Page 20 of French Quarter Heiress

“You keep chasing me, you dog.”

“Only because you enjoy the thrill.” Beau straightens himself out. That damn grin never leaves his face. “Stop fighting this, Elise. You and I both know you don’t really want to leave.”

I turn on my heel, ready to march out of the alley and put as much distance between us as possible. But something is holding me here. There's a magnetic pull between us, a strange force that keeps us locked in an orbit we can't escape from.

Damn you, Beau. Damn you and your infuriatingly beautiful face that makes it impossible for me to walk away.

"Fine," I snap finally, turning back to him. "But don't think this means I like you."

The grin on his face softens into something deeper, more intimate - just another reason why Beau drives me completely insane.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he answers simply.

"You're such a prick, Beau. Always thinking you know what's best for me," I spit out. His eyes flicker with something I can't quite identify before he leans down, his lips dangerously close to mine.

"You have no idea what I feel for you," he murmurs, his breath washing over me, making my skin tingle in response despite the seething anger that still churns within me. The arrogant smirk is replaced with a touch of vulnerability I’ve never seen on him before.

"Stop messing with my head," I snap, trying to ignore the flutter in my stomach at his words.

He loosens his grip on my wrists then, but instead of letting go, he slides his hands up to cradle my face. "I'm not playing any games, sweetheart," he says earnestly. “I mean what I say. I’m not trying to mess with you at all.”

His thumbs trails the expanse of my lower lip.

“I’ve been aching to do this for a while, you know,” he whispers.

And then his mouth lowers to capture mine in a heated kiss that leaves me absolutely breathless. I squirm against him, ill-prepared for this new onslaught, but he pins my wrists above my head, his lips moving from my mouth to my throat. I moan as a flurry of new sensations wash over me.

When he finally pulls back his chest is heaving…and so is mine. This time, it’s me who kisses him, which is hard to do with my arms pinned above my head.

But I manage to twist my head, capturing his mouth with mine. He makes a surprised sound in the back of his throat but doesn't pull away.

Instead, he responds to my kiss, deepening it until I find myself melting against him. My brain is screaming at me to pull away, but my stubborn heart refuses to listen. Beau pulls away first, out of breath and flushed.

"Still hate me?" he asks, trying to catch his breath. The arrogance is back in his voice but now I can see through it – it’s just a front.

"I..." For a moment, I can't find the right words. Suddenly, my anger seems insignificant compared to this whirlwind of emotions Beau has stirred within me.

"Yeah, I still hate you," I finally mutter, struggling to maintain my annoyed facade despite the warmth spreading through me.

"Good," he replies with an infuriating smile. He releases my wrists and lowers his hands to unbutton my jeans. "It would be boring otherwise."

His hands move lower and lower, finding my most intimate spot and I gasp in surprise, my body instinctively arching towards his touch. His grin at my reaction is wolfish, hungry.

"I..." I start, but can't finish the sentence. The anger that previously dominated my emotions now pales in comparison to this new, confusing rush of feelings.

"Shh," he murmurs against my throat, his hand slipping further inside. "You talk too much."

His arrogance grates on me even as it excites. Every instinct in me screams at me to fight back, to try and regain control of the situation. But Beau has a way of making my usual defiance crumble.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me?" he growls into my ear, his voice husky with barely restrained desire. His words send a thrill down my spine.

"No," I answer truthfully, completely taken off guard by this new side of Beau. He’s always been an irritating thorn in my side but something has shifted tonight, a rawness has been revealed that’s as terrifying as it is enthralling.

"Hmm," he mutters distractedly, his focus seemingly elsewhere as his fingers explore beneath my jeans.

"Are you even listening?" I ask, exasperation creeping back into my voice. His only response is a stifled chuckle against my neck and a tightening of his grip that silences any protest I might have made.

Time seems to slow as Beau continues to make me forget everything except for him. The dim light from the entrance of the alleyway casts shadows across his face, somehow making him look even more dangerous and enticing than before.

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