STORY EXCERPT

She grinned at Dante, extending her hand. “I’m Veronique LeBlanc, and this is my sister Seraphine.”

Of course they were sisters. Now he saw their blatant resemblance. “LeBlanc? Are you related to Josephine, the previous owner of the building?”

Veronique nodded. “Yes, she was our grandmother.”

Seraphine, whose name was perfect for her because she was named after the fiery six-winged angels in the Old Testament, bowed her head coyly, her eyes fixed on the floor. “Wouldn’t you like to put some clothes on, Mr. Pierce?”

Veronique snorted, then offered him a flirtatious smile. “Or you can just stay like that. We don’t mind.”

Her sister nudged her, glaring. “Veronique!”

He couldn’t help but laugh at their comical theatrics. He motioned to his living room. “Come in, ladies. I’ll make myself decent and come back in a few minutes. Please have a seat while you wait.”

As he walked to the back of his apartment, he could hear them whispering to one another with his acute sense of hearing.

“Ver, what is wrong with you?” Seraphine reprimanded.

“What? I can’t look? The guy is gorgeous and practically naked. And I am human. God, did you see those pecs, and his muscular legs? Mon Dieu!”

“Yes, I saw. It was impossible not to notice.”

He smiled, knowing that he’d had the same effect on Seraphine that he had apparently had on Veronique.

She huffed. “But he’s our new tenant.”

“Yeah, and?” Veronique commented.

“And he’s off-limits. You know not to mix business with pleasure.”

“Who said anything about mixing? All we’re doing is looking”—she paused—”and admiring his six pack abs. That’s all. Nothing wrong with that.”

Dante shrugged. No, there’s nothing wrong with that at all. He wouldn’t mind admiring Seraphine’s enchanting blue-gray eyes, her bright perfect smile, and her voluptuous curves in her snug-fitting sundress for a little while longer either.

Once he entered his room, he shut the door, blocking their voices from his ears and began to dress. So they are my new landlords. Interesting.

He wondered how this was going to turn out. The idea of seeing the shy and reserved Seraphine again and having her and her sister as his landlords appealed to him a lot. But it also made things difficult, as well. And his life was complicated enough.

Just when he slipped on his jeans, the cell phone on his nightstand began to vibrate. He checked the text message.

Got another cas in the neighborhood. Meet me at St. Pierre and Crescent at eight fifteen to discuss it.

Dante cursed. “Cas” meant that there was a casualty. There hadn’t been one in this town in over a month. Damn, just when I thought I could take it easy and lead a normal life for a little while longer. At least as normal a life someone like me can have.

He checked his watch. It was seven thirty. He had only forty-five minutes to get there, which meant he had to hustle, which also meant he had to cut his time with Seraphine and her sister short.

He hurried back to the living room while he slipped his T-shirt on. “Ladies, I would ask if you’d like a coffee or something, but I’m late for a date.” He glanced at Veronique before turning to Seraphine. “Was there anything in particular you ladies wanted to talk to me about?”

“Only that we’re your new landladies, and we wanted to take a look around your apartment to see what you need fixing in this place.”

He looked around and shrugged. “Nothing.”

Both Veronique and Seraphine stared at each other with bewilderment. “Nothing? All the other apartments have so many things that need fixing. Why don’t you?” Veronique asked frowning.

Because he didn’t want any strangers snooping in his apartment and private things, that’s why. “Your grandmother allowed me to fix the place up. I did all the repairs myself.”

“Oh, you’re a handyman?” Seraphine asked.

“Yeah, I fix things, but I’m a painter more than anything else.” He sort of lied. Yes, he was a painter or a handyman, but only when he wasn’t busy doing his real work. His lips curled into a smile when he looked at her, which had her lowering her gaze to the floor. Her cheeks turned beet red.

“So you’re good with your hands?” Veronique answered, admiring his biceps and pecs through his tight T-shirt. “Do you do odd painting or renovation work for extra income?”

He grinned, knowing exactly where this conversation was leading. And that was dangerous territory. He shook his head. “If I had the time, sure. But work is crazy now, so no.”

He checked his watch. Five more minutes had passed. He walked to the door. “I’m really sorry to cut this meeting short, but I have to leave now.”

The sisters stood and walked to the door. Veronique extended her hand. “Well, it was nice to meet you, Mr. Pierce.”

He shook it. “Call me Dante, please.”

“Okay, Dante, we’ll be seeing you around since we’re moving in to the downstairs apartment later this week,” Veronique replied.

His eyebrow arched as his hand moved to shake Seraphine’s hand. Looking into her eyes, he said, “The both of you will be living downstairs?”

An electrical spark shot through his hand when they made contact. His heart skipped a beat.

“Yes, the both of us,” Seraphine said, grinning.

Her bright smile melted his heart. “So we will be neighbors?” he asked rhetorically.

“Yes, we will. Bye, Dante,” Veronique said while Seraphine only waved good-bye, still offering him that breathtaking smile that had him excited and intrigued.

As he observed them walk down the stairs to their apartment directly under his, he knew he was screwed big time. If his job and life weren’t complicated and difficult enough, they just got a million times worse.

ADULT EXCERPT

For the past two weeks, Dante had imagined what it would be like kissing Seraphine’s warm, supple lips, holding her in his arms. Now that everything had been aligned for him to fulfill his wish, he couldn’t back down or hold back.

“God, you’re so beautiful, Seraphine,” he murmured as he wrapped his hand gently behind her neck and pulled her closer to him so their lips could make contact.

He could hear her raging heart, could smell and sense the sexual excitement surging through her. She wanted this kiss and him just as much if not more than he did. When her lips parted, he wasted no time slipping his tongue into her mouth to taste the sweetness that made Seraphine irresistible.

She was the only woman he would ever want or need from here on in. Anything she wished, he’d get or do for her. He’d deny her nothing and give her everything including happiness, love, sexual gratification, and his heart.

His cock stretched and hardened in his pants as he held her in his arms, her breasts rubbing against his chest through their clothing. He slipped his hand into the top of her dress when she wrapped her arms around his wide shoulders and moaned with pleasure.

Her skin was scorching, and her powerful heart beat against the back of his hand as he caressed her supple skin. It was just as soft as he had imagined it would be. He traced the outline of her bountiful bosom with a finger and stopped at the pert left nipple. He rubbed, then circled it, eliciting a deep sigh from her.

Her hands roamed over his back, slipping under his T-shirt to caress his back. She seemed to focus on his muscles as her fingers outlined their forms. She leaned back, pulling him with her.

He balanced himself so he could touch her but not crush her with his two-hundred-pound muscular frame. He released her lips and stared down at her, seeing her willing, excited, and waiting for his next move. The hunger in her beautiful eyes beckoned him to continue, but he needed to hear her verbally confirm it.

“You sure you want this?” he asked in a deep, low voice.

She nodded, panting. “Yes, don’t you?”

He rasped. “I’ve wanted this from the moment I met you, Seraphine. I want you so bad.”

“Then take me,” she whispered.

She raised her lips to meet his. He crushed his on hers and gently brought her back down, then went to work undoing the buttons on the front of her sundress.

It took him several moments to undo the top of her dress and bare her bra. Breaking away from their kiss, he gazed down at her body. Her bra was a lacy transparent underwire thing that buttoned in the back. Her pert, dark nipples, visible through the lace, enticed him to taste. It would take him some maneuvering to get to the back of her bra to remove it completely. He had no patience to wait. He pushed down themes lace until her right breast bounced out of its tight bodice. The outline of the lace design had temporarily imprinted itself on her porcelain white skin. He licked the indents in her salty sweet skin until he came to the taut nipple. He circled it as she widened her legs.

“Mmm,” she moaned.

Her sultry voice made him wet, his cock pushing against the tight seams of his jeans. He wrapped his lips around the nipple’s circumference, bringing the peak into his mouth. He sucked it.

She arched her back. “Oh, Dante,” she purred, combing her fingers through his thick black hair, messing it up. He never let women touch his hair before now, but sweet Seraphine could do anything she liked. She could even shave him bald, just as long as she’d continue to let him please her, and then make love to her.

With one hand and his knees, he balanced his weight over her while, with his free hand, he pulled up her dress. From his sense of touch, he could discern she wore cotton bikini briefs that were wedged between her ass cheeks.

He slipped his hand into the front of them and pulled them down. She lifted her pelvis to assist him. God, she was wet for him. He released her pert nipple, trailing kisses down to her pussy. Mmm, her skin and nipple tasted sweet and salty. How would her cum taste?

Damn, he was salivating with wanton anticipation. He licked her pussy lips, probing her swollen clit with his tongue. She was shaved, so he could admire and taste every inch of her delectable cunt.

She panted, cupping her breasts. “Oh, Dante, make love to me.”

“Soon, baby, but I want to taste you before I do.” He moaned with desire. He sucked her clit while he slid his finger into her. She was wet and tight, perfect for him. He felt her writher under him and her insides spasm as she groaned. “Mmm, yes, yes.”

He licked her salty, creamy cum, savoring it and her sexual rapture from his ministrations as it washed over her wave after wave. She was a beautiful, vibrant, sexual woman who deserved to experience an orgasm by his hand and by his cock.

As her climax settled over her, she looked at him with her salacious eyes while she bit her lip. Oh, man, she wanted him, badly. Just like he wanted her. Not only did he want to make love to her, but he also wanted to love her now and forever, until death did they part.

“Do you still want me, Seraphine?” He wanted to make her his, all of his, and only his. He waited for her reply, because if she didn’t want this to go any further, didn’t want him to give her his heart and soul, then she would have to stop it here, now, before it was too late to turn back.