Page 6 of Crazy Rich Cajuns

Okay, that was not what he’d intended to say first.Or maybe at all.

She clearly hadn’t been expecting it, either.It took her a moment to reply.

“You’d have to catch me first, Baxter,” she said.

That would not be a problem.“That’s not what I asked you.”

“Onetime, Bennett,” she said, her voice low, almost as if she was trying to keep others from hearing.Which was very unusual.Kennedy always wanted everyone to hear her.“You try to spank meone fucking time, and I’ll take your balls off with a snapping turtle.”

Exactly.Thatwas the woman he knew.The woman without one damned submissive bone in her body.The woman that needed the right man to appreciate her, toencourageher, to never try one thing to change her.“So that’s a no on it happening before?”

“Bennett… I swear to God…”

“It’s a yes or no question, Kennedy,” he snapped.Jesus, the woman was so fucking difficult.

“No.And you absolutely donothave an invitation.”

“I’m not asking for one,” he said shortly.“God, that’s the last thing you need.”

There was a pause on her end as if maybe—holy miracles of miracles—he’d actually made her speechless.For a second or two.

“The last thing I need?”

“You ever met a gator thatstoppedfighting just because someone got a good hold on her?”he asked.“No.Some things are just wild and will fight no matter what.Trying to hold them down is not how you handle them.”

“Surely you’re not comparing me to a big, ugly, stupid lizard.”

He smiled in spite of the fact that he still felt, however irrationally, pissed off.“A fucking badass predator that everything else is, rightly, damned scared of.”

“It’s weird that you’re so attracted to me if I’m so scary, isn’t it?”she asked after a moment.

He almost laughed.She wasn’t shy, that was for sure.Not that he’d ever hidden his attraction.“Not weird at all.”

“You probably feel it takes a guy with pretty big balls to think he can take on a girl like me.”

“Maybe I find the fact that you’re a fighter who doesn’t let anyone else tell her who she is or how she should be, pretty fucking hot.”

She paused again.Longer this time.Bennett gave himself big points.Twice in one day was unprecedented, he was sure.

“It’sreallytoo bad you wear a suit and tie to work and don’t know what to do with a crankshaft and piston.”

Yeah, Kennedy had made a big deal out of the fact that he wasn’t her type.Supposedly.

“You keep telling yourself that.”

“I will.”

He shook his head.“You’re welcome for saving your sweet ass with the wildlife lady.”

“Oh yeah…thanks.”

“And, Kennedy?”

“Yeah?”

“Next time someone shows up like that and youdoactually need my help, text me.I won’t leave you on hold.”He felt kind of shitty about that now.

“Oh, I know I could have done that.”

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