First & Forever (The Crescent Chronicles Book 4) Read online

  I tried to ignore them. I was still enjoying my view.

  “They could have fakes. But it’s your problem, not mine.”

  “Exactly, go find your own. Or wait, you don’t do girls anymore.” Jared smirked.

  “Shut the fuck up.”

  “Both of you shut up.” The song ended, and I watched as the girls jumped off the stage. I waited until they separated to make my move.

  She was definitely flustered, not even paying attention to where she was going. I walked directly into her path.

  “You look like you could use this.” I pushed the shot into her hand.

  She looked up at me, and I saw the recognition in her eyes. She remembered me. She nodded and then downed the shot.

  “What was that?” She coughed a little. I probably could have gotten her something tamer, but what would have been the fun in that?

  “A jaeger shot.” I laughed. “Feeling better?”

  “Yeah. I can’t believe I did that.” She looked back over her shoulder, like she was making sure the stage was still there.

  “It really wasn’t so bad. It was more entertaining than if Cyndi Lauper performed it herself.” Much more entertaining. I looked at her up close for the first time. I watched as a few drops of sweat ran down from her neck and disappeared into her tank top. She had a nicer chest than I originally thought. Add in her killer legs and she was hotter than any girl I’d ever seen.

  “So, thanks for the shot, but I need to find my friend.”

  “Hey, you can’t run off on me again.” If she thought she was getting away this time, she had another thing coming. She was mine. “Besides, your friend appears to be unavailable.”

  Surprisingly, Jared didn’t already have her in a corner somewhere. She was occupied by some guy who looked like he was in town for a conference. I knew the type. He was looking to score, have a story to run home with. The blonde was drunk enough he might just get lucky.

  “Run off on you again? That implies we’ve run into each other before.”

  So she was going to play that game?

  “I saw you at the Crescent City Hotel this afternoon, but you took off before I could say hello.” I leaned in closer, using the blaring music as an excuse, even though I could hear perfectly well. Damn, she even smelled good. I didn’t recognize the perfume—but it was light, the right kind.

  “Oh, I didn’t notice you.”

  It was time to act interested in her life. “You here for vacation?”

  “I’m here for work, actually, at the hotel.” She flipped some of her long brown hair off her shoulder.

  “Are you around for the whole summer then?” Not the tourist I expected. If the sex was as good as I knew it would be, a longer stay could be convenient.

  “Yeah, I’m here until I start school in the fall.” So Owen wasn’t completely off. She was probably fresh out of high school.

  “All right, so where are you going to school?”

  “Princeton.” She tried to hide a smile. She was proud, but didn’t want me to know it.

  “Nice.” Smart girls weren’t necessarily bad, as long as they didn’t overanalyze everything.

  “You in school?”

  “Yeah, I’m going to be a senior at Tulane.” Maybe she’d loosen up a little if she realized I was in school. Some girls were like that. They assumed you were a good guy if you were in college. It made no sense, but it usually worked.

  “Oh, so you live here?”

  “Born and raised.”

  “I didn’t think locals hung out at places like this.”

  “We don’t usually, but they’re great spots to meet girls from out of town.” Or more specifically, it was a good spot to find her.

  She shook her head. “Ah, so you’re one of them.”

  “One of who?” I tried to figure out what group she was throwing me in with.

  “The type to prey on innocent tourists.”

  “Innocent tourists? You make me sound like the big bad wolf.”

  “And you’re not?” She got a twinkle in her eye.

  A wolf? As if she was dealing with something that tame. “Only if you’re Red Riding Hood.” I’d pretend to be a wolf if it involved her.

  “Wow, that’s original,” she said sarcastically, but her face gave her away. She was definitely interested. “Well, nice talking to you.”

  What? Was she seriously trying to blow me off again? I had to act fast. “Hey, I didn’t even get your name yet.”

  “Allie.”

  “Is that short for Allison?” I needed to keep her talking.

  “Yes, but no one calls me Allison.”

  “I’m Levi.” I held out my hand.

  “Is that short for something?” She gave me her hand and it felt nice in mine. I didn’t want to end the contact. I liked touching her, but I finally dropped it.

  “Leviathan. But you can call me whatever you like.” Hell, she could call me a wolf if she was doing it in my bed.

  “Well, nice to meet you.” She actually started to walk away. What the hell was going on?

  “Wow, it’s hotel bar guy.” The blonde swayed as she walked over drunkenly. Either she was a light weight or she’d had more to drink than Allie. Allie—it was nice to have a name to go with those long legs.

  “So you did notice me.” I leaned in closer to Allie again. If she’d noticed me enough to talk to her friend, I was good to go. She was just playing hard to get. I didn’t mind a good game of chase.

  “So, does that mean you changed your mind?” the blonde asked.

  “Changed her mind? About what?” Had she talked about me more?

  “Allie’s sworn off men, or so she claims.” Blondie took a swig from her beer. If she drank much more, she’d pass out before anyone got her home.

  “Is that so?” What did that mean exactly? I’d have thought she was into girls, but I wasn’t getting that vibe.

  Allie exhaled loudly. “Yes, not that it’s any of your business.”

  “Any particular reason why?” I was intrigued. Had someone hurt her? I felt an unfamiliar feeling of protectiveness take hold. I shook it off.

  “None that I wish to explain.”

  “She thinks it’s because she has bad luck with relationships, but really it’s because no one is good enough for her,” Blondie tattled. Allie’s eyes got all big—I got myself ready for a cat fight.

  But then Allie relaxed her shoulders. “I think I need another drink.”

  “My pleasure. What can I get you?”

  “Surprise me.” There was nothing overly flirtatious in her voice, but I still took her willingness to trust me with the task as a good sign.

  “I will.” I winked at her. “I’m good at surprises.”

  I needed to find the perfect drink. Allie seemed like the kind of girl who liked them strong and sweet. I ordered her something different, my own invention. I called it the Oasis. I heard the girls continuing to argue. One of the many benefits of enhanced hearing was eavesdropping in on conversations. The blonde’s name was Jess, and she was really egging Allie on.

  As I returned to the girls, Jared caught my eye. He and Owen were sitting at a table across the room. He nodded, wanting us to come over. Normally, I’d have made him get off his ass, but I wanted Allie’s attention, which meant getting her friend fixated on someone else.

  “A few of my friends are sitting over there. Care to join us?”

  Jess glanced over and answered first. “Why not?” Her words were casual but it was obvious she was interested in one of my friends. I hoped it was Owen—that would make tonight interesting.

  Allie still hadn’t said anything, so I looked to her. She finally nodded, and we walked over.

  I made the introductions. “Girls, this is Jared and Owen. And this is Allie and Jess.” I realized afterward that they might have thought it was odd that I knew Jess’ name, but they didn’t seem to notice.

  “Well, hello there.” Jared grinned. He looked over Allie, but then moved his attent
ion to Jess.

  Owen just nodded. “Hey.” He smiled again, but I didn’t worry about it. He knew not to get in the way of what I wanted.

  Jess sat down next to Jared. He must have been the one who caught her eye. I’d hoped she’d keep Owen occupied so he’d stop looking at Allie, but it didn’t actually matter.

  I put down our drinks and pulled out a chair for Allie, careful to make sure she sat in the one closest to the wall. I wanted her attention all to myself. “You can’t really mean to punish the entire male gender for the errors of a few.”

  I watched her pick up her drink and taste it. Her whole body responded to the sip. Her shoulders relaxed and she leaned back against her chair. She liked it, and I liked her smile. It went all the way to her eyes.

  “Because it would be really unfair to do that.”

  “Um, can we please talk about something else?” She turned away from me, and I saw her looking at Owen. Not what I was hoping for.

  “Sure, for now. What made you decide to take the job at the hotel?”

  Her shoulders tensed up a little again. “Oh, I needed a job and my dad was able to get it for me.”

  Jess leaned over the table toward me. “Because Allie’s dad is super rich and bought the place.” Whoa. This was the new owner’s daughter? I wasn’t sure what to make of the information. “What? It’s true.”

  I must have missed an exchange between the girls. Was Allie trying to keep it a secret? Most girls would brag about something like that.

  “Your dad bought the Crescent City Hotel?” Jared sat up straighter. He seriously needed to keep his cool.

  “Yeah. The deal went through earlier this year.” Allie downed her drink. Something about this conversation was stressing her out. I wanted to find out what it was. I doubted she knew anything about the hotel. It was something else.

  I wasn’t about to ask her about it. I’d just have to find out another way. She set down her empty glass.

  “I guess you liked it?”

  “Maybe a little. What was it?” She ran her finger over the edge of the glass.

  “Want another?”

  “No, don’t worry about it. I can get one for myself if you’ll tell me what it is.” I could practically see the wheels turning in her head. She was the type of girl who worried about guys buying her drinks. She was afraid that meant she owed them something. Such bullshit. Buying a drink for a girl was just an opening. Where it went after that depended on her.

  “I’m getting up anyway. Besides, if you don’t know what it is, you’ll have to let me keep buying them for you.” I enjoyed the look of annoyance that flashed across her face. I pushed back my chair without giving her a chance to argue.

  “Don’t worry. She’s not always so uptight.” Jess’ voice surprised me as I ordered some more drinks. I hadn’t expected Jared and Jess to follow me. That left Allie alone with Owen—not the plan—definitely not the plan.

  “I’m not worried about it,” I said offhandedly, wanting the bartender to move faster. This was taking far too long. Owen was laughing. What could she be saying? At least she didn’t look as amused.

  “Levi’s good at, uh, breaking through tough exteriors.” Jared ordered them a couple of shots.

  “She’s worth it,” Jess said as I walked away. I couldn’t read Jess. One moment she was egging her friend on and the next she was talking her up. I ignored the comment and kept walking. I’d been away from the table long enough.

  “It looked like you two were having a good conversation. Did I miss anything?” I shot Owen an annoyed look. He was seriously beginning to piss me off.

  Allie glanced up at me. “Nothing worth repeating.”

  Owen smiled. “Well, Allie was telling me that she isn’t interested in you.”

  Hmm, well at least they were talking about me.

  I took my seat and leaned in close to her, letting her know what I thought of the statement. “It’s because she’s sworn off men. But I think I’ll just have to be the exception.”

  She took a few sips of the new drink. “What in the world would make you think that you would be an exception?”

  “One, you’re attracted to me, and two, I can be very persistent.”

  She tightened her grip on the glass. “I am not attracted to you!”

  “Like hell you’re not,” Jess said before bursting into laughter. She hadn’t even sat down yet.

  “You know there could be a few females alive that aren’t into you, Levi,” Jared mocked. I was ready to knock that smirk off his face.

  “It’s always a possibility, but that’s not the case this time. She likes me, she just won’t admit it.” I scooted my chair closer to her.

  She sighed and closed her eyes. She seemed pretty stressed out, and I wanted to do something about that. I put an arm around her shoulder. It felt nice, natural.

  I moved close enough that I could kiss her, but I resisted. It wasn’t time yet. She moved to turn away but I caught her chin, making her look up at me. “Stop looking away. I love green eyes.”

  “Does that line usually work for you?”

  “Usually. I’m guessing it’s not going to work tonight.”

  Her lips quirked into just a hint of a smile. “Not a chance.”

  “I’ll just have to get more creative.” As frustrating as her resistance was, it was also a nice change of pace. It would make finally getting her in bed all the more worth it.

  “You do that.” Her look was teasing. She was definitely challenging me.

  “So, what do you think of New Orleans so far?” Owen asked her, having to pull her attention away again.

  Jess answered. “It’s been fantastic. It’s so awesome to get away and meet new people.”

  “And what about you, Allie?” I asked, finding I actually cared about her answer.

  “Well, considering we’ve been here less than twenty-four hours, it’s hard to have much of an impression, but I like it so far.”

  I leaned in again. “You’ll have to keep me posted as you have more time to form an opinion.”

  “I’ll be sure to keep you updated.”

  I thought there might be a promise in her words, but that might have just been wishful thinking. The game of chase was fun, but I was ready to move things forward.

  “You girls want to see the rest of the Quarter?” Jared was just looking for an excuse to get Jess to leave with him. The conference guy from earlier was watching her. She didn’t seem to notice. Jared definitely had her attention.

  “Yes!” Jess squeaked. “We haven’t seen anything but here and the hotel.”

  “You interested?” I whispered in Allie’s ear. I liked how it made her shiver a little. I definitely had an effect on her.

  “Sure. Why not?” She finished off her drink and stood up. She tugged down on her skirt. I had to resist the urge to reach out and stop her. The skirt was fine the way it was.

  I put an arm around her, leading her out. I shot Owen a backward glance to let him know to stay away. “I guarantee you’re going to love New Orleans.”

  She slipped away from me. I held in a frustrated sigh.

  “Is that right?” She sounded distracted, and I noticed her staring at her friend and Jared. Was she worried about her?

  We walked down St. Peter Street and crossed over into Jackson Square. Allie seemed entranced by it. I noticed her eyeing the wrought iron railings. That was the second time I’d noticed her admiring architecture. Maybe we had that interest in common.

  We maneuvered through the square, past the usual crowd of musicians and artists showing off their work.

  “Care to have your fortune read?” a palm reader called out.

  “No, thanks.” Allie waved her off.

  I let my arm brush against hers. “Are you sure you don’t want a glimpse into your future?”

  “I prefer surprises.” Her response seemed at odds with how uptight she’d been most of the night. I sensed there was a lot more to her I still wasn’t seeing.

  �
��Same here,” Jess agreed. “This is too cool. It might be even better than Washington Square Park.”

  Washington Square? So they were New Yorkers.

  “Of course, this is just where all the tourists hang out. There are much cooler places, hon. Maybe I’ll show you sometime,” Jared crooned.

  “Like where, your apartment?” Allie raised an eyebrow. She had a nice sense of humor.

  “Why, you want to see my place?” he threw back at her.

  “In your dreams.”

  I laughed. She had some nerve. I couldn’t resist touching her. I came up from behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. She fit perfectly. “Would you change your mind about that if you knew I was his roommate?”

  “Why would that change my mind?” She pushed away. I reluctantly released her.

  Maybe I needed to give her space so she’d come to me. Her game was wearing on me, but it was only going to end one way. With her in my bed.

  I tried to pay attention to everything else going on, but then, of course, Owen had to go talk to her again. Pushing my annoyance aside, I listened in. They were talking about a crow on the fence. She seemed to find the bird creepy, and I wondered what she’d think if she knew what I was. When I heard them talking about going home, I had to intervene. She was thanking Owen for giving her a heads up.

  “The heads up on what?”

  “I was simply suggesting she pry Jess away from Jared if she wants to get her home tonight.”

  “What’s the hurry? The night is young.” I smiled at her, resisting the urge to punch Owen. If I wasn’t good at controlling myself, my eyes would have changed.

  “We have our first day of work tomorrow.”

  “Your first day of work at your father’s hotel. Can’t you skip out?” I was definitely not ready to say goodnight, and it was looking unlikely she was coming home with me.

  “No! I am not missing my first day of work. I’m not like that.”

  If I couldn’t have her that night, I’d just have to try again. “Really? Maybe I can learn more about you tomorrow night? Maybe over dinner?”

  “Not a chance.”

  “Oh, that’s right; you think you’ve sworn off men.”

  She pretended to ignore me, but I saw the tiny curl of her lips. “Jess, let’s go!”