Swamp Happens: The Complete Swamp Bottom Series

by Cora Kenborn

  “Oh God,” she breathed as I forced her higher and pushed her towards the edge.

  “That’s it,” I coaxed, my voice hoarse.

  The intensity of coming together after everything we’d been through that week combined with the excitement the fear of getting caught had me at the brink. I increased my speed and pressure until she detonated around me. At the first pulse of her orgasm, I felt my balls tighten, and I groaned my released into her neck.

  We sat there not moving for several minutes while the breeze coming off the water cooled the sweat on our skin and our breathing returned to normal. Just as we were about to get up and re-join the party, a croaky voice I recognized all too well called out from behind us.

  “Careful, sex sound bring gator to yard.”

  We both turned in a sheer panic to see Babs bent over and laughing her ass off just this side of the tree line.

  Well, that was one way to meet the family.

  43

  Last Straws

  Zephirin

  New Orleans, Louisiana

  No good deed goes unpunished.

  Ma used to say that shit all the time, and it never made sense until now. Well, correction—it never made sense until Adelaide Dubois turned my uneventful life into a never-ending string of action and consequence.

  It didn’t occur to me to ask permission as I barreled into the office late Monday afternoon and moved Addie’s hair to one shoulder while kissing the back of her neck. Her entire body jumped as my lips brushed her skin, her hand flying backward and smacking me across the face.

  “Holy shit! Easy, killer,” I laughed, diving in for a kiss regardless of just getting slapped.

  “Stop being such a little bitch. That didn’t even hurt.” Arching an eyebrow, Addie slid a hesitant glance at Savannah, who pretended to study her laptop as her eyes bounced from her computer screen to her sister with curiosity.

  “Says the woman with the iron fist.”

  “That’s what you get for sexual harassment in the workplace.” She let out a tiny moan before half-heartedly trying to push me away as I nuzzled behind her ear. As Savannah cleared her throat, she shook her head, her eyes shifting uncomfortably as a smile broke through her forced scowl. “I’m trying to write a report, here, do you mind?”

  “Actually, I do mind. It’s been hours since you’ve kissed me, and that’s unacceptable.”

  As the words came out of my mouth, I wanted to kick my own ass. After what happened in my truck outside that bar and then coming out publicly as a couple at her family’s barbecue, Addie and I spent all weekend having marathon sex until my dick needed occupational therapy. We talked, we laughed, and for the first time since returning from Shreveport, she let down her guard, finally letting me inside her carefully constructed walls.

  Until today.

  The new workweek brought an Addie I’d never seen. She was jumpy, paranoid, and kept staring at her purse like we were all closet kleptos.

  As her phone chimed, Addie shrugged me off and straightened her spine. Quickly typing in her password, she chewed on the inside of her cheek as she scanned the text. The longer she read, the tenser I became, especially when the little line between her eyebrows deepened. I’d known Addie long enough to hate that line. That line meant something was up, and it wasn’t going to end well for me.

  Seeing Addie shift into business mode, I figured it was probably in my best interest to not attach myself to whoever just caused the murderous look to glaze over her face. I’d just pulled out my phone to let Bam-Bam know I was on my way back to the docks when Addie shot out of her chair and let out a low growl.

  “Son of a bitch!”

  The office went dead silent, and I tried for a noncommittal flat tone, but my voice raised an octave, betraying my interest. “Everything all right?”

  Whipping around, Addie held up her phone and squinted through darkened eyes as she silenced another incoming text. “Zephirin Beaudean LeBlanc, what did you do?”

  Oh fuck.

  Whether you were a child or a grown ass man, anytime a woman said your full name with a look on her face like she’d happily skewer and roast your balls over an open flame, it was cause for concern.

  “Why do you automatically assume the worst of me?” I met her stare, tension crackling between us.

  Addie cleared the distance between us, her eyes flickering with unrestrained emotion as she pressed up against me. Her normally composed body vibrated with anger. Taking me by surprise, she grabbed my hand and slammed the phone down in my palm, “Did you have anything to do with this?”

  When she released her grip from my hand and pointed toward it, I had no choice but to humor her. However, once the words settled in my brain, I knew a snap decision made in anger and jealousy had come back to bite me in the ass.

  ROLAND: He’s not good enough for you, no matter what he says. I miss you. Let’s talk.

  I prided myself on my keen ability to read people and common sense that for the most part operated on a higher level than the average person. However, the moment I read that text, all of that dimmed in the wake of some fucked up flash of knuckle dragging pride that, according to the homicidal glare settling across Addie’s face, I didn’t do a good job of hiding.

  “Holy shit!” she yelled, jerking the phone out of my hands and punching me in the chest. Savannah was right. The woman was abnormally strong for being so small. “You told Roland about us?”

  “What’s the big deal. We’re not hiding it anymore.” I couldn’t resist flicking a lock of hair caught on her eyelashes. “So, he knows. Is it the end of the world?”

  “Yes!” she screamed, pacing the floor. “You have no idea what you’ve done.”

  Welcome back to the stage, “Moody Addie”. “Pleasant Addie” has left the building.

  “For the love of God!” Snaking an arm around her waist, I pulled her close and stared into her panicked-stricken eyes. “He’s just trying to push your buttons.” As she twisted out of my hold, a thought crossed my mind that almost stopped my heart. “Unless you’re thinking of giving him a second chance.”

  My fears were put to rest when her lips twisted into a snarl at the thought. “You know that’s not it. I have no feelings left for Roland, but it wasn’t your place to tell him, Zep.” Putting a hand on my chest, she drew in a long breath. “You’ve got to let me handle things my own way, especially now.”

  “And when does this ‘handling of things’ begin, Addie?” I pushed, crowding her.

  “You don’t understand what’s at stake.” Her face flushed, and she stumbled over her words. There was something she wasn’t telling me, and until I dragged it out of her, it would be an issue between us. However, dragging anything out of Addie was as easy as trying to perform brain surgery blindfolded.

  “I think I do,” I challenged, motioning between us.

  She offered a withering look, and I could tell she was about to give in when her phone lit up, and Taylor Swift’s voice filled the office. Glancing down, Addie swore under her breath and broke out of my hold, stalking toward the front door with her phone to her ear.

  “What do you want, Roland?” I studied her changing expression as her hand wrapped around the doorknob and gave it a shove. She became quiet, and just like some scene from The Exorcist, Addie’s head swiveled around, pinning me with a heated stare. “No, I’m not ignoring you, I’ve just been—oh, he did, did he? We barely make it through the door, huh?”

  Listening to the one-sided conversation, I wondered how much Ma would have to put up in bail money if I drove to Shreveport and put my fist down his throat. Unfortunately, Addie stormed out the door and kicked it closed before I figured it out. Agitated from being shut out, I moved on instinct, stopped only by a hand on my arm as Savannah shook her head in protest.

  “You’re just going to let him talk to her like that?” I snapped.

  Savannah pushed away from her desk, crossing her legs and staring at me with pinched lips. “Don’t pull the leash too ti
ghtly, Z, or Addie will chew it off.”

  “She’s not a cocker spaniel, Sav.”

  “No, she’s my big sister, and I know her better than you do. You don’t think Shit Stain tried the same crap with her?” Letting go of my arm, she braced her hands on the desk, tapping her fingernails against the wood. “He controlled the fuck out of her, and in the beginning, she stood up for herself. Eventually, he broke her, and my sister became a fucking puppet.”

  I began to wonder if the estrogen-fueled solidarity of the Dubois sisters was a force I couldn’t contend with. “Whose side are you on?”

  “Look, Zep, I like you.” She stared at me intently, her eyebrows drawn together just enough to look conflicted as she wagged a finger in my face. “And you and my sister? You’re good together when you’re not screwing everything up with your stubborn ass pride. But I’m telling you, if you fuck this up, you won’t get a third chance to strike out.”

  “I’m not the one fucking it up this time, Sav,” I said, staring through the glass pane of the door where Addie stood, flailing her arms in the middle of a heated argument. Watching her care that much what her ex thought made my mouth so dry, I had to clear my throat a few times to find my voice. “I’m starting to think I’m just a time filler for her.”

  “‘Here Without You’,” Savannah said with a stoned expression.

  “In English, please.”

  “‘Here Without You’ by Three Doors Down.”

  The moment Savannah mentioned our song, my blood ran cold. “What about it?”

  Climbing off the desk, Savannah walked over to the door and shut the blinds, effectively cutting off my stalker voyeurism. “Douchey song. Especially after the fifteenth time in a row you’re forced to hear it blaring throughout your house.”

  “Addie played that song?” I hated the hope that sprung in my chest, but knowing she’d been listening to the song that played the first time we were together rattled me.

  Raising an eyebrow, she snorted and settled her hands on her hips. “Played it? She devoured it. Sang every note, and between you and me, I don’t know if you’ve ever heard my sister sing, but it’s not her best quality.”

  “It’s just a song.”

  Savannah tilted her head and looked me dead in the eye. “Yeah, and Babs is just a social drinker. Look, I don’t know the exact significance of it, and according to the dreamy look on your face, I think it’s safe to assume I don’t want to. I’m just saying that wasn’t laughter coming from Addie’s room between replays.”

  “She was crying?” I’ll admit my chest puffed way more than it should have. I didn’t want Addie upset, but if she was, knowing she was upset over me gave me a sick satisfaction.

  “It’s not the first time I’ve heard it either,” she admitted. “The few times she came back to Terrebonne after leaving town, she’d play it over and over. Even that one time I visited her at Sugarbirch, she had it going late at night. Now either my sister is the biggest closet Three Doors Down fan this side of the millennium, or she’s in love with you. I know which one my money’s on.”

  Studying the now blocked window, I sighed heavily and ran my fingers through my hair. Okay, maybe it wasn’t my place to call Roland, but the fucker had it coming. Still, the fact that Addie had held onto a part of our past instead of reminiscing over memories from her ten years with that douchebag spoke volumes. Maybe Savannah had a point.

  Maybe she did love me.

  Our conversation was cut short by the slam of the front door as Addie stood fuming, her hair a little wild and her eyes blazing. “That man needs to be neutered.”

  With Savannah’s admission still running through my head, I decided enough was enough. I’d be damned if I’d stand in the middle of a business that boasted half my name and hear about some other man from a woman who had a mouthful of my dick not fourteen hours ago.

  “If he thinks for one minute—”

  Before she could say another word, I took her in my arms and sank my fingers into her hair. Cupping the back of her head, I slamming my mouth onto hers. A gasp rumbled in her throat as her hands wound around my shirt and she gave into the kiss. With my hands wrapped tightly around her, I felt the shiver that traveled up her spine, and it just encouraged me to push deeper and take more.

  And she loved it.

  Until the door opened and Cole walked in, wiggling his eyebrows while whistling. “That’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout, LeBlanc!”

  “Don’t you have a job?” I muttered, huffing out a hot breath against Addie’s ear.

  But the damage had been done. Once she took in his mocking tone and puckered kissy faces, horror blanketed her face, and the heated kiss we shared fizzled into oblivion.

  “Cole Jefferies?” Recognition settled across Addie’s face, and she paled.

  “Adelaide Dubois,” he said, drawing every syllable of her name out with a grin that made the Cheshire Cat look like he was smirking. “If I’d known these kinds of benefits came with a job in the fishing business, I’d have foregone the MBA and tried out my sea legs.”

  “I have to go.” Pulling away from me, Addie grabbed her purse and tore across the office like a bull in a china shop and slammed the door to the kitchenette behind her.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” I growled, smacking the back of his head. “Do you take professional cockblocking classes or does it just come naturally for you?”

  “Sorry, man,” he offered, his hands raising in mock apology as he tossed a wink Savannah’s way. “It was just a joke.”

  A joke that prompted her to pull away, yet again.

  “Why are you even here?”

  “We have a client in the area, and I came to see if you wanted to knock off for an early dinner.” A slow smile curved his mouth as he craned his neck toward the kitchenette. “But it looks like I got dinner and a show.”

  “Go back to work, Cole.”

  “But—”

  “Go. Back. To. Work. Cole.”

  “Fine. Call me later.” Pausing at the door, he tilted his chin toward Savannah. “Hey, you got a guy, Savannah?”

  Savannah didn’t miss a beat. “Why, would you like to double date with yours?”

  No more words were spoken as Cole closed the door behind him. Once my annoyance with him faded, irritation at Addie’s reaction settled in its place. Cole was an asshole, but the fact remained that Addie was only comfortable when we were alone. The moment our relationship became public, she ran scared, hiding her head in the sand and me in the shadows.

  The lead weight of realization settled in my stomach, and the final straw broke.

  Oh hell no.

  “Fuck this.” Barreling toward the kitchenette, I prepared myself for a fight.

  “Three strikes and you’re out,” Savannah warned from behind me, but I was already behind the plate, bat in hand, and ready to take control of the field.

  If Addie wanted to play this game, so be it.

  But from now on, it sure as hell would be by my rules.

  PINK LINES & PANIC

  Book Five #handleyourbusiness

  Adelaide is in one hell of a mess.

  Returning to her roots solved all her problems.

  Until her roots got her pregnant.

  They love each other. They hate each other.

  And now, they’re stuck with each other for life.

  It’s time for new beginnings, but Adelaide is letting pride get in the way of her happiness.

  Enter Savannah, the puppet master.

  The youngest Dubois manipulates everyone’s strings until her boyfriend drops the mother of all bombs on her.

  This should be her happily ever after, but curveballs have a way of showing up when you least expect them.

  Especially ones you never see coming.

  44

  Dirty Little Secrets

  Adelaide

  New Orleans, Louisiana

  I had two cans of soda in each hand, debating which one had the higher caffeine content when
Zep kicked the kitchen door open with his brown work boot and grasped my elbow. I didn’t even have time to form a proper response to his manhandling before he swung me around and pressed me against the closed refrigerator door.

  As the sodas exploded on the floor, he crowded into me, his fingers digging into my arm, and the scent of the sea still clinging to his skin. “What the hell was that?”

  “What was what?” I knew what was what. I’d completely overreacted and walking away was the equivalent of a swift kick in the nuts. I was woman enough to acknowledge it to myself, but that didn’t mean I had any plans to vocalize it.

  Zep’s chest rumbled as he wrapped both hands around my waist and lifted me up as if I weighed nothing, pressing me harder against the refrigerator. “Don’t play innocent with me, Addie,” he warned in a low voice.

  I dangled my toes and tried to break his hold on my waist while struggling against him. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  Zep either thought I didn’t deserve an answer or plain didn’t give enough fucks to explain one because his response was an explosive kiss that molded me against the steel at my back and robbed me of all coherent thought. The second his mouth collided with mine, I knew what happened in the next few moments would only lead one place.

  His lips felt too warm, his tongue caressed a little too perfectly, and the way he held me felt a little too natural. He was right. I was a liar. I’d belonged to him, body and soul from the first flicker of the stadium lights, but until I made some decisions, I couldn’t promise him something I had no idea if I could deliver.

  “Let me go.” The words burned leaving my throat.

  “Be careful what you ask for, Snow White. You just might get it.”

  Is he kidding me right now?

  “Wait, is that a threat?” The finality in his words tore at me like barbed wire. “Zep, are you seriously dropping an ultimatum on me?”