by Caine,Ruby
"I was hoping to get this small matter of River Oaks out of the way before I took you to bed." Chance watched as Adrienne's mouth fell open. She was adorable when she was speechless, he decided, and a lot easier to manage, too. "Since you are intent on being so stubborn about the property, it looks like we'll have to deal with both issues at the same time now."
Abruptly, a cool breeze filled the office, turning the sweat on Adrienne's olive skin to ice. A strange odor whipped up over the room. Adrienne recognized the smell immediately, and stood up to open a window. The same odor had plagued her apartment for the past few months.
She had investigated, trying to figure out where the stench was coming from without success. The best Adrienne could figure was the odor seemed to be some type of burning metal. At least that was what she assumed the smell could be. She had to admit she had never encountered a smell like it before.
She better have the school's maintenance crew look into it. Hopefully, they would have better luck than the men she called in at her apartment. The electricians had come up empty handed. With the smell, came the eerie feeling of being watched. Adrienne slowly looked out the window, then around the office, trying to catch whoever was spying on her. Her hazel eyes came up empty. The only person in the room, besides her, was Chance Breaux. He was not only watching her; the arrogant man was studying her every move, unnerving her even more.
"Do you smell that?" she demanded.
He reached over and turned off the fan. "The wiring on this thing might be bad." He walked over to where she stood. His gray eyes locked onto her full lips, watching them tremble slightly with the cool breeze. He bet he could warm her up. If only he could be certain she didn't bite. What the hell? Maybe biting might make the encounter more interesting.
"You're avoiding the issues again, Adrienne. Let's get the sale of River Oaks over with so we can concentrate on one another."
He was standing too close, Adrienne realized, but refused to back away. "First you try intimidating me into selling. Now you're switching to sweet-talking? You are full of contradictions, Chance. You insist the back taxes on the property will bankrupt me. Then you explain it is worthless, and you would be doing me a favor to take it off my hands. Is seduction your latest ploy? Why do I get the feeling once you own River Oaks, the only thing you'll be concentrating on is getting the hell out of my life?"
"Is that what you are worried about, babe?" If possible, he inched even closer. "You think I only want you because of River Oaks?" Adrienne found herself backed up against the window, trapped by Chance's unyielding form. "Maybe this will convince you how sincere I am."
Adrienne knew the kiss was coming before Chance even started to lower his warm mouth. At night, alone in her quiet, lonely apartment, she had dreamed about what it might feel like if he kissed her. His embrace was more gentle than she had imagine, more promising, more dangerous. The fluttering in the pit of her stomach surprised her, too. Her mind spun in a million different directions. Their lips seemed to melt together so perfectly. Even the chill in the air seemed to have faded.
Her thoughts whirled out of control, something Adrienne was not comfortable with at all. Instead of allowing herself to relax and enjoy the moment, she attempted to deal with all the implications. If the truth be known, she wanted nothing more than to start a relationship with this handsome man. He might be a determined, stubborn man, but he was also devastatingly appealing and exciting. Yet, she was not about to let herself be used by any man, no matter what her emotions led her to dream about.
So why was she allowing this man to kiss her? Adrienne wondered, enjoying the union of their lips a bit longer. Exhaustion, she decided. Years of working to prove herself as a successful leader in the school system had finally taken its toll. She really needed to take advantage of the coming summer break. Should she consider taking a vacation away from the area so she could de-stress?
Without notice, cold air filled the tiny office and seemed to attack Adrienne again. Her numb mind could think of no warmer place than Chance's strong arms. Still, she forced herself to pull away, allowing the cold air to consume her completely. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Turning around, she was certain someone was spying on her. It had her feeling edgy.
"What if I sell River Oaks to someone else?" She challenged, attempting to hide the effect his kiss had on her already rattled nerves.
"You'll never get a better offer than I've made."
"Money is not a deciding factor in this decision, Chance. Principals might not make as much as people who run oil companies, but we do manage to live a comfortable lifestyle."
"Have you had any other offers for the place, Adrienne?" Chance demanded. Something in his tone warned he would not let up until he got an answer.
"As a matter of fact, I have heard from someone else who is interested. Strange, the way you talk about River Oaks, you would think no one in her right mind would want the place."
"Who?"
It was useless to try to change the subject now. Adrienne told herself she should have kept the information to herself as she first thought. Chance Breaux was singled minded when it came to the topic of River Oaks. The frustrating man saw the place as his and deeply seemed to resent anything or anyone standing in his way. Adrienne just wished she wasn't the major obstacle he faced now.
"I believe her name is Madame Lenore."
Chance laughed, obviously relieved to discover who his competition was. "Madame Lenore? That quack?" His chuckling made her stiffen.
""She sounded like a very interesting woman," Adrienne defended.
"The crazy woman claims she has visions of dead people. Don't tell me you would seriously ever really consider any offers from a quack. What's she going to pay you with? Séances?"
Now Adrienne was compelled to wipe off the arrogant grin on his face. What a handsome face Chance Breaux had, too. His features looked to be chiseled out of granite. Even when he was smiling, he looked unyielding. "Like I said, money will not be a major deciding factor if I decide to give up my rights to the property. Explain your real reasons with wanting the place. You claim you want to begin a relationship with me, but... "
"Get this through your hard head, woman. Our relationship is separate from River Oaks. From this point on, I'm going to be in your life for a long time to come. You better start getting used to that fact, because it will be one hell of a life if you make the mistake of selling River Oaks to anyone but me."
Something in Adrienne snapped at his tone. No one told her what to do, especially this man. "Be careful Chance. That sounded like a threat. I don't respond well to intimidation. If you really plan on sticking around, you had better learn that about me."
Instead of backing way, the stubborn man moved even closer. "I don't make threats, babe. Never have to. I'm just a man who is determined to get what he wants. River Oaks will be mine one day. Make no mistake about that fact. It doesn't matter who I have to get the deed from or how. The result will be the same. But after ten years of waiting, my patience has started to grow thin. Frankly, it would not be prudent to be the person responsible for making me wait any longer."
If that wasn't a threat, Adrienne thought, what the hell was it? She took a step back without thinking. A knock at her office door caused her to startle, and the principal almost fell through the open window. Chance reached over to straighten her before she could hurt herself. His touch felt like a jolt of electricity, and he gave her a sexy grin.
Pulling away quickly, she walked behind her desk again and cleared her throat. "Come in."
The door busted open. "Don't run!" Donny's father called after the small boy who rushed around the desk to hug his principal. Unfortunately, the child was holding a planted cactus, and both he and Adrienne ended up with tiny prickles on their clothes. "Donny, no. I am so sorry," the boy's father tried to pull the boy away. "I knew I should have bought the ivy arrangement instead."
"For you," Donny held up the now damaged plant. "Donny loves you."
Smiling like she had just received a plaque for Principal of the Year, Adrienne bent down to kiss Donny's chubby little cheek. "I love you, too." She looked around the room for a place to display her new gift. A crystal vase was moved to another location and the plant replaced it as the dominant piece on a bookcase. "How does it look here?"
"Don't touch," Donny proudly warned his principal. "Ouch!"
"My wife wanted to thank you for taking care of our prickly little sweetheart this year. I thought a clinging ivy was more appropriate, but Donny agreed with his mother, so a cactus it is." The boy's father smiled at his son.
Donny turned and saw Chance Breaux and jumped on the desk to rush for him. "Big man! Hold Donny!" Adrienne was glad 'big man' had excellent reflexes. He caught the child in mid leap. "Donny loves you." The delightful boy gave his hero a wet kiss on the cheek. Why did the sight of the tall man holding a small child warm Adrienne's heart? It was not like she was in the market for someone to father her children, even if her childbearing years were ticking away.
Donny's father looked embarrassed as he reached to take his son out of the other man's arms. "I am so sorry. We didn't realize you were in a meeting, Ms. Claireborne. I just had to stop by before you left for summer break. There is no way we can thank you enough for helping Donny learn so much this year."
"Are you kidding? His oral reading scores helped raise our achievement percentiles two points. Next year we'll work on those comprehension skills, right Donny?"
The two visitors left, and Adrienne couldn't stop herself from smiling, even if Chance Breaux was still irritating her about River Oaks. Maybe she should call his bluff about wanting her aside from the property. She really needed to stop putting off dealing with River Oaks. First things first, she needed to at least visit the place.
"Chance, how would you like to show me River Oaks first hand? You can point out all the reasons why I should sell it to you then."
"It would be a waste of time, babe. You don't want to visit the place. Most of the land is thick, bug-infested swamp, accessible only by airboat, helicopter, or horseback. The house is falling apart. The roof leaks in several places and the gutters are rusty."
"Didn't you hear Donny's father? I'm on summer vacation after today so I have lots of free time. Besides, it would be interesting to see how accurate your descriptions are about the place. Not that you'd stoop to fibbing about the matter to convince me to sell..."
"Do they still use the paddle on sassy people in schools these days?"
Adrienne could not help but laugh at the image that popped up in her head. Chance Breaux was leaning over her desk and she was swinging a large, wood paddle across his tight ass. The wood would probably splinter before it did any real damage, she decided. "Feeling guilty about exaggerating the truth?"
He smiled back at her. "Not at all. I was just wondering if you had something I could use to help me adjust your sassy little attitude."
Adrienne's expression went red, then dark. "Corporal punishment has no place in this day and age."
He laughed at the mere suggestion. "Applied properly, it sure as hell can modify certain, dangerous behaviors." Chance's pants got a bit tighter in front. To hell with a paddle, he would love the opportunity to lay into this lady’s sexy ass with his own hand.
"Do you have any paper I can use to draw you a map to River Oaks?"
Putting his implied threat aside, Adrienne got a sheet of clean paper from the tray of her printer. Suddenly she felt a bit anxious to explore her inheritance. She had always loved touring plantations in the south. What kind of historical treasures might she uncover? The slender woman leaned over to watch him sketch a map. "When can we go see it?"
His gaze lifted and he saw the excitement in her beautiful hazel eyes. "You are really getting into this, huh? Let's hope you are not too disappointed when you see the place. Just remember I warned you about the condition when we get there. "
"Tomorrow's Saturday. Could you meet me at River Oaks in the morning?" Was she thrilled about seeing the property or spending time with Chance Breaux? Who cared? This summer might not be as boring as the last few.
"Once you drive over the Hale Boggs Bridge in St. Charles Parish, you are only a few minutes away from the property."
"How close do you live from there?" Suddenly realizing how eager she sounded, Adrienne added a qualifier. "Just so I'll know how long it will take you to get there. I wouldn't want you to have to sit around waiting for me to come... get there." She studied the drawing, trying to look in control.
"Cute. I see you even included an alligator swamp and a broken down blue house. I've never really seen a rabid pelican before. Was that the look you were going for, or is drawing a skill you haven't perfected yet?" Darn it, had she said that out loud? Adrienne tended to get sarcastic when she was nervous or excited. Being around Chance made her both.
The tall man looked around the small office with a frown. "Are you sure there isn't a paddle or ruler I can borrow?"
Her backside tensed, Adrienne took the map and started to walk Chance to the door before he noticed any objects that might fit the bill of his request. "Thanks for the directions, Mr. Breaux," she stated, as she opened the door. "I'll be stopping by River Oaks at about nine tomorrow morning. If you care to join me, I'll meet you there. If not, I'm sure I can show myself around."
Two
Later that night, Adrienne climbed into a hot tub and savored the steaming streams of water pulsating against her skin. Her wayward thoughts drifted and before long, she was daydreaming about a tall, devastatingly attractive man. Shaking her head, she wondered, yet again, what the hell she saw in him? Even his not so veiled threats of spanking her seemed to turn her on. "I definitely need a vacation," she muttered.
Suddenly the stench of burning metal filled the room, a cool breeze accompanying it. Despite the warmth offered by the tub, Adrienne instinctively reached for her cotton robe. The gust fluttered around her as Adrienne stood up in the water. It seemed to cling to her body, twirling up toward her head. As it passed her ears, it almost sounded like a whisper, beckoning her to follow it somewhere. Shaking her head, Adrienne reached down to let the water drain.
Pulling on an old t-shirt, she was surprised to see the map to River Oaks sitting on her nightstand. Strange, she looked around at her purse lying on the dresser. She could have sworn she left the paper there. Picking it up, she smiled at the pelican drawn there. It seemed to be foaming at the bill. The breeze whipped up again. It made the map flutter in her fingers.
"Come home," the air seemed to hiss. Circling around, Adrienne was sure someone was in the room with her. It was almost like someone was watching her, trying hard to communicate. "Is anybody there?"
The map in her hands seemed to grow warm, drawing her attention back to it. Fear took hold of her swiftly, not at the possibility of an intruder, though. Without really understanding why, Adrienne knew she had to get to River Oaks immediately. Someone was there waiting for her to arrive. There was not much time. She had to get dressed and leave now.
Less than a half hour later, the principal was pulling off the Hale Boggs exit toward Hahnville, Louisiana. Chance's map sat on the seat beside her, offering her a guide. Somehow she knew she would be able to find her way to River Oaks even without it. Someone or something seemed to be directing her.
The River Road followed the winding path of the Mississippi River. A thick fog blew up from the man made levee which protected the surrounding land from the whims of the fickle river. Panic started to grip Adrienne's heart. Now she would never be able to find River Oaks. The damn fog covered all the landmarks. Visibility was down to mere feet. She would have to pull over until the fog passed.
The breeze filled her car now, bringing with it the burning metal smell. Both seemed to urge Adrienne to keep going farther. Pushing the gas pedal down harder, she listened to her instincts. She needed to hurry up, or she'd be too late to help. The clock on her dash indicated midnight was seconds away.
In the distance the lively music of a riverboat drifted her way. The light melody filled Adrienne's heart. Slowly she found herself being mesmerized by the very sound. For a moment, time seemed to stop as Adrienne quickly approached the music. Her eyes impulsively turned toward the levee. To her astonishment, the man made structure disappeared. The fog parted, revealing a magnificent, three-level riverboat, complete with a huge turning paddle at the rear. Bold letters on its top deck proudly proclaimed it was the Cajun Spirit. At the front of the vessel, a sole man stood, his uniform indicating he was the captain.
To Adrienne's amazement, he turned to look straight at her. She could see his sad eyes searching. "Wynona," he called.
A deep, mournful horn sounded in the distance. Without warning, a Russian ship plowed through the image of the riverboat. A silent scream escaped her lips, as the ship continued down the river as if nothing had stood in its way. Looking back to where pieces of the riverboat’s wreckage should be, she found the Cajun Spirit floating along its path, seemingly untouched. At that moment, the fog returned, bringing the levee back with it.
An ear-piercing scream penetrated the car. Adrienne's eyes shot back to the road. A small child was standing directly in her path. At the speed the car was traveling, it would be impossible to stop in time. Yet in her heart, Adrienne knew she had to at least try. Slamming on her brakes, the car veered off to the right. Soon she was sliding across the grassy side of the levee. Her green eyes instinctively closed as the tires protested her efforts to stop. Finally, the vehicle came to a stop a few hundred yards from where she applied the brakes.
"Oh, dear Lord, please let this be a horrible dream," Adrienne prayed, fumbling to open the car door. The air was filled with the strong odor of burning metal. The fog appeared to crowd around her, blinding her view. Moisture quickly penetrated her thin shirt and denim jeans. Even her thick eyelashes were heavy with dew.
