Crimson Bayou (Things that go Bump in the Bayou Book 1)

by Alizabeth Lynn

  Carissa leaned her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand. Her pretty green eyes sparkled with interest. “Really?”

  He waited for her to look upset with him, but it never happened. She continued to look interested. He took a deep breath. “Yeah.”

  She laughed. “That’s probably because he wrote under a pen name, and all his social media accounts were under Richard Barnaby, not Ryan Blaine.”

  “That explains it, then.” He shrugged. “That’s not all I uncovered, though. Did you know this town is unsearchable?”

  “No, I didn’t know that.” She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her chin. “I wonder why that is?”

  “I have no idea, but Jaune hasn’t been listed on a GPS or mapping program since 2000, when maps became available online. It also brings up absolutely no information on the city when only the name is entered into the search bar. The parish shows up, but that’s probably just because it encompasses the outskirts of Springhill as well as Jaune.”

  Carissa shook her head and rose to her feet. She took her plate to the sink, turning to shoot him a speculative look from where she stood at the counter. “That’s not possible, Aden.”

  “Yes, it is,” he insisted. He tugged his ear and smoothed his other hand over his hair. “Do you have a road atlas?”

  She nodded, squeezing a drop of soap onto her wet plate as she spoke. “Yeah, in the glove box of the Durango.”

  Aden tapped a finger on the table. “What about a GPS system?”

  She rinsed the soap from her plate and placed it in the dish drainer before turning to him with a grin. “Nope. I know the roads around here like the back of my hand.”

  He scratched his ear. “Do you have a computer?”

  “Left it at work.”

  “What about your phone? Smartphones have maps.”

  Smiling wider, she walked from the room and came back with her purse. She pulled an old flip phone from an outside pocket. “I really don’t care for smartphones.”

  Aden stared at her. “Good lord, woman! What’s wrong with technology?”

  “I have no problem with technology,” Carissa replied with a grin, “I just don’t need all the bells and whistles. I’d rather read a book than stay online all the time.”

  Aden tapped his chin as an idea struck. “The rain has stopped,” he said absently. “I’ll be right back.”

  Aden stood up quickly and headed for the door. Carissa was right on his heels.

  “Wait!” she called out, “What about your—?”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Aden didn’t hear her complete the sentence. He was through the door before she made it to the hallway. Keeping his speed at a swift human pace, he crossed the street and climbed the steps to his front porch. He flung open his door with a flick of his wrist, closing it behind him. His night vision was perfect, thanks to his amplified vampire senses, so he didn’t bother turning on a light. He also didn’t want Carissa to see his speed as he made his way through the living room. He didn’t want to give her any new reasons not to trust him. The truth would come out eventually, but it wasn’t yet time.

  Aden stopped at his table to pick up his laptop, stubbing his toe on the table leg in the process. He cursed. He should have grabbed his shoes before heading over. Wincing at the pain, he turned the air blue with swear words as he hopped up and down on one foot. He turned to leave, but the thought of heading back to Carissa’s without eating again didn’t strike him as a good idea. He’d never wanted to taste a mortal’s blood as much as he wanted to taste hers, and that wouldn’t be the best way to keep his secret.

  Sighing, he set the laptop back down and limped over to heat up some blood in his microwave. He drank the scalding liquid quickly – burning his tongue in his haste – while he hoped it would be enough to stave off the cravings for a few more hours. He’d be happy when he reached his hundred-year milestone, that magickal mark when Daniel swore the fledgling feeding schedule ended. He rolled his eyes. At least the blood had the nice side effect of taking away some of the pain in his injured toe. He rinsed the cup and grabbed his computer on his way to the front door. He was back on Carissa’s porch less than six minutes from the time he left.

  She stood in the doorway, her eyes wide with shock. “Are you always that fast?”

  He flushed. “Pretty much.”

  She grinned. “And how many things did you run into in your rush to grab your laptop?”

  With a sheepish smile, he muttered, “I only stubbed my toe once.”

  “You could have avoided that if you’d grabbed your shoes before running off.”

  Flushing, he grimaced. “Yeah, those. You’re probably right.”

  “You’re kind of cute when you’re flustered.” Carissa brought her hand to her mouth. “I didn’t mean to say that! I’m sorry! What I meant was—.”

  Aden cut her off with a smile and a wave of his hand. “Don’t worry about it. I know what you meant. But you should know,” he lowered his voice and leaned toward her, “I’m all about fairness.” he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. “I think you’re beautiful all the time.”

  Carissa's jaw dropped. “Oh.” She gulped. “Well.” She huffed out a breath and bit her lip. “Um…” She clamped her mouth shut.

  Smiling, Aden wiped his feet on the mat outside and walked past her into the house. He set up his laptop on her dining table, booting it up as soon as he flipped it open. He could still hear Carissa’s heartbeat thumping fast and loud and her deep breaths as she tried to steady herself. He bit back a grin. If he’d known he’d get that reaction, he might have tried to kiss her sooner. He heard her footsteps approaching slowly, and he quickly turned his attention to the electronic screen in front of him. He had an array of maps saved to his hard drive that didn’t require a Wi-Fi connection to view. He loaded a map of Northwest Louisiana.

  Carissa walked in and sat down in the chair beside him. Her face was flushed, but she said nothing about the incident at her front door. Aden turned away for a moment so she couldn’t see him smile. Her shoulder brushed his arm as she leaned toward his computer.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice husky.

  He grinned wider as he turned the screen to face her. He pointed to the top of the map. “See? No Jaune.”

  Leaning in to view the picture, Carissa all-but pressed her nose to the screen.

  Aden chuckled. “See?”

  Jaune should have been situated between Springhill and the Arkansas border, but it wasn’t there. Eyes wide, she stared up at him.

  “How is that possible?” she asked. “It’s on the road map in my glove box. I’ve seen it!”

  Aden shrugged. “I have no idea, honestly, but it’s like this on every digital map I’ve ever seen. When I was stationed here, I wanted to find out as much about this place as I could, but aside from the local library, information was sparse.”

  Carissa narrowed her eyes. “Stationed? I thought you said you worked in research?”

  “I do. My job makes me a bit of a target, so I was assigned me to this town to help me fly under the radar.”

  “And yet you said you traveled a lot for work….”

  “But my base was here,” Aden said, tugging at his ear again, “And staying at a different hotel every night is more difficult to trace than a permanent address. As I said, I'm a target. After renting for so long, I took a huge chance when I bought the house across the street.”

  Carissa sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. “A target for what, exactly?”

  Considering her question, Aden rubbed his chin. He hated to lie, but he was already in it pretty deep. Then again, he didn’t think telling some of the truth in this case would get him into trouble. He couldn’t tell her that the reason he lived in Jaune was because he was a wanted vampire, but his cover job should be in the clear. Daniel knew how to cover his business bases.

  Aden sighed. “People who don’t like it when I uncover too many secrets.”

  “S
o you work for the government?”

  He shook his head. “Actually, it’s a combination private investigation and bounty hunter firm, Hide-n-Seek, based out of Bangor, Maine.

  “Ah, okay. Is that where you’re from?”

  Aden nodded. “Born and raised. Anyway,” he changed the subject before she could ask him anything else about his personal life, “do you usually go on disappointing dates after work?”

  He closed his laptop as he spoke. He could see the news about Jaune worried her, and that was the last thing he wanted. He had a bad feeling the mysterious man they’d seen and his spur-of-the-moment decision to tell her about the maps had just brought her farther into his world than he intended. Unfortunately for Aden, she was an incredibly intelligent woman, and changing the subject could only lead to more questions. Carissa leaned forward and hooked her fingers together on the table.

  “Hardly. Tonight was to appease a friend. So, do you have any idea who that guy was in the rain?” she asked him.

  Aden didn’t want to worry her further, so he cast his mind about for a simple explanation. I’m going to have to lie again. He frowned. “With the area we’re in, my guess would be a Swamp Man. They wouldn’t worry about the weather, and their appearance is a little rugged and frightening when you aren’t expecting to see them.”

  Carissa sighed as she sat back again, scrubbing her hands over her face. “You’re probably right, which makes me feel ridiculous.” She flashed him a grateful smile. “You could have gone home a while ago, yet you’re here protecting me from imaginary monsters.” She reached over and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m happy you stayed.”

  Aden turned his hand over and linked his fingers with hers. “I’m glad you wanted me to,” he told her. “Most of my nights are filled with work and the sound of a radio. Regardless of the circumstances, it was nice to have a break from the monotony.”

  She smiled, squeezing his fingers again. “I’m happy to help.” She slanted him a sideways look. “Your boss won’t get mad for you not working tonight, will he?”

  Aden grinned. Daniel, mad? He couldn’t picture his mentor getting mad at anyone, much less him. “Nah. He’ll probably be thrilled I finally took a break. He seems to think working is all I ever do.” He chuckled. “He’s right, actually, but don’t tell him I confessed.”

  Carissa laughed, then yawned. “I won’t say a word.” She yawned again. “You should probably get going. I don’t think anyone will get me tonight.”

  Aden opened his mouth to agree when he looked out the window and saw something that made his blood run cold. Someone was standing near the end of the street, and all he could see were bright eyes staring in their direction. Were he a gambling man, he’d have bet money it was the same man from earlier. He turned to the woman beside him before she could see what he did.

  He rubbed his thumb lightly over the side of Carissa’s hand, enjoying the way her face flushed and her heartbeat jumped at his touch. He smiled to hide his growing concern. “In the interest of friendship and a difficult night, why don’t I go ahead and stay here? I have some paperwork I can do from your couch. That way you sleep in peace, and we both know everything’s okay.”

  Her eyes widened, but she smiled and bit her bottom lip. “You’d do that for me?”

  Aden raised her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to Carissa’s knuckles. Her heart beat shot up like a rocket. He grinned.

  “Of course.”

  “In that case, I’d appreciate it. I think I would feel a little safer if I wasn’t alone. Are you sure you’ll be comfortable in the living room?”

  Aden grinned, a dimple winking out of his left cheek. “No, but I don’t think it’s because your crotch will be uncomfortable.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Aden’s eyes flew wide as he jumped to his feet, his cheeks turning the fiery red of a ripe tomato. “I didn’t – I meant – Oh my God, Carissa! Couch! I meant couch! I swear – oh holy hell, I think I’ll just head home, now.”

  Carissa grinned, stifling the laugh that wanted to bubble out. He looked so chagrined, the flush in his cheeks making the roots of his hair look strawberry blond. He took a step backward, toward the entrance to the hallway. Biting her lip, Carissa saw two choices: Let him leave, or end what they started the night his eyes glowed – to hell with the speculation surrounding that oddity. With another grin, she decided to embrace option number two.

  He took another step backward, so she rose from her seat and advanced, the heat of his body mingling with hers as she reached him. Slowly, she lifted her hand, brushing the hair from the side of his face, her fingers lingering over the lightly stubbled, red-tinted skin of his cheek.

  “Maybe you aren’t as smooth with those few words as I thought,” she whispered.

  “I—I’m—I know – I’m sorr—”

  “I like it.”

  When his mouth dropped open, she smiled and pressed herself against his chest, tilting her head up in invitation. Linking her hands behind his neck, she watched shock flicker to life in his softly glowing eyes, but he didn’t try to move away. Instead, he placed his hands on her hips, holding her in place. His warm breath played across her face, gently blowing strands of her hair.

  “I’ve been wondering about this,” she said softly, her heartbeat pounding rhythmically in her ears – she’d never had the inclination to be so bold.

  “About what?” he whispered back.

  Carissa’s response was to press her lips to his. He jolted at the contact, his fingers digging into her hips lightly. His lips tasted sweet, a little coppery, and were soft beneath her own. With a little hum of pleasure, her eyes drifted shut. Then, with a growl that had her eyes popping open again, he spun her around, and she found herself sandwiched between six-feet-two inches of magnificent, possibly alien, man, and the nearest wall.

  Aden’s eyes glowed brighter than she’d seen them before, and the flush was gone from his skin. With another growl, he nipped her bottom lip, demanding entrance, so she gave in. And he plundered. His mouth fused to hers, his tongue sweeping in and overwhelming her senses, her eyes shut again as she rode out the storm. When he finally pulled back, his thumb gently caressing the curve of her cheek, she had difficulty finding her voice.

  But when she did, it was she that flushed. Carissa’s eyes fluttered open, her breath coming out in short pants as she watched the glow slowly fade from his eyes. “I was right,” she whispered, her words as shaky as her nerves.

  “About what?”

  “You are pretty good at this stuff.”

  Carissa’s internal alarm woke her at ten-to-seven the next morning. Sitting up, she stretched as watery sunlight streamed through her window. Her room glowed in the orange light, making it appear as if her furniture was on fire. She looked down and frowned at the dress she’d worn yesterday, all wrinkled from a restless night’s sleep. It took her a moment to focus and remember the details, but when the memories from the night before came back, they rushed in like a freight train, stealing the breath that passed between lips that still tingled.

  Shadowy figures were following her, and her mysterious neighbor was nothing more than a charming, klutzy, private investigator—which also explained why he took it upon himself to find out who she was. It was what he did for a living, a second nature kind of thing, and not as creepy as she’d thought. And his kiss was hotter than any fire.

  A kiss she had instigated.

  She’d been nervous about letting go of Ryan and moving on – part of the reason she’d agreed to the date with Mr. Assmonkey – but the more time she spent with Aden, the more comfortable she became around him – clearly, since she’d kissed him first. He was mysterious, but he was also strong, kind, loyal, and protective. And Lord have mercy, the man could kiss! Men like that didn’t grow on trees, after all.

  Carissa couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she walked to the bathroom for her morning shower. She came to a halt just inside the door. Aden’s wet boots and socks hadn
’t been moved. She looked back down her hallway and wondered if he was still asleep on her couch. Knowing she couldn’t jump in the shower unless she knew for sure, she exited the bathroom and tiptoed quietly into the living room.

  There was no one there.

  Surprised, she walked through the rest of the house, looking for any sign of him, but Aden was gone. Then, on her second pass through the kitchen, she spotted a note on the table. He’d pinned it under her purse.

  The message was short, but it filled her with warmth.

  Good morning, beautiful.

  I have work to do out of town today, but I’ll be back after dark if you want company. Maybe I can get your lips on mine again.

  Aden

  That rascal! Carissa grabbed the notepad and pen from her purse. She tapped the pen against her chin before writing a note of her own. Clutching the paper in her hand, she crossed the street without bothering to slip on shoes. With a mischievous smile, she wedged the paper into the doorjamb. She dusted her palms together as she returned to her house. Humming to herself, she stepped inside and closed her door, grinning as she imagined how Aden’s eyes would light up when he read the words she wrote. Light up eyes. Alien. The words drifted through her mind, taunting her, leaving her with one important question:

  Would it matter if he wasn’t human?

  Life shocked through Aden the moment the first rays of moonlight crested the horizon. His first thought was of Carissa and the note he left her. He smiled to himself as he imagined her reaction. He couldn't wait to talk to her and see what she thought. He took a quick shower, and was pulling on his jeans when he heard his front door open. The slow, plodding footsteps were easily recognizable, so Aden wasn’t surprised when Daniel entered his bedroom a moment later.

  “This was on your door,” Daniel said, smirking.

  He handed Aden a piece of paper with delicate, looping handwriting – a note he knew came from Carissa even before he read the words. The zesty floral scent that lingered on her lovely skin was all over the paper. He unfolded the note and read the words, his face flushing as the remaining blood from the night before rushed into his face. It wasn’t often he was taken by surprise, but her response wasn’t anything like he expected. It gave him hope.