Bonne Chance: Bourbon Street, Book 2 Read Free

Boudreaux was right in the middle of it. Apparently—” she lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “—he used to be one of Moira’s high school students.”
    “No shit!” Chance gaped at her. “Fuck. And all I got was the hospital visiting room and Belinda being even more nauseatingly perfect than usual.”
    Cass groaned sympathetically. “What did the bitch do this time? Shit gold bricks?”
    Chance laughed at the image. “No, that, I’d at least have enjoyed. She spent the entire time shoving her baby in everyone’s face. And bringing up the fact that I wasn’t there for the birth. And pointing out how I didn’t have any of my own yet. And isn’t little Jaden darling? Her perfect little boy.” She groaned, dropping her head in her hand. “Not that I have anything against babies. It’s not the kid’s fault. But Mom was after me twice as hard, guilting me the whole time. ‘It’s time you settled down, Cynthia.’ She refuses to call me Chance, you know. Always has. Never mind that it’s my fucking name. ‘Don’t you want a family, like your sister? Belinda is so happy.’ For the love of God. I swear, if I have to listen to how happy and perfect Belinda is one more time, I’ll go insane. Like straight up, tie-me-in-a-straightjacket-and-throw-me-in-a-padded-room insane.”
    Cassandra shook her head and laughed. “You really ought to tell them the truth, hon. Who knows, they’d probably be so shocked they’d never bring it up again.”
    Chance wrinkled her nose and swirled the wine in her glass. Truth was, she’d nearly told them so many times. “More likely, Mom would scream and wail about how I was doing the Devil’s work, Belinda would sneer and roll her eyes, confident that her place as perfect daughter was permanently assured, and Dad would have another stroke.”
    “Girl, you really have been gone too long.” Cassandra set her wineglass down and looked over to where Ellie, her collared sub, sat in formal sub pose. Ellie rose without a word, stepping up to where the blonde Domme could whisper in her ear. They exchanged a glance, and Cass gave the slightest nod in Chance’s direction. Ellie grinned.
    Chance raised an eyebrow as the sub approached her, eyes downcast but still smiling. Half Vietnamese, half Salvadorian, Ellie was easily the most gorgeous woman Chance had ever met—and working for Adrian, she’d met a lot. Her devotion to Cass was absolute, and it extended to anyone Cassandra considered close. Her Mistress’s trust, once given, was an instant key to Ellie’s affection. Chance had watched them over the years, unable to even be jealous of their relationship because it was just so right. She’d seen them go through entire days without vocalizing a single word, without the slightest need to. And while it was clear Chance wasn’t Cass, Ellie treated her both like an extension of her Mistress, and like an older sister.
    Chance wanted what they had, and badly. Especially after having to put up with her family, and proving yet again how much she didn’t belong in their boring vanilla world.
    Ellie knelt and barely glanced up, just enough to catch Chance’s eyes before flickering her dark brown gaze to the Domme’s feet. Chance smiled and nodded, moaning as the sub began to massage her instep. “Mmm. I see Ellie hasn’t lost her touch.”
    Cass laughed softly. “That would be impossible. She missed you, though. I did too.”
    Chance exhaled slowly, relaxing as Ellie’s fingers did their work. “I missed you guys. I should never have let Mom guilt me into staying as long as I did.”
    “So your father is okay?”
    She leaned back and closed her eyes. “Yeah. They sent him home from the hospital the day after I got there. He’s weaker and has to take it easy, but the man’s almost seventy, so it’s kind of a given.” Chance sighed. “Honestly, I should’ve come home ages ago. But Mom kept finding reasons I should stay, and there was my nephew to visit,