Swindled in Paradise (35 page)
Read Swindled in Paradise Online
Authors: Deborah Brown
"What?" Creole barked.
"I want to point out in our favor that we've been getting better.” I honestly did work at keeping him updated. “Texting you from every location, for example.”
"Every one?" Fab's brows shot up.
I ignored her. "The GPS hasn’t malfunctioned in a while, and I agreed to have a GPS app installed on my phone."
"I’d like it if you texted me," Didier said to Fab.
"We're not suggesting a new line of work or even an upgrade in clients. We just don’t want you getting hurt, or worse." Creole brushed his fingers through my hair. “I suppose concern for your safety makes us crappy boyfriends.”
Fab mimed rubbing her eyes with her fists like a baby.
"I feel the same way about your job," I sighed.
"After my experience,” Didier said, “it's not a bad idea for us to know where you are for those just-in-case times.” He sounded rattled. “Look at me—I texted Fab and it saved my life.”
"Fab and I already talked about it,” I said, “and agreed that someone knowing about our jobs is a good idea. Didn’t we?”
She nodded. "Just don't call every two minutes and complain about the neighborhood. Sometimes it's unavoidable."
"Fine," Creole snapped. "Drive wherever you want. But don’t jeopardize Madison’s life. Leave her at an overpriced coffee shop and come back and pick her up if you make it out in one piece."
"
Chérie
, it's only because we love you that we're having this conversation," Didier did his best to placate Fab, frowning at Creole as a signal to lower his voice.
Love
. I cocked my head and looked into Creole's eyes, which burned a deep blue. His face was blank, but he looked damned uncomfortable.
Neither of us had uttered those three little words. Did he love me? It had taken a while for me to admit my feelings to myself, and so far, I had only done so in my heart. The words had almost tumbled out a time or two, but I’d managed to catch them, not wanting to blurt them out. What if I did and he didn't feel the same way? Our relationship would never be the same. Ignorant bliss suited me for the moment.
"What are you thinking about?" Creole leaned down and whispered.
Knowing Fab and Didier weren’t watching, I lifted my skirt and flashed him.
He stared, reached down and snapped the elastic of my underwear, then yanked my skirt back down. "You are so going to pay for that later."
"Is it later yet?"
He shook his finger in my face, and I tried to bite it. “Behave,” he mouthed.
"Are we done?" Fab humphed.
"Fabiana…" Didier sighed heavily.
"Didier," I said, "would you like it if we turned into totally biddable women, always did what we were told, and never flashed anyone the finger?"
He smiled slightly as my words sank in. "Hell no." He stood and scooped Fab into his arms.
I licked the end of my finger and made a tic mark. "I'm keeping track of your vulgar language," I admonished him.
He laughed and kissed Fab, mumbling something I couldn't hear. She flashed him a huge smile, and he carried her upstairs.
"It's just the two of us now." I lifted my legs and wrapped them around his waist.
He lifted my skirt and kissed my stomach. "Let's take this somewhere more private."
"Your house?"
He winked.
Chapter 50
Creole carried me across the threshold of his hideaway and kicked the door closed. He strode across to the king-size bed and set me down, dispensing with my clothes first, then dropping his own in a pile on the floor. He lay down on the bed and rolled me over on top of his chest.
"You faded out earlier with this faraway look on your face. What were you thinking about?" he whispered.
My cheeks flushed. "About what a great boyfriend you are.” I smiled against his lips, then looked back into his eyes. “How lucky I am that you were patient and waited for me to be available. How happy I am that you didn't give up. Most of all, how happy I am that you needed very little training."
"If your aunt was alive, I would wring her neck for not introducing us sooner. I've known for a long time that you're the woman for me and I don't want anyone else—ever."
"Have you factored in that I'm not well-behaved and I'm certain that, even with the best intentions, there will be lapses in the future?"
"I want you to know that I don't take one single text, one single call, for granted. And that I’m very thankful you're not the hot mess your friend is."
"Fab's coming around. Sometimes I'm a good influence," I laughed.
"About tonight." He paused, pushing me away and lightly brushing my lips. "I didn't want you to hear that I love you just because Didier blurted it out."
I caressed his cheek, reminding myself to breathe.
"I remember the exact moment I fell in love with you.” He nibbled on my bottom lip. “You had staked out the driveway at The Cottages and slunk down behind the steering wheel of your car. The second I stepped into the driveway, I could feel your presence, and I scoured every corner until I found you. When I spotted you, I knew you could see me too. I winked and went inside my cottage with a stupid grin on my face."
"I was so annoyed and shocked that you’d spotted me in a second. I might as well have dragged out a beach chair and made myself comfortable. That wink…” I traced his lips with my finger, “…was the first of many delicious moments between us, even though at the time we were just friends."
"We will never be ‘just’ anything,” he bit off in a growl. He put his hands on either side of my face and stared down at me. "I love you,” he whispered and gave me a kiss that I felt in my toes.
"I realized I loved you when I was sitting by your hospital bed, your hand clasped between mine, willing you to open those beautiful eyes of yours."
"I love you, Madison Westin."
"I love you, Luc Baptiste, AKA Creole."
PARADISE SERIES NOVELS
Crazy in Paradise
Deception in Paradise
Trouble in Paradise
Murder in Paradise
Greed in Paradise
Revenge in Paradise
Kidnapped in Paradise
Swindled in Paradise
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Deborah Brown is an Amazon bestselling author of the Paradise series. She lives in South Florida, with her ungrateful animals, where Mother Nature takes out her bad attitude in the form of hurricanes.
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