Page 44 of Crazy Rich Cajuns

“I just…” She swallowed and shook her head.“I take after my grandpa.I become attached to people and then I’m just done.I’ll defend them no matter what they do.I’ll stick by them no matter what.I’ll hang on, caring about them, even if they treat me like crap.”

“Okay,” Bennett said slowly.

“So I can’t get attached to you,” she said with a shrug.“There’s a lot of stuff really uncertain in your life.You have a lot of issues to work out, things to figure out.And I can’t get attached because once I’m there, I won’t let go.Even if that means I have to change everything up to move to Savannah and”—She looked down at her dress, flipping the skirt—“wearing pink, lacey dresses.”She looked up at him.“I would do it.Even if it wasn’t what I really wanted.And I just think it would be better if we…don’t go there.”

His heart thunked and his gut clenched.

He was already there.

“I don’t want Savannah and I don’t want you in pink, lacey dresses,” he told her.

“I believe you at this exact moment,” she said.“But your mom basically said you were born to be a politician.You’re resisting that for whatever reason.But that might not hold.Not if that’s really what you should be doing.”

“It’s not.”

“Why not?”she asked.“I was thinking about it while I was getting my pedicure.Why don’t you want to be a politician?Make a change?Do some good?”

He scoffed.“Is that what you think politicians do?”

“Don’t they?”

“It’s sweet that you think so.”He’d once thought so, too.

She frowned.“Well, then even more reason to get in there and change things.”

“It’s too far gone.”God, he really wished he didn’t feel that way.But he knew too much.

Her eyes widened.“Wow.”

“What?”

“You think I look different wearing pink lace, you really look different wearing cynicism and bitterness.”

He blew out a breath.“Sorry.I just know how it works.I don’t know if I’ve got what it takes to make a difference.”

She nodded.“Okay.Well, good then.”

“Good?”

“Sure.You’re way less sexy when you’re negative and jaded.And if you definitely want nothing to do with it, then I guess we can keep messing around.”

It was stupid, but for just a second, her words gave him pause.Did hedefinitelywantnothingto do with it?

But he shook his head.Of coursehe was sure that he didn’t want to get involved in politics.He knew better.He’d made that decision.He was going to be a bayou boy now.

He put his hands on her hips and pulled her against him.“There might beoneway I’d like pink lace on you.”

“Gee, I have no idea what you mean,” she said, teasing in her tone.

As she slid her arms around his neck, Bennett felt some of the tension leave his shoulders.He understood, completely, where she was coming from not wanting to be his excuse for how things were with him and his dad.It wasn’t fair of him to make it look that way.But the fact that she still let him hold her made him feel like it would be okay.

He leaned in, rubbing his chin along the sensitive skin of her neck behind her ear.“I’m thinking a barely-there thong, with some pretty pink lace that I can rip with my teeth when I’m on my way to making your sweet pussy drip for me, would be okay.”

She shivered and Bennett grinned.There was no denying the chemistry, and if he had to use that to keep her close, for now, he would.Without apology.

“Well, I did mention that I might take you behind the gazebo a little later,” she said.

“You did?To who?”

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