Lovers and Other Strangers Box Set: The Boston Stories (42 page)

    Violet looked at Marie-Hélène and she just shrugged. As they were walking out the door Violet turned and looked back at him. "Allyn, you seem different, but I can't put my finger on what it is. Is everything alright?"

    "Everything is fine, my dear. Maybe I am just content." She wrinkled her nose like that couldn't be it and made a face at him but left to catch up with Marie-Hélène.

    Allyn walked into the restaurant and was shown to the loudest table in the place. The women had poor Michael trapped. As he got closer he had to clench his teeth at what he saw in front of him. He knew there had to be a perfectly logical reason why the woman he loved was stroking his brother-in-law's face in front of his sister.

    "What is going on here?"

    "Oh, Allyn, Marie-Hélène was just about to read Michael's future."

    "Non, non, Violet it is not 'is future. You make me sound like a gypsy. I can read 'is character and deepest desires." Michael blanched.

    "Darling do you think this is such a good idea? I mean if she really can..."

    "Michael, darling, the things you like to do in bed are not all that deeply hidden, really." Violet burst out laughing and Michael turned crimson. Allyn almost felt sorry for him but he couldn't help laughing too. "Oh, Michael darling, just let her touch your face. Really, you're the one that is supposed to be clinically rational."

    "Yes, well, since I live with you now, I feel anything but rational."

    "It is called being in love dear, and you'll get used to it in twenty or thirty years. Come on!" Allyn looked at Michael and just shrugged.

    "I knew you were done for as soon as I walked through the door old man. With the two of them together you can't possibly win, you can only hope for a negotiated surrender." Michael turned warily to Marie-Hélène.

    "Hell, let's get this over with. If you come up with any truly dark secrets can you at least keep your voice down so you don't destroy my career." Both of the women just laughed at him. Marie-Hélène closed her eyes and fluttered her fingers over Michael's face from his forehead to his chin. Allyn sat on the banquette next to Violet and tried not to cringe, Michael was madly in love with his sister. It didn't change the feeling in the pit of Allyn's stomach that wanted to pull her hands away from any other man and make sure she only ever touched him.

    "Hmm, Violet is a lucky woman." she smiled but kept her eyes closed to continue with her 'reading'. "Very smart, bien sur! Caring, longs to be part of a big family, 'ides 'is animal nature from the world." Michael shifted uncomfortably. "worries that 'e is not 'elping enough people." Marie-Hélène opened her eyes and moved to sit across from Allyn.

    "Yes, well everyone hides their base instincts from the world." Michael coughed and the women laughed at him again. Allyn was just glad it wasn't him under their inspection.

    "I'm more interested in what she said about you wanting to help more people."

    "It's funny, that has only really come up since meeting you darling. I see the work your foundation does all over the world and I end up feeling rather insignificant. It is not a position us surgeons are used to, or at all comfortable with. We tend to be the center of our little universes, as you may have figured out."

    "Yes, dear." Violet gave her husband a very knowing look. Allyn didn't understand all of what went on between them but the love and desire they felt for each other shown so clearly on their faces it was almost embarrassing to watch, and made him jealous as hell. He wanted to be able to look at Marie-Hélène like that, openly without a thought as to who might see. His thoughts were interrupted by the woman in question.

    "Allyn, you should have taken one of us with you to get your glasses. These frames are too..."

    "Stuffy? Boring? Old-fashioned? I am not some French pop star La Reine. I am old-fashioned, and a little stuffy and I suspect even a bit boring. These glasses are fine." He smiled and felt the box of contacts in his pocket. Boring Allyn Bellows might wear glasses that didn't mean mysterious and sexy Mr. Smith needed to. He smiled again just to think about her saying it. He hoped to hell she wasn't disappointed when she found out it was just him.  

    "Marie, you don't have to do this. As I said he is perfectly normal but has some strange notions sometimes, this would be one of them." She smiled at him like she was being given some wonderful treat.

    "Non! It is interesting. Very mysterious, I like the idea. Will I have to stay blindfolded the entire time? How will I eat? Eh, we can figure all that out. Do I look good?"

    "You look wonderful." She did too in her own disheveled perfectly French way, faded slightly too short denim skirt in tatters at the edges. A boy's white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up just below the elbow showing off her tanned arms and those silver bracelets. It was also unbuttoned in a deep V that left no doubt she'd gone without a bra as usual. Her hair cascaded down her back leaving him itching to run his hands through it now. If he weren't the one she was dressed for he'd be horribly jealous, as it was, he felt he should play at the stern protector anyway. "Isn't that skirt a little short?"

    "Bouf, what do you know about fashion? It makes my legs look good, non?" She had him there and her legs didn't need any help looking good. He looked at the shirt again and saw the faintest blush of her nipples through the fabric.

    "Um, your shirt is... perhaps a sweater?" She looked down at her chest and then back up at him.

    "It is suggestive mais, not risqué? I will be blindfolded, Smith will not, oui?"

    "No, No he will not." At least if she was blindfolded she wouldn't see his erection all through dinner. "He will be here soon. Do you want help putting the blindfold on?"

    "Oui, If you tie it you can avoid my 'air. You can help me to the study so I can wait for 'im?"

    "Certainly, I'll bring him to you and make sure you are comfortable before leaving you. Again, you don't have to do this."

    "Allain, I am not a child and I like that he is making this first meeting interesting. Usually they are so strange."

    "You mean awkward?"

    "Oui, that is the word. Now help me with my blindfold, I am excited to meet 'im." Her nipples were now tight buds under the silky cotton fabric. He took a deep breath and pulled one of Violet's silk scarves from his pocket.

    "Turn around." He folded the scarf in a wide strip and secured it behind her head. "There is it comfortable enough, can you see?

    "Oui, I am comfortable and non, I can not see." Her skin was actually flushed from the excitement. He wanted to pull her into his arms now and kiss her as he'd dreamed but he restrained himself. "Give me your arm and I will take you to the study."

    "Allain, you will be here, non?"

    "Of course. I will always be here for you."

    "Bon, take me to the study." He took her to his study and put on some music for her to listen to while he changed in to other clothes and put in the contacts. When he got back to the study he cleared his throat and announced 'his guest' and told her again he would be nearby if she needed him. Then he stepped forward and greeted her. He felt more than a little ridiculous. This charade would fall apart if she recognized his voice so he used the worst, most over bearing accent he could think of.

    "Well, howdy darlin'! Doncha look just pretty as a picture." It hurt his own ears and he almost laughed when she cringed at the badly done heavy Texas drawl. "I hope y'all don't mind my little game, I promise y'all, my momma raised only gentlemen, so y'all have nothing to fear. Allyn said dinner was ready for us. Can I take your hand and escort you in?"

    "S'il vous plâit, monsieur." She extended her hand and he took it in both of his and kissed the back of it. She could feel his eyes rake over her body. "I don't know how I am going to eat monsieur, I am going to be completely in your 'ands."

    "Ands? Oh, you mean hands. In-that the cutest thing y'all don't say those Hs. I'll take care of all your needs tonight." He nearly choked on the double entendre. "Are you comfortable darlin'" She shook her head yes. "If this is too much for y'all, I can just leave. I'm not gonna lie to you it would hurt to leave a beautiful woman like you but I don't want you scared of me either." She kept her face placid but she had every intention of seeing just how far he was willing to take this amusing game of his.

    "Monsieur, I think I will enjoy your little game. I was thinking about your need of it. I fear you must think you are ugly. However, French women like their men mmm, not too pretty, it makes us look more beautiful. You 'ave seen our Président, non?" He burst out laughing. "Ah, so that is the secret of a French woman's beauty. I may never look at them the same way again. I don't know if I would be considered handsome but ugly? No, I don't think I am that either."

    "Will you let me touch your face, monsieur, that way I could judge for myself."

    "If it would make you feel more comfortable...Darlin'" She smiled he was already forgetting to use that awful accent.

    "Oui, I would very much like to." She felt him take each of her hands in his, pressing a kiss into each palm and then hold them against his cheeks. When he released them she began to feather her fingers across his brow. The poor man carried the weight of the world. His sad lost boy eyes were next. She stroked her thumbs over his cheeks and smiled. She had known all along but now she was positive.

    There it was on his left cheek just below the corner of his eye. The scar she had given him when she was eight years old. One of her pranks went very wrong and he had gotten hit with a metal bucket. She had run away and howled in grief that he would never love her now because she had hurt him. He had found her and assured her all the girls were going to think he was much more dashing because of it. She had howled louder. It was not nice but she did think he looked dashing with it and especially knowing she had given it to him even if it was unintentional. It was as if she had marked him as hers even then.

    His nose was straight and strong, a little bump to give it gravity. His jaw was also strong and defined. She wanted to run her lips along it, not yet, maybe after dessert. Last were his lips, such a sensual mouth that made a lie of all his restraint. That mouth was for making love to a woman.

    "You are a liar, monsieur. You are handsome, though your mouth I sense is a little cruel."

    "Cruel?"

    "Oui, Monsieur, I will not know for sure till later."

    "Why later?"

    "When you kiss me, bien sûr." She heard him give in to the slightest gasp.

    "Oh, of course. Dinner first though?"

    "Mmm, yes, you will have to feed me unless you want me to take off the blindfold?"

    "Not yet, I like the idea of feeding you. I will sit here so I can reach you more easily. The chef made some wonderful food. Here try some of this." She felt a spoon at her lips and opened them to taste Lobster Bisque. Unfortunately the spoon was too full and some dribbled down her chin. She heard him suck in his breath and then he leaned forward nibbling the drip from her chin to the corner of her mouth. Her head swam with the contact. Her blindfold was making him more daring also.    

    "I think Smith, you should kiss me now so I can see if you are cruel or not." She felt him shift and give her a quick peck on the cheek. "Ah, so now I know why you wanted me to wear the blindfold, you are not a good lover."

    "I... That is not how I would make love to you."

    "Then you should kiss me as you would make love to me." She felt his arms around her as he pulled her in to him. He had changed his clothes, no longer did he wear his stuffy suit but a polo shirt and linen pants. She ran her hands over his chest. The muscles under her hands surprised and pleased her. He had not gone soft as he had gotten older. She felt the lightest brush of his lips at the corner of her mouth. When she sighed he moved and deepened the kiss. She clutched at him to pull him closer, she needed more contact. Not just with her hands but with her body against his. She whimpered with need. The sound set off his own urgency.

     He swept her mouth with his tongue stealing her breath.  He must have wanted to be closer too because when she pulled away to drag in a breath he pulled her on top of him. Again he claimed her mouth, cradling the back of her head. His kiss held both tenderness and raw passion. Both made her ache with longing. His hands stroked the back of her neck and the base of her spine and she turned liquid under his touch. The silk tied across her eyes seemed to have heightened her senses. Her skin glowed with heat where he touched it. Finally she pulled away.

    "Mon Dieu!" She was panting to get enough air. She turned so that she now straddled his thighs. It was now her turn to kiss him and she was going to make it count. She began at the V on his chest. She swirled her tongue against the skin there and smiled at his soft moan. She memorized the feel of his skin in minute doses. She had been waiting too long for this to have it be over so soon. She found the notch at the base of his throat with her fingers and leaned forward to dip her tongue there. She felt more than heard him growl. Her body responded before she could think, grinding her hips to his, brushing the hard points of her chest against his, answering with a growl of her own. Then she was clawing at his shirt even as she nipped at the cords of his neck. Finally she worked the hem of his shirt loose so she could get to him. His skin tasted of heat and male. She needed to touch more of him. It was like being able to breath after being underwater. She skimmed over his chest and felt the muscles twitch. Her tongue worked along the muscles in his shoulders. She moved to sculpt his face and neck with her hands when she felt his large hands around her wrists. Gently but firmly he removed them from his neck and pinned them on his knees behind her.

    She could imagine what she looked like, her back arched, pushing her breasts out, flushed with her arousal, her shirt open, and the silk scarf blindfolding her. She could hear him trying to catch his breath.