by Rebecca York
He nodded gravely, then leaned toward her, raining small kisses over her face, her shoulders, her breasts.
“Andre, please. I need you.”
“Not yet, chere. Don’t deny me the pleasure of touching you—kissing you.”
He didn’t give her a chance to argue. He stopped her words with his lips on hers as his hand slid down her body and dipped into her most sensitive flesh.
Her hips moving restlessly as he brought her up to an almost unbearable level of desire. She reached down to clasp his erection with her hand, drawing a sharp exclamation from him.
“Please, now,” she begged again. “Do it now. Don’t make me wait another hundred years.”
“God, no.” he gave her a long, lingering kiss, then moved over her, stroking his wonderfully hard shaft against her before cupping her hips, lifting her as he drove forward and into her.
“Andre!” She called his name as he began to move within her, then kept pace with him as he quickened the tempo.
They were Andre and Morgan.
Andre and Linette—the lovers who had waited so long for their fulfillment.
When he angled his hips, she came undone for him, orgasm taking her in a soul-shattering explosion of pleasure.
Above her, he cried out, following her over the edge into ecstasy.
She drifted back to earth in his arms, stroking the damp skin of his back and shoulders, then kissing his cheek.
She clung to him for long moments. Her voice strong as she said, “It’s over. The curse is over.”
He didn’t answer as he moved to her side. When he tried to shift away from her, she kept him close.
Raising his head, he looked at her. “You’re forgetting about Yvonne.”
“No, I’m not.” She can’t hurt us.”
“She doesn’t fight fair,” he murmured.
“She has to—now. Because loving you gives me the strength to defeat her. I didn’t understand that a while ago. I understand it now.”
He looked stunned, and she gave him a reassuring smile.
“You can’t quite believe you’ve found a woman who can freely love you. But you will,” she said, reaching down to knit her fingers with his. “It’s over. Your life is going to change now.”
“How do you know it’s over?” he asked, his voice grating, and she realized he couldn’t yet alter the way he thought of himself.
She moved her head against his shoulder. “Because love changes everything.”
As if in response to her words, something flickered at the edge of her vision. When she looked up, she gasped.
Beside her, Andre stiffened. “What? What’s wrong?”
“Over there,” she managed, pointing.
He followed the direction of her hand, and his breath caught. A jaguar was standing in the swamp, about twenty feet away, staring at them. Well, not a real, solid jaguar, because she could look right through the cat to the foliage on the other side of him.
“You see that?” she asked, unable to raise her voice above a whisper.
“Yes,” Andre answered, his tone awed.
The big cat stood regarding them. It swished its tail, then opened its mouth, raised its head and roared. Only there was no sound.
Slowly it turned and began to walk away from them, into the bayou. And the farther it got, the more light she could see shining through the mass of the animal—until there was nothing left of the cat at all.
Beside her, Andre made a strangled sound. “It’s gone. I saw it leave. I felt it leave me.”
“Yes. The cat that haunted you has vanished.”
He stared after the animal, but she knew he still wasn’t entirely convinced.
She took him in her arms, hugging him tightly, wanting to hold him forever out here in this beautiful natural setting that he knew so well. But they had other obligations.
“We should go back, so Janet won’t worry about us,” she said.
He nodded. “I wasn’t thinking about her.”
“I’m glad you were focused on us.” She hesitated for a moment, then said, “But we have to think about her too. She cares about you very much.”
“Yes.”
Quietly, they both moved off the makeshift bed and began getting dressed.
Andre bent to pluck a piece of greenery from her sweatpants. And she did the same for his shirt. Then, hand in hand, they walked back toward the house.
“So, will you tell me how you got out of the handcuffs?” she asked.
“I did it when I changed—to the cat.”
“Oh.”
As they stepped onto the lawn, Morgan saw a lone figure was standing on the balcony, staring out toward the swamp.
It was Janet.
When she spotted them, she hurried down the stairs, then stopped short as she gave them an assessing appraisal.
Morgan felt herself flushing and fought not to look down at the rumpled clothing that had served as bedding not so long ago. Probably she should have checked more carefully for bits of moss and other debris.
A small smile flickered on Janet’s lips. “You look like you . . . worked out your differences,” she said in a soft voice.
“Yes,” Morgan agreed, then asked the question that had been bothering her since she’d first come here. Looking the housekeeper directly in the eye, she asked, “Did you put that robe in with the items for the church sale?”
Janet shook her head. “I may have. I . . . don’t honestly know.”
“Maybe we have to chalk it up to magic—good magic,” Morgan answered.
“Yes,” the housekeeper agreed.
“One more question—did you rake away the jaguar prints from a few nights ago?”
This time, the housekeeper looked contrite, then gave a small nod.
“Why?”
“I didn’t want you to see them.”
“I understand,” Morgan murmured.
“Come inside. I made some more of those cinnamon buns,” Janet said, changing the subject abruptly, and Morgan decided not to make an issue of anything that had happened over the past few days.
When they walked into the kitchen, they found Dan Cassidy sitting at the table polishing off one of the buns.
Morgan stared at him. “What are you doing here?”
“Checking up on you,” he said easily, looking her up and down. “And it seems that I can give Frank a positive report.”
“Yes.” Because she was feeling a little unsteady on her feet, she dropped into a chair. Andre remained standing.
“So—are you coming back to Beltsville or staying here?” Dan asked.
Her gaze shot to Andre. “We haven’t talked about that yet.”
“Well, you’ve worked two solid years without a vacation. I think you’ve got at least six weeks to decide what you want to do.”
Dan looked at Andre. “I think you’re good for her. Just stay out of trouble with the law, okay.”
“I’ll try my best,” he answered.
###
Dan left after breakfast.
Morgan could see Andre was restless. And she knew that he wouldn’t feel entirely free of the curse until after dark. To give him some space, she said she was worn out, which was true, and went off to take a nap.
When she woke, she found she’d slept away most of the day. Looking out the window, she saw Andre working in the garden. His refuge.
After taking a shower, she put on a sundress and sandals and a little makeup before going down to consult Janet. Then she made a phone call.
Andre stopped working as she approached him, eyeing the sun, which was now low in the western sky.
“I made us dinner reservations in town,” she said.
His features immediately clouded. “I never eat in town.”
“Well, I’d like to try it tonight. Why don’t you go shower and change?”
He hesitated for a moment, still looking uncomfortable. Finally, his expression became resigned. “All right,” he said in a low voice.
“We should leave in about forty minutes,” she told him.
But as she waited on the sun porch, she felt her own tension mounting.
Andre stepped onto the porch at the appointed time, looking wonderful in white button-down shirt and dark slacks. But she saw that he wasn’t exactly relaxed.
“Let’s go. If you like, I can drive,” she said.
He nodded, but he looked like he wanted to back out.
She had timed their departure carefully. The sun was a red ball of flame just above the trees as they headed toward St. Germaine. Andre sat with his hands clasped tightly in his lap, the knuckles white. And he kept glancing at the door as though he was ready to leap out of the car if he had to.
She wanted to reach out and cover his hands with hers. She wanted to tell him that everything had changed. Because she suspected he wouldn’t believe her yet, she simply kept driving.
As the sun disappeared, he shuddered, his face rigid, his eyes focused on the windshield.
As twilight descended over the bayou, she heard him make a muffled sound. When she turned to him, she saw tears trickling down his cheeks.
She pulled to the shoulder, slammed the car into park and reached for him. He came into her arms, and she held him, feeling his shoulders shake.
“I couldn’t . . . I . . . didn’t. . .”
“I know. I know,” she murmured as she held him, stroking his back, combing her fingers through his dark hair. “You couldn’t believe it until dark. But it’s all over now. It’s really all over.”
He fumbled in his pocket for a handkerchief and blew his nose. “I’m acting like a child.”
“No. You’re just being emotional. I’m glad that you can be. You were so rigid, so controlled.”
“I had to be.”
“I know.”
He clasped her tightly, kissed her.
She drove the rest of the way into town, slowing as she passed Yvonne’s house. The lights were off, and the curtains were closed.
“She’s in there,” Andre muttered.
“Or she’s not. But it doesn’t matter to us,” she said, knowing that was another truth he’d have to learn to accept.
Her next stop was the gas station, where it looked like the same group of guys were sitting on the bench out front. Pulling up next to the pump, she said to Andre, “Why don’t you top off the tank.”
“I’d be glad to,” he answered in a steady voice, getting out.
She kept her eyes on the men, then grinned as she saw them react to the presence of Andre Gascon in their midst—after dark.
Bubba came rushing over, then stopped short, watching Andre fill the tank.
“You’ve never been here at night,” he said, sounding like he expected a jaguar to materialize in front of him.
Andre shrugged as he deliberately continued pumping gas, then got out his wallet to pay. He looked calm, like this was just a routine trip into town. But she knew how much the moment meant to him.
He was grinning as he climbed back into the car.
“I guess that was fun,” she murmured.
“Like dropping water bombs out of the second-floor window at school.”
“Did you ever do that?”
“I was too well behaved.”
“Well, I did it. And got in big trouble.”
“I’ll bet.”
She drove to one of the restaurants on Main Street, a charming Cajun bistro that Janet had recommended.
Again, they drew stares as they entered. But Morgan had asked for a quiet table out back on the patio.
They ordered champagne, and when the waitress had left them alone again, Andre raised his glass. “There’s so much I want to say,” he said, emotion thickening his voice.
“Just tell me you can accept being happy,” she whispered.
“I can. Well, I hope I can.”
They touched glasses, then each took a sip.
When he shifted in his seat, she reached for his hand and squeezed it. “What?”
“You have good friends back at Decorah.”
“Yes. But I’d like to stay here—if you want me to,” she added, because they hadn’t talked about the future.
His hand tightened on hers. “I love you. I want you for my wife, if you’ll have me.”
“Oh yes.”
He sighed. “Another hurdle crossed.”
“But I think I’ll have to let Janet run the house.”
“Would you mind?” he asked.
“Actually, I never much liked housekeeping. I think I can get used to someone who keeps the place spotless and the kitchen full of great food.”
Again, he looked relieved. “Good.”
She cleared her throat. “But sitting around doing nothing would be impossible. I’ll need a job. What would you think about my running for sheriff?”
“Not a bad idea.”
“With some time off for maternity leave,” she said softly.
“I thought I would never have a wife. Never have a family,” he whispered.
“But you like the idea of children?”
“Your children,” he said, sounding like he still couldn’t quite believe the discussion was real.
Their food came, and she realized she hadn’t paid much attention to what she had ordered. She’d come here to make a statement. Now she wanted to get back home—back to Belle Vista.
Both of them ate a little of the meal.
“We should talk about the oil reserves,” he finally said. “It would make me a lot of money, but I think it should just stay in the ground—at least for now. Fossil fuel is bad for the environment.” “Dwight Rivers was willing to commit murder to get at it.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s put off a decision about it.”
“Okay, but it’s up to you.”
They went back to the dinner, but both of them finished only about half of what they’d ordered.
“You’re not hungry?” Andre asked.
She grinned at him. “I think we’d both rather be home in bed.”
He grinned back, and she loved the way it changed his looks. Probably it would take him a while to realize the terrible tension had gone out of his life. But she was going to be beside him, helping him every step of the way.
When they climbed back into the car, she started to turn the key in the ignition, but he put his hand on her arm.
“One more thing,” he said in a thick voice. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out something that glinted n the floodlights from the restaurant.
When she saw the gold locket and chain in his hand,” she gasped. “Where did you get that?”
“I found it in the bayou.” He clicked it open, and she stared down at the portraits. They had been damaged a little by the water. But when she studied the features of the man and woman, she gasped again.
“It looks like us.”
“Yes.”
“You had this before I came?”
“Yes. But I wasn’t going to show it to you . . . until . . . unless . . .”
“I understand,” she whispered.
His hands were shaking as he lifted the locket from her fingers and clasped the chain around her neck.
As it settled against her chest, she sighed. “Thank you for bringing me back here.”
“You feel like this is home?” he asked, sounding stunned.
“Oh yes. Always and forever—with you.”
THE END
AFTERWORD
Thank you for purchasing Cursed. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it.
If you enjoy my books, do me a huge favor. Please go back to your favorite online bookstore, and leave an honest review. Authors live and die by their reviews. The few extra seconds it takes are really appreciated. Thank you!
If you enjoyed Cursed, you might also like to read other Light Street Press books by Rebecca York:
DECORAH SECURITY SERIES
Book 1. On Edge (a Decorah Security prequel novella)
Book
2. Dark Moon (a novel)
Book 3. Chained (a novella)
Book 4. Ambushed (a short story)
Book 5. Dark Powers (a novel)
Book 6. Hot and Dangerous (a short story)
Book 7. At Risk (a novel)
Book 8. Christmas Captive (a novella)
Book 9. Destination Wedding (a novella)
Book 10. Rx Missing (a novel)
Book 11. Hunting Moon (a novel)
Book 12 Terror Mansion (a novella)
Book 13. Outlaw Justice (a novella)
Book 14. Found Missing (a novel)
Book 15. Preying Game (a novel)
Book 16. Boxed In (a novel)
Book 17. Hollow Moon (a novella)
Book 18. Can She Get Home for Christmas? (a novella)
Book 19. Fire on the Moon (a novel)
Book 20. Hunter (a novel)
Book 21. Cursed (a novel)
Decorah Security Collection (an anthology including Ambushed, Hot and Dangerous, Chained, and Dark Powers)
And if you like science-fiction romance, you might enjoy the following Rebecca York books:
OFF WORLD SERIES
Book 1. Hero's Welcome (an off-world series short story)
Book 2. Nightfall (an off-world series novella)
Book 3. Conquest (an off-world series short story)
Book 4. Assignment Danger (an off-world novella)
Book 5. Christmas Home (an off-world short story)
Book 6. Firelight Confession (an off-world novella)
Off-World Collection (includes Nightfall, Hero’s Welcome, and Conquest)
PRAISE AND AWARDS
New York Times and USA Today best-selling Author
Two-time Rita finalist in the prestigious RWA writing contest
Recipient of two RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Awards
Recipient of the RWA Centennial Award
Prism Award winner
Affaire de Coeur Critics Choice Award for Contemporary Novel
“Rebecca York delivers page-turning suspense.” ~Nora Roberts
“Rebecca York will thrill you with romance, kill you with danger and chill you with the supernatural.” ~Patricia Rosemoor