The crowds visiting Madame Domino’s Gentleman’s Club had started to fall off a bit, but Zahra didn’t mind. The core of fifty men she considered regulars were wealthy enough to pay the thirty-dollar entrance fee night after night and still have ample funds left to gamble, pay for the girls, and buy drinks. One was a man named Mitchell Isenbaum. He was a Democrat, and Matilda was his girl of choice. According to her, Isenbaum boasted of ties to the White League. Zahra encouraged Matilda to learn as much as she could about him, discreetly of course, and to report back.
Zahra didn’t see Isenbaum in the club that evening, but she did see Etienne Barber. According to Archer the man was a carpet bagger, and Zahra had no use for anyone who preyed on the race. However, she was the hostess here and Barber was a paying customer so seeing him approaching her now, she pasted on an encouraging smile and waited for him to reach her side.
He bowed. “Good evening, Domino.”
“Good evening, Mr. Barber.”
“Etienne, please.”
She inclined her sapphire blue mask. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
“As always, but I’d enjoy it more if you would waltz with me.”
She could hear the strains of a waltz rise over the sound of glasses, voices and laughter. “I’d love to,” she lied and wondered if he’d paid the musicians to play the selection.
He was an adequate dancer but his breath smelled of cigars and drink. His hand on her waist was tighter than she cared for and every-time he turned her he pressed his body against hers suggestively. “Would you like to spend the weekend at my cabin on Lake Ponchatrain.”
She smiled up at his gaunt pocked face. “Haven’t we discussed this before, Etienne?”
He smiled, showing off a set of brown mishapen teeth, “But I’d hoped you’d changed your mind.”
“I haven’t, sorry.”
As they continued to dance their eyes held and she saw his jaw tense. His hold on her waist tightened painfully and he pulled her flush against him. “I’d think a wealthy man like myself would be just what you’re after,” he countered coldy.
She tried to back away but he was stronger.
“I may not be Creole but I’m good enough for the likes of you.”
“Good evening, Domino. Etienne.”
The brittle voice belonged to Archer.
Barber released her immediately.
Zahra stared up at him angrily. “Get out or I’ll have Alfred throw you out.”
He was glaring down. She didn’t care. The men nearby were watching curiously. She didn’t care about them either.
Barber’s chin rose as he met Archer’s wintry eyes.
Archer said to Zahra, “The giant sent me to fetch you. He has something he wants you to see. Excuse us, Etienne.”
Archer escorted her towards the staircase and once they were out of earshot of the still ogling customers, he said, “I will kill him for you, if you’d like.”
She started to smile but his face was set so seriously she stopped and searched his face. He remained silent. For the first time Zahra sensed the dangerous man beneath the charm. Archer Le Veq was far more faceted than she’d believed. “The next time it happens we’ll flip a coin.”
He smiled.
When they entered her office she could see Alfred was upset. “What’s happened?”
He held up a small dirty drawstring bag.
Zahra looked on curiously.
“It’s filled with bones. Old bones. Mr. Le Veq thinks it’s juju.”
Zahra turned to Archer. “As in voodoo?”
He nodded.
Alfred said, “Found another just like it yesterday.”
Zahra was puzzled. Of course this was New Orleans and some of its citizens set much faith in the mysterious practices but she had no idea who might have left the bag. “Do you think it was left for me or for the house?”
Archer shrugged. “You’ve apparently made an enemy.”
“So what do I do?” She’d never had to deal with something like this before.
Alfred said, “I’m going to keep a close eye on the place for the next few days. Maybe we can catch whoever’s responsible.”
“Good idea.”
Archer turned to Alfred and said, “I’d suggest you also keep an eye on Etienne Barber. He was being very aggressive with Domino when I walked up.”
Alfred looked to her. “Did he harm you?”
“No, but we may have to bar him if he does it again.”
“I’ll go speak with him and make certain he understands.”
“Thank you.”
“What do you wish done with the bones?”
“Burn them.” Archer answered first.
Zahra was surprised by that.
Alfred nodded. Taking the bag, he said, “Will do. Then I’ll find Barber.”
He left and closed the office door behind him.
“Thank you for intervening with Barber,” she said to Archer sincerely.
“My pleasure.”
“Do you think he may be the one responsible for the bones?”
“There’s no way of knowing at this point.”
He was right, of course.
Archer told her, “I have to go up to Baton Rouge for a couple of days. Republican Party business.”
“That’s not too long.”
“Long enough when you’d rather be with a beautiful lady.”
The sensual memories of all they’d shared rolled over Zahra like an ocean wave. “Will you think of me while you’re away?”
“Probably day and night.”
She smiled. “When are you leaving?”
“I should be already gone but I wanted to stop by and let you know. I’m glad I did.”
She closed the distance between them. “So am I.”
A beat later they were sharing a passionate kiss and Zahra wondered if there would ever be another man in her life whose embrace felt so right.
When the kiss ended, he placed a parting kiss on her brow. “Take care of yourself while I’m away.”
“Yes, sir.”
He grinned, gave her one more simmering kiss then departed.
Before Archer left town he stopped by Lynette’s apartment. He knew it was late but he needed to speak with her. They hadn’t spoken since the severing of their relationship.
His firm knocks on her door were answered by her a few moments later. She looked sleepy and when she saw him on the threshold her face became sullen. “What do you want at this hour? You’re no longer sharing my bed, remember?”
Archer ignored that. “Someone is leaving ju ju bags at Domino’s. Do you know anything about them.”
“Of course not.” She slammed the door shut again.
Tight-lipped, Archer walked back to his barouche.
Etienne Barber must have taken Alfred’s talk with him to heart because he sent Zahra flowers every morning for the next two days. This morning, the third day since since the incident, another spray arrived. The arrangements were very beautiful, but she didn’t want flowers or anything else from him. Even though he was spending a small fortune on flowers Zahra was not impressed. At least he’d gotten the message that he couldn’t deliver them to her personally as he attempted to do the first day. Zahra was grateful for her giant Alfred and his grim manner because had he not been around to stop Barber at the door, the man might have pushed his way into the house and Zahra would have been forced to shoot the carpet bagger.
Taking the flowers into the kitchen, she added them to the other bloom-filled vases obscuring the dining table.
When Barber arrived at the house that night, the place was fairly crowded. Zahra managed to avoid him for a time, but he finally cornered her in her office. Not pleased that he’d entered her sanctuary uninvited and unannounced, she said pleasantly through her displeasure, “Guests aren’t allowed in here, Mr. Barber.”
He closed the door behind him. “Did you receive the morning’s flowers?”
Even more displeased that he’d ha
d the audacity to close the door, she replied, “Yes, I did, and as always, they were beautiful.” With the lower half of her body hidden behind the desk, it was easy for her to reach into the hidden pocket of her indigo gown and slide her pistol out unseen. Although she wondered about Alfred’s whereabouts, she knew she could handle Barber on her own should it become necessary to do so. “I have some work needing attention. I will see you later, Mr. Barber.”
“No, you will see me now.” He reached back and threw the lock. “You’re a whore, nothing more, and if I have to have you by force, I will.”
She shook her head at his male stupidity. “Now that you’ve locked the door, Mr. Barber, there is no way for you to escape.”
“Escape what?”
She raised the gun. “This.”
He froze.
“Now, are you going to leave as I asked?”
“You won’t shoot me.”
The ball that exploded from the gun hit him in the shoulder and spun him to the carpet. He screamed in pain. Lips pursed angrily, Zahra stood and came around the desk just as the door splintered and Alfred burst in.
“Find out if there’s a doctor here tonight,” Zahra spat out. “Then escort this waa’ment out.” She was so angry that she had unconsciously slipped into Gullah, her father’s tongue.
As if he understood the intent of the foreign-sounding word, Alfred replied, “My pleasure.”
He yanked Barber up, which caused the wounded man to cry out again. “You bitch,” he spat at Zahra.
She responded easily, “But I’m an armed bitch. Remember that for the future.”
Alfred threw him roughly towards the splintered door. “Let’s go.”
On the heels of their exit, an angry Zahra sat back down and placed the pistol on the desk. She looked up to see Matilda and Stella shooing away the curious crowd that had gathered outside the door. The only man who remained was Archer Le Veq.
He stuck his handsome head in through the hole in the door and said, “Good evening, Domino.”
Her adrenaline finally slowing, she said, “Hello. How are you?”
“Not sure. You shooting everyone tonight, or just Etienne?”
She couldn’t stop her smile from showing. “So far, just him.”
“Good to know.” He entered the office fully, saying, “Are you all right?”
“I am.” Just thinking about Barber and his devil-may-care boast of rape started her simmering yet again.
“I think you need a bracing bowl of Aristide’s crab bisque. My carriage is nearby. Care to join me?”
Zahra found him as tempting as gold must have been to King Midas, and her nipples tightened as if they eagerly agreed. “No, I think not.”
He dropped his head. “I’m disappointed.”
She grinned. “I’m certain it won’t be for long. Go see the twins.”
“I’m not interested in seeing the twins. Only you.”
“We had our one night, Archer. Remember.”
“I do, but do you?”
The intensity in his eyes touched her like a hand, and the memories of being in his moonlit bed rose unbidden.
“If I can’t convince you with the bisque, how about we walk outside for a breath of air? I’m sure you could use some after all the excitement.”
Zahra thought that a grand idea. Never mind that she’d vowed to keep her physical attraction to him under wraps; it wasn’t working. Resisting him seemed to be futile. “A walk sounds fine, but I must wait until Alfred returns so he can secure the door.”
As if cued, Alfred and Caleb, who was one of the gardeners, returned with wood and tools. She saw Alfred and Le Veq eye each other for a long moment before Alfred turned from him to say to her, “One of the doctors in the gambling room is patching Barber up. I’ll put him out when the doc’s done.”
“Good. Mr. Le Veq is going to escort me outside for some air. I’ll return shortly.”
Alfred nodded, but she saw his grim visage trained on Le Veq as they left the room.
Outside, they headed for the quiet of the gardens. They could hear the revelry going on inside the house, but as they walked further, the noise faded to silence.
Archer said, “He doesn’t care for me much, does he?”
“Who?”
“Your man, Alfred.”
She smiled. “Alfred doesn’t care for any man I walk with under the moonlight. He’s very protective.”
“I’d hate to get on his wrong side. He looks strong enough to break a man in half.”
“He was a pugilist during slavery.”
“And won many a bout, I’m sure.”
They were now out of sight of the house. When she spotted the stone bench set near the trellises in the winter-bare rose garden, she took a seat. She was glad she’d grabbed a shawl before venturing out. It was chilly. “When will the weather warm?”
“Soon. Mid-February usually brings the spring temperatures.”
“Good.”
“So, you were raised in the South.”
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to. If you were born up North, this weather wouldn’t bother you.”
“Your first clue,” she said.
“No, second.”
“What’s the first?”
“That you are a very passionate woman.”
He was seated beside her on the bench close enough for her to smell the faint notes of his spicy cologne. Doing her best to ignore the effects of his nearness on her senses, she said, “I mustn’t forget how quick you are, Archer.”
“Not if you plan to keep your secrets.”
Hoping to turn the conversation to something more mundane, she asked, “And how is Aristide?”
Instead of answering, his finger began to lightly trace the rich curves of her mouth with a slow, lingering possessiveness that caused her to shimmer in answer to his silent call. “As much as I want to kiss this mouth, I won’t until you remove your mask….”
Leaning in, he licked the tip of his tongue against the corner of her mouth. The sizzling sensation made her want to remove her mask there and then. He leaned in again to set the other corner afire, then traced her parted lips with a magical finger. “But I will kiss other parts of you, Domino….”
Putting action to words, his lips found her jaw and the sensitive lobe of her ear. Brushing his mouth over the soft skin beneath, he stirred her passion to life.
He kissed his way down her throat. Her gold shawl slipped down her shoulder, and he moved his tribute over the bared skin just long enough to fill his senses with the smell of her perfume, then across the yielding flesh above the low-cut indigo gown. “You enchant me, chérie.…”
The warmth of his hands moving over her breasts made up for the loss of her shawl. She didn’t feel the chill in the night air—only him and her body’s burgeoning reaction.
When he freed her breasts from her gown and began to feast, her earlier pledge to never let him make love to her again became nothing more than hollow words. Because of her inexperience, she had no way of controlling the heat spreading through her like warmed molasses, nor could she keep her croons of desire from rising to become one with the night air. When he lifted his head to place his lips against the nook of her trembling throat, she could feel the chill on her damp nipples from his heated play.
The kisses against her throat burned her so badly that her head fell back and his hand slipped down her body to her thighs. He palmed her boldly through the layers of indigo silk, searing her there and coaxing her to open. She surrendered willingly, felt her skirt rising and then his hand on her stocking-encased leg, moving, squeezing, caressing as it sought her ultimate warmth. When he found her through the slit in her silk drawers, she crooned gratefully, then gasped as he slid his long finger inside.
In an inviting voice as thick as the night, he said to her, “Look at me.”
All the while he was seducing, teasing, making it hard for her to even open her eyes, let alone speak. He withdrew,
and she moaned with soft complaint.
He smiled, “You must look at me, my greedy chérie, so that I can watch you take your pleasure…”
He impaled her again, and she writhed scandalously. She forced her eyes to his, and the heat in them made her passion roar higher.
“Wider, bébé.”
She complied without complaint because the pleasure was so glorious. He slid the dress up on her waist and then pushed in another finger with such masterful skill that she shuddered and came, screaming hoarsely.
“Shhh, ma chérie. They will hear you in Paris.”
“Ah go dahhh!” Zahra cried out in Gullah as the orgasm tossed her about.
Setting aside for now this second instance of her speaking in a foreign tongue, Archer watched her through the desire gleaming in his eyes. He could have her this way twenty-four hours a day for years and it would not be enough. Gently bringing her back to herself with soft touches and kisses on her jaw, he politely set her dress to rights and said, “Now. Ready to go back?”
Hardly able to move, let alone walk, she smacked him in the arm. “You are an awful man, do you know that, Archer Le Veq?”
He pretended to flick a piece of lint from his shoulder. “Who, me?”
“Yes, you.”
“You didn’t seem to think I was so awful when you were shouting at the stars.”
Embarrassed to her toes, she looked away.
Archer studied her with surprise. “You’re embarrassed.” It was a statement.
Zahra grabbed hold of herself. “No, I’m not.”
He turned her face to his and looked down into her eyes. Even though she met his gaze without flinching, Archer’s sense of something being out of kilter was strong enough to touch. “Why would a woman who claims to be a madame be such an innocent sometimes?”
“You said you liked it when I pretended.”
“Are you that good an actress?”
“Yes, I am. Fooled you, didn’t I?”
Archer wasn’t convinced. He wished he could see her face better. It was night, true, but the damn mask hid her eyes just enough to keep him from being able to see their true nature.
“I should get back before Alfred comes looking.”
“Who are you really?” he asked quietly.
“Domino.”