Cajun Magic 01 - Voodoo on the Bayou by Elle James

keep from speaking the words aloud. Instead, she gathered her bucket and satchel, and scanned the dock for her flashlight.
    The bright yellow torch had rolled to within an inch of falling off the edge. Her stomach sank to her knees at the thought of retrieving it. She couldn’t ask Craig to get it, and she couldn’t leave the darn light. With a thundering pulse and fingers tightly crossed, she inched toward the edge.
    Before she came within two feet of it, Craig strode over and scooped it up. “Come on, we need to get going.”
    He pressed the flashlight into her hand and grabbed her elbow, hurrying her toward the boat. She felt as if she were caught in a river, headed toward the falls with no way to make it to shore. Her heart hammered in her chest and her hands grew slick.
    She wasn’t ready for this. She couldn’t do it .
    As they neared the end of the pier, she glanced around for the boat. Her expectations ran along the lines of an airboat or maybe a pontoon boat. Preferably an ocean cruiser, if only it would fit. What she found was a dinky metal skiff with an even dinkier engine mounted on the back.
    Her world tilted and turned all hazy around the edges. “Breathe,” she muttered to herself.
    “Did you say something?”
    “No, not at all.” She’d hoped for light and airy, instead she sounded completely flaky—like a woman ready to fall off the deep end of sanity. Which, frankly, was exactly how she felt. She filled her lungs with air. I can handle this. She smiled and opened her eyes.
    Larger-than-life Craig no longer loomed safely in front of her. He stood about a yard away, down in the tiny rocking boat, his hand outstretched.
    She swayed.
    Oh, God .
    …
    “Take my hand,” Craig ordered firmly, instinctively sensing Elaine’s fear. Although she hadn’t said a word, he felt it in the way her hand shook when she placed it in his.
    What the hell? Was she afraid of him ? Twice now, she’d landed in his arms, and the experience had been…well…not unpleasant.
    His groin tightened.
    Okay, she’d sparked something carnal in him. Big shock.
    He almost laughed out loud. Wouldn’t she be appalled, if she knew?
    He tamped down his lusty thoughts and tugged her gently to the edge of the pier. “Now all you have to do is step down. I’ll do the rest.”
    Despite his uncle’s opinion, playing tour guide to this lab-rat scientist wasn’t going to solve his problem. Not if she was terrified even to touch him. But at this point he was stuck. Perhaps the solitude of the swamps would give him time to mull over his predicament. Come up with something better.
    With her hand still in his, she stood staring down at the bayou. Her hair fell in gentle waves around her face, softening her features, making her appear vulnerable. The glasses perched on the edge of her nose couldn’t begin to hide her expressive eyes.
    When she had fallen inside the shop, as well as on the dock, every one of his protective instincts had shot to the forefront. And when he’d lifted her to her feet and into his arms, his body had reacted immediately, every cell instantly alert. Thank goodness she’d pushed him away. Otherwise he’d have surrendered to the overwhelming urge to run his fingers through her hair and kiss her surprised, pink lips.
    Of course, kissing was the right idea, as far as Madame LeBieu was concerned, he reminded himself. If he wanted to break her spell, he’d have to woo someone into falling in love with him.
    So, why not the clumsy, pretty scientist?
    A dart of anger lanced through him. Damn it! He’d come to Bayou Miste to secure another client for the law firm, not to make some timid, unsuspecting woman fall in love with him.
    She wanted nothing to do with him, and he sure as hell wanted nothing to do with love.
    Damn that Voodoo witch .
    Elaine stood frozen to the boards on the pier. The look of absolute terror in her eyes forced Craig out of his irate thoughts.
    “What’s wrong?” He searched the boat, the