Pretty Face

by Hunter, Sable

  Maybe he needed to go see Dr. Rowan himself.

  By the time he got finally sat down to catch his breath, Hunter knew he wanted to see her. He missed Sage so much he could taste it, but what he’d finally realized was this—Cody was Sage.

  She wasn’t gone. She’d never left. He’d been the one to walk away. Yes, he and Dr. Cody Napier still had some talking to do.

  Now, he just had to get her on the same page.

  First he tried the cell number he always called Sage on, but like her Facebook page, it was no longer working. Next he tried the house phone and there was no answer. Disgusted, he turned on the TV and what he saw almost stopped his heart.

  There had been a pileup on the road between Baton Rouge and New Roads. It must have happened right after he’d made the trip and the TV camera was focused on a red Mazda Miata that was completely crushed.

  “Cody!” he screamed, his heart in his throat. “Don’t be hurt, please don’t be hurt.” Hunter jumped up, not knowing what to do—who to call or where to go. “I need the chance to tell her I’m sorry. I need another chance to tell her how I feel.” All he could think to do was jump in his truck, head over to her house and pray she was there.

  * * *

  Cody stretched out on her bed with a pillow over her head. Finally, she was alone. She’d practically had to force Marnie and Trinity to go home. They had come over the moment she’d called, as she drove home from the riverboat. When she had cried her heart out over losing Hunter, they had stepped in and become her support system. Both of them had tried to get her to contact him, but she’d remained adamant. Cody had already said all there was to say. It had taken all of her powers of persuasion, but she’d managed to convince them she was functioning and able to cope. The truth was, there was a hole in her life so big that she was afraid she’d slip through it and disappear.

  Hunter was gone and she was devastated.

  Her normal routine of sharing, laughing, hoping, dreaming with him was over. Cody sans Sage was going to have to find a new way of existing.

  Her computer didn’t sound anymore, it was quiet.

  The only ones who called were Marnie and Trinity—and they weren’t the ones she longed to hear from.

  Cody groaned and rolled into a little ball. The sad fact was—she had no one to blame but herself. She’d brought this whole thing down on her head. It had been her bad decisions that created the situation. Hunter wasn’t at fault. Hunter had reacted exactly as she’d known he would.

  And she didn’t blame him a bit.

  Well…

  No, that was true. She didn’t blame him.

  But, she was a girl, a dreamer, a romantic. Cody was in love and in the dark of the night, when she was all alone, Cody let herself dream.

  See, this is how it would work. She’d be lying here in the bed, getting her beauty sleep—which she sorely needed and there would be a knock at the door. Cody would rise slowly, wondering who it could possibly be and float to the door with her peignoir robe floating behind her. Throwing the door open, she’d find Hunter, who wouldn’t give her time to say a word. He would pull her into his arms and kiss her passionately, telling her he was sorry, he was wrong and he couldn’t live without her.

  Ah, such is fantasy.

  Because even if it were to happen, Cody wouldn’t ever put herself in that situation again.

  The dogs and cats were all lined up at the end of the bed, watching her. They had proved to be patient observers to her pain. Nana had been the most vocal in her small circle of sympathizers. She’d told Cody to march over to Hunter’s hotel room wearing only a trench coat and high heels, throw it off and seduce him. “Believe me, that’s how you get a man’s attention.” Nana’s advice had thrown Cody a bit, she sounded very sure of her ploy. Her confidence made Cody think she’d once practiced what she preached.

  “Foot!” she yelled at the top of her lungs as she kicked her covers off and scattered canine and felines to the right and to the left.

  The barking and meowing and her shushing and chasing drowned out the door knocking. In fact, Cody had gotten as far as the living room before she heard it.

  Knock! Knock!

  Who could that be? Probably a Jehovah’s Witness or perhaps the paperboy coming after his payment. Cody wasn’t dressed up, she was still in mourning, wearing a pair of sleep shorts and a T-shirt. Pink. The T-shirt read I’m Not Crazy, My Mother Had Me Tested.

  Knock! Knock! “Cody, if you’re in there, open the damn door!”

  Hunter! And he sounded angry. She backed up against it and rubbed her eyes. “Go away! I must be sleepwalking.”

  Outside, Hunter sagged against the door. She was all right. Thank God, she was all right. “No, you’re not, baby. Open the door.”

  Baby? “I may not be sleepwalking, but I’m definitely dreaming.” Cody looked down at her disheveled state and thought about going to change clothes. What good would that do? He’d seen her naked and in her best and wasn’t impressed with either—not enough to stay.

  Knock! Knock! “Cody, please let me in. We need to talk.”

  Okay. Okay. Taking a fortifying breath, she steeled herself and opened the door. As soon as she did…

  Hunter swept her up in his arms, held her so tight she squeaked and kissed her face over and over again, finally settling on her lips where he drank from them like a man starving for water.

  Cody didn’t know what to do, she couldn’t hug him—her hands kept going up to touch his shoulders, then back down, up, down. She couldn’t go through this again. The kiss was amazing, a miracle she thought she’d never experience again. But the pain when he walked away again was something she couldn’t survive. And he would.

  Because he was Hunter and she wasn’t Sage.

  Somehow she survived his sensual onslaught. He held her tenderly, his lips sliding from her mouth to kiss her neck. “God, baby, are you okay?”

  The fact that she hadn’t returned his kiss seemed to have escaped his notice. It was official, Hunter had lost it. “What’s wrong, Hunter?”

  She stood there as he ran his hands over her body like he was either checking for broken bones or a concealed weapon. “Are you hurt? Do you feel okay?”

  Cody didn’t have a clue what his problem was, but she couldn’t handle the emotional upheaval. “I’m fine. Why would you think I wasn’t?”

  “The wreck, I saw a wreck on television. There was a pile-up on the road between here and Baton Rouge. The car that was destroyed was a red Mazda Miata. I was afraid you’d been hurt or…God, killed.” He stood before her, still breathing hard. Lifting one hand, he cupped her cheek—the scarred one. “I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you.”

  Cody stared at him, really looked at him. He was so beloved, so dear. She leaned into his hand and covered it with her own. Turning her head, she kissed his palm. “Nothing happened to me. I didn’t come home on Highway 1, I cut through on 416. I gave a student a ride home.” Right before her eyes, the tension left his body, she saw him relax.

  “I would never have forgiven myself if something happened to you and I never got the—”

  Cody interrupted him, she had to. “Hunter, you don’t owe me anything. I’m the one who hurt you.”

  “Yes, you did,” Hunter admitted. “You weren’t honest with me. You could have been.”

  Something inside Cody snapped, she stepped back away from him, shaking her head. “No, you’re wrong.” She hiccupped a harsh sob. “I mean, yes, I could have been honest from the first. But you have to admit, you have to be honest. If you’d seen this face,” she waved her hand toward her head, “on a profile picture, you wouldn’t have given me the time of day.”

  “Stop.” Hunter invaded her space, cupping her jaw, rubbing his thumb over the blemish that had hurt Cody so much more than a mere scar ever could. “You might be right. I used to be a shallow son-of-a-bitch.” He grinned, and she bit back a smile, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. “But you see, something happened.” Hunt
er paused for effect, leaning forward to kiss her scar. “I met this woman, this incredibly sweet beautiful woman.”

  “Not beautiful,” she whispered.

  “Yes, beautiful,” he reiterated. “You became my friend, my confidant, my exciting-as-hell online lover who gave me better orgasms from thirteen-hundred miles away than I’d had with others one-on-one.”

  “That wasn’t me.” Cody swallowed hard. “That was Sage.”

  Hunter took one more step, drawing her near him, framing her face and kissing her full on the lips. “You are Sage.” When she tried to shake her head, he kissed her again. “You are Sage and you are Cody. I fell in love with both of you. Thank God, you’re one person.”

  “What are you saying?” Her hands weren’t obeying her anymore, they were caressing him, petting him, clinging to him like she’d never let him go.

  “I’m saying that I am sure. I am steady. I’m not a fancy doctor like you are, I’m just a man who works with his hands. But I create things. I form things.”

  “Hunter, you don’t have to convince me of your worth. I’ve wanted you, adored you, coveted you forever.”

  “Cody, you are my very best friend, my lover. I want you to be my partner. My heart beats for you.” He picked up her hand and laid it on his chest. “I place my heart in the palm of your hand. There’s a lot in this life I can’t give you, but there’s one thing I promise you.”

  Cody was trembling, she was so afraid she’d wake up and all of this would be a dream. “Tell me. I’m hanging on your every word.”

  Hunter smiled his big, beautiful smile. “I promise to love you every day of my life. I promise you me.”

  “I’ll take you,” Cody said quickly. “I’m no fool. I always knew you were more than a pretty face.”

  “Baby, to me you’re beautiful.” Hunter kissed away her tears. “Absolutely beautiful.”

  Epilogue

  Hunter and Cody stood on the wrought iron balcony, looking down at the street, holding hands. The Mardi Gras parade was in full swing. Bands were playing. Brightly colored floats were rolling by and the people riding on them all wore masks. They were throwing beads and gold doubloons. Happy people were everywhere.

  None of them had a thing on Cody. She bounced on her toes and looked into the eyes of the man she loved. “So, you’re taking the job to restore Starlight?”

  “Yes, I am. I want to stay here with you.”

  Cody didn’t want to argue. Why would one argue when they were being given everything they’d ever wanted? But she couldn’t be selfish. “Are you sure? There are schools in Colorado where I could teach.”

  “True, but you’re the department head here. I don’t want to take that away from you. Cody, my home is here.” When she looked confused, he pressed his forehead to her, looking into her beautiful blue eyes. “Wherever you are is home. Besides, Marnie and Trinity are counting on you for the dating service too.”

  “Hunter, I don’t intend to let them down, especially not since I’ve found my own ‘right one’.”

  She held up a hand for him to wait, then she reached behind her and gave him a book. The title read, just as she’d said. “The Right One,” he spoke out loud. “What’s this?”

  “This,” she touched the book lightly, “is what the key to my heart fits, the one on your key ring. For the past two years, I’ve kept a journal. All of my hopes, fears, and dreams of you are in this book. You can read it and know every thought in my heart about you.”

  He ran his hand over the book. “Thank you, I will. I have something for you too.”

  “What is it?” she asked. “You’ve already given me everything I’ve ever wanted.”

  Hunter bent over and picked something up. “Your shoe. You left it on the boat and I couldn’t leave it behind. I never intended to walk away from you. Even when I had my doubts, I always knew I’d come find you.”

  “I’m Cinderella,” she said with a giggle of delight, taking her shoe in her hand.

  “Maybe, but you’re the most beautiful girl in the world to me.” He kissed her. “My Pretty Face.”

  “I love you, Hunter Reed,” Cody said as they watched the parade go by. “Laissez le bon temps rouler. Let the good times roll.”

  The End

  BOOKS IN THE

  RED HOT CAJUN NIGHTS COLLECTION

  PRETTY FACE

  by SABLE HUNTER

  Cody’s life is defined by two great truths. She is in love…and she has committed a great sin. Cody has been playing with fire and she’s about to get burned. Hungry for attention, she allowed a wonderful man to fall in love with her. Their only contact has been on the internet and telephone conversations. Cody put a good spin on her life by telling half-truths and sending photos of a woman with a beautiful body and a pretty face, only the woman wasn’t Cody. Scarred by abuse, she hides from prying eyes.

  Cody loves Hunter enough to let him go. Full of guilt, she is prepared to disappear from his life. Hunter begs to meet her, but she refuses. But if Cody won’t come to him, Hunter will come to Cody.

  Louisiana is in the midst of Mardi Gras, a time of love, laughter and letting the good times roll. Masks are worn at Mardi Gras, and the mask Cody wears will hide more than a pretty face.

  http://sablehunter.com/

  * * *

  CAJUN SPICE

  by DESIREE HOLT

  Daisy Kerr’s life has reached the edge of the cliff and fallen off. Her so-called fiancé Craig Myers has embezzled millions from the investment firm where they both work and left her holding the bag. The FBI thinks she’s somehow involved, she’s been fired from her job and the condo she lives in belongs to Craig. Heartsick and depressed, she decides to use the tickets Craig had bought for their trip to Mardi Gras and see if she can “Let eh good times roll” in New Orleans. For a few days she can party and forget about her troubles. Maybe even meet a sexy Cajun man to take her mind of her troubles. A fling sounds really good to her right about now.

  Leaving the airport she meets Marc Doucet, a Louisiana native now living in New York. He tells her he’s in town on business but he’d love to show her the ropes of Mardi Gras. And a whole lot more. It’s not long before he’s really putting some Cajun spice in her life and then some. Sex had never been so good or made her feel so special. Maybe they might even see each other back in New York if she can straighten out the mess her life is.

  But what Daisy doesn’t know is Marc is an FBI agent sent to ferret out any knowledge she might have of Craig’s scheme. His plan was to romance her, until romance landed in their laps for real. When Daisy overhears him in a phone conversation with his boss she feels betrayed once again and can’t get out of town fast enough. It will take a grand gesture on Marc’s part to get past the new walls around her heart and convince her what they have is real.

  www.desireeholt.com

  * * *

  HURRICANES & HANDCUFFS

  by JODI REDFORD

  Gabrielle Scott is fed up with helping her playboy boss seduce and woo his countless bimbettes courtesy of her culinary masterpieces. Yeah, the pay is good, and you can’t beat the luxurious digs she’s treated to as his resident personal chef. But she can’t afford the frustration of living under the same roof with the one man who drives her crazy in every possible way. The damnable truth? She’s in love with the irredeemable bastard, and the only way she’ll get over him is to get naked under him. The plan? Attend Jax’s annual Mardi Gras ball incognito and entice him into a hot night of sin—right before handing in her resignation.

  Jaxon Noble always gets what he wants. Especially when it comes to the opposite sex. So when Gabbi shows up at his party in an eye-popping costume and outrageously flirts with him it’s a foregone conclusion that she’ll finally be his. He’s more than happy to go along with her game, and the combustible heat they generate together proves it was well worth the wait to have her. But when morning comes and Gabrielle calmly announces she’s quitting, Jax is faced with the sobering fact that perhaps money can�
��t buy everything. Or more to the point—the only person who’s ever meant anything to him.

  For someone who’s used to winning at all costs, losing Gabbi isn’t an option. And Jax will pull out every sweet and sexy trick to convince her to take a chance on a forever with him. Even if it means handcuffing her to his bed.

  http://www.jodiredford.com/More_Books.html

  * * *

  WICKED PERFECTION

  by MAGEN MCMINIMY

  When Malea’s best friend, roommate, and infatuation is arrested, tried, and convicted, she’s left alone. What she once loved about their cozy little apartment in chilly, fog-ridden, Northern California turns out to be too much for her still-aching heart. With her budding career as an author, Malea can go anywhere, and no place sounds better than the warmth and spice of The Big Easy.

  They say time heals, but it’s been over three years of Malea spending her time working, and searching for a connection to help her forget the only man she ever loved—unrequited as it may have been—the pain still stings as loneliness settles against her heart.