched the wet, bare shoulders of her husband-to-be glisten in the dim light. He had a broad, muscular back that curved into his high, firm ass, all perfectly balanced on two, long powerful legs. Eve liked how thick and strong his thighs were. She liked his body. She loved his hands. She СКАЧАТЬ