Page 9 of Crazy Rich Cajuns

“Yeah, I needed to dust this place and put on the tea,” she said dryly.Even as her brain spun images of “getting ready” by waxing from head to toe, putting on her favorite tiger print thong, and making sure the bottle of cinnamon-flavored body oil in her nightstand was full.

“Would love to see you bending over to dust those bottom shelves,” he said.“Don’t let me keep you from it.”

“You wish.”

In any other situation that could be called sexual harassment, but she knew that he’d never do or say anything like that if he thought she was truly uncomfortable with it.She dished stuff right back to him.It was their thing and their employee-boss relationship was…weird at best.He owned part of the company she worked for, but he had no power to fire her.Her grandfather would make heads roll if anyone tried to get rid of her.For one thing.For another, her oldest brother, Sawyer, was actually the majority partner and got to make all big, final decisions.

“Doesn’t look like anyone’s dusted in a while,” he commented, glancing around.

“That’s because we’re not stupid.”

The front office for the company was a wooden building that sat smack dab in between all of the boat docks and had people tramping in and out all day long.They were either coming off the dirt path that led down from the road or were coming up the wooden ramp from the docks.The door opened and closed a million times a day.They swept the floor maybe every third day or when it got noticeable, but there was a constant layer of sand and dirt here.That would just always be true.There was no way she’d waste her time trying to keep it spotless, that was for sure.

She washed the windows every once in a while, if she noticed the view was getting hazy.Every so often, she ran a dusting cloth over the shelves that held the various supplies they offered the tourists—sunscreen, bug repellent, and snacks like granola bars and candy along with cookies shaped like alligators and turtles.They also had a cooler with sports drinks, water, and soda for sale.

On the other side of the room were shelves that held the aquariums full of fish, frogs, and smaller turtles that the kids could look at and ooh and ahh over while they waited for their tours.She wasn’t going to dust a turtle aquarium, either.That was dumb.

The connected room was the gift shop full of the Boys of the Bayou merchandise they had for sale—T-shirts, travel mugs, tote bags, stuffed alligators, hats, kid-sized tackle boxes, swamp flashlights and more, along with fishing supplies for adults and Louisiana history books, books with swamp ghost stories, and Cajun cookbooks.Kennedy did actually keep that room well stocked, cleaned up, and yes, dusted.But she wasn’t going to admit that.

“Well, sorry to surprise you,” Bennett said, clearly not sorry at all.“But I decided to come straight over to get my payment from you before I got distracted by anything else.”

Oh, he thought he might get distracted from whatever it was he wanted from her?Not bloody likely.She leaned onto the counter.“I’m short on cash,” she said.“You willing to take something in trade?”

Did she mean that to sound flirtatious and a little dirty?She sure did.

She and Bennett teased and danced around this you-want-me-and-I-know-it thing, but she really did want to know how serious it was.She wasn’t sweet, she wasn’t shy, and she wasn’t naïve.She’d grown up surrounded by men in a place where every other critter she came across could poison or maim her.She was tough and she knew how men thought.With their dicks.

Bennett Baxter was something new, she’d admit that.But she’d figured out very young that the easiest way to find out if something would bite was to poke it.

She really wanted to know if Bennett would bite.

“I’m very willing to take something in trade,” he told her.“In fact, I’m going to insist on it.I did something for you.Now you’re going to do something for me.”

Kennedy lifted a brow.“I have lots of talents, Baxter.You’re gonna have to be specific.”Her heart was racing though.She was in for whatever this was.

The truth was, Bennett had made the Boys of the Bayou way more fun.He was different.New.She worked with people that she was not only related to, but who she spentallof her time with.She lived on the second floor of her grandmother’s house.She ate at least two meals a day at her grandmother’s restaurant.Where her brothers, parents, cousins, and other relatives also ate most of their meals.She worked with her two brothers, two cousins, and her grandfather.

Bennett was…just different.She liked it.Even if he did wear a tie.

And she trusted him.Whatever this was, it was nothing to worry about.He was a good guy who loved her family and who wanted to keep all of his body parts intact and who knew that her family would separate him from those body parts if he messed with her.

“I want you to go to Savannah with me this weekend.”

She blinked at him.Oh yeah, he’d said something like that before.“Savannah?Seriously?”

He was from Savannah.That’s where he lived and worked.In some stupid apartment that had been newly remodeled in the most modern style and that she hated just from the photos of the building she’d found online—not that she’d ever admit to anyone that she’d looked it up—and his fancy downtown office that was, at least, in an old—though huge and gorgeous—brick building.

“Yes, seriously.It’s my father’s retirement party this weekend and my mom is throwing an enormous, ostentatious bash for it, and I want you to come with me.”

Kennedy’s heart thumped.Go to Savannah with him to meet his family?What?She did not want to do that.

Except, she kind of wanted to do that.

She narrowed her eyes at him.“You know, I start thinking about sleeping with you and then you throw out a word like ostentatious and the urge completely disappears.”

Bennett gave her a slow, you’re-full-of-shit smile and leaned in, resting his forearms on the countertop and bringing his face within inches of hers.“Completely, huh?”

“Totally.”

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