Tell Me Something Good (34 page)

He scanned his apartment again. “Relax,” he
told himself once more.

Soft New Orleans jazz flowed from the compact
disc player. Noel paced in front of the double windows leading to
the balcony. He alternately watched car headlights pass in the
night and stared at nothing in particular. He drank from his wine
glass, rolling the smooth Merlot on his tongue.

Crazy. He had to be out of his mind. Lyrissa
had insinuated herself into his life, hell, into his soul, with an
ulterior motive. Yet here he was, sweating for her. Maybe he should
believe in voodoo love potions, he mused.

Noel opened the window and stepped out onto
the balcony. The scent of gardenias mixed with Creole spice floated
in the air. Huge oak trees rose in the dark like hulking giants. He
loved every inch of this city even as others cursed its faults.
History oozed up from the side-walks. Noel imagined an army of St
Denis ghosts marching down Rampart Street. Sins of the fathers, he
thought. Generations of proud, greedy Creoles reached into the
future. Yet he’d come to understand his family history in a more
complete way. Not a view his grandmother found appealing, for sure.
Never mind how she railed when he dared to say Lyrissa’s name. The
doorbell chimed as if on cue. Lyrissa smiled nervously when he
opened the door. She wore white Capri pants, white sandals, and an
emerald green tank-style tunic. Her brown skin glowed as though
she’d been brushed with warm butter.

“Hi,” she said.

He swallowed hard. She’d pulled out the big
guns. His pulse pounded when she walked by him, leaving a delicate
trail of perfume behind. Noel closed the door. All he could think
of was peeling the clingy slacks from her sexy body.

“Hello,” he finally managed to say.

“How bad has your day been? Lyrissa turned to
face him with a slight frown. “You look tired.”

“ ‘Harassed’ is a better word. But the world
didn’t come to an end.” He smiled at her.

“Noel, I didn’t know about some of those
things in the paper. I—”

“Let’s not talk about it just yet. I ordered
dinner from La Madeleine’s. Wine?” He wanted to hold the ugliness
at bay for at least a few more magical moments.

“Yes indeed!” Lyrissa tossed her small
handbag onto a chair.

He handed her a glass and they went out to
the balcony. Neither spoke, content to watch the city around them.
A slight spring breeze stirred the sheer ivory draperies that
framed the window.

“So, what will we talk about?” Noel said
finally.

“Talking about us seems the best place to
start. We’ll get to the weather later.” Lyrissa wore a smile.

He drew her to him and looked into her eyes.
“Lyrissa, you should have trusted me.”

“I didn’t know you. I had to think about my
family,” she said softly.

“So do I.”

Lyrissa looked away. “We’re back to problem
number one. Your grandmother must have her way.”

“Wait a minute. Why is this all about my
family? You’ve got your own biases, too.” Noel turned her face back
to him.

“Which your relatives immediately confirmed,”
she countered.

“Not all of them. Admit it.”

“True, but that doesn’t include your parents
and grandparents. Lord, I haven’t even met your mother’s parents.”
Lyrissa shook her head. “I’ve heard about them.”

Noel heaved a sigh. “Okay, I can’t argue with
you. My grandmother is tolerant compared to them.”

“See?” She moved away.

“I wouldn’t let them keep us apart. Period,”
Noel said firmly.

“But they’d make life miserable for us. They
might even disinherit you because of me.” Lyrissa shook her
head.

He laughed. “Baby, this isn’t the eighteenth
century.”

“And what about Tremé£ Corporation? They’d
fire you and make Carlton CEO,” she persisted.

“Not a chance,” Noel retorted. “There is one
very important reason they won’t fire me—money. I’ve turned the
company around. They may be snobbish, but they’re not stupid.”

“Don’t tell me Mrs. St. Denis wouldn’t cut
you out of her will.” Lyrissa pointed a finger at him.

“Stop reading those romance novels. My
grandmother couldn’t if she wanted to. My grandfather set up an
irrevocable trust, which means the money is mine.” Noel put his
arms around her.

“Oh.” Her frown relaxed a little. “You’ll
lose all your fancy friends. I’ll never be accepted in your social
set.”

“I don’t care, it’s fewer pretentious parties
to attend. I’ll live.”

“You’ve never been on the outside looking in.
I don’t think you realize what you’re giving up.” Lyrissa traced
a

finger over the stitches of his olive cotton
shirt.

“Yes I do. People I’ve known all my life,
some of them relatives, will avoid us. I’m not naive, baby.” Noel
touched his forehead to hers.

He kissed her sweet mouth until the image of
ghosts and disapproving family faded. Desire for her spread through
him like warm oil poured on his body. The warmth turned into raw
heat when her tongue touched his. Her hands gripped his forearms as
they kissed hard. He cupped a breast. Lyrissa wiggled closer as his
thumb teased her nipple. She pulled back.

“We haven’t finished talking, Noel. Nothing
is settled.” She panted when he gently squeezed her breast
again.

“Keep talking.” He bent his head and rubbed
his lips against her neck.

“You know what I mean,” she said softly.
Lyrissa tilted her head back to let him go farther.

“I need to feel you,” he whispered. “You know
what I want.”

He led her inside and did just what he’d
fantasized about for days. He removed her clothes slowly and with
relish.

Lyrissa opened his shirt and planted moist,
hot kisses all over his chest. She took her own time removing his
pants, her fingers caressing him until he cried out. They paused
briefly while he put on a condom. Lyrissa pulled him on top of her
as they went down to the floor. There would be no long foreplay
tonight. Instead, Lyrissa guided him inside her and wrapped her
legs around him. Noel moaned again at the sensation of entering
her. He was enclosed by a deliciously hot, wet satin.

“Please, baby,” she whispered.

“Not yet. I’m going to make you wait,” he
whispered back and lay still. In truth, he wanted to savor the
first few moments of being engulfed, sucked under into a wonderful
world.

Impatient, she rocked her hips and whispered
his name. Noel couldn’t resist longer than five minutes as need
pounded him. He matched her rhythm with his own. Their lovemaking
became frantic. Noel tumbled dizzily into senselessness, thrusting
hard into her to satisfy his hunger for her. Lyrissa screamed once
and shuddered as she came. Noel held on long enough to feel her
muscles contract around his erection. The sensation pushed him into
a powerful orgasm. Every one of his muscles seemed to quiver as
sweat poured down his sides. After a time they lay still in each
other’s arms.

“Are you trying to drive me crazy, lady?”
Noel mum-bled, his face buried in her thick hair.

“No, I’m trying to be worth all the trouble I
caused.” Lyrissa stroked her fingers along his spine.

Noel shivered in her arms. “God knows you’ve
succeeded.”

“We’ll have to face them all, Noel. We can’t
live in our own world away from everyone else,” Lyrissa said
softly.

“We can tonight. We can do it every night.
Just shut the door and leave them all behind when we need to,
baby.” Noel breathed in the lush scent of her perfume mixed with
perspiration.

“Can it be that simple?”

“Not simple, but damn sure worth it.”

.Lyrissa shifted enough to see the digital
clock on the nightstand. The numbers glowed a muted orange showing
it was six A.M.

“Oh, boy,” she said softly so as not to wake
him. “Mama Grace is probably mad as hell with me now.”

“Hmm.” Noel’s large arm tightened around her
waist.

She studied the contours of his face.
Beautiful. Noel’s long dark eyelashes stood out against his light
brown skin. Lyrissa pressed her cheek against his chest. His
heartbeat seemed in tune with hers.

“Baby,” he whispered. “Time to get up.”

“Hey, I thought you were asleep.” She kissed
his nipples.

“I am, almost.” Noel stretched his long
frame. “But I’ve got a busy day Let’s go to the French Market for
breakfast.”

“Deal. If we get up now, you’ll have plenty
of time before you go back to ruling the world.” Lyrissa tapped his
face playfully.

They showered and dressed together, teasing
each other about which one would be in more trouble with their
families. Lyrissa tried to make it a joke, yet her fears for him
lingered.

Gloomy thoughts fled when they finally
stepped into the sunshine. Noel drove them to the French Market,
where they bought two tangelos and bananas. Next they walked to
Cafe du Monde, where they enjoyed cafe au lait with their fruit.
Lyrissa could almost believe that they could be like any other
couple in love. Almost. Their conversation had lapsed into
thoughtful silence.

“The party’s over.” Lyrissa toyed with a
sliver of rind from the tangelo.

“I guess you’re right. Let’s see what new
hell I’ll have to tackle today.” Noel went to buy a newspaper from
a stand nearby. He glanced at a copy of the Chronicle and
grimaced.

“I’m really sorry, baby,” she said, when he
came back to the table.

“You pointed them in the right direction. The
secrets were waiting to be found. I just—” His cell phone trilled a
series of musical notes. “Damn, now what?” he muttered as he looked
at the caller ID.

“Who is it?”

He flipped open the phone. “My property
manager. Yeah, Keisha. I hope this is urgent. What?” His frown
deepened as he listened. “I’m on my way. No, I’ll talk to the
police when I get there.”

“What’s happened? Why are the police—” She
stopped when he waved a hand at her.

“Right. I’m not far.” Noel punched the end
button and jumped up. “The Chaisson House is on fire. I’ve got to
go. I’ll drop you at your car on the way.”

“I’m coming with you. What about the art? Did
Keisha have a chance to move it yet?” Lyrissa almost had to jog to
match his long strides back to his car.

“We were supposed to move them tomorrow.”
Noel unlocked the car with his remote. The horn blew as he turned
off the alarm.

“Damn!” Lyrissa ran around and got in the
passenger side.

Noel made good time weaving in and out of the
early morning traffic. They reached Magazine Street in fifteen
minutes. Lyrissa’s stomach lurched at the column of black smoke in
the sky. They had to park three blocks away and go around a
barricade. Noel explained who he was to a policeman who allowed
them to approach a fireman. Keisha rushed toward them. She was
dressed in an over-sized t-shirt and jeans.

“What happened, Kee?” Noel asked.

Keisha gulped in air and wiped a large tear
from her cheek. “Mrs. Barrett got to her antique shop about seven.
She saw smoke and called 911.”

A tall blond policeman walked up. “Sir, your
employee says you can verify the contents of this building.”

“I don’t have a list of all the art, and
I...” Keisha started to cry.

Lyrissa put an arm around her. “Come over
here and sit down, honey. Noel will take care of everything. We
have a list.”

“Yeah, Kee,” Noel said gently. “Go with
Lyrissa.” He looked at her in gratitude.

“We’ll go down to the coffee shop. A good
mocha latte will help steady your nerves.” Lyrissa led her through
a crowd of onlookers, which included one of the waitresses.

“Hey, I’ll get y’all two cups right away.”
She patted Keisha on the shoulder and went ahead of them to the
coffee shop.

They sat at a table near the large window.
Keisha sniffled as she patted her nose with a tissue. “I don’t
under-stand how this happened. I know that house is in good
condition. It can’t have been electrical. I swear I got all the
permits and hired the best people to work on it.”

“It’s an old house with old wiring. Anything
could have happened. Don’t start blaming yourself.”

“The alarm didn’t go off. But I swear I set
it the last time I was there. And Earl, he’s our security
coordinator, would check the house at least once a day to be sure.
Just until we finally moved the art, I mean.” Keisha twisted the
sodden paper between her fingers.

“Keisha, no one is going to say this is your
fault,” Lyrissa said calmly.

“Here you go, bay.” The young white woman
smiled at them. “I added a dash of vanilla. It’s soothing.”

“Thanks,” Lyrissa said, and paid her.

“You don’t know how Julie can be. She’s never
liked me.” Keisha dabbed beneath her eyes. “I have to report to
her.” “Julie isn’t the boss. Noel will keep her in line.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Her anxious expression
eased into a half-smile. “She tries to boss him around, but he sets
her straight.”

“Exactly. Nobody controls Noel St. Denis.”
Lyrissa grinned at her.

Noel walked up at that moment. He sat down
hard and ordered a cup of black coffee. “Andre is coming with the
inventory of the art. Our insurance agent is coming with the
adjuster in two hours.”

“We need to get every piece of art some place
secure ... what’s left of it.” Lyrissa held her breath and
waited.

“The fire wasn’t that big. They contained it
pretty fast. Seems it started in the kitchen pantry. Most of the
damage is from smoke and water.” Noel accepted his coffee from the
waitress and drank deeply.

“How bad?” Lyrissa held her breath.

“The firefighters think it was arson to cover
a burglary. They found a pile of oily rags stuffed in a corner of
the pantry.”

“What about the alarm?” Lyrissa said.