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BRIDGETTE WALKED INTO the dining room and the aroma of fresh muffins, oven-hot biscuits, and freshly brewed coffee filled her senses. The room was starting to fill up with guests, the hum of their voices made the perfect background music. Out on the patio, a guest sat at a table, admiring the gorgeous ferns that were a recent addition.
Delores was also outside, preparing more tables for the guests. Bridgette stepped out on the patio and greeted Delores, "Good morning."
Delores unfolded a black and gold fleur-de-lis print tablecloth, shook it, and then spread it evenly across one of the tables, smoothing out the wrinkles. "I thought I would liven the tables up a little bit out here. I hope you don't mind."
Bridgette shook her head, "No, not at all. I forgot mom had bought these."
"I found these the other day when I was putting away some freshly washed sheets. They had a musty smell, so I washed them and realized they were too pretty to sit in a closet.
Bridgette agreed, "Yes, they are very pretty and unique."
"Don't worry if someone spills something on them. I am a master at stain removal; I haven't met a stain I couldn't get out."
Bridgette laughed, "What would I do without you."
BRIDGETTE WALKED OUTSIDE with her laptop. It was too pretty of a night to sit inside. While everything was quiet, she planned to review several pages of a manuscript that was due soon.
"No, no don't you do it. Don't you dare do it!” Bridgette hit on the keys of her laptop. "Come on, come on!” She muttered between clenched teeth. Aggravated, she closed the laptop.
That did it! Tomorrow she would go computer shopping. Her bank account may not want her to, but she needed a new laptop.
That was the price of working from home, she told herself callously.
As Bridgette got up to go inside, her cell phone rang. When she did not recognize the number, she cautiously answered, “This is Bridgette.”
“Bridgette, this is Marcus DuPont. I did not catch you at a bad time did I?”
Her heart raced at the sound of his voice. “No, of course not.”
Marcus had not been able to get Bridgette out of his mind. After the other night, he thought of her nonstop. “Are you busy tomorrow night?”
“I only have a few guests staying here tomorrow night. After dinner service is over, I plan on retiring to my room and catching up on some manuscripts. Why?”
“Would you like to go out to supper?”
She was stunned for a moment, “I would love to go out with you, but I don’t have anyone to watch the bed & breakfast.”
“Well, what kind of food do you like?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I like all kinds of food, grilled steak, seafood, chicken, pretty much anything but pasta, and Mexican food.”
“So, you won’t be in your room during dinner service?”
She could not hide the skepticism in her voice, “No, but why?”
“Let’s just say since you can’t go out, supper will come to you.”
“Oh.”
“Is that okay with you?”
Desire stirred deep inside of her, “That’s fine with me.”
Thinking about seeing Marcus again set her body on fire. It’s a good thing her laptop was in a foul mood because she doubted she would be able to concentrate on work.
The sound of piano music drifted through the downstairs. She wondered which of her guests were up at this hour playing the piano. The sight as she rounded the corner caused her to gasp. Her favorite ghost was back and she hoped he did not wake up the others.
She watched in glee as the piano keys rose and fell effortlessly to the old tune. She listened to him play for a little while longer and then sat on the piano bench beside him. Whispering near where his ear should be, “You know we do have guests sleeping right now.”
She was disappointed that the music stopped playing, but she doubted her guests wanted to be woken up at one o’clock in the morning to the tune of a piano piece, no matter how lovely it was.
As she went back to her room, the sound of a flushing toilet from her room caught her attention. She wondered which ghost was being this mischievous tonight.
BRIDGETTE WAS ANXIOUS for dinner service to be over with. After her last guest retired to their room, she rushed back to her room. It was already going on nine o’clock. She hoped Marcus had not given up on her and left. The sight astounded her. Not only had he set up a small intimate table in front of the French doors, but candles were lit all over the place and flowers were everywhere. The smell of Asiatic lilies and gardenia filled the room. A soft jazz piece played in the background.
She informed him, “This beats eating out anytime.”
He walked over to her, shutting the door behind her. He pulled her close to him, molding her to his body. She moaned as his lips claimed hers and wrapped her arms around his neck. A fire ignited deep inside of her. Passion soared through her as his kiss deepened.
Her hands wandered over his perfectly chiseled and sculpted chest. She broke off the kiss and let her lips wander over his massive chest.
His hands framed her face and his lips took hers greedily one more time. His tongue plundered her mouth, demanding more. She shivered with desire.
“Your body feels as if it is on fire.” He told her.
She loved the way his hands felt on her body. His thumbs traced her jaw before his fingers entwined in her wavy hair. “You drive me crazy,” she whispered in his ear.
This man was the only thing on her mind right now. The very smell of him intoxicated her.
He picked her up and carried her to the bed. He looked deep into her eyes, causing more heat to pulse through her body.
MARCUS NUZZLED HER neck and whispered in her ear, “The food is probably cold by now.”
Bridgette kissed him, “That’s why they invented microwaves.”
He let out a laugh and kissed her on the nose, “Well, then let’s go check out this microwave contraption that you are talking about.”
She laughed and swatted at him with a pillow, “Come on then.”
She slipped on a robe and peeked under the silver domes to see what he chose for supper. Under each dome was trout almandine with rice pilaf and green beans. “This looks fantastic.”
He grabbed the plates so that they could go to the kitchen to warm up the cold food, “Thanks, but I can’t take the credit. I had Lagniappe prepare everything.”
After the food was warmed, they returned to her room where Marcus opened the bottle of champagne and poured them a glass. Bridgette took a tentative sip, normally not a fan of the tart tasting champagnes. This one, however, was very good, it had a peach aftertaste. As they ate, she studied Marcus from across the table. What was she thinking, getting involved with this man? Why did she let her guard down with him and not Greg Dawson? This was the first time she had been in this predicament, two men chasing after her. She hoped that she did not let her heart take over her mind.
Marcus watched as Bridgette’s fingers fidgeted over the stem of the champagne flute. She was extremely sexy with her hair all tousled and an afterglow to her skin after making love. As she ate her food, he wondered what she was thinking about.
“You must have something weighing heavy on your mind.”
She looked up at him in surprise, “I am just not used to all this attention is all.”
“I find that hard to believe. You are an incredibly sexy woman. When you walked into the room earlier, you took my breath away.”
She shook her head and smiled at him, “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had dates, but I’ve never had a man shower me with this much attention. A girl could get spoiled being around you.”
He smirked as he listened to her ramble on, slowly revealing more about herself. As she began to let her guard down, he realized that his plan to charm her was working better than he thought it would. Just watching her play with the champagne flute while she ate gave him such lascivious ideas. The more excited she became when she talked the more animated her hands waved through the air. Right now, she was talking about her future plans for the bed & breakfast and how she hoped she could pull it off. That caught his attention. He had wondered if she would bring up Marquette Plantation tonight.
Yes, this was all working out wonderfully. He was glad he brought the food here instead of going to a restaurant. Plus, a part of him was completely selfish. He preferred having her all to himself. This was indeed turning out to be a very romantic evening.
He asked, “Have you managed to check out that little cabin in the back?”
She shook her head, “No, I have been so busy with other things that I haven’t had a chance.”
“You have plenty of time. It’s not like it is going to go anywhere.”
She let out a soft laugh, “No and it may be safer to go in the winter when there won’t be as many snakes and alligators lurking about.” She shuddered at the mere thought of running into one of those reptiles. “Besides in the winter, the underbrush won’t be as thick and I may see it better.”
“Have you thought about looking for it from the bayou?”
She shook her head, “I have a confession – I am not a big fan of boats. I have always been deathly afraid of riding in a boat on the bayou. My dad would laugh at me, but I just could not do it. Whenever I try to get in a boat, I freeze up. I could just picture an alligator making his way into the boat or a snake dropping into it.”
She saw the amusement in his eyes, “So no romantic boat excursions for you then.”
“No way, no how. I am pretty sure Dad has an old bateau somewhere around here, but I haven’t even looked for it.”
As she talked about her dad, he saw a sadness come over her face, “Do you still miss them?”
“Yes, I miss them very much. They will always be a part of me though. I no longer feel bitterness toward the person who took them away from me, but I do regret that they are not here with me. All I can do is hope that they have found peace.”
“Do you think this is what your parents had in mind when they left you the plantation?”
Marcus loved finding more information about her. At least he did not have to worry about her taking any little trips down the bayou trying to find that old cabin. Now, if he could keep her from venturing into the woods, he would breathe a little better.
Bridgette was surprised to see that it was well after midnight when she looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand. Time seemed to have flown by while they talked.
She could not remember the last time she felt so at ease with another person. He did not seem to care that she talked nonstop. He was completely at ease in her room, with the candlelight flickering around them and just talking.
A wickedly sexy grin formed on his face, “Would you care to dance?”
She took the hand he extended as he pulled her up from the chair. “I would love to dance.”
“I prefer another type of dance, but you look so irresistible that I want to feel your body swaying to the music.”
She laughed at his remark as they swayed gently back and forth to the jazz music that filled the room.
He held onto one of her small hands and placed his other hand at the small of her back. She leaned into him, resting her head on his chest. “Do you wish we had gone out tonight?”
She muffled a reply against his skin, “No, this is perfect.” She looked up at him and smiled. He saw the desire building in her eyes once again.
Tonight had been wonderful. He had not expected her to be so guarded when he first met her and had hoped to learn more about her and he was happy that he discovered so much.
With the curtains to the French doors open, they could see the moonlight and stars reflected across the bayou waters. She sighed, “It is beautiful out tonight.”
“I prefer the sight in here.”
He felt her smile against his chest. When the next song came on, they stayed just as they were. Who could ask for anything more? Holding her this close, he realized just how tiny she was when her head fit perfectly under his chin. She stood on her tippy toes to kiss him on the lips. Her lips were soft and warm and he could still taste the champagne she had earlier. The kiss was purely intoxicating. He tangled his hands in her thick, curly tresses, reveling in its silkiness. He could not even imagine her with short hair, ever.
Pressing this close against him, her womanly curves teased him. He whispered in her ear, “I want you.”
He picked her up and carried her back to the bed. She pulled his head down to hers, kissing him passionately. His blood heated up. She gently broke the kiss, trailing kisses down his jawline and neck.
His hands skimmed her body, leaving goosebumps in their wake. She felt soft as silk beneath his calloused hands.
BRIDGETTE BECAME LOST in the feelings that overtook her body. She took in the very sight of him in the candlelight. His chest was wide and sculpted and his tan body shimmered in the soft light. She marveled at the feel of his rippling muscles underneath her exploring fingertips. She reveled in the way his fingers teased and taunted her body. His dark skin was such a stark contrast to her barely sun-kissed skin.
His touch was such sweet torture. Kisses followed his hands, leaving no part of her body untouched by his hot mouth.
BRIDGETTE STRETCHED languidly in bed, reaching out for Marcus. She was exhausted from last night, but exhilarated as well. She heard the shower running and stepped into the bathroom. The steam from the hot water welcomed her.
She stepped into the shower just as he lathered his hair. “I was wondering where you had run off to.”
He pulled her close to him and kissed her, “I have an early meeting; I knew you woke up early for your guests.”
His arms wrapped around her tighter to bring her closer to him. His lips skimmed along her neck. Shivers of desire moved down her body. She turned toward him and watched as the water ran over his perfectly sculpted body. Desire burned deep in his eyes. He held up the bottle of soap, “Would you like to wash my back?”
As she lathered his back, her hands continued to explore his body with a slow touch. He whispered in her ear, “That’s not my back.”
She smiled up at him wickedly.