Wedding Favors by Sheri Whitefeather Read Free Book Online Page A

city promised to split our restaurant licensing fees with them. Money speaks. I’m shocked.” He put the papers in Piron’s hands. “Call the construction company. I want them here next week. Pay them whatever you have to. I want this done before the commission changes its mind again.”
    “Hell, yeah! This calls for a celebration.” Piron headed for the cooler. “Champagne all around!”
    “Sorry, not for me. Gotta go, or I’ll be late.” Shay reached up to fix his bow tie, glancing at his watch. It was just after one. “Etienne’s wedding, remember?”
    Etienne Gardet was the youngest son of another prominent New Orleans family. He and Shay, along with two other wealthy scions, had grown up sharing honors as the youthful holy terrors of social gatherings, holiday balls, and charity events all across the city, then turning into the nightmare of every Louisiana debutante’s mama when they went off to college. Despite now having just nudged into their thirties, Etienne was the first of the four to get married. Naturally, Shay was a groomsman.
    The nuptials started at two, and he was not about to be late. He was most definitely in the mood to celebrate. On more than one count.
    The sacrifice this morning had worked! He was finally quit that absurd curse! The permit coming through so unexpectedly proved it. At last his luck was changing.
    Shame that auburn-haired spitfire wouldn’t be coming back to the maison tonight. He’d like to commemorate this momentous turning point in his life by tying her to his bed and giving her the hardest, fastest fuck of her lifetime. And then do it all over again.
    “See you later,” Shay said with a wave to his majordomo. “Hell, maybe tomorrow if I get lucky.” Yeah, after the warm-up with Tessa last night, he was craving a bit of kink. Surely there’d be an accommodating bridesmaid or wedding guest he could avail himself of.
    Though he really wished he’d asked Tessa to the wedding as his date. Even if the spell between them was now shattered, merci Dieu, she was still the most enticing and appealing woman he’d met in years. Possibly ever. He didn’t know what it was about her ... she wasn’t the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, wasn’t the most adventurous by far—though she had been very open to learning new things—nor did she seem particularly impressed by him, this morning especially, for some reason. But he just couldn’t shake her from his mind. Or the cravings of his body. Just thinking about her was making him hard. Obviously it wasn’t the fountain’s influence, since that was gone. But his attraction to her had in no way diminished. If anything, it had grown with these few hours’ separation. Why hadn’t he demanded she return to him?
    “Watch out for that pretty obsession of yours, boss,” Piron admonished with a wink.
    It was really irritating how everyone on the planet had suddenly become a goddamn mind reader.
    “I have no plans to see her again,” he returned.
    “Why am I not surprised?” Piron said with a wry glint in his eyes. “You moon after dis one for years like some ol’ love-starved hound dog, an’ when you finally find her, you kick her to the curb jus’ like all dem other women you fuck an’ leave. Whatsa matter, Shay? She don’ like your cock or somethin’?”
    “I did not —You know what?” Shay said, cold water dashed on his prior good mood. “You’re fired! Collect your pay and get the hell out of my maison.”
    Piron just guffawed and strolled off, back to the kitchen. Le connard . “You have fun at dat weddin’, hear?” he called over his shoulder, not in the least concerned, since Shay fired his arrogant right-hand man at least once a month.
    “She liked my cock just fine!” Shay shot back, to the amusement of the rest of the kitchen staff. At least she sure seemed to. Right up until those last few minutes, after the curse had been reversed.
    Not that he fucking believed in curses, he reminded himself