The Best Laid Plans (Brothers of the Bayou) by Renee Peterson Page B

they looked up. They didn’t attempt to change her mind and Lacy knew she made the right decision.
    Up in her room, she frantically dug through her suitcase. Hooking up with someone, let alone falling in love, was that last thing she had expected to happen on this trip and her wardrobe reflected it.  She desperately wished she had some sexy lingerie, or at the very least something sexier than her pull on shorts and tanks for sleeping in. Giving up, she just pulled the top outfit and pajamas from the pile and put them in her overnight bag.  She stopped by the bathroom on the way out grabbing her hygiene care bag then went back down to meet Beaux, who was pacing back and forth in front of his truck. For a split second, she was afraid he regretted his offer of spending the night and wasn’t sure how to rescind his offer, but when he spoke she laughed with relief.
    “Do you mind if we stop by the store? I‘m not sure how to ask this without sounding presumptuous, but just in case, we’re out of protection.”
    Warmth filled her that he wanted to be considerate, quickly replaced by a jagged heat at the possibilities.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter 4:
    Lacy stood in Beaux’s kitchen fully clothed feeling vulnerable and exposed, an odd set of feelings considering not once during their ardent love making hours before did she feel like that.  Knowing that she would be spending the entire night with him felt entirely too intimate and she wasn’t sure of how that made her feel. Everything she had ever wanted and longed for was right at her fingertips, but reaching out to grab it seemed too easy.
    Sensing her unease, Beaux offered to draw a warm bath for her and she gladly accepted.  After a long day and the emotional scene at Sara’s she needed some time alone to gather her thoughts. She stretched out in the tub, letting the lavender scented bubbles mixed with the warm water soak into her body. Her nerves floated away and she allowed herself to relax, determining this night would be special. Before her skin could prune, she stepped out of the tub drying off with the towel Beaux had left. She stared at her pajamas and although she had wished for something more alluring, another part of her welcomed their familiarity.
    Her heart melted at the scene awaiting her in the living room. The lights were dimmed and the flames of soft candlelight danced against their shadows.   A path of rose petals led to a single red rose resting against a glass of wine and the music of lovers softly filled the room.  Beaux walked in directing her to sit down then handed her the glass of wine.  He kneeled before her taking her ankles into his hands. Slowly, he began to massage them, rubbing away any tension that remained.  Working his way up her body, he stopped at her shoulders easing out the remaining apprehension.  At her sigh of ecstasy he poured them another glass of wine then lifted her into his arms.
    “May I have this dance mon amour?” he asked.
    “Forever and always,” she whispered so softly he barely heard.
    They danced long into the night, content to sway in the arms of their lover.  The wine flowed freely and with it the words lingering in their hearts escaped to be heard.  For now, their entire world existed in that single room as they devoted themselves to whatever the future held for them.  As they continued to dance, the night turned into day.  The young couple moved outside to watch the sun rise on the horizon, still wrapped in the arms of the other. The sun cast hues of orange and yellow over a landscape scattered with morning dew. A bird chirped as it searched for its breakfast and squirrels ran the lengths of trees in a game of chase. 
    Beaux and Lacy turned to face each other whispering the final words of their first night spent together.  Using his thumb, he rubbed circles on the inner palm of her hand, creating a highly erotic sensation after their intense night together.  In fact, this had been the