Free Cajun Magic 02 - Voodoo for Two by Elle James Page B

the young politician. “No, I’m sure. You can have her.” She wouldn’t have me, anyway . “You go. I’ll stay here and check out a few more things before I leave.”
    “If you’re sure.” Eric grabbed the navy blazer neatly hung on the coat rack and raced for the door. “We’ll talk later.”
    …
    “Come here, you creepy little bug!” Lucie leaped as high as she could in heels and a short skirt. She’d had to leave her turquoise-blue 1967 Mustang convertible parked in the lot inside the gates of Littington Enterprises in order to chase the spellbound bug on foot.
    It flew around the protesters, thank goodness, avoiding the potential for a really messy love fest. She had raced out the gates, charging through the picket line to chase the stupid creature.
    And did the love bug head into the swamp like most self-respecting creatures of nature?
    No.
    The shiny, red, spotted insect with the alien-like greenish glow was headed straight down Highway 9 to Bayou Miste, a stretch of the legs—three miles—from the Littington compound.
    A mile and a half down the road, she pulled off her shoes and started throwing them at the bug. “Die, you little beast!” The blister on her big toe and the stone bruise on her left heel slowed her progress to a crawl. Sweat trickled down her forehead into her eyes, blinding her.
    The sound of a vehicle approached from behind. She inched off the road into the tall grass, hoping like hell she wasn’t stepping off the edge into a muddy ditch, or worse, onto an angry water moccasin. She didn’t mind snakes, except when she couldn’t see them.
    She brushed the perspiration from her stinging eyes and looked up.
    A silver BMW sports car rolled to a stop beside her, the passenger window sliding smoothly down.
    “Need a ride?”
    She leaned over to peer into the dark leather interior of the car to see Eric’s smiling face, shining like a ray of hope in the black world of sore feet and hopeless pursuit.
    “Oh, yes, please.” She melted into the cool leather seat and turned the air vents to blow full blast on her heated skin .
    “Where to?”
    Oh yeah, the damned bug.
    Lucie stopped just short of saying, “Follow that bug!” Instead she nodded calmly, while her insides knotted like a twisted grapevine. “I was headed for town.” Her cheeks warmed despite the cool air blowing on them. It was just a little white lie. After all, she was following a bug that was heading for town. Close enough.
    With a confused smile, Eric stepped on the gas and the BMW shot forward.
    Lucie peered through the windshield, straining to see the ladybug as they blew by. She caught a glimpse of fluorescent green. Good, the bug was still heading for Bayou Miste. If she got ahead of it, maybe she could catch it before it made it all the way into town.
    “Why didn’t you take your car?” Eric asked.
    With an inward curse, Lucie could feel her cheeks burn in anticipation of her next lie. “I was afraid I wouldn’t make it through the picket line. Besides, I felt like walking.” She grimaced. “Until I went half a mile in these heels. I’ll come back to get my ‘Stang later.”
    “The blue Mustang convertible I saw in the parking lot? Nice car.”
    “Yeah.” Lucie loved her little blue car. “My grandmother gave it to me when I learned to drive. It used to be hers.”
    “Where can I drop you?” Eric asked as they whizzed by the first few houses on the edge of the little community.
    Her eye on the rearview mirror, Lucie squirmed around. “Park at the marina, there on the right.”
    As if landing a spaceship on glass, Eric slowed to a halt on the gravel parking lot outside Thibodeaux Marina.
    Before he shifted the powerful sports car into park, she jumped out of the passenger seat, hopping into her high heels, one foot at a time, while lurching back the way they’d come. If she hurried, she could catch the bug before it entered town, spreading misplaced magic on unsuspecting residents.
    Boy, Gran