The Brothers Bernaux [01] Raisonne Curse
Page 20
He leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. “I wasn’t going to let you go anyway.”
“Yeah, you were. I heard you.”
He chuckled and kissed her nose. “That was all talk.” He straightened up to his full height, his expression going serious. “I couldn’t have let you go, Elita. You walked in and changed everything.”
“Freaked out the ghosts in this house.”
“Crawled right into my heart and took over. The ghosts just instantly knew it was gonna happen. You know what? They kept saying that you’re Bernaux. I understand what they meant now.”
She stared up at this man, knowing in her heart that eventually she would be a Bernaux, that she would marry him. And she even knew that she’d probably fix things so she couldn’t accidentally get pregnant because no method was one hundred percent foolproof and Pryor would always worry. It was something he wouldn’t want her to do. She stood on her toes and kissed him—just as she had that first time outside his guest room.
And just like then, he wrapped his arms around her and took over the kiss until she felt the answering heat in every inch of her body.
He groaned and pulled her up on her toes, tugged her close to his body, making his response to her obvious against her stomach. She pulled her head back, to take in air, breathing hard. She couldn’t help grinning at him as she asked, “How long do you think your brothers will stay outside?”
“Not long,” Wyatt said from behind her.
She closed her eyes, her groan coming from hot embarrassment. “How long were they standing there?”
“Don’t worry, we only caught the kissing part. Looked good! We came in to let you guys know that someone is driving up the road.”
“Oh! It’s probably Ava.” She pushed out of Pryor’s arms. “I’ve got to stop her from asking you guys to help her. At least until we figure out a few things. Maybe do some research on curses? Yours and the Raisonne one. Maybe the smudge man could be a clue?”
“Smudge man?” Mercer asked.
“We’ll fill you in after we welcome her cousin,” Pryor said, taking her hand and squeezing it. “Let’s go get her. She can have some food, hang around here.”
Mercer and Wyatt walked ahead. She and Pryor followed as something occurred to her, making her frown.
“What?” Pryor asked, stopping in the entryway as his brothers went through the front door.
“Please tell me that the three of you don’t have to give her a lime bath. Together.”
He burst into laughter and tugged her hand, pulling toward the door.
“Pryor? I’m serious here? I don’t think I like the idea.” She was muttering as she followed him onto the porch where she was faced with the brilliant orange of the setting sun over the trees, the night sounds of bayou creatures getting ready for the coming dark, and her petite, dark-haired cousin climbing from her VW and looking over the Bernaux brothers with as much interest as they looked back. Especially Mercer.
“Great,” Elita muttered. “She is so going to want that lime bath.”
About the Author
Rinda loves unusual stories and credits growing up in a family of curious life-lovers who moved all over the country. Books and movies full of fantasy, science fiction and romance kept her amused, especially in some of the stranger places. For years, she tried to separate her darker side from her humorous and romantic ones. She published short fiction, but things really started happening when she gave in and mixed it up. When not lost in fiction, Rinda loves making wine, collecting music, gaming and spending time with her husband and two children.
She’s represented by Miriam Kriss of the Irene Goodman Agency.
You can find Rinda at relliott4.wordpress.com and www.deadlinedames.com.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B
Cincinnati OH 45249
Raisonne Curse
Copyright © 2015 by Rinda Elliott
ISBN: 978-1-61922-893-1
Edited by Holly Atkinson
Cover by Leah Kaye Suttle
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: July 2015
www.samhainpublishing.com
Table of Contents
Dedication
Author’s Note
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
; Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
About the Author
Look for these titles by Rinda Elliott