The Best Laid Plans (Brothers of the Bayou) Read online

  Beaux opened the doors to the Cajun Corner Café and let Lacy through. That old feeling something bad was about to happen sent a shudder through him, but he pushed it aside. He walked up to the counter and asked for Andre, who came out and chatted a bit before telling them their food would be just another few minutes. Watching Lacy take in her surroundings almost brought a smile to his face. He could only imagine how the eclectic décor looked to an outsider seeing it for the first time. Stuffed wildlife of all kinds filled the walls; alligator, pelican, deer, squirrel and even nutria. The surprise on her face was evident, as she received her first dose of culture shock.

  Just then he heard a familiar voice that sent chills down his spine. Shit. This was the epitome of everything she hated about Southern Louisiana so why of all places, was she here now. Their eyes locked for a brief second and before common sense could take over, he whispered an apology to Lacy for what he was about to do, then wrapped his arms tightly around her waist bringing her close to him. Before she had time to react and push him away, he brought his lips to hers, engaging her in a passionate kiss, a bit too intimate for anyone watching.

  Chapter 2:

  A voice inside Lacy screamed at her to break off the kiss, but that voice had never been kissed like this. That voice had never had her insides quiver and tremble nor had Beaux’s tongue tease her with a delectable taste of mint and man. All awareness of her surroundings fled away as a raw physical desire overcame her body. The urgency in his kiss gave way to exploration of an uncovered attraction when a cough brought them back to reality. Shame and fury replaced desire until she ran out of the restaurant without a backwards glance, leaving Beaux standing in a state of similar shock and awe.

  “You succeeded in making her jealous,” Andre laughed and handed Beaux a bag filled with their dinner. He nodded toward Daniella standing at the entrance with her mouth gaped open at the intimate display of affection she had just witnessed between her ex-fiancé and some girl she had never seen. Envy seethed out of her and Mr. Moneybags tugged her arm, anxious to remove his wife from this embarrassing and awkward scene.

  Beaux nodded too stunned to even speak. Never in his life had he done something so rash and stupid. Never before in his life had something felt so right and perfect, but he didn’t want to deal with that right now. The pure attraction and need he felt kissing Lacy had to be a fluke and was a complication into his life that he did not welcome. He paid Andre and walked out afraid to face Lacy. The look on her face as she stormed off told him he wouldn’t get out of this without an ass-chewing which he admittedly well deserved.

  She stood by his truck with smoke in her golden flecked eyes. He approached cautiously as if afraid she would slug him.

  “Uh, Lacy…” Before he could say another word, she put her hands up, bringing his head down to meet her lips. Just as he had done moments earlier, she drew him into another kiss full of anger and sweet torture. Except this time she was in control. When Beaux let a moan escape she broke off the kiss and pushed herself away from him.

  “Now that we’re even, would you mind telling me what the hell that was all about?” She spoke in even tones that belied her racing heart and torrent of hormones threatening to overcome.

  “My ex-fiancé walked in with her new husband,” he said as if that alone should explain everything. There was no justifiable excuse and he knew that.

  “So you used me as a pawn in some twisted game to make her jealous?” Beaux expected her to be pissed but instead she just looked hurt.

  “It’s not like that,” he mumbled. He couldn’t even look her in the face because he knew damn well that’s exactly what it was like.

  “Let’s just forget it happened. This week doesn’t need to become any more complicated than it already is.” She turned and got into the truck, slamming the door shut behind her.

  Gone was the arrogant Beaux she had met earlier in the day. Now he just looked sad and contrite as he climbed into the driver’s seat. Knowing he had remorse, made her feel a little better and truthfully she wasn’t all that mad at him. She really was just hurt that she had once again been used by a member of the male species and mad at herself for enjoying the kiss and not being able to cool the heat ignited inside of her.

  Complete silence reigned on the drive back to Justin and Sara’s home, both Beaux and Lacy lost in thought.

  “Would you mind taking the food in please? I have to make a phone call,” Beaux asked in the first words spoken since leaving the café parking lot. The phone call was a cover up but he needed time before facing Justin and Sara. If he didn’t gather his wits and soon, they would know something was amiss.

  “Sure.” Lacy grabbed the bag and went inside eager to put some distance between them.

  Beaux stood outside his truck, running a hand through his hair out of nervous habit. The whole ordeal left him shaken and he had no idea what to do now. Oddly, he felt no joy at seeing the jealousy marked on Daniella’s face. In fact, he found a small amount of pity for the man she married, knowing that she didn’t love him. Amidst his jolted emotions he had a moment of clarity about the type of woman Daniella really was and found himself wondering what type of woman Lacy was.

  His phone rang and he didn’t recognize the number, but answered anyway since he claimed to have a phone call to make. A telemarketer droned on about the latest offering in satellite TV and Beaux listened to his spiel before hanging up. Taking one last deep breath he walked up to the house. Somehow he would pretend he hadn’t just experienced the most electrifying kiss of his life that had left him with a rediscovered need for the touch of a woman.

  Throughout their dinner of jambalaya and corn bread, Sara chattered on about the baby and ideas for a nursery, blissfully ignorant of the tension surrounding her. Only Justin had sensed a change in Beaux, but knew he had a propensity for brooding so just tossed it aside.

  “Enough of my talking” Sara proclaimed. “Did you two decide what you want to do tomorrow?”

  Lacy and Beaux froze like deer in headlights, not able to come up with a response. Fortunately, Sara was too happy about her latest news to notice and continued on.

  “You should take her out to Avery Island and see the Jungle Gardens and the Tabasco Factory. I know you both like a little bit of spice and heat,” she suggested innocently.

  This time they both spit out their drinks coughing and sputtering.

  Sara looked back and forth between them unsure of what she was missing.

  “That’s exactly what we had decided to do,” Beaux announced with a forced laugh trying his best to cover the situation.

  Lacy quickly caught on. “Great minds think alike. We even joked that you would probably suggest we go there first.”

  Sara didn’t look totally convinced but let it go.

  “You’ll have fun. I haven’t been in years, but it used to be one of my favorite spots.”

  The conversation died while they finished their meal. Sara started to clean up, but Lacy stopped her and sent her back to the living room to rest. She was just drying the last dish when Beaux walked in.

  “I’ll pick you up tomorrow around ten if that’s good for you.” There was no trace in his voice that anything happened earlier. Well two can play that game she thought coolly.

  “Ten-thirty,” Lacy replied, changing the time for the sole purpose of gaining back control.

  “See you then,” he said and walked out the door without another word.

  Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

  Beaux took a little more care in his appearance today, reluctant to admit his reason for doing so. Sleep had eluded him the entire night as he teetered between self-loathing for his lack of self control and a persistent arousal every time he thought of that kiss. Funny, when he first saw Lacy at the airport he hadn’t noticed what she looked like. Now he could picture every visible inch of her from the thick, wavy auburn hair and golden eyes, down to the pert full breasts that heaved up and down when she was angry and the hips that swayed w
hen she walked away from him. As long as he lived, he’d never forget how his hands fit perfectly on those hips as he had pulled her to him. It wasn’t just her looks. There was something else there and he knew she felt it too. She may have kissed him again in self-proclaimed retaliation, but no woman would kiss a man who had just taken advantage of her like that unless she had enjoyed it.

  But just because he felt an attraction still didn’t mean he was inclined to do anything about it. He was a man for crying out loud, a man that hadn’t had sex in over two years. His celibate state must be the reason those kisses were so hot and erotic. Any red blooded man would be turned on by them, especially when he hadn’t so much as touched a female in two years. That had to be it he decided. Best to ignore it and continue on like nothing ever happened as Lacy had suggested yesterday. Everything looked better in the sunlight of the morning than in the dark of two am. He walked out the door determined not to be the ass he was yesterday. Regardless of what happened, he wanted Lacy to know the real him and the good that Louisiana offered. Daniella had thrown him off guard and he had let her affect him for the last time.

  Lacy was waiting for him on the porch when he arrived. A pair of Capri pants hugged her curves in all the alluring spots that turned a man on and the tank top she wore, well hell, he wouldn’t let his mind even wander there.

  “Good morning” she chirped with a hint of wariness hiding behind her cheerfulness. “Justin already left for work and Sara just laid down to rest for a spell. I didn’t want to risk you waking her with the doorbell.”

  “Let’s roll then. Do you mind if I stop to pick up a cup of coffee?”

  “Sure. Where can I find Community Coffee? Everyone back home that’s ever been to Louisiana told me I need to try it.”

  Beaux laughed. “Anywhere we stop. It’s pretty much a staple in these here parts.”

  “That will make it easy then.”

  The ride to Avery Island turned out to be much more enjoyable than anticipated. They had a lot more in common than either would have ever thought. Conversation flowed freely and they even found themselves laughing often. Lacy enjoyed Beaux’s laugh. His eyes lost their stormy torment when he let himself be free. She definitely preferred this Beaux to the jerk Beaux she met yesterday. Maybe they could be friends after all; if only she could just stop thinking about his lips being on hers again.

  They did the tour of the Tabasco factory first then stopped by the General Store.

  “Have you ever tried hot sauce ice cream?” he asked.

  “Even as much as I like hot sauce that sounds pretty gross. Is there really such a thing?”

  “You bet there is. Believe it or not it’s pretty good. Usually they have samples of it out.”

  Always up for trying something new, Lacy braved the mismatched combination and was amazed how the flavors blended to please her palate. It would probably taste even better licking it off a certain Cajun boy’s full, sensual lips. Where did that come from, she chided herself. Sexy equals trouble and Beaux had already proven he was a hot heaping mess of both. She had to force herself to more neutral thoughts. Beaux and she had something good going today and she needn’t mess it up with errant, hormonal thoughts.

  After leaving the general store they left for Jungle Gardens. They drove through with Lacy in complete awe.

  “This is beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  Beaux couldn’t help but smile at her admiration. “We can get out and walk around if you’d like.”

  “I’d love that.”

  They were going to see the Buddha statue when a downpour erupted. Beaux grabbed her hand, giving it a slight pull to the truck and they went running for its shelter. Both were drenched by the time they got in and Beaux pulled out a towel from the back, handing it to Lacy to dry off.

  “Where did that come from?” she asked. “The sun was out and not a cloud in the sky.”

  “Welcome to Southern Louisiana in the summer. You can bet it will rain at some point every afternoon, it’s just a matter of what time.”

  “I’m soaked to the bone. Sara isn’t expecting us back for a few hours and while I don’t want to sound whiny, I really don’t want to stay in these clothes.”

  I’d love to take them off for you, is what Beaux really wanted to say. Instead what came out was something that was probably an equally bad idea.

  “My house isn’t too far away. We can swing by there and throw your clothes in the dryer and I can get some dry clothes for me also. If you’d like we can pick up lunch and eat while your clothes dry.”

  Lacy looked apprehensive. Something told her going to Beaux’s house was a very bad idea, but she was enjoying herself and didn’t want their time together to end yet. And she could not stand being in wet clothes. Even when she went swimming she had to change right away instead of letting the sun dry her. One of her many quirks she supposed. For better or worse she knew what her answer would be.

  “Sure.”

  Beaux was nervous taking Lacy to his house. What had he been thinking? No female had been here other than family and his friend’s wives the few times he had hosted a party. His house was modest but sat on a nice piece of property. Daniella had picked out the house, but it still wasn’t enough for her. His ego couldn’t take a despairing look on it from another female. And the lurking attraction between Lacy and him was an entire dimension altogether of his nerves. Today had been a pleasant surprise. The angst from yesterday had all but disappeared and he was genuinely enjoying her company but the electrical current between them could not be denied or ignored for much longer. Bringing her back to his house where they would be secluded and alone had to be the dumbest idea he’d had in a long time with the exception of yesterday’s kiss.

  He pulled into his driveway, a quarter mile stretch of road lined with pecan trees. As they came to the house, he unconsciously held his breath waiting for Lacy’s reactions. He wished he could pinpoint exactly why it meant so much to him. His chest puffed with male pride when she gasped in awe.

  “This is your house Beaux? It’s beautiful and the property is amazing. I feel like I’ve stepped back in time. I don’t think I would ever leave if I lived here.”

  Her words pulled at his heartstrings. She had no way of knowing just how much they meant to him. He pulled around to the parking area and jumped out to open Lacy’s door for her. She stepped out still staring at her surroundings. After leading her into the house he left her in the kitchen while he disappeared for a few minutes, coming back with a thin robe in one hand and a hair dryer in the other.

  “The bathroom is down that hall, first door on the left. Just throw your clothes in the hallway and I’ll toss them in the dryer.”

  Following his directions, Lacy walked to the bathroom eager to shed her wet clothes. She wrapped herself in the robe and plugged in the hair dryer. She dug a brush out of her purse and did the best she could on her hair. By the time she walked out, Beaux had a tray of sandwiches from the deli and glasses of sweet tea set up on the back porch. Suddenly shy, she stepped out to join him and took a seat at the patio table.

  “Thanks for making lunch,” she said feebly. She was entirely too aware of this man sitting beside her. Tall, dark and handsome was an understatement. The skin tight white undershirt he wore showed off muscles born from hard labor and the light fabric glistened against his tanned olive skin. Her skin burned just thinking about his touch. She ached to reach out and smooth his tousled black hair and when he gave her that lazy smile it was her undoing. She lift her hand and he caught it mid air, entwining her fingers with his.

  “What are we doing ma chère,” he murmured huskily. His eyes searched hers for permission and she leaned ever so slightly into him giving him her affirmation. His free hand brought her to him brushing his hand gently down her cheek, then running his fingers along her lips causing her to part them. In excruciating slowness he claimed her lips with his, allowing her time to back away if she wanted. When she responded with her own desire he h
ungrily sought out the recesses of her mouth taking the time to savor each moment. Ah, she tasted heavenly. He knew in that instant he needed more of her and her of him. Never breaking contact he helped her rise from her chair while her hands raked his hair. Freeing one hand to open the door, he led her through the door and straight to his bedroom. He reached for the robe, untying it in one swift motion and she shrugged out of it sighing as he grabbed her breast and massaged her nipple. She reached under his shirt, feelings his hard body, rubbing her hands up his chest as she maneuvered his shirt off. Beaux leaned her onto the bed, taking her breast to his mouth as she unbuckled his pants and slid them down. Their mouths found each other again as they entangled themselves in the heat of passion. Reaching over to his nightstand, he took out a foil packet, tore it open but before he could slide it on a male voice called out his name. They both froze trying hard to think past their aroused state and register the situations they were.

  “Shit. My brother’s here Lace. He always did have shitty timing.”

  Lacy scrambled out of bed searching for the discarded robe. Beaux made short work of getting dressed and rushed out of the bedroom before his brother could find him first. Unsure of what to do, but certain she didn’t want to meet any of his family under these conditions she stayed hidden in his room.

  “Have you ever heard of knocking bro?” she overheard Beaux ask.

  “The door was open so I came on in.”

  Of course. He felt like smacking his head. They left the back door open in their haste to get to the bedroom. Damn it. Maybe it was a good thing. He had never once had a one night stand or a casual fling and didn’t intend to start now. Lacy and he may have some chemistry going on between them but their lives were a thousand miles apart.