Cajun Magic 02 - Voodoo for Two by Elle James Page A

swamps?
    For once she was at a loss for words. She’d rehearsed her reason for being there, but now with the time at hand, those butterflies had turned into condors beating the insides of her belly with powerful wings. Her grandmother would say her conscience was warring with her .
    The silence stretched longer and she still hadn’t answered his question. “I’m sorry…what did you ask me?”
    “Did I pass?”
    “Oh yes! Of course!” Her brain kicked in gear and she coughed, initiating her plan. “I have a tickle in my throat. Do you happen to have some water?” She didn’t have to fake the cough much. She’d almost choked on her lie.
    Gran LeBieu would wash her mouth with soap if she knew Lucie was lying. Hell, she’d do a lot worse if she found out what her granddaughter was up to.
    She knew her grandmother better than anyone else. Gran paraded her gruff, don’t-mess-with-me attitude for the masses, but beneath her Voodoo queen persona was a heart of gold. The heart Lucie had grown to love and rely on.
    Her grandmother also believed in what was right. And what she was about to do wasn’t right. She knew that. But…what option did she have?
    She glanced around the office, noting the solid mahogany desk, the smell of furniture polish, leather couches, and oil paintings. Her choices were simple—swamp or luxury.
    Swamp. Luxury. Swamp. Luxury.
    The tinkle of ice cubes clinking against crystal glass jerked her back to the present situation. With renewed determination, Lucie dug in her purse and removed the pill bottle.
    As Eric, with his back to the room, poured water from a glass pitcher, she uncapped the bottle and stared down at her future.

Chapter Five
    Ben made a complete sweep of Jason Littington’s office and found nothing. No bugs, funky wires, or miniature cameras. On his way back through to speak with his friend, he reached for the doorknob and paused. Was that a feminine voice?
    Eric wasn’t alone.
    And he’d recognize that sound anywhere. Lucie’s voice drifted through the slight opening in the doorway between Eric’s office and his father’s.
    What the hell? Ben’s first instinct was to charge in and demand to know what she was doing there. Thank God his investigative instincts kicked in. He hovered near the door, out of sight. Wouldn’t hurt to know why she was there to see Eric . He considered it part of his job to know who was spending time with the congressional candidate. How better to protect him?
    And if he felt a little twinge of jealousy, he wouldn’t let it affect his work. No sir. He was a professional. Even where Lucie LeBieu was concerned.
    Especially where Lucie was concerned.
    He peeked through the doorway.
    Eric stood at the bar pouring water into a glass. Lucie had her back to Ben, digging in her purse.
    With the barest nudge, he opened the door a little more. The hinge creaked. He ducked out of sight and peered through the narrow slit between the hinges like a young voyeur sneaking a peek into the girl’s locker room. Only he was close to thirty. And Lucie stood in the other room, doing who knew what. Though, that outfit was nearly skimpy as underwear…
    Her digging stopped and she glanced back over her shoulder toward Eric, exposing her profile to Ben’s view.
    One hand shot out, and she shook a small plastic bottle over the massive mahogany desk.
    Ben squinted, but couldn’t see what, if anything, fell onto the polished wood.
    “Here.” Eric held out a glass of water to Lucie.
    Without missing a beat, she turned and smiled, accepting the glass with one hand, while her other hand dropped the bottle in her purse. “Thank you, Eric.” She walked toward the portrait behind the desk and pointed. “Who is that man?”
    What the heck was she doing? Her finger pointed at the painting, but she wasn’t looking at it. Instead, she scanned the top of the desk and the surrounding floor.
    “That’s my Grandfather Littington. He built this corporation from the ground up.”