Free Lilac Temptress by Elizabeth Davis

couldn’t,
and her move down the road had devastated him. But Sierra returned
to spend many nights with Kyle until eventually he had become
accustomed to having his own room, and didn’t want her around
anymore.
    Goodness, when did the
pleasant distraction of Drake give way to my worrying over Kyle
again? Maybe if he had been more
convincing about leaving Claudine I could stop distressing, she thought. She knew her only choice was to
convince Claudine to stay away from Kyle. Sierra would take care of
this problem herself.
    * * *
    Early the next morning, Sierra left
the brothel in search of her brother’s lover. She knew that
Claudine would be home while Trey was working at the Stevenson’s
ranch. After a short walk to Trey’s house, she knocked on the porch
door of the white and black house.
    After a few minutes of waiting on the
doorstep, Claudine finally answered. When she opened the door, hair
disheveled—Sierra guessed that she’d just awoken, as she was still
dressed for bed, donning a pink cotton nightgown. A scowl painted
across Claudine’s lips. Even her sour disposition couldn’t erase
the loveliness of her visage. Sierra bemoaned, suddenly feeling a
little sorry for her brother who was no doubt charmed by Claudine’s
beauty.
    “ Sierra, what have I done
to deserve the pleasure of your unexpected visit?” Claudine sneered
sarcastically, but apparently unsurprised. Kyle had told her that
Sierra didn’t like her much, and everyone in town knew Sierra could
be rash when she was upset.
    “ I think you know why I’m
here,” Sierra stated simply, glaring directly into her
eyes.
    “ No, but I’m sure you’re
going to tell me.”
    “ You’re certainly right I’m
going to tell you!” Sierra barked.
    “ Then spit it out, I ain’t
got all day.” Claudine didn’t like Sierra’s tone, and wished she
would leave.
    “ I’m here to discuss Kyle.
I want you to stop seeing him,” Sierra demanded.
    “ Now, why would I do a
thing like that?”
    Sierra’s vivid, and apparent vexation
didn’t intimidate Claudine in the least bit, and she wanted to
clobber the woman, but instead she balled her fists, hidden in her
skirt. “I came here hoping that you would consider what I am
saying. For God’s sake, you are a married woman, Claudine. You keep
toying with Kyle this way, and you’re going to get him into
trouble. I saw you two disappear at the bar last night,” Sierra
spat.
    “ You noticed us? We did not
exit to the back together.” Claudine’s surprised look indicated
that she thought she, and Kyle had been more discrete.
    “ Claudine, I will only tell
you this once. If you care about him you will let him
go.”
    “ Or what Sierra? Do you
think that just because you are standing there, ready to strike at
me that you will stop us?”
    “ Do you even love him?”
Sierra countered.
    “ It is all in good fun. As
soon as I want it to be over, you will get your wish. Now, if you
would please...” Claudine gestured toward the end of the
property.
    Sierra stomped away infuriated. She
groaned—there was no sure way of knowing if whether or not Kyle and
Claudine would stop seeing each other. But she didn’t have time to
think of it further, and hurried toward the tavern. She had a
shipment to put away, and wanted to finish quickly, so that she
wouldn’t have to spend most of her day at Wil’s bar.
    As she rushed along the unpaved road,
she thought of Kyle being used to satisfy Claudine’s whims. Jason
Grant had used her in the same way. Why did he ever say that he
loved her, only to leave her so abruptly, without even saying a
goodbye? He had promised to love her forever. They had made plans
to get married. She brushed her unexpected tears away. Jason wasn’t
even worth her thoughts.
    * * *
    Drake overslept. It was already noon
by the time he had cleaned up and gotten dressed. If he had gone to
New Iberia as planned, he would be halfway to New Orleans by now.
He gathered the paperwork he had worked