A Woman to Treasure Page 3
governments. But their maneuverings have led us to the hell
we’re living in now in this new world order.”
“A new world order is nothing more than a modern-day
Sodom and Gomorrah. Like our Lord commanded, the
deceivers, sodomites, and unclean must be driven from the
temple.” Richard crossed himself and finished by kissing his
fist. “Now is the time to say if you’re not fully committed.”
“I’m in until death. With everything happening in the
world today, it’s time to start using the people we’ve worked
to elect to start driving our message home—our time is now.
There will be a new world order, all right, and those who don’t
conform will suffer.”
Richard stood and poured them a stiffer drink. “To the
future and the men who will rule.”
“Amen.”
CHAPTER TWO
“This dinner is delicious,” Claudette said in her beautiful
French accent. She was an assistant director at Drouot’s and
worked with Levi whenever she was in town.
Levi held up a spoonful of the dessert she’d ordered for
them to share. The bistro was one of Levi’s favorites, and it’d
been a few years since she’d visited. “Thank you for agreeing
to join me. Dinner is always better with a beautiful woman.”
“You are sweet.” Claudette accepted the last bite. “And
you know I’ll take care of you even without all this.”
Claudette was memorably beautiful, so much so that she
came to mind before any offerings the auction house had.
“You say that every time, but you’ll eventually have to accept
that I’m telling you the truth. I look forward to these dinners as
much as whatever treasures are up for grabs.”
“Is it the dinners or what comes after?” Claudette ran her
foot up Levi’s leg, and her smile made Levi want to kiss her.
“Do you know what I look forward to?”
“The great dinner conversation?” Levi motioned for the
check.
“You do have great skill in that area, but no.” Claudette
went up the outside of Levi’s trouser leg until she pressed her
foot into Levi’s crotch.
“The after-dinner walks, then.” The waiter dropped off the
small leather folio and walked away as Levi took a deep
breath. Claudette had really pressed down with her foot, and
she was ready to get out of here.
“You love teasing, but not tonight.” Claudette scratched the
tablecloth with her fingernail as Levi counted out the right
amount of cash. She wasn’t interested in waiting for a credit
card receipt, and Claudette seemed grateful.
They didn’t have to wait long for a cab, and the valet
smiled when she handed him a good tip for holding a large
umbrella over them while they walked to the car. A storm had
rolled in during dinner, and the streets were starting to flood.
“We’re closer to the hotel, if you don’t mind.” The traffic
was terrible thanks to the bad weather, but Levi put all that
aside when Claudette grabbed her by her jacket lapels and
kissed her. This wasn’t their first time together, and she loved
the way Claudette claimed everything she wanted.
“Do you feel adventurous, lover?” Claudette bit her bottom
lip before sucking it in.
“My life is all about adventure.” They were still about five
blocks from the Ritz, and they’d be soaked by the time they
arrived, but making a run for it beat sitting in this cab. She
paid the driver and took Claudette’s hand.
They were dripping by the time they went through the
revolving doors. It didn’t take long for Claudette’s dress to
drop with a plop on the bathroom floor. Seeing her naked
made Levi take a breath and mentally remind herself to go
slow. Passion should never be rushed, and women like
Claudette deserved her time and attention.
“Do you have any idea what I’d like to do to you?”
Claudette moved across the room like a predator with prey in
its sights. “You don’t come into town very often, and I
shouldn’t want you this much, but I can’t help it.”
Levi glanced down when Claudette unbuckled her belt and
opened her pants. “You do make me regret I don’t come to
town more often.” She widened her stance when Claudette
dropped to her knees, taking Levi’s pants with her.
“You are perfect.” Claudette ran her hands up the back of
Levi’s legs until she reached her ass. Levi took an awkward
step forward when Claudette pulled her closer.
The laughter at her own clumsiness stopped when
Claudette put her mouth on her. All the buildup at the
restaurant was working against her. “Son of a bitch,” she said
louder than she meant to. It didn’t help when Claudette sucked
as if she was trying to drain the life out of her.
“Are you going to give me what I want?” Claudette kissed
Levi’s sex, and Levi put her hand on the back of Claudette’s
neck.
Levi blinked and glanced down when nothing happened.
She wasn’t finished, but Claudette simply waited. There really
wasn’t anything better and more beautiful than a curvy
feminine woman who had the ability to get whatever she
wanted from you. Right now, Claudette’s pleasure took
precedence over hers.
“Whatever you want, as many times as you want.” She
helped Claudette to her feet and lifted her up until her legs
wrapped around her waist.
She left the glare of the bathroom and sat on the bed. The
way Claudette kissed her as she ground herself into her
abdomen was driving her crazy. Levi could taste herself on
Claudette’s lips and it made her ravenous for more of
Claudette’s attention, but she could be patient.
The way Claudette was breathing made her lean back and
enjoy the flush on Claudette’s skin. She stared at Claudette’s
hard nipples, prompting Claudette to hold one breast and pull
Levi’s head forward. “Suck me,” Claudette demanded.
She followed the order as she slapped Claudette’s ass hard
enough to make her moan. The sting made Claudette grind
harder into her and pull her hair. She slapped her again, which
seemed to make Claudette lose control.
“Show me what you want, or I’ll stop.” She squeezed
Claudette’s ass and waited. This part was always the same;
Claudette started off dominant and took what she wanted, but
all she desired was to be dominated herself. Levi wasn’t totally
into pain, but Claudette was hard to say no to. “Show me or
I’m going to stop.”
“Here, chéri.” Claudette went up on her knees, reached
down, and opened her sex. “I want you right here.”
Levi pinched Claudette’s clit and Claudette moaned loud
enough for Levi to feel the vibration in her chest. She entered
Claudette fast and hard with three strokes and smiled when the
moans turned into a yell. Claudette held on to Levi’s shoulders
as her body stiffened and Levi pulled out and entered her one
more time. It was all Claudette needed to come and fall limply
against her, so Levi moved to lie back and cover them both
with the comforter.
“Let me,” Claudette said.
Levi caught her hand and kissed her forehead. “Give
yourself a moment. I’m not going anywhere, and neither are
you.”
The way Claudette laid her head on Levi’s chest as she ran
her fingers along her side made Levi close her eyes and
concentrate on the touch. Her life revolved around the past,
and she loved the way all those found stories fueled her
imagination, but the present had its perks.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” Claudette let her
hand move farther down, and Levi didn’t stop her this time.
“For once I’m not thinking about anything. You managed
to empty my head.” She put one hand behind her head and
looked at Claudette, who moved to kneel between her legs.
“Is that a good thing?” She cupped her own breasts and
smiled down at her.
“It’s a very good thing.” She stared as Claudette’s nipples
hardened. She wouldn’t mind putting off her own pleasure to
touch Claudette again.
“Ah,” Claudette said, leaning forward a little. “I can see
the wheels turning in here.” She tapped Levi’s forehead. “But
you’re going to be a good boy and keep those beautiful hands
to yourself.”
Levi took advantage of Claudette’s nearness and bit down
gently on her nipple. Claudette’s intake of breath made Levi’s
clit double in hardness, and she couldn’t wait anymore. She
put her hand on Claudette’s head and pushed her down. She
was throbbing to the point of pain and needed Claudette to
release the pressure.
“Can I help you with something?” Claudette sounded
amused. “You certainly know how to flatter a girl.”
“Do I need to spank you again?”
Claudette laughed and stuck her tongue out at her. “Don’t
tempt me into stopping, or you might damage something.”
Before Levi could complain, Claudette lowered her head
and moved her tongue from the base of Levi’s clit to the top.
She was so turned on that she had to concentrate not to come
like a firecracker with way too short a fuse. Claudette was
relentless, though. She switched from moving her tongue over
her clit to sucking, and Levi tightened the muscles in her
thighs and her grip on the back of Claudette’s head.
“Son of a bitch.” She was having trouble forming words
but couldn’t help the curse when her orgasm started. “Fuck,”
was all she could manage when Claudette entered her. She had
to push Claudette’s mouth away from her sex once she came,
then she moaned when Claudette straddled her face. Claudette
was wet and ready again, so Levi squeezed her ass and gave
her what she wanted.
Claudette lay back down and curled up next to Levi just as
her cell phone rang. “Whoever that is, they have good timing.”
“Believe me, lover, I would’ve ignored it had it been a
minute sooner.” Claudette rolled off her and reached for her
phone. “Oui.”
Levi yawned as Claudette sat up and listened to whoever
had called. Considering it was almost two in the morning, it
couldn’t be good news. Claudette tapped the phone against her
palm when she finished.
“Everything okay?”
“It was work.”
Levi glanced at the clock. “Are there emergency auctions
in the middle of the night you’ve never told me about?”
“No, someone tripped the alarm. The code they used on the
door was from my department, and they’re checking with
everyone. It’s a good thing I have such a good alibi.”
“Was anything taken?”
“They don’t know yet, but it couldn’t be much. The police
arrived in six minutes.” Claudette lay back down, and Levi ran
her hand from her shoulder down to her ass.
“I can testify that all your break-ins tonight were totally
consensual.”
Claudette laughed and kissed the palm of Levi’s other
hand. “It’s been a while since this happened, and it’s foolish to
try and beat that security system. Management installed it four
months ago after plenty of research. Supposedly it’s the best in
the world.”
“We’ll be in town until tomorrow afternoon if you need me
to talk to anyone.” There was plenty on her schedule in the
coming month. She mentally reviewed each appointment. It
would be nice to be home, and with any luck her team had
made progress on the assignment she’d left them.
“It’s because of you and your family that I’m on the
management team, which is why I got the call. I doubt they
think I’m breaking in. You do owe me breakfast, so don’t run
off.”
“After tonight I owe you more than that. Go to sleep and
tomorrow we’ll eat in bed.”
“In more ways than one, lover,” Claudette said.
Levi laughed. “I’m looking forward to all the meanings
behind that statement.”
✥ ✥ ✥
The flight to the States landed in New York first, and Levi
made sure they had a long enough layover to run one more
important errand. She and her grandfather checked their
luggage and took a car to a small coin shop in New Jersey. The
owner, Charles, had tracked down some of the collectibles
their clients were interested in, but Levi was more interested in
the other service he provided when necessary.
They were buzzed in and Charles stepped out from behind
the display cases, hugging her and then her grandfather. “Levi,
Cristobal, it’s so good to see you.”
“Thank you, Charles. It’s been too long. Thank you for
signing for our deliveries.” Levi followed Charles to the
stockroom and smiled when she saw the three boxes Claudette
had put together and shipped express for them.
“You two were about an hour behind the delivery service,
so good timing.” The boxes had the name of the coin shop
and, with Claudette’s help, hadn’t been held up in customs.
Levi used the letter opener on the desk and opened the box
labeled number two. In the middle of the books her
grandfather had purchased was a small velvet bag. These
hadn’t been in the auction, but a quick shopping trip with
Claudette before the auction began had brought her to a place
similar to this one.
“We’ll pay the usual fee, but these are for you.” She
handed the bag over and smiled as Charles bounced slightly
with what could only be excitement. “Near mint condition
from 1200 or so. I purchased a lot of twenty as your bonus.”
The coins Charles spilled on the desk were Templar silver
coins stamped with the distinctive cross on one side and two
knights riding one horse on the other. Templar coins weren’t
exactly rare, but finding them in a condition where you could
see every detail was.
“Levi, you shouldn’t have,
but oh my God.” Charles put on
gloves and picked one up reverently. “Oh my God, thank you.”
“They belong with you. I knew no one else would love
them as much.”
“You didn’t have a problem with the shipment?” Cristobal
asked, taking out the two rarest books.
“Were you expecting trouble? They came in as usual with
no hassle.” Charles was enthralled with his gift, which gave
Levi time to open the first box and remove the leather bag
Claudette had placed the scrolls in.
“We had a strange encounter in Paris, but all that’s behind
us now,” Cristobal said.
“Your boxes are heading out in thirty minutes, so you’ll
have them by tomorrow. I’ll call if anything comes up.”
Charles showed them out to the waiting car.
The security line at the airport was short, which gave them
time to grab a sandwich and coffee before boarding. Another
three hours and they’d be home. Levi loved traveling, but her
own bed was also welcome after weeks away. She’d spent
three weeks in South America slogging through dense rain
forests before her week in Paris. The search for the tomb
they’d uncovered through extensive research had paid off.
Levi was happiest in the dirt but had willingly attended the
black-tie affair when they’d donated the major pieces to Peru’s
National Museum. Her family had gotten exclusive rights to
the inventory the Peruvian government had been willing to
part with, and that alone would cover the expense of the dig as
well as make them a hefty profit. There’d been plenty of
interest when her mother had put out the press release, but
they’d done similar digs where all the artifacts went to the
museums in the countries where they’d been found. It was the
right thing to do.
After a month away, though, she was looking forward to
office hours and hunting for the next treasure. “I’m sorry,
what?” She’d only heard the last of what her grandfather had
said.
“I said, good job, kid.” Her grandfather sat back and held
his drink up to her. “I’m proud of you. When it comes to field
work, you’re better than me and your father.”
She tapped her glass to his and enjoyed the compliment.
“Thanks, and you owe me some veal piccata this coming
week.”
“You know I love cooking for you.” Cristobal smiled at the
woman who refilled their coffees. “Are you home for a while?