Page 61 of Crazy Rich Cajuns

“I think you can figure it out,” Teddy said.“I’m not saying that you can’t.Just wanted to make you aware that I think Miss Kennedy is kind of used to being in the background and maybe she needs a chance to be up front, too, you know?”

Kennedy’s hand ran a little lower to his abs, moving back and forth across his shirt, and she turned her face, putting her mouth against his chest.He could feel the heat of her breath through the expensive fabric.

“She seems…loud and sassy and has this unique style,” Bennett said.His stomach tensed as her hand moved even lower, her fingers skimming the waistband of his pants.He put a hand over hers to stop it.“But yeah, if I think about it, she does do a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff—taking care of the business, helping her grandma, that kind of thing.”

He hadn’t realized that before.Or at least he hadn’t reallythoughtabout it before.Did that make him an asshole?

Teddy chuckled as Kennedy seemed to move closer, wiggling against him and nuzzling his chest.“Maybe we can talk about this more later.After you think about it.I think you need to get that girl upstairs.”

Yeah, he was going to end up embarrassing himself if he didn’t.Her hand wasn’tthatfar from a part of his body that was going to need reminding that she was drunk and half—or more—asleep and didn’t really know what she was doing.

“I appreciate you caring about this,” Bennett told his uncle.

Teddy looked at Kennedy and smiled.“Caring isn’t hard.I can see why you fell hard and fast.She’s something.”

Bennett nodded.He hadn’t always been the best judge of character in the people around him, but dammit, he’d gotten this right.Kennedy was special.

He shifted her in his arms, standing from the chair, and then lifting her.“We’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.“Are you golfing in the morning with us?”

His father loved to golf, so there was a big group going out first thing to his favorite course.

Teddy sighed.“I guess so.I hate hanging out with most of those guys, but if you and Steve are there, it will be tolerable.”

Bennett smiled.“You just want to golf with us because you can beat us.”

“I can beat nine out of ten of those fuckers,” Teddy said.

He was right.

“’Night, Teddy.”

“’Night, Bennett.”

Bennett carried Kennedy across the patio to the back doors that would lead into the kitchen.He shifted her slightly to manage the door but she kept her head on his shoulder, barely stirring.Well, he wasn’t going to get the chocolate sauce blow job or the multi-nozzle shower with her tonight, but that was his own damned fault.He again cursed his inability to walk away from someone saying “tell me more about that” when it came to the environmental issues he’d decided to dedicate his career to.

He was a scientist at heart.He’d gone to law school because that had seemed like the thing to do, and he knew he could use that knowledge to help further the issues that really mattered to him.He’d imagined that with his connections through his father and school, as well as his comfort in talking to people about donations to causes, he could better use his position and experience to work for the environment from an office with a foundation.He hadn’t found one that did exactly what he wanted them to be doing, so he’d started his own.But he had to admit, the idea of being out in the dirt, water, and air was always there, tempting him.It made his trips to the bayou even more fun.He really had the best of both worlds at this point.His foundation was doing great things and he’d garnered a lot of support.

In Georgia.

The thought that had been nagging him since he’d first set foot on the Boys of the Bayou dock niggled just then.Could he replicate that support in Louisiana?Where the last name Baxter didn’t mean anything?He knew, whether he liked it or not, he had Governor Ray’s ear, initially, because of Preston.Bennett was confident that he’d convinced the governor that he knew what he was talking about and that his foundation was worthy of the government’s attention, but initially, the man had sat down with him because of Bennett’s last name.

He nudged his bedroom door open, then shut it softly behind him.He glanced toward the door that led to Kennedy’s room.He should maybe take her in there and put her to bed.

But he didn’t want to.He wanted her in here with him.All night.Whether they had sex or not.

Just being with her, holding her, was making him feel less conflicted.His dad’s circle of friends and colleagues always made Bennett feel tight.Like he had to be on guard and watch what he said and how he said it.With Kennedy it wasn’t like that.He could be himself.He could say what he thought and act on his feelings.

He laid her down on the bed and stepped back, stripping off his shirt and shucking out of his pants, kicking his shiny shoes off to the side.He grinned looking at the shoes.She didn’t like them shiny?Bullshit.She didn’twantto like the things that reminded her that he was something new for her.But shedidlike him and all of those things about him.It shouldn’t surprise her that she was going for something different, something unique.Everything about her was unique.

He pulled the comforter and sheet back and then slid her over and started to cover her again.

She stretched and her eyes fluttered.

“Hey,” he said, bracing a hand on the mattress beside her.

Her smile was soft and quick.“Hi.”

“How are you feeling?”

---