The Accidental Mistress (17 page)

Joi turned him around three times and then
nodded to the three men, all over six foot tall, dressed in drag.
Their cocks in sacs, the men wore thongs and fake boobs with
colorful wigs and feathered skirts. Joi stepped aside and gave them
Elliot. The men gyrated their bodies against Elliot’s from all
sides while he rolled his hips eagerly.

Christophe laughed so hard he nearly fell
over. Zuri did as well. It didn't take long before Elliot heard
more laughter than cheers and snatched off his blindfold. He looked
stunned, then repulsed at his dancing company. He shoved the guy in
front of him off and stormed off the dance floor. Zuri gave Joi a
high-five when she sat down.

"I apologize, Christophe, if we offended,
but your cousin needs to learn some manners."

"No. No. You gave Elliot exactly what he
deserved," he smiled. Zuri liked his smile. She realized he didn't
do it too often in her company. Maybe that would change.

"I'm sorry, Joi, about Elliot," he yelled
across Zuri to her sister. "Underneath all that smarmy bravado is a
good guy. He just doesn't know how to relate to women."

"And you do?" Zuri asked.
She glanced over to find him smiling.
Good, he's not offended.

"I guess we Montague men lack a bit of
finesse with the ladies. It's a long story. Maybe I'll share it
with you sometime."

Zuri gulped down the
ti-punch to keep from taking another barb at him. Why did she
constantly want to insult him? Her emotions ran high when he was
close. "So what do you think about the
Vaval
? Have you ever attended one in
the French Caribbean?"

"I have in Guadalupe many years ago when we
opened our resort there." Christophe nodded. "Let's see, it um, it
begins before Lent? Am I right?"

"
Oui
, you are." Zuri clapped. "On the
last day of Lent, we burn the Vaval King, but don't worry. He’s not
real." She nodded to the papier-mâché figure swaying in the wind.
It was attached to a ten-foot high pole to the back of the dance
floor. "We'll burn it tonight. That signifies the end of our little
performance"

"So, the Oasis does this every night?"

Zuri laughed. "The truth is
we do it weekly. Most times bi-weekly depending on the guest
list.
Vaval
is a
scared custom here. We don't want to disrespect or make light of
the tradition. We just offer a small sample as a welcoming to our
visitors. This performance, especially mine, was for you
monsieur
."

She felt him shift a little closer.

"You enjoyed it, didn’t you?" she asked.

"Well yes, but I'm surprised."

"Why?"

"I got the distinct impression you didn't
like me."

Zuri shrugged, "You and I both know that's
not true. I guess I was a bit embarrassed over how things ended
with us in Chicago. But that was years ago, and I'm a different
woman now."

"Yes you are," he rasped.
She glanced over and saw his eyes on her breasts. She sighed. Of
course it was just physical with him. Men like him never saw past
their erection. Zuri heaved her chest and gave him a full
view.
Look all you want. In the end, you
will give me what I want, Christophe Montague.

"You aren't eating."

"I
—
"

Zuri lifted her fork and fed him a small
bite of boudin. He relaxed around her and that was definitely a
good sign. When she glanced up, she saw Jean-Paul glaring their
way. Zuri needed to act before she lost her nerve or Jean-Paul
ruined things with his quick temper. He had always been protective
over her and Joi, though she knew his feelings extended a bit
further. Several members of the staff kept glancing her way as
well. Dancing would be the best cover.

"Do you want to dance?" Zuri asked him.

"I don't think I can handle it," Christophe
chuckled.

"I'll be gentle. I'm the Queen Mother,
Christophe. It's an insult for you to refuse. My offer is your
honor." She tossed her chin up proudly, her hand extended to him.
Christophe looked from her to the watchful eyes of the others.

"Well?"

"No blindfolds?"

Zuri giggled. She nodded.
"
Oui
, no
blindfolds!"

"Why the hell not." He rose. Her dancers
immediately circled the dance floor barring anyone from joining
them. Zuri noticed he shyly looked around at those watching. He
walked stiff almost wooden as she led him by the hand. He had been
led to her territory now. She allowed him to pull her close the
minute they stepped on the dance floor. She felt an eager affection
coming from him when their bodies were pressed together. Her hands
ran down the sides of his arms to relax him. She rubbed her curves
over his tall frame. He put his hands to her hips and squeezed.
Oddly enough, his touch felt confident and firm. Zuri turned slowly
against him to give him her backside. Rolling her hips and pushing
her ass into his groin, she grabbed his arms and crossed them in
front of her. She instructed him in the dance of lovers, the
Martinician way, and smiled when she felt the push of his erection.
He enjoyed it.

Chapter
Eleven

"Wow," Christophe looked
back. Zuri glanced back as well. In the distance the
Vaval
king went up in
flames. "That was amazing, all of it, and the ti-punch has a kick."
Christophe laughed. Again she liked the smoky warmth in his laugh.
Zuri tightened the sash to her silk robe. The night air warmed her
exposed skin as it blew in off the Caribbean Sea.

Zuri strolled at his side. The cloudless sky
was a light display of stars and constellations. She gazed up at
the half-moon, remembering how her father loved to go clamming by
moonlight. He'd tell her stories about Haiti as a boy and
adventures he and his brother's would have in the mangrove.

"What are you thinking?"

"About
Père
," she answered
truthfully.

"Who?"

Zuri sighed. "Nothing. Forget it."

His hand eased into hers
and he forced her to stop. Every time his gaze met hers, her heart
turned over in response. Facing him, she cleared her throat and
tried to appear unaffected. They stood in silence. His height and
the dim lighting outside the château’s made her tilt her head and
squint. He stared intensely as if he was photographing her with his
eyes. His gaze dropped from her mouth to her shoulders, then her
breasts. He drew in his bottom lip ever so slowly. She had to fight
the overwhelming need to brush the succulent pair with hers.
What is he waiting for? If he wants to kiss me,
I'll allow it. Maybe I can break this spell and stay focused on my
plan if we get the kiss over with.
He was
so disturbing to her in every way. He hurt her feelings and still
didn't give an adequate apology. He insulted her when he arrived.
And even now, he hadn't said word one about considering her counter
offer for the take-over. And yet, she wanted to kiss him. His gaze
returned to hers again. There was a maddening hint of arrogance
behind the small smirk tugging at the corner of his
mouth.

"You are truly beautiful, Zuri."

She took in a steadying breath before she
spoke. "It's nice out, isn't it?"

"I couldn't keep my eyes off you tonight,"
he said in a deep whisper.

Zuri felt overwhelmed. Her body had been a
twisting, writhing, foreign thing for his enjoyment all evening.
But that wasn't who she was. Her desires made her hot and cold all
at once. Maybe she should part ways with him now. Escape and clear
her head to try another seduction tomorrow. All thoughts of fleeing
dissolved when his face drew in closer.

Zuri stared into his eyes, mesmerized. Up
close, they weren't just blue but clear as liquid with flecks of
violet swirling beneath. He licked his lips and his voice dropped
to a hoarse whisper. “What do you see when you look at me? Do you
see how much I want to touch you?"

"I see... I don't know... I
thought
—
" she
cursed herself for stammering and sounding like an
idiot.

"Come with me." He began to walk, taking
long strides that made her nearly run at his side with her shorter
legs. She glanced back and around. She prayed that Joi and
Jean-Paul hadn't seen them.

Christophe led her quickly down the winding
sidewalk to the stairs to the suites. His suite! It was of no
surprise when he stopped at his door.

"Ah, I think we should say goodnight."

He used his key card and opened the door and
Zuri was pulled inside. Her heart raced wildly. The open doors to
his outside deck blew in moonlight over the hardwoods and canopy
bed with sheer drapes tied to each post. Zuri was flustered, turned
around and saw him staring at the bed. His face was unreadable. She
should make her excuse now, leave, but time wasn't on her side. She
had to make a move.

"You owe me an apology," she said
instead.

He turned his head and frowned. "A
what?"

"Apology. A proper one."

"You said you didn't want one."

"Well I changed my mind. I want it, and you
owe it to me."

Christophe's eyes searched her face,
reaching into her thoughts. She crossed her arms in front of her.
If he wanted to touch her, and she knew he did, he would apologize.
No matter what her plan was, she wanted to hear it.

"First a question. Why me?"

"Why what?" Zuri frowned.

"Why did you choose me, that night in the
bar?"

He measured her with a cool appraising look
and waited in silence for her response. She turned her head and
rolled her eyes under his steady gaze. "I didn't."

"You did."

"No." There was an exasperated sharpness in
her tone. "You walked up to me. You bought me a drink. You took me
to your room and put me in your bed. I didn't choose you."

"Then why make love with a stranger,
Zuri?"

"You only ask that question because I was a
virgin and for the record I was."

"I know you were."

"I didn't want to be one anymore, and I had
enough liquor in me to be foolish enough to think you were
deserving. It was a stupid act on my part." She steadied and
focused her withering glare. "And it wasn't love, remember?
Whatever my choices were, you were no victim Christophe. My actions
gave you no right to treat me like you did."

He nodded. "Very true. I'm sorry. I was a
complete asshole then. Hell I wanted to say it to you the next
morning but on top of being an asshole I was a coward. I even
called your school in search of you."

"Why?"

"To find you, but I was so damn drunk I
couldn't remember your last name. I'm sorry. You gave me something
special and I threw the opportunity to know you away. It's not
about you, well then it wasn't. It's about you now. If that makes
sense."

Christophe touched her elbows and drew her
to him once again. His face came in slowly and his head lowered
before he took the kiss he wanted. For Zuri, first contact was
gentle but decadent like the pour of warm honey, a slow teasing
touch of their lips that caused her head to slowly tilt back before
his tongue swept in and claimed control. Heat slid from her mouth
down through her body and she lifted her arms up to his neck. She
liked kissing. In particular, she liked kissing him. In his arms
she was powerless to resist.

His hand slid down her back and his palms
spread over both halves of her buttocks. Then squeezed before he
lifted her up against him. Her eyes flashed open when the bulking
length of his erection pressed into her abdomen. She shoved him
off. Her lungs expelled a shaky breath as moisture pooled between
her thighs to dampen the seat of her bikini bottom.

"You feel that?" he pushed his erection into
her. "That's what you do to me and have done to me all night." He
brought her back up against him. Her knees became jelly. She held
to his arms to keep from slipping off of him. Mindless, she pushed
her body against his cock in response, totally absorbed in only
him. "You were so fucking sexy tonight, Zuri, and you are now. I'm
tempted to rip this robe from you and show you what you’ve done to
me. It's like I have no control when I want you this bad. It's
making me crazy."

Christophe's mouth covered
hers with a passionate kiss that demanded supremacy. Their tongues
clashed and dueled. He turned her to the door and put her against
it lifting her so she had no choice but to wrap her legs around his
waist. He was so powerful in the ways he handled her. One hand
worked loose the tie to her robe, and the other pinned her hand
above her head, their fingers intertwining.
It's going to happen again. This is no dream. He'll take you
back there where pleasure and joy sang through your
body.

"No." She dropped her legs and pushed at his
shoulder with her free hand. He didn't hear her or care. Her robe
was open and he was pushing her up higher on the wall to get to her
breasts. Before she could stop him he had her left one freed from
the tiny bikini top. "No!" she said, wiggling against him. Her
squirming caused her to rub her sex against his chest and the
friction made her bite down on the inside of her jaw, it felt so
nice.

"Please don't, Christophe," she moaned.

"No?" He let her go and stepped back.

"I can't. Good night," She mumbled as she
fixed her robe quickly. Zuri grabbed the doorknob behind her and
turned it. Shaking her head at him, she opened it but he was
between her and the door and she couldn't escape.

"Zuri, wait." He forced the door to shut
with his hand.