Deadly Fortune Read online

  “You mean,” she said while stepping up to within an inch of him, “someone other than you?”

  “Is that so hard to believe?”

  “Not in the slightest,” Gigi said, running her hand flat against his chest.

  “I met someone out in the street. Name’s Mason. Ever hear of him?”

  Gigi leaned in close to Clint’s ear so she could whisper, “I don’t think so.”

  “I believe he was keeping watch on this place.”

  “Maybe he was after Patrick.”

  “Somehow I doubt Patrick is the sort of fellow who attracts much trouble.”

  “And I am?” she asked.

  Clint drew a breath that was filled with the sweet smell of her hair. “Yes,” he told her. “You are.”

  “Then perhaps we should talk somewhere a little more private? For our safety, of course.”

  “That wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

  Gigi led him into the adjoining house through the door on the opposite side of the room. As he followed her, Clint saw that the entire first floor was sparsely furnished and could almost pass as having been abandoned by its owner. She took him to a set of narrow stairs in what had once been a kitchen and walked to the second floor using steps that made her backside twitch back and forth like a cat’s tail.

  From what he could see, the second floor wasn’t in much better shape than the first. Clint’s opinion on that subject changed when he got a look at the room she showed him next.

  The air beyond that door was scented with just a hint of perfume and both dressers were carved into delicately curving shapes. Even the floor beneath Clint’s feet was something to behold since it was covered in a carpet that must have cost a pretty penny. The centerpiece, however, was a bed that was almost large enough to fill the room. It was covered in a filmy canopy of silk suspended from a hook in the ceiling to drape down around the bed on all sides.

  “I’m honored, Clint.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you took it upon yourself to look after my interests. What a gentleman.”

  “I had my reasons,” he said.

  “Did you?” Gigi asked as she peeled off the first couple of silken layers wrapped around her body. “And what might those have been?” What she was doing was absolutely mesmermizing.

  “I . . . umm . . . don’t like . . .”

  Gigi removed another couple of layers. The silken fabric she wore consisted of strips of various sizes that combined to form a solid layer. The more she removed, however, the less that fabric covered. All that remained were two wide pieces. One of them hung loosely from her neck to hang down in front of her chest, and the other was tied about her waist. Beneath the silk, pert, rounded breasts swayed as she moved and the thatch of hair between her legs became increasingly moist. Clint realized that second fact for himself when she took his hand and guided it between her thighs.

  “What?” she whispered. “What don’t you like?”

  “Right now, I can’t think of a damn thing.”

  She smiled and began unbuckling Clint’s belt. “Now that’s what I wanted to hear.”

  As she worked on removing his clothes, Clint eased his hands along the sides of Gigi’s body. Her skin was smoother than the silk she wore, and he couldn’t wait to cup her firm breasts. Her nipples grew hard against his palms, and she let out a soft, contented sigh as he massaged her. Soon she had his pants down and was massaging him as well.

  Her hands worked expertly on him. She stroked his cock, slowly easing up and down his shaft. Then she brought her hand to her mouth and licked her fingers as if she was enjoying a tasty piece of dessert. When she wrapped her fingers around him again, they were slick and warm. Within seconds, Clint was so hard that he ached. Gigi stepped away from him so she could pull aside the silk curtain and sit on the edge of her bed. Opening her legs wide, she started rubbing her pussy.

  “I suppose you saw this in my future?” Clint asked as he removed the rest of his clothes.

  Shaking her head, Gigi said, “Not at all. I just couldn’t stop thinking about you being inside me.”

  “Nothing mystical about that.”

  “That depends. I’ve got a few tricks I’d like to show you.”

  ELEVEN

  Gigi spread her legs open wide to show Clint her wet pussy. The lips between her thighs were trim and pink, and she ran her fingertips along them slowly while watching him intently. Within seconds, she was trembling with pleasure. The expression on her face had shifted to something more insistent as her fingers worked in a faster rhythm. He could have watched her for a while longer, but didn’t have enough patience to keep his distance.

  As soon as he was close enough, Gigi reached out for him with her free hand to guide him to her slick little opening. Clint ran his hands along her legs, savoring the way she enveloped him. Her pussy was tight and warm. As he eased into her, he could feel it gripping him as she contracted the muscles between her legs.

  Gigi leaned back, keeping her hand between her legs. As Clint moved in and out of her, she continued rubbing herself. Rubbing her lips vigorously, she rubbed Clint’s shaft as well, touching every inch of him as he entered her again and again.

  “You like that?” she whispered.

  “God, yes,” Clint replied.

  Moving her fingers upward a bit, she found her clit and rubbed even harder. Clint reflexively grabbed her legs in a tighter grip, pumping into her with building force as though he instinctively knew what she wanted. Gigi responded by opening her eyes and watching him as if she couldn’t decide if she was going to cry out or just cry. The pleasure she felt was so intense that Clint could feel the muscles quaking beneath her skin.

  When she climaxed, Gigi drew a deep breath and held on to it. She closed her eyes and arched her back, putting her pert breasts and rigid nipples on proud display. Clint waited for her to start breathing normally again before sliding out of her and easing her back onto the bed so her legs were no longer dangling over the edge.

  He climbed on top of her and immediately felt one of her legs wrap around his waist and one of her hands reach out to start stroking him again. She didn’t need to get him erect because he was already there. Instead, Gigi guided his cock to her and rubbed him against her clit. Her skin was even slicker than before, and it wasn’t long before Clint was aching to be inside her again. Picking up on his urgency, Gigi kept him from slipping into her for a few more seconds, which were almost more than he could bear. Clint took hold of her wrist and pulled her hand away.

  “Why, Mr. Adams, are you forcing yourself on me?” she asked.

  “You want me to stop,” he replied, “just say the word.”

  “Stop.”

  “Why did I know you’d say that?”

  Smirking devilishly, Gigi said, “I’m difficult by nature.”

  “I’m seeing that. Is there any way I can convince you to change your mind?”

  “I’d like to see you try.”

  Clint accepted her challenge without a moment’s hesitation. Taking hold of both her hands, he pressed them against the bed and climbed on top of her. She responded by writhing against his body and moaning softly. When he placed his mouth on her nipple and flicked his tongue against her skin, she let out a surprised little sigh.

  As he continued to move his tongue against her sensitive flesh, Clint settled in between her legs. He licked between her breasts, all the way up to her neck, while pressing his hard cock against her damp pussy. Gigi rubbed his arms at first, but as soon as she felt his erect shaft against her crotch, she dug her nails into his shoulders and ground her hips in expectation of being penetrated once again.

  Clint wasn’t about to indulge her. Not just yet. She’d found it amusing to torture him, so now it was her turn.

  “Put it in me, Clint,” she moaned. “Now.”

  “You told me to
stop,” he said while kissing her neck. “That’s what I did.”

  “Now I’m telling you to fuck me.”

  “I’m not certain you mean it.”

  She attempted to answer, but was cut short when he bit her just hard enough to catch her attention. Gigi dug her fingernails into him a little deeper and became even wetter between her thighs. “I want you to fuck me,” she whispered. “I want it so bad.”

  Reaching down to guide himself between the moist lips of her pussy, Clint asked, “Is that what you really want?”

  “Yes!”

  He slipped into her, but had barely put a smile onto her face before taking it away again. It almost pained him as much as it seemed to pain her when he eased back.

  “What are you doing?” she snapped.

  “I’m being cautious, since you seem to be having trouble deciding what you want.”

  “You are a very difficult man. You know that?”

  “I’ve been told,” Clint said through a growing smirk. “How about I make it up to you?” With that, he took hold of her hips and flipped her over so she was lying flat on her stomach. Gigi pressed her cheek against the mattress while lifting her backside just enough to get what she wanted. Clint entered her from behind and drove all the way in.

  “That’s better,” she sighed.

  Clint ran his hands along her nicely rounded hips as he pumped in and out of her. Positioning himself only slightly better allowed him to bury his cock all the way into her while gripping her hips in both hands. Gigi took a deep breath and held it until he pulled back.

  The slope of her back was a sight to behold. Clint moved both hands along her rump, reaching all the way forward until he could cup her breasts. Gigi was the perfect height for him to massage her tits as he started pumping in and out of her again. He quickly fell into a rhythm that made them both forget about the teasing they’d given to each other not so long ago. All Clint cared about was the way her body wrapped around him, and Gigi gripped the sheets tightly while grunting every time their bodies came together.

  Soon she tossed her head back to let out a throaty moan. Clint grabbed her tightly, impaling her one last time before his pleasure rose to a boil.

  TWELVE

  Lying on his back with one foot hanging over the side of Gigi’s bed, Clint stared up at a faded tapestry that had been tacked to the ceiling. It took him a while to regain enough strength to put two words together, and when he did, he spoke in a lazy tone.

  “Aren’t you worried about missing any customers who come along?” he asked.

  Gigi lay right beside him on her stomach with one leg bent in a way that made her look like the subject of a painting hung in a saloon. The sheet covered about a quarter of her body, leaving plenty as a feast for Clint’s eyes. “They’ll come back,” she said. “It’s not like they can get their future told to them by many others around here.”

  “I imagine there’s a few other tents like this one about.”

  “Certainly. They don’t know what they’re talking about, though, and folks around here know it.”

  “And you do know?” Clint scoffed.

  Rolling onto her side to face him, she made no attempt to cover her bare breasts. In fact, one of her fingers drifted across her pink nipple as she asked, “Are you making fun of me?”

  “I wasn’t exactly trying to hide it.”

  “What I do is an art form. People can recognize an artist when they speak to one.”

  “All right, all right,” Clint said, holding up his hands to placate her. “Forget I said anything.”

  Gigi reached out and grabbed Clint’s right hand with impressive speed. She wasn’t the slightest bit gentle when she twisted it around so she could look directly at his palm. “Sit still,” she told him. “I’ll tell you a thing or two.”

  “Save it,” he said while trying to reclaim his hand. “I never pay for a woman’s attention.”

  “I won’t charge you. Not for a small glimpse into the mists anyway.”

  “First sample is free. Common practice for most hucksters.”

  Since she already had a hold of his hand, Gigi only needed to give it a sharp twist to put a pained expression onto Clint’s face. She eased up after a second or two and then rubbed his palm soothingly. “There now,” she said. “Let’s see what there is to see.”

  Having already seen plenty of evidence that Gigi could be deadly when that close to a man, Clint decided it would be less painful to just allow her to practice her so-called art.

  “Your life line is very deep,” she said. “You have seen the face of death many times, but it has not claimed you.”

  “Since you’re not speaking to a corpse, I’d say that’s a fairly good guess.”

  “Your love line is interesting. See all of these branches feeding into the main one?”

  “Yes,” Clint said without looking at what she was doing.

  “Those mean you’ve taken many lovers. That, combined with a fairly good indication of money, tells me you have a very good life. Full of many trials and lots of blood, but good all the same.”

  “Is my palm telling you I’m rich?”

  “No,” she said quickly. “But it does tell me you seldom have to worry about money. That is, apart from the times when you overstay your welcome at a card game. I see that debts to others have brought you into some precarious situations.”

  Now Clint couldn’t help taking a look for himself. “Where the hell are you seeing that?”

  She traced her fingertip along various parts of his palm, explaining specific designs and markers that she was seeing there. Being more distracted by her touch than what she was saying, Clint didn’t learn much of anything.

  “Well,” he said, “you’re either really some kind of artist or an extraordinary bullshitter.”

  Putting on a sad pout that was undeniably attractive in her current state of undress, she said, “You still don’t believe I can see into the future? Or even the past?”

  He answered that with a skeptical scowl.

  Gigi shrugged and finally let go of Clint’s hand. “I suppose it’s a mix of those two things you said before. Even so, I can tell I was hitting pretty close to the mark.”

  “You were, indeed. Definitely worth the price of a reading.”

  “Thank you. I can tell that was difficult for you to admit.”

  “As long as you’re giving the reading dressed like you are right now,” Clint added, “it’s most definitely worth the money.”

  She looked down as if to remind herself that she was wearing nothing but the bed sheet that was partially wrapped around her body. Looking up, she swatted Clint with the back of her hand. “I can put together a real nice hex, you know. Something to make you lose your hair or cause certain parts of you to wither.”

  “You wouldn’t do a thing like that,” Clint said as he climbed on top of her. “Not while you’re still using those parts of mine as well.”

  “You’ve got a point there.”

  He kissed her for a short while, but forced himself to climb down from the bed before getting too wrapped up in what they were about to do.

  “What’s the matter?” she asked. “I haven’t hexed you yet.”

  “What did you find out about that fellow I asked about?”

  “Which one?”

  “Torquelan,” Clint said. “And don’t try to tell me you don’t recall me mentioning him. It wasn’t that long ago.”

  Gigi let out a dramatic sigh. “I recall.”

  After waiting for a few seconds, Clint said, “Well? I’m listening.”

  “I don’t want to talk about him. Not here anyway.”

  “Where, then? I’ve got some things to tell you also.”

  Perking up, Gigi asked, “Really? What?”

  “I’ll talk if you do.”

  She sco
wled at him and stood up, taking the sheet with her to use as a makeshift robe. “Let’s get something to eat. I’m hungry.”

  “I wonder how you worked up that appetite,” Clint chided.

  “Don’t flatter yourself, Adams.”

  THIRTEEN

  Although they walked only a few streets over from the merchant district, Clint felt as though he was in a whole other world compared to the bustling, vendor-filled chaos of that part of town. Clint’s thoughts were brought right back to those cramped quarters when he got a look at the plate that was set in front of him.

  Gigi clapped her hands together and smiled down at the food that had been brought to their table. “You won’t regret this! Best dinner in Las Primas.”

  Looking down at their plates, Clint winced. “Fish?” he said. “And not even cooked?”

  “It’s cooked!” Gigi told him. Glancing to the young man who’d brought the meal, she asked, “Isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, it’s cooked,” the server replied. “And if you send it back, the owner won’t cook it one second longer so don’t even ask.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Gigi said enthusiastically. “I would like some—”

  The server produced a shaker of crushed black pepper from the pocket of his apron.

  “Ah, yes,” Gigi said. “Thank you very much.”

  “Can I get you anything else?” the server asked.

  “How about a nice steak?” Clint replied.

  Gigi waggled her hand toward the man standing near the table to shoo the server away. “We’re fine,” she told him. “When these plates are cleaned off, bring us dessert. The usual.”

  “What’s the usual?” Clint asked.

  “Just trust me.”

  Suddenly growing tired of discussing the menu, Clint waited for the server to go away before saying, “I held my tongue all the way here, just like you asked. You’ve got your food, so tell me about Torquelan.”

  Gigi put a forkful of fish into her mouth and chewed it. “I don’t know much of anything, I’m afraid.”