You want fluff? I'm giving you the summum. And if your heart doesn't beat a little faster by the end of this chapter… tell me. I'll do better in the next chapter. *wink*
x0MzJeNNa0x : I hope you like it… Hmmm, maybe I'll upgrade the rating, though.
ishandahalf : I knew you'd love it. There's the fluff! And it's no "cheap fluff", believe me. Pure. Real. You called me a master of fluff? I'm taking this seriously.
Enjoy.
Chapitre deux
Jade slowly opened her eyes and stretched, moaning. The clock on the desk near the bed showed 11 in the morning, and a bright sun shone through the light curtains. She smiled. Plenty of shopping ahead, and a long walk in the French Quarter. And for Raven's crave for men, a run in the bars in late evening. A perfect vacation day. She pushed away the blankets, only to find that Raven was already up and dressed, and getting ready to go downstairs.
"Yah're already up?"
"I slept like a baby! And I can't wait for the day to begin…" Jade laughed and got out of bed.
"Slow down, sugah… We still have plenty of time."
~~
The place was full of people, talking loud and eating icecream of the small icecream bar not very far away in the street. The market was a very popular place, even for a Monday, and Jade and Raven had to push their way through a mob of excited tourists. A man passed a little too near them, though, and bumped into Jade, knocking her to fall into Raven's arms.
"Oh, pardon, mesdemoiselles." The man turned on his heels and held out a hand to Jade to help her getting on her feet again. The man was older than them, perhaps in his early thirties, and had bright blue eyes in a handsome face. Long blonde locks fell in his face, and he was quite tall. He looked strange though, wearing a trench coat despite the heat and humidity, and seemed to be wearing a black suit under the coat. He grinned, showing a neat display of white teeth. "I should be more careful."
"It's… it's okay." She smiled at him, and drew back her arm from his grip. "Ah should have been more careful too." He winked and nodded, and left, pushing his way to the other side of the market. The girls turned the other way, and stopped in front of a hot sauce stand. Jade opened her purse to buy some.
"Oh…my…God!" squealed Raven. "It was a Cajun! And he talked French!"
"Well well, isn't that a surprise! In tha middle of tha French Quarter!" she said ironicaly, a little annoyed by Raven's reaction. She fumbled in her purse, looking for her wallet.
"He was georgous! And charming, and…"
"Don't push it, Rav… Oh my Gawd, tha bastard!" Raven frowned.
"What?"
"He stole my wallet!"
~~
"You always choose de most beautiful, Henri."
"Runs in de family, mon frère."
"Maybe, but I don'go and steal their money…"
"Non, of course. You're an honest man! You just aim for de heart!"
"Shut up, you two. Dinner time is not for fightin', and certainly not in m'house!" Jean-Luc's voice was loud and gruff enough for both grown men to stop talking, and the two glared at each other over their empty plates. Jean-Luc rose, and turned to his older son. "Henri, we have some business to do tonight." Henri nodded, but the auburn haired man raised his head, meeting his father's eyes.
"How come I'm not comin' tonight?" Jean-Luc stared into his son's incredible eyes, and glared.
"Remy, you're just not part of business tonight."
"Yeah, don't y'have any ladies waitin' fo'you somewhere?" Remy snapped his head to look at Henri.
"Don't push it, frère. Y'might regret it."
~~
"I hope you like this bar better than last night's, 'cause I really love it."
"It's great, Rav. Much better."
Both girls were sitting at a small table in a bar, sipping a drink which name she didn't remember. It was sweet and tasted like juice, though, and she made a note to herself it could be dangerous drinking too much of something that didn't taste like alcohol. The bar itself was much calmer than last night's. There was some music, but the speakers were only on the dance floor, and it was possible to talk, if a little louder than usual, without having to scream in the other's ear. It was also a lot darker, and Jade frowned. She could hear a lot of French talking around them, more than English, and she had become suspicious about Cajuns.
She hadn't even tried to find the Cajun who had robbed her at the market, she knew it was impossible with all the people walking around. Besides, he was a professionnal and she probably couldn't have find him in an empty room.
"Hi!" Raven and her looked up to meet a flashing smile. "I'm, huh… I'm here for travelling, and I don't really know the place… Since there isn't a free table in the place, I wondered if I could sit with you girls… My name's Bobby."
The man was tall and well shaped, and blue eyes shone under ash blonde hair. And Raven could never resist such a round behind. She smiled, and pulled back one of the two remaining chairs at their table. "Sure, darling, sit down! My name's Raven, and this is my friend Jade. We're on vacation too, we aren't from New Orleans."
Jade smiled. Maybe she should get herself a guy if she wanted to survive her vacation with Raven without dying of boredom. She sighed. She couldn't… Men hurt. And she didn't want to be hurt anymore. She didn't have Raven's easiness to forgive and forget about the men she met in her life, and she had the bad habit of putting her whole soul into a relationship that always left her thirsty for more. No man for her, she thought, but she couldn't ignore the pinch in her heart as she looked at Raven and Bobby.
"You were robbed?" She blinked, starting out of her reverie, when she noticed Bobby's question was adressed to her.
"What?"
"You met a pickpocket? The little fellows seem to run the streets here, I heard about these kids…"
"It was no kid. It was a full grown man, with a black suit and a trench coat."
Bobby's eyes went round. "You got robbed by a member of the Thieves Guild?" It was Jade's turn to be surprised.
"What? They all wander around in a trench coat?"
"That's what I heard about their uniform."
~~
She was getting bored by the moment. Raven and Bobby had been on the dance floor for a while, and she was tired of pushing away invitations to dance by total strangers. She yawned and looked at the dance floor, looking for Raven, but her eyes caught a flash of red, and she frowned. She shook her head, and blinked several times before looking back. Surely his eyes couldn't be…
He was standing by the pool table, watching the game and laughing with the men around him. He was tall and wide shoulders shown under the t-shirt he was wearing along with used blue jeans and combat boots. He had long auburn hair, probably shoulder-length, and it was gathered in a rather messy ponytail, and the escaping shorter locks were secured behind his ears. A dark three-days shadow covered long, homely cheeks, and thin lips streched in a smile as one of his friends shouted something to his oponent at the pool table. From where she was, she could tell his eyes were dark, but he was talking to a girl and she could only see his profile, and the red gleam she thought she had seen in his eyes was invisible. He was breath-taking.
He seemed to feel someone was staring at him, for he turned his head and looked at the tables, searching for a face. Blushing, she looked down at her drink, hoping he haven't seen her. She stared down for what looked like a reasonnable time, and cast a look at the pool table.
He was watching her. Their eyes met, and she gasped when the red irises gleamed under the spots light. She felt the blush rising to her cheeks again, but this time didn't look away. He kept eye contact as well, cocking his head, and a smile slowly appeared on his lips. She felt a harsh burning feeling warming the pit of her stomach and her lips part involuntarily, and she fought back the urge she suddently had to get up and walk…
"Hey, Jade, I'm tired, want to go back at the hotel?" Raven stood in front of her, blocking the view on the pool table, and Jade jerked her head up to glare at her friend.
"Oh, now yah wanna go!" Raven put on her hurt look.
"Well, you stayed seated all night, waiting for something to happen, instead of going male hunting." Raven rolled her eyes upwards, and pointed at the door. "I'm going to the hotel. Are you staying?"
"Ah… Ah have to go to the bathroom, but I'll leave too."
"You want me to wait for you?"
"No, Rav, Ah'll call a cab."
"Fine… be careful." Raven waved and walked to the door, and Jade got up. She looked at the pool table, but he was gone. The entire gang was gone, in fact, replaced by a noisy group of underaged teens. She sighed and walked to the bathrooms.
She got out of the smelly cabins and pushed the wooden door. She walked without looking where she was headed, and bumped into something soft and warm, loosing balance. She took a step back and a hand closed on her arm, steadying her.
"Careful, chère. Wouldn't want to hurt dat pretty face o'yours." She looked up and was started to stared into pure red on black eyes. Seen upclose, he was even more georgous she had though, and all air left her lungs. He towered almost a head over her, and smelled like a mix of spices, cigarette and a sweet smelling men's cologne.
He recognized her too, and the ironic look on his face turned into amazement.
They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like hours. Every sound around her was muffled in the beating of her heart beating madly in her ears. She wasn't the only one; his own breath was shallow and harsh, and he licked his lips. She was half conscious of him being very near to her, and of her leaning on the brick wall, his body blocking view and escape. He leaned down, his eyes inches from hers.
"Did ye feel it too?" he whispered, his breath hot on her cheeks, and a wave of warmth shook her body, making her shiver.
"F… feel what?" she stammered, the words hardly making it through her throath.
"Feel dis." His mouth settled on hers.
He tasted spicy and hot, with a lingering taste of beer and tobacco, and she opened her mouth with a moan, inviting him. She didn't have to ask twice, and his tongue met hers. Gooseflesh raised on her arms as his own warm body pressed against hers, crushing her against the wall. His hands drew up and cupped her face before running into her loose curly hair. She arched her back without even thinking about it and he groaned, his hands going down and settling on the small of her back, his hips pressing hers. Her hands weren't inactive either, running through the soft auburn hair, making the ponytail go loose, and pulling his head down, pressing his mouth against hers. She could hear her heart beating like a marching band, and it dawned on her that maybe it was his heart she was hearing as well.
Then, from a dark corner of her mind, a voice talked. 'This is crazy, gal. Yah don't even know that guy! He could be a Thieve, or an Assassin…' Her eyes opened, and she put her hands flat on his chest, gently pushing him away. She swallowed hard before looking up, her knees watery, and blushed when she saw his narrowed eyes were covered with a light mist of desire.
"Who are you?" he whispered. She became conscious of the music and noises around her as her heart slowled down.
"Ah have to go." He took his hands off her and took a step back, still staring at her. She kept her eyes locked on the ground, and quickly walked towards the door. She pushed it opened and a draft of hot, humid air drifted over her. She didn't want to, but looked back at the corner where he was still standing leaning on the brick wall, arms crossed on his chest, and a seducing smile on his lips.
Phiew! Is it hot in here or is it just me?
To be continued!
