Hot Bayou Nights par Elizabeth Shore

passion

My Passion

Action

Littérature féminine

Fantaisie

Nouvel adulte

Urbain surnaturel

Amour

Chaud

Thriller suspens

YA/Ado

Bibliothèque
searchsearch
frfr

FR

Discover
/
Sensuel
/
Hot Bayou Nights
Hot Bayou Nights

Hot Bayou Nights

Chaud

dot
eye

1.7K

Description

When corporate consultant Carla Saunders' work takes her from the skyscrapers of Manhattan to a research facility in Louisiana filled with king cobra snakes, she sees her dreams of a job in Paris sinking into the swamp. But unexpected desire burns hotter than a sultry bayou night. The snakes terrify her, but lust for the scorching hot research scientist has her dreaming less about the Champs Élysées and more about being coiled in his arms. Obsessed with finding a cure for multiple sclerosis, Jackson Rivard’s got zero time for relationships. But when a lush, efficient business advisor sweeps into his lab, zero spikes to a hundred before he can shut off the engine. In theory, no-strings-attached sex is scientifically feasible, but having an ex whose fangs make a cobra’s seem modest brings new meaning to the phrase “once bitten, twice shy.” How can he protect his heart when Carla’s charming it out of hiding?

Aller de l'avant
Patron
Sexy
Choix de l'Éditeur
Romance
Steamy

Chapitre 1

Feb 4, 2022

Carla Saunders gripped the steering wheel tight as she shot a glance out the window to check her surroundings. Trees, bayou, and empty road. No signs, no buildings, not even another vehicle. The screen on her rental car’s GPS still read No Matches Found. Her heartbeat shifted up a few gears as her nerves began humming like a live wire. She let out a shaky sigh and finally accepted the truth. She was lost. Damn it. Not a good way to begin her assignment.

A bead of sweat trickled down the side her face; hair stuck to her forehead like wet confetti. Inside the car was hotter than dog’s breath. She’d purposely kept the A/C off and the windows down, wanting a full sensory experience of her first trip to the Louisiana bayou—sights, sounds, smells, everything. But with the temperature north of a hundred degrees and thick, humid air streaming into her car, she felt like she was sitting in a pot of warm stew. She needed cool air, and she needed it now. She brushed sweat from her eyes and flicked on the A/C switch.

Nothing.

She frowned; flicked it off and on again. Still dead. What the hell? A rare trace of unease slithered down her spine as she mentally ticked off the latest events. No signal on her GPS. Air conditioner busted. Not another car in sight. No clue of her location. She was made of sturdy stuff, but this was starting to creep her out. Could it all be some weird part of the assignment? She grabbed a handful of chips from the open bag on the passenger’s seat, stuffing them in her mouth. Think, Carla. Think.

She whipped her head around, looking for a sign or marker, anything to indicate her whereabouts, but came up empty. Green bayou and giant cypress trees as far as the eye could see. She had to have missed the turn. Yeah, definitely. All she had to do was get this car going the other way and then—

Shit, monster!

She drove her foot to the floor and slammed on the brakes. Her car fishtailed, back-end flailing as the tires screeched across the road. Sprays of gravel pelted the doors. She grabbed the steering wheel hard, fighting for control. The car careened toward an enormous cypress and she screamed, certain of a head-on collision with the tree. But suddenly her front tires hit the soft dirt by the roadside and her seatbelt snapped tight. The car lurched to a stop.

She rested her head against the steering wheel, gulping air. Her whole body trembled. She sent a prayer of thanks upstairs before turning to look out the back window at what had so scared her. In an instant, every hair on her arm rocketed straight up and she shrieked. Perched by the side of the road, like a horror movie prop, a giant alligator stared her down.

Revulsion and fear stopped her heart. She looked away, steeling herself, before looking back again. The alligator hadn’t moved. At least it wasn’t walking forward to sniff out her car, wondering if lunch had arrived.

Carla, what in the hell are you doing here? You’re a city girl. Honking horns and rude people she could deal with. Alligators and swampy bayous? Not so much. But as she thought back to her boss’s final instructions before she’d left for this assignment, she knew she’d have to deal with alligators and more. Or else.

You know what’s on the line here, Carla. We expect nothing less than total success. You do this right and get this client signed on with us, Paris and the V.P. title await. If not…well…

He hadn’t needed to finish the sentence, and they both knew it. Her ass was on the line if she didn’t pull this off. No promotion, no Paris assignment. No job. Period.

She sighed and checked on the alligator. Still in the same spot. Refocusing her attention back on the road, she decided there was no way she’d passed the exit. She’d been paying attention and it had to be up ahead. She grabbed her soda from the cup holder, took a long, cooling swig, and stepped on the gas.

At last, after twenty more minutes, a small hand written sign stuck in the ground indicated the exit for Rivard Research. Her shoulders sagged with relief. Finally.

The turn-off was more a stretch of dirt than an actual road. Every bump and ditch bounced her around in her seat, and she started to regret stuffing herself full of chips. They were settling in her stomach like a bucket of pig slop.

Her surroundings became darker and more wooded as an enormous canopy of live oaks, dripping with silvery Spanish moss, transformed into a roof above her head. Pea green bayou bordered the left-hand side of the road, and the dense, earthy smell of vegetation hung thick in the air.

She slowed her speed to little more than twenty miles an hour and noticed several small outbuildings as she drove past. Probably part of the research facility. At last she saw another sign directing her to turn right, and spotted what appeared to be the main building at the end of a long driveway. With no obvious area to park, she stopped where her car seemed the least intrusive and shut off the ignition. Home sweet home.

A number of people, mostly men, were walking around the area, not the least bit concerned about a visitor in their midst. Maybe they’d been told to expect her. Carla emerged from the car stiff, sweaty, and coated with a light dusting of potato chip crumbs. She brushed the crumbs from her skirt, instantly aware that her corporate suit and heels wouldn’t be seeing the light of day again until she was safely away from this swampy setting. A glance at her watch showed it was just before five. Right on time. Whew. Her fist clenched in a quick, victorious pump.

She waited beside her car, assuming whoever the research facility had assigned to meet her would be coming along any minute. But as several people went by without a word to her, she began to wonder if she’d misread the sign. Or that the main research building was located somewhere else on the grounds.

She’d just considered getting back into her car and driving farther along the road when she caught sight of a man approaching her, the slim but strong type who’d probably been a champion swimmer or runner in high school. His six-foot two height gave him a long, loping gait that reminded Carla of a wolf on the hunt. As he neared she could see his disheveled hair was dark brown and on the long side, locks of it brushing across his forehead that he swept back with a gesture both impatient and automatic.

In the same movement he used a finger to push up round, frameless glasses that had slipped down his nose. Behind the glasses were blue, piercing eyes that took in her wind-blown hair, travel-wrinkled suit, and heels sinking into inch-high mud with a single, somewhat disapproving glance.

Carla straightened when she noticed his look and gave him a hard stare right back. So she was a little rumpled, so what? She’d traveled over eight hours to get here and ought to be cut some slack. Maybe she wasn’t at her corporate best when it came to appearances, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t cut out for this assignment. Whatever it was.

“Excuse me, could you tell me where I can find Mr. Jackson’s office? I’m supposed to be meeting him today.” She punctuated her question with a high wattage corporate smile and assumed the man would flash one right back.

Instead he looked at her as if she’d spoken ancient Sanskrit, at first giving her nothing more than a grunt and a frown. Then he said, “You must be the new intern.”

“That’s right.”

He grunted again and started walking away, apparently assuming she’d follow him. “Thought you’d be here an hour ago.”

“I—” She took a couple of running steps to catch up with him. “I had difficulty finding the place.”

Apprehension jerked her nerves tight. Was she starting off on the wrong foot? She knew she was on time, so what’s with the attitude?

“Wait just a minute.”

He stopped walking and swung his glance back over his shoulder, cool eyes assessing her once more. “Could you let me know where we’re going? I’m supposed to be at Mr. Jackson’s office by five and I don’t want to be late.” Despite her anger it did occur to her, as she stared right back at him, that he was actually somewhat good looking. In fact, very good looking, despite his lack of manners. He possessed an alarming sensuality, all the more potent because he wasn’t even trying. It was just his natural aura, like the way he walked, or spoke, or filled out those jeans she’d been trotting behind. Nice.

She wondered if she’d be working with him on this assignment, and a curl of desire clenched in her belly. Shit, Carla. Calm down. But damn, he was easy on the eyes, to put it mildly. Downright hot, in fact. Still, she couldn’t let her focus stray. Not now. She’d only be reminded it had been a really long time since she’d last had sex, and with that grim thought came a whole host of other things to ponder. Like relationships, or men in general, or—

She blinked to clear her head and returned to the matter at hand. “I’ll ask you again,” she said, her voice remaining firm, “to tell me where we’re going.”

“You said you needed to get to Jackson’s office.”

“Yes.”

“Well.” He turned away and resumed walking, expelling an audible sigh. “That’s where we’re going.” With a couple of quick strides, she caught up.

“Thank you.”

He gave her another grunt that she interpreted as “you’re welcome” as they wove through a path littered with rocks, leaves, and sticks. Eventually the path gave way to a clearing, and in the distance Carla spotted some sort of rustic yet curiously cozy house. The place was good-sized considering its location in the middle of deep bayou country. The wooden clapboard siding was gray and faded, and a small porch lined with vertical columns jutted out front. Old wooden stairs led up to the door, looking like they wouldn’t object to a new coat of paint.

Without hesitation Mr. Grunter, as she’d secretly deemed him, climbed the stairs and opened the front door. As she entered, her gaze fell on a plaque mounted to the wall just inside. Welcome to The Snake Pit!

The hairs on the back of her neck shot up and she nearly tripped over her own feet. Snake pit?! Where exactly was he taking her? She let loose a slow, steadying breath and followed him to the end of a long hallway near a staircase. A door leading to an office stood open.

Grunter stopped just shy of entering and actually held out an arm, indicating Carla should step inside first. She would have noted that small miracle of manners were she not so intent upon making a good first impression on Mr. Jackson who, she presumed, awaited inside. But when she entered the room, it was empty.

Grunter walked in behind her and rounded a modest desk. “Have a seat,” he said, nodding toward a chair in front of the desk.

Carla stepped over to it but stopped short of sitting. “Will Mr. Jackson be joining us soon?”

“There’s no Mr. Jackson.” Grunter took a seat behind the desk as he repeated his instructions for her to do the same, this time with a clear touch of impatience in his voice. Carla sat, confusion wrinkling her face.

“I don’t understand.” She pulled the assignment sheet from her purse and glanced over it once more. “My instructions clearly state I’m to meet Mr. Jackson upon my arrival. But you’re telling me he’s not here?” She sat back in her chair, considering. “This is Rivard Research, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

“Well, then what—”

“I’m Jackson.”

You’re…” She stole a glance at her paper and then looked back at him. “…Mr. Jackson?”

Hot Bayou Nights

Hot Bayou Nights

45 Chapitres

close

book

45

Contenu

add to library button

Enregistrer

Passion Exclusives

Hiding My Twin Pups From their Alpha Dad

Felicia se retrouve piegee dans un mariage sans amour avec le froid et dominateur Alpha Damien. Malgre ses espoirs qu'un enfant puisse attendrir son coeur, son univers s'effondre lorsqu'elle decouvre la passion profonde qu'il eprouve pour une autre femme. Brisee mais resolue, Felicia exige le divorce. Cinq ans apres avoir quitte son puissant epoux Alpha, Felicia mene une vie tranquille avec ses fils jumeaux, fuyant le passe. Mais lorsque le Festival de la Pleine Lune la confronte a Damien, le pere de ses enfants, tout bascule.

Lire

Hiding My Twin Pups From their Alpha Dad

The Chosen Luna: Alpha’s Unwanted Daughter

Isla Thorne a toujours ete la paria de sa meute, une deception pour ses parents Alphas et un mystere pour tous les autres. En tant que fille des puissants dirigeants de la meute Midnight Crest, elle aurait du avoir une vie prometteuse, mais sa soeur jumelle, Seraphine, s'est assuree que cela n'arrive jamais. En repandant des rumeurs selon lesquelles Isla n'a pas de loup, Seraphine l'a maintenue confinee dans l'ombre, pratiquement prisonniere dans sa propre maison. Malgre le mepris de sa famille et la cruaute de sa soeur, Isla cache un precieux secret : une louve feroce nommee Lira, qui est venue a elle dans un moment de desespoir le jour de ses dix-huit ans. Chaque jour, Isla attend son compagnon-la seule personne qui, selon elle, pourrait l'aimer inconditionnellement et peut-etre meme la liberer de cette vie de honte. Mais au fil des mois, l'espoir s'estompe, et le tourment de Seraphine s'intensifie. Lorsqu'une dangereuse trahison de sa soeur force Isla a l'exil, elle decouvre jusqu'ou sa famille est prete a aller pour la garder cachee, une verite qui l'ebranle jusqu'au plus profond d'elle-meme. Poussee a survivre, Isla s'echappe, se retrouvant seule et incertaine dans les terres des renegats au-dela du territoire de sa meute. Mais alors que son lien avec Lira se renforce, elle realise que la survie pourrait etre son seul choix. Faisant face aux dangers des renegats et des chasseurs, Isla s'embarque dans un voyage qui la mettra a l'epreuve d'une maniere qu'elle n'aurait jamais imaginee. A chaque pas, elle decouvre des secrets sur sa famille, ses pouvoirs et son destin. Mais trouvera-t-elle la vie dont elle a toujours reve, ou son passe la rattrapera-t-il de la maniere la plus dure ? Alors qu'Isla s'aventure dans l'inconnu, le destin revelera que peut-etre elle etait destinee a plus qu'elle ne l'avait jamais imagine.

Lire

The Chosen Luna: Alpha’s Unwanted Daughter

I Wanna Ruin Our Friendship

J'ai toujours ete "la fille calme et intello". La fille qui a le nez plonge dans un livre, celle que les gens remarquent a peine. Mais mon monde est bien plus complique qu'il n'y parait. Voyez-vous, je suis absolument, desesperement amoureuse de mon meilleur ami, Logan Reyes-le mauvais garcon que tout le monde desire mais que personne n'arrive vraiment a garder. Et il n'en a aucune idee. Logan et moi sommes amis depuis toujours. On plaisante, on rit, et on est proches. Mais pour lui, je ne suis qu'Emma, la fille a qui il se confie pour tout-sauf pour ses nouvelles conquetes, comme Vanessa, la reine incontestee du lycee. Elle a jete son devolu sur Logan et tout le monde le sait. Pendant ce temps, Logan et moi partageons cette etrange alchimie tacite que je ne peux ignorer, meme si nous faisons comme si ce n'etait rien d'important. Mais tout change le soir ou je me retrouve embarquee dans un jeu de la bouteille a la soiree de Vanessa. Quand la bouteille s'arrete sur Logan, il m'embrasse devant tout le monde-et soudain, c'est comme si je voyais Logan sous un nouveau jour, et lui aussi me voit differemment. Maintenant, il me prete attention d'une maniere qui me destabilise, m'excite, et est absolument interdite. Et juste quand je pense pouvoir l'ignorer, Logan commence a me poursuivre-sans vergogne, contre toutes les regles qu'il s'est fixees et malgre les souhaits de sa soi-disant petite amie. Maintenant, je suis prise dans un tourbillon de commerages, de jalousie, et d'emotions que je peux a peine gerer. Logan brise ses propres regles pour moi, et plus j'essaie de lui resister, plus je me sens attiree. Mais quand nous marchons sur la ligne entre l'amitie et quelque chose de bien plus dangereux, mon coeur-et le sien-sont en jeu.

Lire

I Wanna Ruin Our Friendship

The Double Life of My Pregnant Ex-Wife

Carmen Venetti pensait avoir tout : un mari puissant, un empire florissant et la force de tout maintenir. Mais lorsque Arianna De Luca, l'ex-amante belle et rusee de Marco, reapparait, leur mariage autrefois inebranlable commence a se fissurer. Arianna affirme qu'elle est la pour aider la famille Venetti a ecraser leurs ennemis, mais ses veritables motivations sont aussi dangereuses que secretes. A mesure que Marco s'enlise dans la toile de manipulations d'Arianna, Carmen se voit contrainte de faire un choix impossible. Enceinte et le coeur brise, elle quitte la vie qu'elle s'est acharnee a proteger, jurant de preserver son enfant a naitre du chaos venimeux qui menace de les engloutir. Mais l'absence de Carmen ne fait qu'approfondir la descente de Marco dans le piege d'Arianna. Aveugle par l'ambition et hante par des murmures de trahison, Marco ignore les signaux d'alerte et laisse Arianna resserrer son emprise sur son empire. Pendant ce temps, Arianna joue un double jeu dangereux, s'alliant secretement avec la famille De Luca et complotant pour prendre le trone des Venetti pour elle-meme. Alors que la confiance s'effrite et que les alliances changent, Carmen et Marco sont projetes dans une bataille a enjeux eleves faite de loyaute, d'amour et de survie. Marco decouvrira-t-il les veritables intentions d'Arianna avant qu'il ne soit trop tard, ou ses machinations detruiront-elles tout ce que les Venetti ont bati-including leur chance de former une famille ? Dans un monde ou le pouvoir est mortel et la trahison l'arme supreme, la question n'est pas seulement de savoir qui survivra-mais qui sortira vainqueur.

Lire

The Double Life of My Pregnant Ex-Wife

passion favicon

My Passion

Genre

À Propos de Nous

Contactez-nous

Politique de Remboursement

Politique de Confidentialité

Conditions d'Utilisation

Politique de Cookies

Installer l'Application

get app on google play img
get app on app store img

Copyright © 2026 Passion

XOLY LIMITED, 400 S. 4th Street, Suite 500, Las Vegas, NV 89101