We headed to the French Quarter and straight to Café Du Monde. New Orleans had grown colder since we’d last spent time there. The coffee helped warm my hands as we strolled down Bourbon Street. A loud noise caught my attention and drew my eyes down the street.
Police cars and motorcycles cleared the way and led a procession of people down Bourbon. Above the roar of the motorcycles, I could hear the faint sound of a Dixie band. “Look, Kayden,” I said as I pointed down the street. He grabbed my arm and moved me onto the sidewalk and out of the path of the oncoming crowd. “What is it?”
“It’s a wedding. Sometimes weddings march down Bourbon just as they do for a funeral. They’re all celebrations of life,” he replied while holding my hand.
I watched, riveted to the scene in front of me. A parade of people danced down the street, following the band on their journey. The bride wore a mask and carried a white umbrella, and the groom had on his tuxedo with a matching black mask covering his eyes. They laughed and danced as they proceeded down the street. The wedding guests followed behind, cloaked in similar facial masks, dancing and singing. People cheered on the sidewalk as the parade moved down the street. At the end of the parade, two sets of parents were carried in a rickshaw, waving their hankies in the air, and smiles decorated their faces.
“Wow, I’ve never seen anything like it,” I said as I stared down the street, watching the wedding disappear into a sea of people.
“It’s uniquely NOLA, one of the many reasons I fell in love with this city,” he said, and I felt his sadness about leaving here. It was like losing an old friend.
* * *
We wanderedaround the city for the entire day, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells. The memories would have to carry us until we could afford to come back someday. New Orleans had become a second home, filled with memories, both good and bad. We made plans for Mardi Gras months ago that wouldn’t come to fruition anymore. My heart ached the more we walked. I wanted Kayden with me, but not by force, by choice. His phone rang as we walked by the casino.
“Hello.”
I watched him intently. He received very few calls, and usually, they were only to deliver bad news. I nervously waited to hear what the person wanted from him.
“Okay, I understand,” he said before ending the call.
“What’s up, baby?” I asked.
“It was Dean from the office. They want to clear the apartment tomorrow.” Kayden looked like he had just lost his family pet. I could always read his eyes. They were so expressive and the windows to his soul.
My heart sank. I wasn’t ready to leave New Orleans. I thought we could ring in the New Year here in Jackson Square. “It’s okay, baby. I know we wanted to stay a little longer, but we can leave tomorrow.”
He wrapped his arms around me and tucked my head under his chin. “I’m sorry, Sophia. I wanted this trip to be so much more. I didn’t think we’d have to leave so soon. I thought we had a couple more days.”
I wrapped my arms tighter around his body and buried my face in his neck. My eyes filled with tears knowing this was truly our last night in New Orleans. “Take me home, Kayden. Make love to me in the bed where you first made love to me.”
We couldn’t take the bed with us in my tiny SUV. It would be another casualty Kayden would suffer.
We rode in silence, hand in hand, through the streets of New Orleans. Kayden stared out the window, resting his cheek on his hand. I didn’t speak. I wanted to give him time with his thoughts.
The apartment felt lifeless as we walked through the door. It was entirely opposite to the lively atmosphere I had experienced during my previous trips. We kicked off our shoes, leaving them by the door, only the thud of them hitting the baseboard filling the room. Kayden grabbed me, lifted me into his arms, and carried me into the bedroom.
He placed me on the bed gently, the hallway light illuminating the room. Kayden lay down next to me, propped on one arm. Looking into my eyes, he cradled my face in his hand. He leaned over slowly and touched his lips to mine. My body tingled, coming to life, and a sense of need filled my veins as his tongue caressed my lips. The tip of his thumb pressed the corner of my mouth and gently opened me to the invasion of his tongue.
Kayden possessed my mouth, controlled my every thought and feeling. He lifted himself off me, leaving his thumb near the corner of my mouth. His eyes never left mine as I captured his digit between my teeth and enclosed it between my lips. He watched me intently as he stripped off his shirt. I sucked his thumb, swiped my tongue across it, and pretended it was his cock. I moved my head forward and back, giving me the ability to suck the entire length. His eyes glazed over before closing, reveling in the sensation. I stared at him as he used his free hand and feet to pull off his pants. His cock sprang free, hard and glistening, the tip weeping.
I pushed him onto his back, releasing his thumb. I needed to taste him. I licked his lips slowly before dragging my tongue down his neck to his torso. My tongue traced each ripple and muscle on his taut stomach. I paused at his hips and bit and sucked the sensitive spots, making his body quiver. His cock nudged my chin, calling for my attention. Keeping my eyes glued to his, I licked the tip. Kayden tasted of salty sweetness, a taste uniquely Kayden—one that I craved. I swirled my tongue around the tip, and his hips bucked as I pulled his length inside my waiting mouth. He filled me, stretching my lips. The hardness of his cock and the softness of his skin moved across my tongue and caused wetness to seep from my pussy. His cock nudged the back of my throat, causing me to gag.
“Fuck,” Kayden said. “I love when you gag on my cock, baby.”
My face flushed with his praise, but embarrassment filled me at the knowledge I couldn’t fit his entire shaft in my mouth. I wrapped my hand around his hardness and moved it in rhythm with my mouth. I squeezed slightly as I reached the tip and drove back down with force. I twisted my hand and flicked the top with my tongue to change the sensation as Kayden neared the edge.
He reached down and grabbed my hair. “Baby, stop. I. Want. To. Make. Love. To. You,” he forced out as I sucked him harder and deeper than I had before. Each word stammered out as I reached the tip of his cock.
My mouth released his tip, causing a popping sound to fill the air. Kayden grabbed my arms and dragged me up his body. His hair scraped my skin. He rolled us over, his full body weight crushing me. He plunged his tongue into my mouth, claiming me. His hand slid down my skin and captured my breast in his palm. His lips broke from mine, traveled down my body, and sucked me into his mouth. Overwhelming need consumed me. I needed to feel his cock inside me—filling me completely.
“Kayden, please,” I begged.
He licked my breast, circling my nipple with his tongue, which caused my back to arch in an unspoken invitation. I watched as he pulled his lower lip into his mouth between his teeth, causing the hair below his lower lip to stick out. He rubbed his hair across my nipple, pricking my skin, causing goose bumps to form across my flesh. I moaned, writhing from the feel of his scratchy hair against my erect peak. He captured my nipple and sucked it hard, flicking it with his tongue.
“Please,” I moaned.
Kayden slid his hand over my thigh, running the tip of his finger down to my core. I gripped his shoulders to stop from crying out. I needed something…anything…inside me. His finger slid easily inside me as his palm grazed my clit. He moved it slowly, torturing me. I needed more friction, my body so close to release.
