Bound By Desire (The Acadian Curse) (5 page)

He didn’t smile at her attempt at humor. If
anything his eyes grew harder.

“Seven generations ago one of my ancestors
moved down to Louisiana when it was still owned by the French. He
married into the local gentry and created one of the best horse
ranches around. It’s still around. My brother runs it now.”

“Impressive,” Sarah said.

“Yeah, well, this great-granddaddy of mine
was also a world-class asshole. He seduced one of the prettier
house girls with fancy words and promises, but then threw her down
the stairs when he found out she was pregnant. Apparently he wasn’t
keen on the idea of having any bastards around to ruin the perfect
life he’d created for himself.”

Sarah flinched at the image that sprung up in
her mind. “That poor girl,” she said.

Grant nodded. “Indeed. And it might have just
been another sad family fable if that girl’s momma hadn’t been the
most powerful voodoo priestess in Acadia parish. The story goes
that she was the one that cursed him and all us male descendants to
show our true nature when ever the moon is full so that no other
woman would ever be deceived by our pretty lies again.”

Sarah took a bite and turned the story over
in her mind. “I wonder why she did that? I mean I can’t imagine the
reason for keeping the curse going this long.”

“Grief can make you do terrible things.”

“It just seems like too easy of an answer. I
mean she was obviously talented and smart enough to find a way to
curse your family far into the future. I can't imagine that she
would have done it without thinking it through. She had to have
some purpose in mind."

Grant’s heavy brows pulled together as his
eyes narrowed. “You obviously haven’t lost anyone dear to you.”

Sarah shrugged. It was true. Her mother
hadn’t died. She’d just left town. Her father had never really
explained what happened. All he’d ever told her was that some
people just weren’t cut out for raising a family. It wasn’t until
Sarah was older that she started figure out what he’d meant.
People’s reasons were rarely easily explained.

Silence descended. It wasn't strained
exactly, but neither was it entirely comfortable. There was simply
too much that she wanted to ask him—a thousand questions that
demanded answers in her clinical brain.

She had the feeling that a big part of him
wanted nothing more than to throw her in her truck and demand that
she never come back. He was big enough to do it to. She could kick
and scream all she wanted, but Sarah had a feeling that if Grant
LaCroix really wanted her gone, he could make it happen.

But he didn’t. Why?

For better or worse, they had shared
something far more intimate than the fumbling pleasure she had
given him last night. The bond they now had went far deeper than
that.

“I’m not afraid of you,” she said.

“You should be. If you understood what this
thing inside of me is capable of, you’d be halfway home now.”

“But he didn’t do anything,” she said.

“He was chained up. And he was still able to
talk you into….” He looked up. Concern shone bright in his eyes. He
was trying to protect her, she realized. “You can’t trust him.”

“But if what you said about the curse is
correct, then this thing is just an amped up version of you. He’s
your true nature.”

“What makes you think I’m some kind of
saint?” Grant’s brows rose as he fixed her with a hard stare.

“I don’t know anyone who is,” she said.

“And who said you could trust me?”

No one. Maybe it was a result of spending too
much time around animals, but Sarah didn’t put a lot of stock in
people’s words. Actions were a much better indicator of character.
Most people did not worry so much about someone they had met just a
few hours earlier. They didn’t make them coffee and breakfast when
they didn't have to. They didn't treat strangers as guests. The
more she thought about it, the less convinced she was that Grant
was the monster that he believed himself to be.

“You’re not evil,” Sarah said.

Grant shook his head. “You only say that
because you haven’t seen what this thing is capable of. I have. I
know because I watched what my father became. I was there when
he...."

Sarah waited but the he never finished what
he was about to say, and, if the dark cloud that had taken root on
his brow was any indication, he wasn't about to. Whatever it was,
Sarah could believe it was terrible.

"But that was your father," she said,
reaching out and touching his sleeve.

He didn't recoil, but his eyes fell where her
hand touched him.

"Why do you care?”

Sarah’s mouth fell open. The answer was
there, but she was going to have to push past a wall of fear to say
it. But if he could do it, so could she.

“Because I liked it.” Her voice was small,
but she managed to get the words out.

Grant’s head snapped up. His brows were heavy
over his eyes. “What?”

Sarah forced herself to meet his gaze. She
could own this. She could. Her hands began to tremble. She balled
them into fists so he couldn’t see.

“I liked what happened between us last
night,” she said. “I want it to happen again.”

Grant shook his head, but his eyes stayed
locked on hers. She saw emotions flash as fast as movie frames over
his face. Disbelief. Relief. Hunger. Denial.

“Under no circumstances,” he said. “You don’t
know what you’re saying.”

Annoyance sparked inside her at his
dismissal. “Yes, I do. I liked it, Grant. The way you talked to
me—the command, the control—it woke something inside of me I never
even knew was there.”

“That wasn’t me. It’s a damned monster. You
have no idea what it could have done to you if it had gotten
loose.”

Her stomach fluttered. She thought that she
might like to have to opportunity to find out. The glower that hung
heavy on Grant’s brow hinted that he wasn’t thinking along the same
lines.

“This is serious, Sarah.”

He was getting aggravated, but he seemed more
upset with himself than with her. He leaned forward on stiff arms.
The line of his shoulders was tight, and every hard muscle flexed
under his form-fitting T-shirt. But his temper held.

“So you’ve said. But you talk about this
thing as though it’s evil. I was there with it all night. I talked
to it, touched it. And yes, it was dominating, but it wasn’t
cruel.”

“It was also chained to a wall.”

Sarah pushed the stool back from the counter
and stood, even though it meant that she was no longer eye level
with him.

“Are you always chained up when you change?”
she asked, stepping around the island.

He nodded, but didn’t turn toward her. His
back was as straight and stiff as an iron bar. “Always.”

“Then how do you have any idea what your
capable of?”

“Because I know what is inside me.” Grant
swiveled around. Sarah stumbled back a step. “I know what thoughts
went through my mind when I saw you step down out of your truck.
Trust me, they weren’t any kind of chivalrous.”

A blush heated her cheeks. Her tongue snaked
out and wet her lips.

Grant took a step forward. She took another
step back. In this moment of frustration, it was easy to see the
hints of the creature concealed within him.

“I wanted you,” he said. The control was back
in his voice. Sarah’s heart began to pound against her breastbone.
She retreated until her back hit the kitchen wall. He propped one
arm above her head and lifted his other hand to cup her cheek. “And
he took you.”

“Nothing happened that I didn’t want.” Her
voice trembled. Grant LaCroix was no less powerful in his regular
state. His allure, it seemed, had nothing to do with the curse.

“This time.”

He bent his head down, and his lips brushed
against hers. It was soft at first. Barely a touch. A shiver ran
through her, raising goosebumps on her arms. His hand shifted to
the back of her neck. His grip tightened, and he deepened the
kiss.

She closed her eyes as the tip of his tongue
caressed her lips. She opened her mouth. All rational thoughts left
her as he swept inside. She tried to lean forward and press her
body against him, but he held her still. His mouth moved over hers,
keeping a hypnotic rhythm, taking what he wanted from her.

Sarah swallowed a cry when he wrenched his
mouth away. He didn’t go far. His breath still fell warm and ragged
across her cheek. She looked up into his passion-glazed eyes.
Coffee and cream brown eyes. Her gaze caught on the glints of
emerald green hiding inside his dark irises. This close she could
just barely make them out. But they were there. They were always
there.

The creature was in him, just as he was
always in the creature. They were one.

“You’re a fool to want this,” he said.

Maybe she was. But how many times in her life
had she ever been foolish? She had always thought things through.
She always went with the sane and rational choice. In school, in
her career, in her personal life, she had let her head be her
guide.

But now something in deep within in her was
demanding attention. It had nothing to do with logic or reason. It
was far more primal than that. Her body responded to his call. It
shouldn’t surprise her. She’d seen it over and over again in
animals, the need to answer to their nature.

That was how he made her feel—like an animal
keenly aware of the life flowing through her. She wanted to feel
more.

She slipped her hand underneath the soft
cotton of his shirt and relished in the feel of his taut skin. She
dipped her hand lower, her fingers teasing the waist of his jeans.
He stiffened and drew in a sharp breath between clenched teeth.

“Please,” she pleaded softly.

His eyes narrowed, and his hold on her neck
tightened. Sarah could see his conflict plainly in his face. If she
was fool for wanting this, what was he for giving it to her?

He leaned forward.

A hard knock at the front door stopped him
cold. He hissed in a harsh breath before straightening.

“Be right back,” he said, before pushing away
from her.

His boots tapped out a steady tattoo against
the hardwood floors. Sarah ran a hand down her hair as she tried to
regain her composure. She pulled on her shirt and smoothed down her
pants.

“Good morning, Linda.” The low timbre of
Grant’s voice rumbled down the long hallway as he greeted his
visitor.

“And good morning to you, Grant.” A familiar
voice followed full of concern. “I was looking for Dr. McIntire.
Your place was her last call. She hasn’t been answering her phone,
and I noticed that her dad’s truck is still here.”

Oh crap. Linda Reed.

Sarah had known Linda for her whole life.
She’d managed her father’s office since she was a little. She
wasn’t exactly like a mother to her. More like a favorite aunt. The
one who wore too much makeup and still knew how to raise a little
hell.

Sarah pushed away from the wall.

“I’m here,” Sarah said, rushing down the
hall. “I’m sorry, Linda. I guess I must have lost my phone.”

Linda’s eyes widened a little as she caught
sight of Sarah with her wet hair and crumpled clothes. There was no
doubt where her mind went. She looked back in forth between Grant
and Sarah.

“I see,” Linda said, not bothering to hide
her amused grin.

Sarah made sure to stand a good foot away
from Grant as she reached the doorway.

“Did I miss any calls?” Sarah asked,
mortified. She’d never disregarded her responsibilities before.
Never.

“No. Dr. Carter is at the office now, and
it’s been a quiet morning. I was just worried about you, but it
looks like you’re in good hands.”

Grant shifted his weight back on his heels.
Sarah stifled a groan. Subtlety was not Linda’s greatest
talent.

“I should probably go in and relieve Dr.
Carter,” Sarah said, turning to Grant. “But I’d like to finish our
conversation later, Mr. LaCroix.”

Grant nodded curtly but didn’t say a
word.

Sarah thought she’d sounded nothing short of
professional, but there was no fooling Linda. The woman’s gaze shot
back and forth between them like she watching her favorite soap
opera.

Sarah nodded back and stepped through the
door. She didn’t wait for Grant to close the door behind her before
she started striding toward the Ford. Linda followed close behind.
Sarah could tell she was dying to say something, but, thankfully,
for once in her life, Linda chose tact.

The sun was higher now and there were a few
other trucks in the driveway. A few heads curious faces peeked out
from the stables. What had she been thinking? This was a working
ranch and it was time for the day to start.

Sarah looked around but didn’t see Linda’s
red Honda anywhere.

“How did you get here?” she asked.

“Dick drove me,” she said, pointing to her
husband’s blue and tan GMC parked next to the stables.

“Dick works here?”

“Just a couple of days a week. It gets him
out of the house and keeps him from driving me crazy.”

Dick had been one of the best horsemen in
Plumas County before he’d shattered his hip in a car accident a few
years ago. Now he had so much difficulty getting around that he was
more trouble than help when it came to being in a stable, but his
pride was still as strong as ever.

“So, you just knew that I’d be here to give
you a ride back to the office,” Sarah said, opening the truck
door.

“I may have had that feeling.” Linda smiled
slyly as she slid across the bench seat. “I don’t know of a woman
in this town who would say no to spending the night at Grant
LaCroix’s place if they got the chance. Heaven knows, almost all of
them have tried, but so far as I know, you’re the first one to
succeed.”

Sarah turned the key in the ignition and gave
a few pumps on the accelerator before she threw it into gear. She
kept her eyes straight ahead as she pulled out into the dirt drive,
but she could still fell Linda’s expectant gaze boring into
her.