Read Online Cajun Magic 02 - Voodoo for Two by Elle James - Free Book Online Page A

quickened, as evidenced by the rise and fall of her breasts beneath the light-blue, low-cut shirt.
    He smoothed the back of his knuckles along her neck and down to her collarbone. “Maybe I missed you.”
    For half a second, she stood as if transfixed, her eyes wide, her breathing halted altogether. Then she snorted, a very unladylike sound. “When alligators fly, maybe. Ben Boyette, you’re so full of it.” She stepped back two paces and held out her hand. “Are you going to give me that bug, or what?”
    The back of his hand still tingling, he had to reevaluate his position. Perhaps it hadn’t been such a good idea to touch Lucie. All the images envoked only laid open an old wound he wasn’t willing to expose.
    Not here . Not now.
    He’d spent the better part of the past seven years trying to shake the residual effects of Hurricane Lucie from his life. Touching her, feeling the warmth of her skin against his, was like stoking an eternal flame. How the hell was he going to put it out?
    She stood there, her dark brown eyes shining bright, her hair slipping from the clip holding it behind her head. If he tweaked it just once, all that long, glorious black hair would slip free and tumble over her shoulders like so many times before.
    “Well?” she demanded, her hand still out, palm upward, her deep brown eyes revealing a little… What? Desperation?
    His fingers loosened and he almost caved in. But he stopped himself in time and clenched his hand around his prize.
    No. He wouldn’t be lured into the eye of the storm again . Having weathered the turbulence once was more than enough for any man. He had to put some space between them. “If you just want to let the bug loose, let me do it for you.” Ben strode toward the window. He shoved his hand through the opening, his fist still closed . “Here goes.”
    “No!” Lucie dove for him, slamming her body against his, grabbing for his hand.
    Staggering against her attack, he opened his fingers.
    The ladybug slipped free and dropped out of the window, falling…falling…
    She lunged for the insect, grasping at air, her body tilting over the window ledge.
    He caught her around the middle to keep her from following the bug. Like a punch in the gut, the warmth of her skin and flowery scent of her shampoo bombarded his senses once again. He fought the urge to pull her close and kiss her senseless. Just like old times.
    For a moment he let his memories wash over him. Lucie in his arms felt so natural, so right. In a second, his resolve turned to mush, his muscles went slack.
    Oh, no. He clenched his teeth. Not again. Not Lucie. She’d rejected him , not the other way around.
    Thank goodness all her attention was fixed on the bug’s descent. Otherwise she couldn’t have missed the blatant evidence of the surge of emotions and testosterone coursing through his body.
    She sagged against his arms and tipped her head backward against his chest. “Oh, no,” she moaned. “Not again.”

Chapter Six
    All her friends’ warnings pummeled against Lucie’s conscience, with the ultimate mantra, Don’t do it! reverberating through her skull.
    Too late.
    The ladybug had delivered its magic to Eric. Now, thanks to Ben, it was loose on the entire town of Bayou Miste.
    Ben.
    Holy swamp rats, Ben! Her eyes popped open and she glanced down at the arms encircling her waist. Strong, memorable arms. Arms that had held her in passionate embraces on more than one occasion. Arms encased in a bug exterminator’s coverall. How ironic. She’d delivered her spell with a bug, and Ben was an exterminator. How fitting.
    For a brief moment, she leaned against his chest, savoring the once-familiar warmth she’d enjoyed.
    But this was Ben. Ben Boyette. The man who thought she was no better than her sister. A tease.
    As if burned, she slapped at Ben’s arms, shoving them away. She dashed halfway across the room and stopped, gasping for air from lungs too tight to breathe. “Don’t ever touch me