Part 14 (2/2)
is the perfect word for it.” He rolled her onto her back and slowly sank into her, carefully, gently. ”Then here, my little angel, havesome heaven. I'm ready for another spiritual experience if you are.” It was the first time Kristen had ever heard him tease. ”It's amazing,” she teased back, ”theDevil smiles and make jokes on occasion. I'm learning all kinds of things tonight.”
He moved inside her. Kissed her.
Kristen kissed him back. ”Do you always make love this way? I mean, I know I'm not suppose to ask
that kind of question, but...”
His gaze sharpened, his hips stilled. ”I don't know what you're asking. What way is 'this way'?”
”Is Blu duFray's lovemaking always about giving?” His smile widened, and it was so beautiful Kristen
nearly cried.
”Do I look like a starving man?”
”No.”
”When you give, you get. Ever hear that?”
Kristen giggled. ”Yes.”
”Then should I reach for a condom, or do you want to slap me down and go back to sleep?”
Kristen shoved Blu onto his back, and sat up. Her gaze traveled down his impossibly hard stomach to
where his arousal pulsed hot and hard. Slowly she reached down and wrapped her hand around his
length. ”I'm curious about something. Do you mind?” She slid her hand upward, then down to the base of him and watched him grow in her hand.
”Bon Dieu!A curiousangel, interested in a man'sheaven.”
Kristen kissed his stomach, moved her hand slowly back up. She heard him groan and brought her gaze to his face. His eyes were closed, but he was breathing faster. ”Maisyeah. That's good. Ah ... that, too.”
Blu heard footsteps overhead. Without waking Angel, he slipped from the bed, snared his jeans off the floor, and was out the door quickly. On deck, in the early-morning suns.h.i.+ne, Blu studied the short, round woman as she wiggled and squirmed to lower her feet to the deck. She was dressed in black, everything from head to toe was black. Arms crossed over his bare chest, he gave her a second to catch her breath, then said, ”You come to rob me, Sister Marian?”
”Ekeee-” The nun jumped a foot off the deck and spun around so quickly she nearly lost her balance and landed on her backside. Eyes wide, she staggeredtogain her balance, at the same time she stared at Blu's half-naked body. ”Oh, my. Oh, dear. Is she... Is she-”
”Alive.Oui,she's here, andalive,” he a.s.sured. ”You got a reason for setting foot on my boat?” Sister Marian straightened her shoulders and added a half inch to her five-foot frame. ”As a matter of fact, I do. This might seem a bit bold, but have you finally decided to accept your responsibilities? You've had plenty of time to decide.” ”To decide what?” ”There's nothing wrong with enjoying the fruit as long as you both know that a permanent arrangement must be made for the little one's sake. You agree, don't you?”
”The little one? And just what kind of permanent arrangement must be made?” Blu asked, completely confused at this point.
”Oh, my. She hasn't gotten that far yet. Oh, dear. I believe I've come a bit too early.”
”Too early for what?”
Blu's annoyance was showing. He saw the nun glance toward the dock as if she were contemplating making a run for it. He shook his head. ”I wouldn't try it. I don't have any problem with tumbling you.”
”Oh, dear. You are a rascal, aren't you?”
”That's me,” Blu agreed. ”Too early for what? Finish what you started.”
The nun crossed herself, then clutched her hands together and whispered something that sounded like a prayer. A moment later she said, ”I brought your child. I thought by now you'd be anxious to see her.”
For fear of choking, Blu cleared his throat.
”I'll tell you what I think,” the nun rushed on. ”I think Kristen could do a whole lot better than someone who goes by the name of Blu Devil-” she crossed herself again ”-but she seems to think you're worth the trouble. I could be swayed into believingit,if you were to accept that precious child as yours. A good father is what she needs.”
Blu's heart started to pound. ”I'm n.o.body's father, sister. You're confused.”
”Don't tell me you're going to deny she's yours? Deny them both a home?”
The older woman flushed pink, then went through the motion of crossing herself again. Blu was ready to tie her hands together.
”I was afraid that something like this would happen. Some men l.u.s.t after only the fruit and nothing more. Oh, dear. Yes, this is exactly what I was afraid of. I must speak to Kristen, and convince her that all is not lost.”
She started toward the stairs. Blu gripped the nun's shoulder and stopped her. A moment later he was steering her to the leather bench at the stern. ”Sit down.”
Eyes wide, Sister Marian plopped onto the bench as if her knees had suddenly given out. ”If you insist, Mr. duFray. Or do you prefer Blu Devil? I must say it's not that I mind the word devil, but for the child's sake-”
”For the child's sake I think you need to start at the beginning. Let's go back to the first day you met Angel.”
”Angel? Oh, you mean Kristen. Yes, of course. Well ... let's see. I believe it was maybe seven or eight days ago that she and Amanda showed up at the shelter. She told me she was looking for her father, and that she and the little one needed a place to stay. She said that her father left her and her mother years ago and she'd finally tracked him to Algiers. She mentioned you might know him. Well...” Sister Marian, sniffed. ”I knew the story was false right from the beginning. It didn't take an Einstein to figure out what she wasn't saying.”
”And that was?” Blu probed.
”Well, that she and you... That you ... that you're Amanda's father. Shame on you for stealing that young girl's innocence, by the way.” The nun crossed herself. ”And with your reputation, no less. Have you ever heard of protection, dear boy? Well, obviously not.” She sat silent a minute, perspiration forming on her face. She fanned herself a bit. Finally she said, ”Now, are you, or are you not going to accept your child and do right by our dear Kristen?”
Blu couldn't believe that if Kristen had a child, she wouldn't have told him. ”I have no child, Sister Marian. This kid can't be mine.”
”Amanda, her name is Amanda. And she's a beautiful child. Did I mention, well mannered? She won't eat much. She's a miniature of her mama. Delightful child.”
A miniature of her mama.That, Blu couldn't deny, piqued his curiosity. He rubbed his jaw, then paced to the railing. ”Where is ... Amanda?”
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