Leaving to Stay Read online

  I dug out some mascara and lip gloss from my purse and ran a brush through my tangled mop of hair but I didn’t provide much of an effort. Who was I trying to impress anyway?

  I was sure that Elsa’s friends were lovely people but they were not the governor and I had no desire or energy to put on airs for them.

  Semi-satisfied with my appearance, I ventured out of the beautiful guest room suite toward the center of the house where we had entered and prayed I didn’t get lost.

  As I neared what I thought was the front door, I heard a low, mellifluous voice pipe toward me through the hall. It was almost as if I was in the steam shower again, his mere words having a near-hypnotic effect on me.

  “…something else, I’ll tell you,” he said and his tone affected me in the strangest way, sending shivers through my body in droves. It was just like hearing a song that touched your heart in an indescribable way, causing goosebumps.

  “Anyway, I was just driving past and I thought, shit, I haven’t seen Jake in a spell. Thought I’d pop in and say hi.”

  “Hey, you know I’m glad you’re here, buddy but – ” Jake replied and I could hear the discomfort in his voice as I approached, a shiver of anticipation flowing through me. Who did that voice belong to?

  “Yeah, I know. Elsa will kill you,” the stranger interjected, laughing shortly.

  “No, it’s not that,” Jake protested. “Her best friend just moved back home and we’re having a welcome home party for her. Elsa told me she’s already put off that there are people here. Adding another guest might send them both over the edge. Especially Elsa. Although Gen has a nasty temper too.”

  I could almost hear the shudder in his voice and it was all I could to do keep from laughing aloud.

  “I don’t mind one more,” I offered, stepping into the front hall but the words almost caught in my throat as my eyes fell on him.

  “Gen! You’re here!” Jake called jovially, reaching out to embrace me in a hug but for a second, I was frozen in place, unblinking, unmoving.

  As my best friend’s husband swept me into his huge arms, my eyes were transfixed on Jake’s friend.

  Our gazes locked and I felt like he was staring directly into the depth of my soul as a half-smile formed on his sulky mouth.

  His skin was sun-kissed, just like the sandy blonde of his hair but there was nothing pretty about him. He was one hundred percent man from head to toe.

  Perhaps it was the tattoos littering his arms, a ladder rising up the side of his neck to disappear behind his head, hidden behind the length of his straight hair.

  Maybe it was the all-black attire or the way his intense eyes continued to follow me as if he could see right through the peasant-style sundress.

  And it didn’t bother me in the least. I rather wished he could and that he liked what he saw.

  “I – you look great,” I told Jake when he released me. “Thank you for letting me borrow your wife to help with my move today.”

  It took everything in my power to pull my eyes away from the green-eyed hottie standing five feet away.

  “As if she was doing you a favor,” Jake joked. “She couldn’t wait to get out of here and leave me with the two-year-old in potty-training stages.”

  I laughed.

  “I can’t wait to meet Cath. I’m so happy for you both,” I told him sincerely. Jake beamed while the stranger cleared his throat.

  Jake looked up and slapped his palm to his forehead.

  “Oh, where are my manners. Jude LaCroix, this is Geneva Rousseau.”

  “Nice to meet you,” I said, extending my hand. He took it, holding it longer than necessary and Jake cleared his throat uncomfortably until Jude released me. I could still feel the aftermath of his touch on my skin, tingling.

  “Jude was just leaving,” Jake offered but I shook my head vehemently.

  “I don’t know what Elsa told you,” I said quickly. “And I probably came across as a mega-bitch but that’s just my nerves. I’m happy to be here and I’m looking forward to the party and to the ribs.”

  “See? Geneva doesn’t mind.” He flashed us both a smile that was slightly crooked but devastatingly charming as a result. I wanted to run my tongue over his partially protruding eyetooth and see if it was as sharp as it looked.

  “Uh…okay,” Jake said slowly but Jude was already extending his arm toward me. I accepted it easily and allowed myself to be led in the other direction from which I had come, toward the back of the house.

  The energy surging between us was unmistakable and by the time we had entered the yard, I had forsaken any dismal thought I’d had on arrival.

  It was going to be a good night after all.

  Chapter 3

  Jude

  It was hard not to notice the look of venom emanating from Elsa Henderson as I led her best friend into the yard but the impact was much diminished by the sexiness radiating from Geneva Rousseau.

  The nastiness of Elsa’s demeanor was canceled out by magic as if Geneva cast a protective shield around us both.

  How the hell has this one been kept a secret from me for so long? I wondered but it wasn’t really a mystery. Elsa loathed me after all. She wasn’t about to give me the names and descriptions of her friends.

  Hell, if I’d had any idea she had one that looked like this, I would have been on her like a dog on a bone for more information.

  Jake and I had known each other since childhood and while we weren’t the best of friends, he could certainly tolerate me better than his uptight wife.

  Jake was a salt of the earth man, hardworking and level headed but his wife was a stuck-up blue blood, apt to look down her ski-jump nose at anyone with less than a seven-figure income.

  But her friend? Well, she seemed just as charmed by me as I was by her.

  Some people just have inherently good taste.

  “So you’re from around here?” I asked, directing her through the French doors to where the rest of the guests had congregated. “How come I haven’t seen you before?”

  She peered at me as if weighing my question and I noted that she didn’t pay attention to any of the curious onlookers who had fully turned their heads to check her out.

  It was like no one else was there but her and I.

  “Would you have remembered me if you had?” she asked, a teasing lilt to her voice and I felt a rush of heat through my entire body.

  I marveled at the fate that had brought me to the Henderson’s that night. After what had happened with Kristy, I had to drive around for a while, letting off steam. And that was how I had ended up here.

  Meeting Geneva had to be destiny, the universe’s way of showing me that I was not resigned to settling down with a nutcase like Kristy, no matter what she thought about it.

  “I would definitely remember you if I had seen you before,” I assured her, again catching the shine of her dark eyes.

  The afternoon sun was fading away the pale twilight was flattering to her olive complexion and smoldering darkness.

  “I grew up in New Orleans,” Geneva told me. “But my family has a trailer in Elizabeth. I’m staying there for a while.”

  “A trailer?” I echoed and her brow furrowed. “In Elizabeth?”

  “You sound like a parrot. A judgmental one.”

  I laughed and shook my head vehemently.

  “Not in the least,” I assured her. “I just would never envision a friend of Elsa’s living in a trailer.”

  She seemed confused by the comment but before we could continue our chat, a shadow fell over up both.

  “Jude. I had no idea you were going to be here.”

  “Speak of the devil,” I mumbled. “Literally.”

  The ice in Elsa’s tone should have frozen me to death but I was used to it. She had never really forgiven me for the time that I’d taken Jake on a camping trip and we ended up getting arrested at a strip club in Baton Rouge.

  It had all been a misunderstanding, of course, but Elsa was not the type to listen
to reason. All she had deduced was that I had corrupted her husband by bringing Jake to a titty bar.

  “I don’t think you were on the guest list,” Elsa said through clenched teeth.

  “And I thought that was just an oversight,” I quipped, rather enjoying watching the steam emanate from Elsa’s noble little nose.

  “I kind of invited him,” Geneva offered, laughing slightly. Elsa’s blue eyes became slits and I would have bet good money that she could barely see through them.

  “There are some people I’d like to introduce you to,” Elsa said, moving to take the brunette’s arm but Geneva didn’t seem to notice her friend’s annoyance.

  “I’m actually just perfect right here,” she replied, shooting the blonde a broad grin. I thought the smoke was about to start billowing from her ears and I wisely guided Geneva toward the refreshment table.

  “Suit yourself!”

  Elsa stormed off and Geneva stared after her, shock coloring her expression.

  “What was that all about?” she asked, blinking in confusion. “I’ve never seen her so pissed.”

  “Never mind. I can introduce you to some people,” I offered, winking as I reached for a beer from one of the open coolers. “You want one?”

  She shook her head in response to the beer.

  “I’m not much of a drinker,” she confessed and I snorted.

  “Is that funny?”

  “No, but you must know that if you’re gonna last in a small town Louisiana, you’re gonna need a hobby. Most people take up drinking.”

  She giggled.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “So why would you trade up the big city of Nola for nowhere?”

  Her coffee eyes were scanning the yard, presumably taking in the detailed landscaping. I had to admit, Jake had a gorgeous home, one he treated with pride and care.

  Maybe I’ll have a place like this one day too, I thought, an unexpected jolt of envy touching me as I noted the look on her face. But what was I jealous of? Certainly not Jake’s life – I couldn’t imagine sitting through dinner with Elsa, let alone marrying her.

  “I – I didn’t leave Nola. I left Nashville and came here,” she explained in a rushed breath and suddenly her entire demeanor seemed to shift as she made the revelation.

  Her back turned so I was staring at the olive tone of her shoulder, the top of a luscious breast just visible under her dark, cascading waves. Her back seemed to have tensed, causing her to stand taller than her five-foot-five frame.

  “Hey,” I said, unsure of what happened. “Was it something I said?”

  She glanced at me over her shoulder and shook her head quickly, forcing a fake smile on her lips.

  “No,” she replied. “I’m just really tired. I drove in today and unpacked…it’s just been a long day.”

  I had no way of knowing if she was being truthful or not but I had a strong suspicion there was more than she was offering up.

  “Heya, shithead. Y’all crashin’ parties now? Ain’tcha done enough damage in this town?”

  A chubby brunette with an impish dimple in her right cheek approached and I cringed. How had I not seen her earlier?

  “Hey Marybeth,” I sighed.

  I probably should have left when I had the chance. Things were going to get ugly.

  “Y’all hoggin’ all the attention as always? Heya baby. I’m Marybeth Milner. I’m a good friend of Elsa’s.”

  She stuck a meaty paw at Geneva and the newcomer accepted it.

  “Hey. Nice to meet you,” Geneva said, pumping her hand. “Elsa’s mentioned you. She says you’re the den mother.”

  “I’m that and then some, baby.”

  Marybeth gave me a meaningful look which told me that my connection with Geneva was about to be broken.

  “Come with me, honey. Y’all don’t wanna get yourself a rep hanging out with this one. He’s gone through so many belts, he keeps the men’s store in business,” Marybeth instructed, steering Geneva away from me before I could interject.

  “Belts?”

  Geneva cast me a confused look over her shoulder but I felt my eyes drop as I heard Marybeth’s answer.

  “Yeah, baby. With all them notches, the leather gets ruined, you know?”

  I watched them walk away, my hands becoming fists as they always did when the busybodies got involved.

  Fuck. This town is just too damned small. This would never happen in New York. No one would give a fuck who I bang in a big city.

  I was stuck, debating what to do as I seethed. I didn’t want to walk away from Geneva. I felt like she had some spell on me and I would sit there waiting for her as long as it took her to come back. On the other hand, she might never come back with the likes of Marybeth in her ear.

  I didn’t have to waste much time deciding.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Jude? Did you smell fresh meat or did someone tell you my friend was coming?”

  Elsa’s eyes were flashing laser beams at me. I guess she had just waited to corner me away from her friend who apparently had no clue about the ice blonde’s dark side.

  “I smelled burgers,” I offered lightly. “Stayed for dessert.”

  “You will stay the hell away from Geneva. She doesn’t need the likes of you in her life.”

  The likes of me. What did that even mean? They acted like I was some predator who ran around bedding virgins and plundering villages.

  In New York, I’d be considered a hot-blooded, American man. Here, I’m some social pariah.

  “She looks like she can take care of herself, Elsa,” I told her, trying to keep the anger from my tone. I didn’t want to get kicked out of the party before at least getting Geneva’s number but checking my temper among the clucking hens was proving to be very trying.

  “She can take care of herself,” Elsa replied coldly. “Much better than you ever will. Did you know that she had a record deal in Nashville?”

  I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Was she baiting me or was this real?

  “You can check her out on YouTube,” Elsa laughed. “She’s a musician, a singer. A real singer, Jude, not just some pretender who plucks away at his guitar and hopes that the heavens will part and EMI Records will smile on him. She’s ambitious and smart. Most of all, she’s too good for you.”

  Elsa whirled, leaving that slap in my face to sting me to the core of my soul. I realized my mouth was open as I stared after her, my heart thudding.

  She’s such a bitch. And she’s probably full of shit.

  I ducked away from the party and retreated into the house, pulling my cell out the breast pocket of my plaid shirt.

  I had to see if Elsa was lying to me.

  Pulling up YouTube, I searched for her name.

  Geneva…Rousseau. There we go.

  Almost instantly, I found her and my heart stopped thudding inside my ribcage as her voice piped up from the screen in a sweet, melodic country song. It filled my soul with melancholy and sadness, dredging up emotions I never knew I had.

  Slumping against the wall, I felt myself growing lightheaded as she belted out the tune, her fingers trailing over the strings of her guitar flawlessly, her eyes closed and she pitched the ending notes before the screen faded to black.

  “Did Elsa tell you about that or were you cyber stalking me?”

  I raised my head and stared at Geneva as she slowly approached, her face twisted into a grimace.

  “Elsa told me but why didn’t you tell me? You’re incredible!”

  She shrugged and turned her head away as if she didn’t want me to see the pink tinge on her face.

  “I gave it up.”

  “You gave up singing?”

  “For now, yes.”

  “What?” I choked. “Why? You’re amazing! Your voice! Your songs! Are they your songs?”

  “You only heard one,” she laughed, tossing her waves over her shoulder. “And yes, I write them.”

  I stepped toward her, staring down at her
, shaking my head in disbelief.

  “Elsa said you have a record deal. What happened?”

  She shook her head quickly.

  “I had a record deal,” she corrected. “I – it doesn’t exist anymore.”

  “But if you got one, you can get another one!” I said, my voice charged with excitement.

  “I really don’t feel like talking about it,” she sighed, turning away as if she wished she hadn’t made her presence known.

  “Wait, Geneva.”

  I grabbed her arm and she turned back toward me, her eyes wide and filled with something I couldn’t identify.

  “I should get back to the party,” she mumbled but I could see she didn’t even believe the words coming out of her mouth.

  “Yeah?” I asked without removing my hand from her upper arm, our eyes locked. She didn’t fight me and I felt her breaths quicken as she subtly moved her face closer, daring me to make the first move.

  Marybeth and Elsa had warned her about me and she still wanted to kiss me.

  God damn it. It was too much. She was beautiful and sultry and her voice just aroused and crushed me simultaneously.

  I’d be a complete fool to let her go and I wouldn’t no matter what the light of day would bring.

  “What are you waiting for?” she challenged me, licking her full lips tauntingly and looking at me with those seductive eyes. “I thought you were some great Casanova.”

  Fuck, how could I say no to that?

  Chapter 4

  Geneva

  I’m not entirely sure how we made it back to the pristine white room where I’d showered but as the door closed behind us, I had to shadow thoughts while my fingers twined into his silky blonde tresses.

  The first was, if we were caught, Elsa was going to be furious.

  The second was, that cream-colored room was not going to seem quite so pure by the time we were finished with it.

  But the notions were so far removed from the reality of what was happening, they may not have even come from my own mind.