Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
After that unexpected kiss, Gisele tossed and turned in her bed until she gave up at three-thirty in the morning and got up. If she wasn’t going to sleep, she might as well get to work on making more of the potions and lotions she’d lost in the break-in.
For the next three hours, she worked over her stove and kitchen table, stirring ingredients and murmuring incantations—her goal: to keep too busy to think about the man sleeping on the floor below her. No matter how hard she tried to banish him from her thoughts, she couldn’t help treading lightly to avoid alerting him to the fact she was awake. He couldn’t know how disturbed she was by that kiss.
She tried to tell herself he was playing right into her plan to make him fall in love with her so that she could teach him a lesson about love and humility.
Only the more she dwelled on that kiss, the more she realized how dangerous it would be to spend too much time in his presence.
She could see how Bianca, a more impressionable young woman, could fall so completely and so quickly for Rafael. The man was entirely too handsome and practically oozed sensuality by simply breathing.
She’d be a fool to carry through with her plan. When the sun came up, she’d send him on his way. She wouldn’t have to spend another night with him in the same building, running the risk of a repeat of that brief and potent kiss.
That kiss...
Heat rushed through her, coiling at her core.
Why?
He probably hadn’t given it a second thought and was sleeping like a baby while she’d been awake all night.
Cheeky bastard.
Speaking of cheeky bastards, why had Johnny refrained from biting Rafael when he’d been true to his nature and taken a chunk out of Remy’s finger?
Was Rafael a parrot whisperer as well asa fifth-degree black-belted womanizer?
She paused mid-stir of a new batch of Motion Lotion designed to ease stiff, arthritic joints in her elderly customers like Donna LaDue. What had she just added to the recipe?
Focus .
She needed to get the ingredients right or she’d end up sending sexual stimulation lotion home with old lady LaDue.
Damn .
Because she couldn’t remember what she’d put in the pot, she dumped the whole batch down the drain and started over. What a waste of time and ingredients.
When she added each ingredient, she made a note on a piece of paper, forcing her mind to remain on task until the last item had been added.
Gisele made it through the batch of Motion Lotion and moved on to LP#9.
She’d lost half a dozen bottles of this product in the break-in. She sold a lot of Lip Plump #9 to the ladies. They loved it and swore it helped give them fuller and plumper lips.
By the time the sun appeared, Gisele had a dozen bottles of LP#9 and Motion Lotion lined up on her kitchen table. She’d have to make a visit soon to her grand-mère’s place on the bayou for more of the secret ingredients she used in both items.
Tired, but ready to begin the day, Gisele ducked into the shower for a quick rinse, then spent time taming her long black hair into a neat bun at the nape of her neck. She took a little more time than usual with her make-up. Not to impress Rafael, she told herself. More to bolster her confidence for when she thanked him and escorted him to the door .
Soon, he’d be out of her shop and out of her life.
She should have been happy at that thought, but she wasn’t.
“He’s a ladies’ man. You don’t have time for his kind of nonsense,” she muttered as she left her apartment and descended the stairs.
Her hand was poised with the key to the shop when the door opened, and Rafael greeted her with a smile, a cup of coffee and a bag that smelled like fresh donuts. “Thought you could use some sustenance since you were up at three-thirty.”
So much for treading lightly.
She stared at the mug and the bag.
“Cinnamon latte with an extra dash of milk,” he said waving the cup under her nose. “And the bag contains a chocolate éclair. Both are from the Bayou Bakery.”
Gisele frowned. “How?—”
“I didn’t leave if that’s what you’re thinking,” he said. “Shelby called on her way to her early morning shift and asked if I wanted anything from the bakery. It gave her my order and asked her to pick up your usual.”
Her frown deepened. “You know my usual? What are you? Some kind of stalker?”
He laughed. “No. I jog in the early morning and saw you leave the bakery one morning with a coffee and a bag just like this. It’s a small town. I figured the woman who ran the bakery would know what you liked.”
“Amelia,” Gisele nodded. “I don’t even have to order. She knows what I like.” She looked up into Rafael’s face. Moments earlier, she’d been intent on showing him the door. To do so now would be rude. “Thank you.” She took the coffee and the bag from his outstretched hands and carried them to the back of the store where she had a worktable and two chairs.
He could stay until she’d consumed at least half the cup of legal stimulant. Then she’d walk him to the door.
He followed her and held one of the chairs as she sank into it. Then he dropped into the other, wrapped his hand around another insulated cup of coffee and nodded toward a half-eaten jelly-filled donut. “They make the best jelly-filled donuts.”
Gisele pulled the éclair out of the bag and inhaled its rich fragrance. “Amelia trained in France. She can make some of the most beautiful French pastries.”
“Why isn’t she working in New York or New Orleans?”
“Instead of being stuck in a backwater town like Bayou Mambaloa?” Gisele sipped her coffee and closed her eyes as the warm liquid flowed down her throat and all the way into her belly. “She came here from New Orleans. Rumor has it she had a bad breakup or a run- in with another chef.” She picked up the éclair. “New Orleans’ loss and our gain.” Gisele took a bite from the éclair, glad to chew the sweet pastry. With a mouthful, she wouldn’t be expected to keep up the conversation. Which was a good thing, because the only thing she could think to say was to ask him why he’d kissed her.
“I was thinking…” Rafael cradled his coffee cup. “And maybe the sheriff already asked you... Is there anyone you’ve angered recently? Someone who might be carrying a grudge?”
She shrugged. “Not that I can think of.”
“A competing business wanting yours to fail?”
“I’m the only store in town selling remedies and voodoo tchotchkes.” She took another bite of her éclair.
“Are there any self-righteous mamas on a mission to eliminate Voodoo from the bayou?”
Gisele shook her head and swallowed. “No. I give free samples of my facial moisturizer to the PTA mamas. They love me and buy my products.”
“Has anyone been the target of a Voodoo doll stabbing?” he persisted.
“Not that I know of. I usually only sell those to tourists. I had a run on them the past few days since the Zydeco Festival began. No locals bought them.”
“Maybe someone from out of town?”
“Maybe.” She sighed and sipped her coffee.
“Could it be someone who might have been the unwilling object of a Voodoo spell or elixir?” he asked. “Have you sold one of your remedies that could be used on someone the purchaser might target for revenge?”
“I don’t sell harmful remedies or elixirs—only things that can help people,” Gisele said. “No spells or black magic. I leave those to Madame Gautier, the Voodoo Queen. I dabble. She’s the expert.”
“Could someone have a grudge against your family based on something your grandmother might have done?”
“I don’t know. She hasn’t cursed anyone since Lester Faulkner tried to poison Tante Mimi’s malti-poo.”
Rafael’s eyebrows rose into the wisp of dark hair that fell over his forehead. “She cursed him?”
Gisele’s lips twisted in a wry grin. “He had the worst case of jock itch for over a month. He stayed away from the malti-poo and Tante Mimi after that.”
“How did she give him the jock itch?” Rafael asked.
She shot him a glance. “I told you; she invoked a Voodoo curse.” Gisele shook her head. “Oh, right. You don’t believe in magic.”
“Whether I believe or not, I take it Lester believed.”
“He did. And he didn’t like having jock itch for that long. When he promised to stay away from Tanti Mimi and her dog, Madame Gautier removed the curse. ”
“How long ago did this happen?”
Gisele closed her eyes, trying to remember. “Fourteen years ago.”
Rafael’s brow dipped. “Has he caused you or your family any problems since then?”
“No. Anyway, it couldn’t have been him last night.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I’m five feet tall,” she said. “Lester is about as tall as you. The man who broke into my shop wasn’t nearly as tall as you. He was somewhere in between my height and yours.”
“Are you sure it was a man?” Rafael asked.
Now that he posed the question, she wasn’t sure at all. “I assumed it was a man because he was dressed all in black and wore black gloves and a ski mask. And he hit me hard, coming out of the shop. Hard enough to knock me on my ass.”
“Close your eyes and think back to last night.” Rafael leaned toward her.
Her pulse quickened at his nearness. Gisele closed her eyes to keep from staring into his. Even with her eyes closed, she was hyper-aware of the man. So much sothatshe could feel the heat of his body.
“Can you picture him?” Rafael’s voice was soft and low.
Her breath caught and held. She forced her mind back to that moment when she’d reached for the door handle on the back door of the shop. She let the memory roll forward like a video in slow motion. “He came through the door so fast, it’s a blur in my mind.”
“Was there something in the way he moved that made you assume he was a man?”
She shook her head slowly. “It happened so fast. I was standing there. He rushed through the door, planted both hands on my chest and shoved hard. I landed flat on my back with the wind knocked out of me.”
“Did you see him running away?”
Gisele tried to see him, but she couldn’t. “No,” she said, opening her eyes. “I was stunned and couldn’t catch my breath. I have no reason to believe he was a man, other than he attacked me fast and hard. I couldn’t imagine it being a woman.” She sighed. “Great. That doesn’t narrow down the potential suspects at all.” She pushed aside the now lukewarm coffee. “It doesn’t matter. I doubt he’ll come back. It was probably an out-of-towner here for the festival who figured everyone would be there. A crime of opportunity. He wasn’t counting on anyone leaving the concert early.”
“And he wasn’t counting on a mouthy bird,” Rafael said with a grin.
His smile and the light twinkling in his eyes made Gisele’s heart flutter. She pushed to her feet, abandoning her coffee and éclair. “I’m sure he won’t be back. Johnny scared him enough to chase him off for good.” She drew in a breath and took the next step. “No one would be brazen enough to attack in broad daylight. That being the case, you don’t need to stay. My assistant will be here soon. Thanks for staying last night.”
Rafael pushed his feet, his brow furrowed. “He could come back.”
“And risk being seen?” She shook her head. “Too many people. Again, thank you for staying.” She gathered his coffee cup, stuffed the half-eaten donut into a bag and handed both items to the man.
Rafael’s lips twisted. “Trying to get rid of me?”
“I do have a business to run,” she said. “The building is barely big enough for customers to wander through.”
“And I would be in the way,” Rafael finished for her and set the coffee and donut bag back on the table. “I should stay at least until your assistant arrives.”
The front door squeaked open, and a young womanwearing jeans and a graphic T-shirt entered with a backpack slung over one shoulder.
Gisele turned and gave a relieved smile to her twenty-year-old shop assistant. “And there she is.” She turned to Rafael. “This is Lena, my shop assistant. Lena, meet Rafael. He was just leaving.”
Lena’s brow furrowed as she crossed the shop.
Rafael stuck out a hand. “Nice to meet you, Lena. ”
The younger woman adjusted the backpack and then gripped Rafael’s hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
“Please, call me Rafael,” he said. “Sir, makes me sound old.”
Lena’s cheeks flushed a soft pink. “Nice to meet you, Rafael.”
Something unfamiliar stabbed at Gisele’s chest. If she didn’t know better, she’d suspect jealousy.
Rafael had Lena blushing. The man could charm the panties off any female with just a smile.
Gisele hooked his arm. “Like I was saying, he was just leaving.” Without wasting any more time, Gisele marched him toward the entrance.
He didn’t let her get far before he dug in his heels. “Wait.”
“For what?” she demanded. The sooner he was out, the sooner her life could return to normal.
His lips twitched. “My sleeping bag and gym bag. Unless you want to keep them here for when I come back tonight.”
“Not necessary.” She dove for the sleeping bag he’d rolled and stuck behind the counter.
Rafael bent beside her and hooked the straps of the gym bag.
As they both straightened, Gisele’s breath froze in her lungs. He was standing so close she could feel the heat radiating off his body.
He leaned closer, a light dancing in his eyes. “Did your sleepless night and your desire to push me out the door have anything to do with the kiss?” he whispered.
Her eyes widened, and heat rose up her chest and neck, filling her cheeks. “Not at all,” she lied. “I’d all but forgotten it.” She shoved the sleeping bag toward him in an attempt to insert distance between them.
It didn’t work.
Because he was so much taller than her, he easily leaned over until his mouth hovered close to hers. He reached around the bag she held like a shield, cupped her cheek and winked. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it either.”
Mesmerized by his gaze and how close her lips were to his, she waited, anticipating another kiss like the one from last night.
Instead of a kiss, Rafael brushed his thumb across her bottom lip. “I left my phone number on the counter. Call me if you need me. I’ll come at once. Otherwise, I’ll see you later.” He took the sleeping bag and gym bag and walked out of the shop.
For a long moment after Rafael left, Gisele continued to stare at the door, willing her pulse to slow and the butterflies storming the inside of her belly to calm.
“Wow.” Lena came to stand beside her, her gaze on the door as well. “Where have you been hiding your hottie?”
Gisele frowned. “He’s not my hottie. ”
“Seriously?” Lena’s eyes narrowed. “Do you think he would go for a younger woman?”
Gisele’s lips pressed into a tight line. “Probably. But you don’t want to get mixed up with a man like that. He’s a player.”
Lena shrugged. “So? I gotta lose my virginity sooner or later.” She waggled her eyebrows. “I bet he could teach me everything I need to know about sex.”
Gisele gasped. “Lena!”
Her assistant chuckled. “I’m just yanking your chain.”
Gisele let out a relieved sigh.
Lena’s lips curled into a wicked smile. “I’m not a virgin.” She ducked out of reach of Gisele’s hand, reaching out to slap her arm. “I called it. He is your hottie.”
“He’s not mine,” Gisele protested.
“Maybe not yet. But you want him.”
Appalled at Lena’s observation, Gisele asked, “Why do you say that?”
“Girl, it’s written all over your face.”
Gisele clapped her hands to her cheeks. “Is it that obvious?” she asked before she could think better.
Lena nodded. “Clearly.” She grinned. “The good news is he’s totally into you. He practically devoured you with his eyes.”
Gisele snorted. “You’ve been reading too many of those werewolf romances. This discussion is over. We have work to do. I need you to take a box up to my apartment and bring down the bottles on my kitchen table.”
Lena retrieved a box from behind the counter and headed out the front door with a smirky grin. “You hate it when I’m right.”
“You’re not right,” Gisele called after the girl.
Lena’s laughter faded as the door slowly closed behind her.
Gisele pressed her hands to her still-burning cheeks. “I don’t want Rafael Romero. I don’t want any man.” Especially him.
She lifted her chin, reminding herself she was a successful businesswoman and didn’t need a man in her life. They were entirely too much work for very little benefit.
But when he’d brushed his thumb across her lip moments before and kissed her last night, she was reminded of what was missing in her well-ordered life.
“Sex,” she said aloud. How long had it been since she’d gotten laid?
Obviously, too long.
Her body immediately heated at the thought of having sex with Rafael Romero. What kind of lover would he be?
A good one.
She knew, without a doubt, he’d be really good.
All the more reason to steer clear of the man. If she had sex with him, she’d be ruined for any other man.
He’s a keeper , Johnny squawked.
Gisele turned to the parrot and sighed. “You’re wrong.”
As convinced as she was that he would be an incredible lover, she knew the man wouldn’t stay.
Her best course of action, where Rafael Romero was concerned, was to stay as far away from him as she could get.
She had no reason to swing by the boarding house where he lived, and he certainly didn’t need to buy souvenirs from her shop.
Avoiding him should be a piece of cake.