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Category: Romance
Description: While investigating a poaching charge on one of his father's clients, Texas DA Dane Winslow finds more than he bargained for in the Louisiana Bayou.
eBook Publisher: Awe-Struck E-Books/Awe-Struck E-Books, Inc., 2009 2009
eBookwise Release Date: May 2009

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Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [230 KB]
Words: 48260
Reading time: 137-193 min.

Dane Winslow stood staring after the beautiful woman for several heartbeats. He couldn't let her just walk away. He didn't even know her name, although he was sure he could find out simply by walking over to his car and looking at his notes. He was certain that she had put up the bond money for John Belvue. Yet, something other than the fact that he didn't know her name was urging him to prolong her departure.

There was something compelling about her--something about her big brown eyes. They were deep, dark pools of mystery that echoed secrets as mysterious as the bayou itself. Then there was her hair, a shade lighter than the color of spun gold and that soft mouth made for kissing. He shook his head, trying to free himself from his wayward thoughts. "Wait!" He jumped down the steps after her.

Baylee turned slowly, deliberately, her heart thumping like a native tom tom. "Now what do you want?"

Dane's lips curled in a lazy grin. His hands were back in his pockets pulling the corded pants tightly across his nicely defined muscular buns. Everything about him screamed potent masculinity. Sexual being. Dangerous specimen.

Her sensible sane side said, Looks aren't everything. So it had to be the illogical part of her brain that was making her pulse jump around whenever his mouth curved into a smile.

"You don't understand," he said. "I need to speak with John now. Before the hearing."

Baylee sighed. "You don't understand. John does what he wants to do and when he wants to do it. Right now he's probably on his way deep into the bayou."

He leaned forward. "And maybe he's not. Could you at least point me in the right direction?"

"It's about a mile downriver."

Dane glanced over his shoulder at the metallic glint of the water. A film of hazy dust covered its surface, giving it an eerie, mysterious appearance. It looked like a stream of molten lead. He was glad this part of the bayou didn't have moss hanging from every tree. It was creepy enough without that added feature.

His gaze came back to her and curiously traveled the length of her again. "Can you take me there?"

"Me?" Baylee asked, wide-eyed, surprised.

"Why not? You seem to know John Belvue fairly well." Dane's eyes wandered down to her dog sitting obediently by her side. He held out his hand, slightly wavering as the dog growled.

"What's his name?"

"Cannibal," she lied primly, "so if you value your fingers, you'd better not go waving them in his face." She didn't know why she had said what she did. Why make up a lie about her dog's name? Wasn't that silly? She only knew this man was making her blood boil. His masculine scent wafted over her, holding her captive with an invisible force. He made her feel unsteady, lightheaded. And because of that, she felt the need to lash out with her tongue. It was her defensive coping system. It would have brought her great satisfaction if he'd pulled his hand away and looked at the dog in alarm.

But he didn't. Instead, a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth.

Not that smile again, she thought. It made her nerve endings hum with electricity. There was something about him that was drawing her to him like a moth to a flame. It was pure electricity. She knew she was instantly attracted to him and didn't want to be--didn't like what she felt. For that reason, she was grateful that Hannibal sat protectively by her side.

Dane eyed the animal with speculation, trying to squelch his growing curiosity of this woman. "I'll ask you one more time. Will you take me to Mr. Belvue's home, or should I find someone else to take me?"