Behind Iron Lace (11 page)

Darcy tried to pretend he didn’t know what she was talking about. But because he was here, wearing the same clothes as the night before he knew there was no denying anything. “Yeah, well. What’s going on there?”

“Caleb’s mama is dying. Breast cancer, she fought a long hard battle, Uncle Jeb won’t go see her and Caleb doesn’t like it.”

Drawn by their voices, the older man turned, his eyes settled on him with a mixture of sadness and anger. It was the bar owner, O’Doul. He was Caleb’s uncle?

“Oh,
cher
, why you done brought dat duck into this? I warned you to stay away from him.” The words washed over Darcy like a glacier. Caleb whirled around to face him, something dark passed over his face.

“Leave it alone, Uncle, it’s none of your concern.”

“You fucking him, boy, it ain’t natural. How long before he end up like the first one?”

Darcy heard Teela gasp, Caleb grew very pale, his eyes becoming brilliant fire as he bared his teeth.
“Feet pue tan. Taut t’en grosse buche.”

“Viole merde.”
His uncle sneered back at him, launching a flow of French which left Darcy confused. Caleb answered, his voice low, his words clipped but in French.

“What are they saying?” He asked Teela who looked just as confused as he was.

“Well,
cher
, Caleb called him a son of a bitch and told him to shut his mouth. Uncle Jeb told him to go to shit then I lost them. I don’t speak real French, just Cajun English like most of us do now.” She looked just as pale as Caleb and refused to meet Darcy’s eye.

“But you know what they’re talking about?”

“I know,
cher
, but it isn’t my place to tell Caleb’s business. His uncle shouldn’t have shamed him like that in front of you. Just because he, well, let’s just say Uncle Jeb isn’t a happy person and be done with it. I got to go now,
cher
. Caleb will have me fired if he knows I told you anything. It was nice meeting you,
cher
. I hope to see you again.”

She left him standing there watching as the two men shouted angry words at each other, O’Doul threw his hands in the air and then left. Caleb just stood there, his shoulders slumped as if he carried an incredible burden.

“You hungry,
cher
?”

It took him a few seconds to realize Caleb was talking to him. “Not really.”

Caleb turned to face him, his shoulders high, his mouth hitched in a half grin, the sorrow in his eyes faded out as Darcy watched. Icy fingers gripped Darcy’s throat. He’d never seen anyone do that before. “That was my uncle, Jebadiah Lasseigne. You know him as O’Doul, he likes to pretend he is someone other than what he is. Don’t pay him no mind.”

“Sure.” The icy grip of fear became a hot tremble that slithered inside Darcy’s belly as Caleb drew near. He moved gracefully across the room, his bare skin golden under the dim lights, his eyes and his mouth did things to him, seduced him without even trying. He was breathless long before Caleb kissed him. Standing there in the middle of the bar with staff watching them, he kissed him and all Darcy could think was how far it was up to his bed.

“You want me to call you a cab now,
cher
?” his voice trembled against Darcy’s cheek. “I will if you want me to.”

“Do you want me to go?” Unsure of himself, Darcy swallowed hard.

“Stay with me,” Caleb breathed, his eyes full of pain and doubt.

“Okay,” he said just as softly, letting his hands slide along Caleb’s back. He could feel eyes on them, others watching as Caleb pressed his forehead to Darcy’s. “Upstairs, this is too public.”

Fear entered Caleb’s eyes, real fear that had Darcy sweating. He stepped away quickly, his shoulders stiff.

“It’s just me, cousin,” the waitress, Teela, spoke from the end of the bar. “No one saw anything but me.”

“Yeah, hey Teela, when Jerome gets those beignets done, gimme a holler, will ya?” Caleb’s voice shook a little which he covered by snagging Darcy’s little finger and more or less pulling him down the corridor to the stairs and up before she could reply.

Once the door closed, Darcy watched him take a deep breath. He walked into the small kitchen at the back of the large open room. “Want some juice,
cher
, or milk?”

“Orange juice will be fine,” Darcy wanted to ask more but thought it would be best not to pry.

“Teela is my cousin, of a sort, her mama is one of my
grand-pere’s
bastards,
grand-pere
means grandfather by the way. Well, she’s his daughter.
Maman
always said it’s what killed
grand-mere
, his cheating on her. I know of Teela, we have the same eyes. We suspect there are a few more.
Grand-pere
left them very little but enough to raise questions. Hell, sometimes I swear he would have left me nothing at all if
Maman
weren’t already sick and Jeb incompetent. He wasn’t a nice man.” Caleb poured two tumblers with orange juice and handed one to Darcy before he seated himself on the counter. Pushing back, he let his feet dangle. “He didn’t approve of my lifestyle. I spent a long time away from home because I wasn’t welcome here. Jeb carries on his bias, but he has no control over me. I try to keep it to myself.”

“But they know,” Darcy hadn’t meant to say it. Caleb’s jaw tightened.

“Everybody knows. I sleep with women to make them forget. It’s New Orleans, nobody cares until it’s in their face, then everyone has an opinion. I’m gay, big deal. When
Maman
is gone, keeping it quiet won’t matter as much.”

Before Darcy could think of a reply, there was a soft knock at the door. Caleb looked up in alarm as it opened and Teela came in carrying a heavy tray of food. “Damn, them stairs are steep.”

“You didn’t have to haul that up here,
cher
. I would have come and got it.” Caleb slid over on the counter opening up a spot for her to leave the tray. Darcy helped her steady it as she lowered it to rest beside him.

“I thought I’d save you the trip and the scrutiny. Jerome sent up a bunch of stuff, he’s a good man. The rest are twittering in the corner when they think I’m not looking. It’s been a long time, cuz, a long time.” She bumped his leg with her hip, her eyes on Darcy. “He is a pretty one. Oh lawd, look at him blush. Sugar baby, is sweet.”

“Stop embarrassing him,
cher
, you’ll make him run and that will make me cranky and guess where one shifty waitress will find herself.” A hint of pink infused Caleb’s face, a small smile stretched his lips. “He is sweet.”

“Remy Caleb Lasseigne Mitchell, paw-paw just turned in his grave.” She laughed, a high-pitched sound that made Caleb blush even more.

“Yeah, well, he’s just looking for someone to kiss his ass in the afterlife,” Caleb said with a snort. “Okay, get on with you, I’m hungry and you’re supposed to be taking care of my business downstairs instead of minding it upstairs.”

“I’m going, uppity cousin thinks I’m his fucking slave,” she grinned on her way to the door. Stopping she blew him a kiss.

“And lock the damned thing this time,” Caleb shouted when she was gone. “Well,
cher
, I’m embarrassed to my bones right now. You hungry?”

Darcy loved the way he ducked his eyes, the faint blush spreading lower onto his chest. His stomach made a strange little flip but Darcy didn’t think it was hunger. Oh, God. “I could eat.”

Caleb snaked his foot out and tucked it behind Darcy’s thigh. He hooked his knee and dragged him closer until Darcy’s knees hit the cabinet. Caleb smiled and hooked his other foot behind his legs, holding him close. “Then let’s get you fed.”

Darcy bit his tongue on a moan. Caleb’s voice should be declared a lethal weapon. Ripples of want and need that had nothing to do with food reverberated throughout Darcy’s body. “I like the sound of that. What’s on the menu?”

“Besides you?” Caleb nicked the corner of his mouth with his tongue, and Darcy trembled. He clamped his hands on Caleb’s thighs to hold himself upright. “Beignets… let’s see…” he leaned over to inspect the tray of food, “Strawberries, ooh whipped cream, some eggs and bacon. Orange slices. Melon. We got the basics of breakfast.” He plucked a strawberry sliver from the bowl and placed it in his mouth.

Darcy reached for a beignet but Caleb shook his head. His eyes glimmering with mischief he pulled Darcy in for a kiss. Lips then tongue. Darcy felt the sliver of strawberry slip between his teeth. Sweet nectar, he moaned into Caleb’s mouth sucking the fruit along with the man’s tongue until Caleb pulled back. “I’m going to feed you, didn’t I tell you?”

“Jesus, Caleb, the things you do to me,” Darcy whispered after he swallowed.

“Oh,
bebe
, we are just getting started on the list of things I plan to do to you.” He pulled apart a square of the fried bread. Popping one section into his mouth, he held the other out for Darcy. “They’re still hot, and so sweet you just want to lick the sugar off your fingers.”

Darcy clenched his fingers, hard thigh muscles bunched and relaxed beneath them. With a trembling sigh, he took the piece of bread into his mouth, pulling the fingers in with it. It was Caleb’s turn to moan, his eyelids fluttered as Darcy suckled the sugar from his fingers. “Oh, fuck, Darce, fuck, baby.”

Darcy eased the pressure and Caleb slid his fingers into his mouth, slowly, in and out. “You like that?” His voice was hoarse, breaking as he spoke. Oh, God, Darcy had no answer. Tingles raced along his spine, down his back to cup his balls. Caleb’s fingers in his mouth did things to him he couldn’t explain. “Do you want more?”

Darcy nodded. He wasn’t capable of speech at the moment. Caleb pulled his fingers free and while Darcy swallowed the beignet, he placed another strawberry on his tongue while he trailed his fingers through the bowl of whipped cream. Darcy opened his mouth for the kiss, taking his tongue and holding it tight before letting it go. The whipped-cream-covered fingers followed and this time Darcy grabbed Caleb’s wrist and held him still while he sucked the sweet off him.

“Merde.”
Caleb closed his eyes, his voice so low Darcy hardly heard him. “Oh, fuck, this went—oh, hell this wasn’t a good idea.”

“Why?” Darcy reached behind him and cupped his ass pulling him to the edge of the counter. Leaning into him, he touched his lips to Caleb’s licking him until he opened for him. “Isn’t this what you wanted?” He ground his cock into Caleb’s. Caleb gasped, and wrapped his legs tight around him, holding him captive.

“Not quite as quickly, but yes, I was hoping it would lead to something more than just eating.” Caleb leaned back against the wall, his mouth safely out of reach. “I want you, Darcy. I’ve never wanted anyone like I want you.”

Darcy groaned. Chills raced over his body. “Why did you pull away?” It wasn’t exactly what he thought he would say. He mourned the loss of Caleb’s sweet mouth on his.

“Because, baby, your kisses are lethal. I can’t think with your mouth on mine.” His lips quirked in a smile, Darcy noticed the bright color and slight puffiness of his lips and blushed. “I love when you blush.” He traced a finger along Darcy’s jawline. “Pretty frissons. Darcy, I want—”

He stopped speaking, a pained expression on his face. Caleb bit his lower lip as if he were unsure of himself. “I’ll do whatever you want, Caleb, just ask.” But he knew. He didn’t need to hear the words. He trailed his hand along Caleb’s stomach waiting for him to ask; he snagged the denim just below his navel and tugged. “Can I… I want to taste you.” He popped the top button of Caleb’s jeans, watching him, waiting for confirmation of his suspicion. The ridge trapped beneath the fabric growing larger would have been enough.

“Say it, Darcy, I want to hear you say it,” Caleb whispered, easing his hands under Darcy’s he popped the remaining buttons and slid his jeans down his thighs. “I want your mouth on me. I want you to make me fly with that glorious mouth of yours. Say it, Darcy, tell me you want me.”

“Caleb—” Darcy choked on the words, “I want to suck you, your—”

“Cock, baby, or dick,” he supplied the word Darcy stumbled on. “I want you to suck my cock. Oh, please Darce, sweet, pretty Darce, I want you so much I shiver with it.”

“Cock. I want to know what you taste like.” Darcy swiped his fingers through the whipped cream and offered them to Caleb. To his surprise he took them, the pressure of his mouth as he sucked him clean sent sparks of molten need spiraling through his body, to his own cock. “Oh, shit, that feels good,” His knees went weak. Withdrawing his fingers from Caleb’s hot mouth, he scooped another huge glob of cream but instead of offering it to Caleb; he slicked his fingers over the head of his cock.

“
Merde,
” Caleb hissed between his teeth, the sticky sweet fluff was cold. He arched his hips and Darcy took advantage and dragged his jeans the rest of the way down. “Oh, please, baby, just… please.”

Darcy leaned over him and caught his lips for a fast kiss before he going lower Caleb smelled nice, like soap, and whipped cream, sweat vanilla and man. Something primal throbbed through Darcy, sending his heart racing. He touched him, carefully, afraid for a moment. He was silky, and hard, and hot. The cream separated, liquid dribbled down his length like a melting ice cream cone, and before Darcy could stop to think, he pressed his tongue to the silky heat and licked the trickle away.

Caleb’s moan of pleasure gave him courage to lick his way to the head and, with one last look at Caleb, he closed his mouth over him and sucked the cream away. Caleb gripped his head, holding him tight in his long fingers. “Darce, feels so good.”

He swallowed the sticky sweet, licking the tip with his tongue. Caleb’s panting breath encouraging him to take more. Sweet turned to salty, salty to hot and oh, God, how could this taste so good. He opened his mouth wider taking him deeper, he gagged as he touched the back of his throat, relaxed and went lower. Caleb flexed his hips slowly, gently and Darcy held still letting him slide inside him. He could see his eyes from his position, the green growing darker, murkier as his passion grew. He leaned against the wall, breathing heavily and that’s when Darcy felt it, the tightening of muscles, his fingers going stiff, his cock grew hot and rigid in his mouth.