A Bad Boy is Good to Find(57)

“Lizzie! Where are you?” Maisie’s voice pierced the viscous darkness, and the beam of a flashlight danced off a nearby tree.

“Oh, no.” Lizzie hid her face in Con’s neck.

“Don’t want cousin Maisie to catch you bare-assed in the bayou?”

“Not really.” She scanned the dark water for her clothes. Nothing.

“We can duck beneath the surface again.”

“No thanks!”

“Lizzieeeeeee!” That grating voice was getting closer. The beam bounced off the grass, illuminating Con’s white shirt. “Conroy? Where are you?”

“We’d better disengage,” whispered Con. Lizzie wiggled free of him. The water felt sensational on her aroused flesh. What did she care if Maisie saw her naked in the bayou making love to Con? She’d be jealous. You’d never catch Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass Dwight going at it out under the stars.

“We’re here!” she called on impulse. “No cameras though, please, we’re X-rated.”

Con chuckled and Lizzie buried her face in his neck with a snort of laughter.

She hid her breasts against Con’s chest as the flashlight beam hit them dead on. “Oh, there you are,” said Maisie, casual as if she’d found them reading. “We’re off to a restaurant for dinner, and I didn’t want you to get left behind.”

“You hungry?” whispered Lizzie.

“Only for you,” Con breathed against her neck.

“We’ll find some leftovers in the kitchen. We both need an early night.”

“It’s a very famous restaurant. Authentic Cajun, Con, you’ll really enjoy it.”

Con shook with silent laughter. “Bring back some boudin for me, okay?”

Maisie paused, perhaps writing something down. “Will do. Alright then, see you later.”

They collapsed in giggles as Maisie strode away, flashlight beam bouncing with her purposeful stride.

“You know, you can knock your cousin but she’s quite a woman. Just needs the right man to straighten her out.”

Lizzie bristled at his arrogance. “She’s got one. His name’s Dwight and he’s a very dignified bond broker. I don’t think she wants a Neanderthal to carry her off over his shoulder.”

“Don’t be so sure.” His teeth flashed in the moonlight.

“Neanderthal! Just because you—”

Her words were lost as she gasped for breath when Con pulled them both under the water again. As they burst up, gasping, she pummeled him with her fists. It was a very token gesture as she certainly didn’t want him to let go of her.

“I like the way you look with water running all over you.”

“I bet you do. It’s that Neanderthal thing.”

“Yeah.” He looked at her steadily, eyes shining. “I’ve got it bad. I want to drag you back to my cave and make love to you some more by firelight.”

“We’ll I’m not going anywhere with no clothes on.”

“Then I guess we’re stuck here. I like it. No one here but us.”

“And the alligators and snakes and crawdads and herons and mosquitoes and…”

“Yes. Isn’t it beautiful,” Con’s voice was dark with wonder. “Look.” He pointed down the bayou where it rolled away in a lazy curve, iridescent with moonlight. Overhanging trees on the far bank kissed the water with their branches. The air pulsed with the heady thrum of tree frogs calling for their mates. “I’d forgotten how perfect it is here.”

Lizzie’s chest tightened, and not just because of the creepy crawlies.

“You’re shivering. We’ll get out.” He splashed toward the bank, holding her tight. “The vans have all driven away.”

“My hair’s wet. It’s going to tangle.”

“I’ll comb it for you.” He pushed a soggy lock behind her shoulder, supporting her with one arm like she weighed nothing. “You have the most beautiful hair I’ve ever seen, my river goddess.”

Sweet talker. Still, with moonlight and the warm night air on her skin she felt beautiful, sexy and alive as Con let her feet down on the prickly grass.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been outside naked before.” She giggled as Con handed her his shirt.

“Yeah, I guess you kept your top on that time in the desert, didn’t you? This time was better. I could feel you right there with me.”

Lizzie blushed in the darkness. She hadn’t held herself back this time. Probably couldn’t have if she tried. Con had gotten right under her skin again, damn him.

They strolled back to the house holding hands, Con buck naked and totally unself-conscious, even when he kissed her and grew hard again.

He’d been irresistible as a fantasy man, in the role she’d conjured and he’d so easily assumed. But somehow as a real person, with problems and hang-ups and deep, deep flaws, he was even more dangerously captivating.

“Let’s find our way up to bed and get the sheets sweaty,” he whispered, as he pushed open the door into the dark house.

“Okay.”





Chapter 21





They never did get around to combing Lizzie’s hair, and by the next morning it was a rat’s nest of tangles. Raoul was actually breaking a sweat trying to get a comb through it at the dressing table in the bedroom.

“Girl, whatever did you put in it?”

“River water,” murmured Lizzie.

“You washed it in the river? Your hair doesn’t need washing every day. You could have waited. And why didn’t you use conditioner?”

Lizzie chewed her lip to stop a sly smile sneaking across her face.

Raoul tut-tutted. “I’ll have to talk to that boy. He’s interfering with my professional responsibilities.” He spritzed more detangler on it. “Can you believe all the fuss they’re making over him?”

“What fuss?” Maisie had whisked Con away while Lizzie was barely awake.

“The local paper ran a last-minute story about him that’s out this morning. Got a big picture of him on the front page looking like a movie star. Has a whole bit about his tragic past and how he might be the missing heir to this place. They’re eating it up like shrimp étouffé. ”

“I guess it’s a slow news day.” Lizzie chewed her brioche, wondering why she suddenly felt nervous.

“Phone’s been ringing off the hook ever since. Some other news stations want in on the act. There are vans from Baton Rouge and New Orleans out in the driveway.”

“Well, that’s good, isn’t it? All the more chance he’ll find his brother.” So why did her stomach feel so queasy?

What would this brother be like if he was still alive? Not many people would have Con’s sunny disposition after a childhood like that. Maybe what that * lawyer said about calling the local prisons wasn’t so far off the mark.

She took another bite of brioche.

“Nervous about meeting the in-laws?” Raoul read her thoughts.