Deuce (Swamp Desires Book 1)

by Boudreau, Caissy

  I chuckle. “They would not let you bring it in all on your own, and neither would I. I could call my brothers if I had to.”

  We stand there for a few minutes just trying to relax a little bit. We bring the carts over to the cart return. We head back to the car and I notice a very familiar car pull up next to us. I walk over to the car and open the door for the driver. The driver looks startled at first until she realizes who just opened her door for her. She smiles the biggest smile I have seen. Her eyes light up when she smiles. Man, she is just so damn beautiful. She takes my breath away. She turns off her car and grabs her purse and keys and gets out. She leans into me and gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. I hug her back and give her a kiss on the cheek. It feels so good to have her in my arms. My body instantly reacts to our closeness. I try to keep my hormones under control, but around her it is almost impossible. If I could, I would hold her in my arms forever. But I know my cousin is looking at me, waiting for me to introduce them. Well, here goes nothing. I really hope that they like each other.

  “Joslyn, I would like to introduce you to Adele.” “Adele, this is my cousin Joslyn.”

  “Nice to meet you finally. Deuce has told me so much about you,” Adele says politely.

  “It is so nice to meet the woman who has captured my dear cousin’s heart,” Joslyn says back.

  “Since he has told you about me, what do you do for a living, Adele?” Joslyn asks.

  I hold her hand while she talks to my cousin. They seem to be getting off on the right foot. Thank God. I was so worried that they would not get along. But, knowing Joslyn and her tiger, she can be very temperamental. Add in the pregnancy hormones, who knows what she will say or do. But so far, she is doing great with Adele. To watch Adele talk about her job is priceless. She is so passionate about helping those kids. Her face just glows when she is talking about it.

  “Is there anything else that you can do other than help special needs kids?” Jos asks.

  “Well, I am a certified midwife. I have been certified for over seventy years now,” she replies.

  “Really? You will come in handy when I am due to deliver in eight in a half months. If that is fine with you?” Jos asks.

  “Of course; I would be honored to deliver your baby. It is normal for us to want to keep our existence within the shifter community. Most of us are immortal, anyway, so we may have multiple children over the course of our long lives. So I completely understand you not wanting an outsider in for this,” she states.

  These two women are so important to me. I just learned something new about my sweet Adele. I know she is the only one of her kind, but I want to know why. Hopefully, she will tell me soon. The suspense is killing me. But then she has not asked me why I am what I am and how that came about. So we will cross that bridge in time.

  “When you get a chance, Adele, you need to come over to the house sometime. The rest of the family would love to meet you. Deuce has told them all about you. I am sure that you have already met the family “Leader” Skylar. She is the head of the family; she keeps us all in line so to speak,” Joslyn says.

  “I would love that, Joslyn. I have heard so much about everyone. I would love to be able to put faces to names. Yes, I have met Skylar. She is very special. I would love to get to know her better.”

  They continue to chit chat about girl stuff. Okay, this is too much for me to handle, but it is something I need to get used to. Although this is new terrority for me, I am loving every minute of it. I can see Adele and Joslyn becoming really close. They seem to have hit it off and they have a lot in common.

  I know I have always told myself that I was not looking for my soul mate. But, I firmly believe, in my soul, that Adele is my forever. I never thought I could let anyone in and give my heart fully to someone. But, I feel that I can, and will, do all those things with Adele. It feels right, holding her hand, looking into her deep brown eyes. Even though we have not been intimate yet, it still feels right to me. The intimacy will come later, but I do not want to rush things with her. I am not one to fuck and run, so to speak. In fact, with her, I enjoy just being in her presence.

  In the past week, we have shared a few chaste kisses here and there. I long to do more, but when the time is right. Everything has to be perfect—the mood, the atmosphere—everything has to fall into place. It has to be something that we both want to happen, not just one of us.

  “So, Joslyn, what else do you do?” Adele asks.

  “Well, Deuce here has enlisted all of us to investigate the sex trafficking problem in this town. So, I am trying to get hold of the local covens to speak with them. We have come to realize that some of the women that are being held are shifters of some kind and they are being imprisoned with silver. Which prevents them from shifting, and it also keeps them weak and easy to control. It seems that a few of these women are potential mates for Deuce’s brothers. So now it is personal, and of the utmost importance that we find these women and put an end to this problem.”

  “Oh my! I will help in any way that I can. I have been searching the swamps with Deuce and his brothers on a nightly basis. But, I will keep an ear out for anything that may help us.” She sighs.

  “Well, my dear, it was so nice to meet you, but I have a car full of groceries that need to be put away. I will leave you and Deuce alone for a few, then we need to get these groceries back to the house.”

  “Again, it was so nice to meet you. I look forward to spending more time with you and the others real soon,” Adele says.

  ***

  Adele

  Joslyn walks away to her car and starts it. Deuce pulls me into his arms and hugs me. I wrap my arms around his waist and pull him closer. I seem to never get tired of being in this man’s arms. I wake each day with a smile on my face from just thinking about him.

  “Deuce, I am cooking crawfish stew for dinner. Why don’t you come have dinner with me tonight?”

  “I would love nothing more than to come have dinner with you tonight. Why don’t I bring dessert? I made a couple of homemade chocolate cheesecakes last night when I got home.”

  “Hmm, that sounds yummy. Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts.”

  “What time shall I come over, baby?”

  “Dinner should be ready around seven.”

  “Sounds great, and I am looking forward to it, my love. Until I see you later. I hope the rest of your day is great.”

  He leans in to kiss me. The kiss starts out chaste. But, I pull him in and deepen the kiss. He instantly reacts and takes control of the kiss. I place one hand behind his neck and the other on his back. He has done the same. Each of us are trying to get as close as we can to each other. Our tongues duel in a passionate dance that I have never felt before. I can feel the electricity running throughout my body. The kiss is slow and torturous. It seems to go on forever, which is fine with me. I do not care that we are in a public parking lot making out. As long as he is with me, nothing else matters.

  He pushes me up against my car and I wrap my leg around his. I wish there were no clothes between us; the offending material is starting to get on my nerves. His kiss is driving my senses wild. Every sense is on fire from his kiss and his touch. He lowers a hand to grasp my ass and grabs it tightly. The kiss becomes more heated and rushed. Slowly, he breaks the kiss and leans his forehead against mine.

  “Baby, you have no idea how much it hurts to stop. I could ravish you here and now. But, we are in public, and my cousin is waiting for me. Sadly, I have to let you go for now, but I promise you, we will continue this later this evening.”

  “Hmm, I look forward to spending time with you alone for a change. Since we have met, we really have not been alone. So, this evening shall be very interesting indeed.”

  He slowly lets go and I watch as he walks to his cousin’s car. He gets in, looks back to me, and winks and smiles. I blow him a kiss and watch them leave the parking lot. Once he is gone, I slump against my car, trying to catch my breath.

 
Man, he just takes my breath away. Deuce is the total package to me. He is sexy as hell, an awesome kisser, and he has the biggest heart. Most men would not worry about what is going on in their town, but not him. He wants to make this town a better place for people to raise their families in. He does his part in taking care of the criminals. This man, since the first moment I laid eyes upon him, has melted my cold heart. I have been so closed off from the world. Yes, I get up and go to work, and I love my job, but I feel that now I have something more to look forward to.

  After I have caught my breath, I head into the store. I came here for supplies for dinner. I am going to make crawfish stew and homemade French bread. The food here is amazing, and oh so addicting. I do not think I could ever live anywhere else but here. The lure of the culture and the food has kept me here for this long. Okay, maybe not just that. I love being around the locals, too. They are so down to Earth and friendly. Of course, every now and then, you meet a total asshole, but they are few and far between. I have loved this town since the first day we moved here. Even after my parents died, I knew that I did not belong anywhere else. This place was my destiny. Something has always kept me here. I am meant to live here.

  I grab the ingredients I need and check out. When I am done, I head back to my car and load it up and head home. I am kind of hoping to see Deuce again here at the store, but I know he is at his cousin’s home helping her unload all those groceries. I will see him tonight. Tonight, we will finally get a chance to be alone. No brothers will be there watching us. Tonight, we have the night off from hunting.

  I get home and get my roux started for my stew. Once it is done, I add the remaining ingredients and let it simmer on the stove until Deuce gets here later. I make sure my little houseboat is tidied up and smelling great. I make my bed, hopefully, it will get messed up, in a good way, tonight.

  I have never wanted a man like I do him. He brings out the best in me, and the vixen as well. Sexy flirting can only go so far. My soul is crying for us to be one. To close that gap and become one physically. And it scares the hell out of me. I never thought I could ever want something like this, but he has changed that for me. I never thought I could trust a man the way that I trust him. He could be my forever.

  For so long, I have been content to be alone. But, in the past week, I no longer wish to be alone. I would rather spend the rest of my existence with a hot gator boy. These southern men are the best men you will ever met in your life. They are sweet, loyal, and sexy as all hell, and love with everything in them. We southern women are the same way. Which is why we make such great couples.

  My mother always told me to keep an open mind when it comes to men. She would say that some of them just need a chance to prove their worth to you, so never shut them out, because they could end up being all that you have ever wanted and needed. Man, now I realize how true those words are. I always thought my mom was full of shit, but I am learning now that I am older that everything she ever told me was true. I have kept myself closed off from everyone around me, only letting the kids I work with in. It is time I put that behind me. Time for me to dive in, heart first, with Deuce. If I do not, then I know I will lose the best thing in my life.

  Even though it has only been a week since we started hanging out, I already have strong feelings for this man. I think the reason I have closed myself off was because I was waiting for him. That is the only reason I can come up with; it is the only one that makes sense to me. My parents were so in love with each other. I always dreamed of what it would be like to have a love like theirs. When they passed, I honestly thought my life was over then and there. But as time went on, I realized that I have so much more to give to this world. There are so many people who still need my help. As long as there are people in need, I will always have a place in this world. But, now with Deuce, I have something else to live for now. I have a chance at love. A love that could be the best in the world. Full of chemistry, passion, loyalty, compassion, and trust. Deuce is all of those things. He is a great man. He gives up his free time to help people in need. He is loyal to his family and his chosen path. He loves his business; he enjoys meeting new people and telling them about the history of the swamps. He gets so excited telling about the local legends from around here.

  I have that same passion in my job. I love waking each day and going to work. I love the kids that I work with. So far, from what I can tell, I am making a difference in their lives. After I left the midwife profession years ago, I looked for something new. I went back to school and earned my bachelor’s degree in special education. I think I finally found my calling in life. Yes, I enjoyed bringing babies into the world, but I was not happy anymore with it. Working with these kids brings me so much joy and peace. I leave work every day feeling accomplished. I am so proud of the kids that I work with. Each day they are making great strides in their studies and on their way to becoming great adults in the future. I would not change my job again.

  But, now, being asked to deliver Deuce’s cousin’s baby, has me feeling that I do miss delivering babies. But as much as I may miss it, I love my current job way too much.

  This man brings out feelings in me that I have never felt before. I am becoming fiercely protective of him. Even though I know he does not need my protection, especially when he is in his gator form. But, we do make an excellent team. It seems that we know what the other is going to do before we do it. This man continues to blow me away with his knowledge and his compassion. His brothers are the same way. They work so well together; they are a very well organized team. I enjoy working with them at night. I am looking forward to what the future holds for us. I think it will be very interesting, indeed.

  I hope things keep going in the right direction with Deuce. I could totally see us raising a family and being together forever. I have never wanted kids, until I started working with them. Deuce comes along and it seems my ovaries are going into overdrive. They want to reproduce and they want it soon.

  But, that will all happen when it is supposed to happen. We will continue to take this slowly and get to know each other. This is the fun part, just talking and learning about each other. We already know that we work well together. Obviously, there is a huge amount of chemistry between us.

  Each day is a new journey. I plan on facing it head on, with my heart open. No more hiding who and what I am. Tonight, I will tell Deuce why I am a shifter. Hopefully, he will not go running in the other direction. Because that would break my heart into a million pieces. I know if that were to happen, that I would never let another man in. Never. So please let him not run the other way. Lord, grant him understanding. We can work through our differences, and move beyond them. Yes, we are different shifters, but that is okay. Our animals sense and recognize each other. They are meant to be together, now just the human part of us needs to realize that and get with the program. Nothing is impossible. We can do it.

  Chapter Eight

  Deuce

  After I help Jos and the guys unload and pick up their groceries, I say my goodbyes and head back home. Earlier, I texted my brothers and told them not to eat one of the cheesecakes, so hopefully, they listened and I do not have to kick their asses. I will be so pissed off if they ate that cheesecake. I get home and run inside and check the fridge to make sure, and thankfully, for them, it is still there.

  Tonight is my night off from the business and from hunting the swamps. I plan on enjoying it by spending the evening with Adele. If something physical happens, then it does, and if it doesn’t, that is fine with me. I am content just spending time with her and getting to know her better.

  Tonight, I will tell her how we became gator shifters. It is time she knows. If I want her to be a part of my life, then I cannot have any secrets from her. Not that it is a secret or should be one; I just want her to know about it. There should be no secrets between us. I want to be as open and honest as I can with her. I will never keep something from her. Even if it means her safety, I will not keep anything from her. I wi
ll never turn my back on her. She has come to mean too much to me for me to do that to her. No matter what her secret may be, when she is ready, she will tell me. I will not pressure her. I will not judge or ridicule her either. None of us are perfect. We are not meant to be that way. I hope that one day she can love me unconditionally, faults and all. I have faith in us. Faith that we can overcome anything that comes our way. That one day, our love will be a strong one. I will never lose my faith in us.

  I grab a shower and get ready to head to her house for dinner. Once I am ready, I grab the cheesecake and walk down to her houseboat. When I arrive, I see she is sitting on the deck, just watching the water. She looks to be deep in thought and I don’t want to disturb her. But, I know that she knows I am here. I see a smile creep across her lips. She looks up at me and her smile gets bigger. Man, this woman is so damned beautiful. I thank God every day that he has brought her into my life. I never realized how lonely I was until I met her.

  “I hope you came hungry.”

  “Well, of course I did, my sweet. I am a man, after all, and we are always hungry.”

  “I will not argue with you on that one. Let’s go inside; dinner is ready.”

  Once inside, I look around at her surroundings. Judging from the outside, it looks as though it would be extremely tiny inside, but, man, are looks deceiving. I guess I never realized how big it really was. It just looks tiny from the outside. But it is the size of a one bedroom apartment on the inside. It is very spacious, indeed. The kitchen and living room area are very quaint and homey. The décor she has is befitting her. It is not too girly or overly done. She has the right amount of décor in the right spots, and it is all simple to her tastes.

  “I hope it tastes as good as it smells. It has been a while since I have made this. So, I am not sure how good it will turn out.”