Savage Nature (17 page)

Pauline looked outraged. “You should have told your brothers.”

Saria made a face. “Really? Because they were home so much and paid such attention to me? They sent money home and figured that was enough. They were not goin’ to deal with
pere,
no one was.” She gave Pauline a mischievous smile. “By that time I’d gotten over childish resentments and fantasies of five brothers dotin’ on me, and realized it was far better not to be noticed by them. Otherwise they’d be tryin’ to boss me.” She wrinkled her nose. “Sort of like they do now.”

Pauline nodded her head. “It’s true,
cher
, your
pere
was a mean drunk.”

Drake suppressed a groan. If her father was such a mean drunk, why did everyone think it was okay for Saria to cope with him alone? What the hell was wrong with everyone?

Saria’s gaze met his. “He never laid a hand on me.”

There was underlying humor in her tone. She wasn’t lying exactly, but she sure wasn’t telling the entire truth.

Pauline glanced at her sharply. “He switch you, child?”

“Only when he could catch me, which wasn’t often, and then I left for days. He didn’ get to eat much. He learned quick not to bother, no matter how mad he was.” Saria grinned at her, uncaring that her father had taken a thin branch to her.

“It’s a little late to be asking her that now,” Drake said, making no apologies for the anger and accusation in his voice. Damn them all, leaving a child alone with a drunken father in the swamp. “Where the hell were the churchgoing women?”

Saria leaned across the table and put a hand over his. “Don’ be upset. I’m not. I had a great childhood.
Pere
loved me. He drowned in sorrow after
ma mere
died. I wasn’t the easiest child to try to raise.”

No, Drake had to agree she probably hadn’t been easy to raise, not with her need for independence and her iron will. Saria Boudreaux was one of kind. She hadn’t thought to complain to anyone about her father or her workload. Loyalty was a big part of her makeup, even to her absent brothers. She hadn’t told on Elie Jeanmard when she could have gotten him in deep trouble. If her father cared as she said he did, and he was leopard, as he had to have been—Elie would have gotten beaten within an inch of his life for touching Saria against her will.

“You should have been protected.” Any leopard lair knew that their women were of paramount importance.

“My father taught me to take care of myself,” Saria said, “and I’m grateful to him.”

“I heard Elie and his sister, Danae, are home for vacation,” Pauline said. “My sister told me they came into the post office when she was working. Iris said Elie is very handsome and of course Danae is beautiful.” She leaned close and lowered her voice, as if revealing a great secret. “Danae is seeing a boy in college and Amos and Elie are
very
unhappy about it. They think it’s serious.”

“Poor Danae,” Saria sympathized. “I much prefer
mon pere
to hers.”

“Saria,” Pauline hissed her name.

Saria just laughed as she reached for another beignet. “You have a crush on that man,” she accused. “I heard a rumor that Amos has been stoppin’ by for dinner, but I didn’ believe it until now. Tell me
everything
, Miss Pauline.”

Twin flags of color lit Pauline’s cheeks. She fanned herself. “Amos Jeanmard was the handsomest boy in school. Well . . . he and Buford Tregre. Iris was so madly in love with Buford. We planned to marry, but their families objected—
strenuously.
” She shrugged her shoulders. “Buford dumped Iris and she was devastated. She sat in her room for days sobbin’ and then Bartheleme Mercier began callin’. Bartheleme defied his
pere
and married Iris, but Amos couldn’t go against his family. They were big and very devout and his entire world.”

She looked so sad, Drake wanted to comfort her. Her love for Amos Jeanmard had obviously never faded.

Pauline managed a rueful smile. “Very Romeo and Juliet. I never married. Amos did and had two children. He was very true to his wife, but he visited me often and we’d sit on the porch and talk. We didn’ dare come in the house. After his wife died, he began courtin’ me again. I enjoy his visits, but we’re both set in our ways. He loves the swamp and I love my home here.” She shrugged. “I’m too old to change my ways now. We missed our time together, but I have no regrets.”

“I always wondered why you never married,” Saria said.

“I loved him. I still do,” Pauline said simply. “There was no other man for me.”

She wasn’t leopard, but she’d been the woman Amos had loved. Could she have been leopard in another life cycle? It was possible. If the families were old and could trace their lineages hundreds of years, they might have intermarried, as Bartheleme Mercier obviously had done—marrying outside the shifter species. It would stand to reason without a large genetic pool available.

Drake sighed. The world was a big place and there were few shifters left. To find one’s mate was difficult at best. Pauline could have been Amos Jeanmard’s true mate, but her soul was now in the body of a nonshifter and Amos had chosen to put his species before his own needs. Drake didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. What about Jeanmard’s wife? Leopards scented lies. She very well could have lived a very unhappy existence knowing he didn’t really love her.

He looked across the table at Saria. He could see the compassion and empathy for Pauline in her eyes. He wanted to take her into his arms and hold her.

“It’s nice to think about growin’ old with someone,” Saria pointed out. “Maybe he’d be happy sittin’ on your porch with you. He could still go out in the swamp anytime he wanted. You might discuss it with him before you make up your mind.”

Pauline forced a laugh and looked at Drake. “That from the girl who wants no part of marriage and children.”

Drake’s eyes met Saria’s. She damn well better get used to the idea of marriage and children because as he’d warned her, once he staked his claim, there was no going back. What did she think—that when her leopard was ready they’d have wild sex and he’d just go away? He suppressed a groan. She probably did think that. Damn it all. He should have been more specific.

Locking her gaze with his, Saria shrugged her shoulders. “In my experience, Pauline—and I do have five brothers—men tend to be very bossy. A few of my friends are married, and believe me, the ones staying home are definitely dictated.”

Pauline threw her hands in the air and ranted in Cajun-French for a few minutes. Saria was unfazed. She made a face at the innkeeper. “You just said you were too old to change your ways, which means you’re afraid he’ll try to dictate you.” She glared at Drake. “Men are arrogant and bossy and think they’re always right.”

Drake flashed her a quick, unrepentant smile, looking more wolf than leopard. “Perhaps the men in your life had no finesse.”

“See?” Saria pulled back as though he’d encroached on her space. “That’s arrogance. And I notice you don’ deny being bossy and arrogant.”

“Of course not. I’m not in the habit of lying. I have confidence in my abilities or I’d be a damned poor leader, now wouldn’t I?”

“What exactly do you lead?” Pauline asked.

He had to hand it to the woman. She was not only sharp, but extremely quick. “I have a field team. They’ll be meeting me in a couple of days. A few weeks ago a boat hit an abandoned oil well and knocked off the cap. I represent Jake Bannaconni’s company. He wants to know the exact damage done to the environment and how best to fix it. Mr. Bannaconni is especially fond of this area and wants it as pristine as possible. Once I determine the extent of the damage, I can formulate a plan and my team will come in and aid me with that. Mr. Bannaconni will implement the plan as soon as we complete the study.”

“I knew his great-grandfather,” Pauline said. “A good man.”

“I never had the privilege, but Mr. Bannaconni speaks highly of him.” He stood up when Saria did. “Thank you for the wonderful breakfast, Pauline. It was delicious. Saria, when we go through the swamp, would you mind pointing out the Tregre property?”

There was an instant silence as if he’d dropped a major bomb. The two women exchanged uneasy glances.

“Why?” Saria and Pauline both asked simultaneously.

Drake’s shrug was casual, but his radar screamed a warning at him. “A friend of mine had relatives with that name from this area. He doesn’t remember them, but he thought I might run across someone with that name.”

“You wouldn’t want to,” Saria said. “We don’ want to set foot on their property.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “I thought all of you got on with your neighbors.”

“We get along with them,” Pauline confirmed, “because we don’ bother them.”

Drake shrugged. “No big deal. I just told him I’d keep an eye out. I’ll just grab my pack, Saria, with my test kit in it. Be right back.”

“I’ll be packin’ the boat,” she said. “I take food and water and tools just to be on the safe side. Meet you there in ten minutes.” She snagged one last beignet and sauntered out of the room.

Drake watched her go. “She sure is beautiful.”

“And never forget she has five brothers,” Pauline warned.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said with a grin as he started out of the room. He turned back. “One other thing, Pauline, and I’m a little embarrassed about this. Last night I was on my balcony and it started to rain some. I just stripped and left my clothes and shoes on the railing. I didn’t want to get the floor wet and I figured I’d get them in the morning, but they were gone. I looked on the lawn, but couldn’t find them.”

Pauline flashed him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Darn raccoons will carry off anything. I should have warned you about leavin’ things outside.”

7

STEPPING outside the bed-and-breakfast was like stepping into another world. Everything was gray and eerie. Sound was muffled by the thick ghostly fog hovering over the water and winding through the trees. Drake made his way down to the boat and stowed his gear. Saria looked competent at the helm, a picture in her blue jeans and loose sweatshirt covering her slender arms as she waved him to a seat and took them out into the water.

Drake waited until Saria had maneuvered through the small section of lake and headed back through the canal to the swamp. Cypress trees rose up as if guarding the land on either side of the duckweed-filled water. The early morning fog seemed particularly dense over the water, and he said nothing to distract her as she took the boat through a labyrinth of canals and bayous, crisscrossing over the tall weeds until she seemed to settle into a steady speed.

“Before we head to Fenton’s Marsh, I’d like to see some of the swamp Fenton leased to the seven families. It will help me get a better feel for everyone.”

Saria glanced at him. “How? Swamp is swamp.”

He shook his head. “Each leopard is different and his territory is going to tell me a lot about him.”

She shrugged. “No problem, but sooner or later, someone is going to spot us and there may be trouble.”

“So eventually we’ll have eyes on us.”

“Most likely.”

“In that case, stop the boat.” He put a command into his voice.

She frowned but obeyed, slowing and then stopping the boat. The boat sat in the water with the engine idling while they faced one another. He crooked his finger at her. Her frown deepened, but she made her way to him, easily handling the motion of the water as it gently rocked them back and forth.

Drake curled his fingers in the front of her shirt and tugged, forcing her to bend toward him. She put one hand on his shoulder to steady herself. He didn’t let up, applying a steady pressure until her face was a breath away.

“You didn’t kiss me this morning.” He whispered the words against her lips and before she could reply, he took possession of her mouth.

When he touched Saria, the world dropped away, leaving them the only two people in existence. For a man who was always in control, it was a little terrifying to disappear into her homouth, her exotic taste, to lose himself so completely in a woman. He started off thinking he’d take a morning kiss to reaffirm his claim on her, maybe shake her calm just a little, but the kiss turned into something altogether different.

Sunlight burst behind his eyes. He merged with her. Into her. Floated with her across the sky. He forgot where they were. There was only Saria and her soft skin and hot mouth. He kissed her again and again. Exchanged soft breath. Turned to ragged gasps. They were flying. Soaring. He shifted her more closely into his arms, fitting her against him so that she was snugly against the cradle of his hips. The movement rocked the boat, so that he had to balance them both. Ruefully he lifted his head, astonished that he’d been so lost in the haven of her soft mouth.

Saria pressed her forehead to his, both hands on his shoulders. “So it is real.” Her eyes were wide with a kind of dazed shock he found endearing.

“
Very
real,” he agreed. “And I don’t want you to forget it.”

“It’s a little scary,” she admitted.