Easy Fortune: A Boudreaux Series Novella

“We’ve got it from here,” Mason says to Ted when we have plenty of earth to wade through. “Do you need us to leave soon?”


“Take your time,” he says with a wink. “I’ll be where you found me.”

Ted walks away and Mason begins to show me how to find our opals. “Like this,” he says, shaking the box. The dirt falls away, and there’s nothing left.

“Well, that was a dud,” I say as Mason shovels more in.

For the next half hour it’s the same. We shimmy and shake the box, and we’re left with rocks or nothing at all.

Until, finally, we hit the motherlode.

“Look at that,” Mason says and holds a rock up.

“It just looks like a pretty rock.” He turns it over, and I gasp. “Oh, it’s beautiful.”

It’s brilliantly red and orange.

“Can you imagine how pretty it’ll be when it’s polished?” Mason asks. “This is a beauty.”

“So pretty,” I agree and rub my finger over the smooth side. We did it! We found what his aunt wanted us to find.

I can’t help it, I launch myself into his arms for a big hug. “I’m so proud of us!”

He laughs and hugs me back, and as I begin to pull away, he kisses my cheek. I still and stare into his eyes, and the next thing I know, he’s kissing me. Not a gentle kiss, but a crazy, passionate kiss that I feel all the way down to my toes.

I pull away and blink my eyes open. We’re both breathing hard, and I want him more in this moment than I’ve ever wanted anyone in my life.

So I pull away, pat his shoulder, and say, “Good job.”

I march away toward the main building, cursing myself.

Good job??? He kisses me like his life depends on it, and I say good job.

I roll my eyes. Way to go, Lena.





Chapter Five



Mason

She’s so much more than I remember. She was always funny, and smart. Sexy. But it’s like she’s all of that times one hundred.

And I’m quickly learning that I’m pulled to her in that inexplicable way all over again.

She’s marching ahead of me at a fast clip after her good job remark, which I can’t help but laugh at. The kiss was unexpected, and her reaction is encouraging.

She wants me as well.

It will be interesting to see how long we can keep our hands off of each other while on this trip.

Without looking back at me, she storms into the main building, letting the door slam behind her. I follow her in, the stone heavy in my pocket.

“How did you do?” Ted asks.

“Fantastic,” I reply and show him our opal.

“That’s a beauty,” he says with a nod. “Good job.”

Lena chokes, coughs, her face turning bright red.

“Are you okay?” Ted asks, but she just nods, and I can’t help but laugh again.

“Inside joke,” I inform him. “What do I owe you for this?”

“Nothing,” he replies and reaches under the counter. He passes me two white envelopes this time. “The top one is the name of your hotel, the room number, and your keys. The other is your next clue.”

“Wow, every detail has been taken care of,” Lena says in surprise as we walk out to the car.

“Doesn’t surprise me.” I open the hotel information first, and pull it up on my GPS. “The hotel is close by.”

“Thank goodness,” she says with a sigh. “I’m ready for food and a shower.”

I nod, not wanting to think too hard about a wet, naked Lena while I’m in the same room with her. My dick is already permanently semi-hard just from being so close to her.

“Let’s find our room, get some food, and then we’ll open the clue.”

“Sounds good,” she says with a nod. “And about the good job comment—”

“Don’t.” I shake my head and smile at her. “It’s maybe one of my favorite moments with you. You’re a fun delight, Lena.”

“A fun delight,” she says with a laugh. “I’ve been called worse.”

The hotel is close by, and our room is a simple, double bed room on the second floor.

“Nothing fancy,” I say as we wheel our bags inside.

“It’s a tiny town,” she replies. “I’m happy if it’s clean.”

And it is. The bathroom is small but clean and functional, and we’ll only be here overnight anyway.

“Food,” she insists. “I saw a Denny’s about a block away.”

“I’m fine with that if you are.”

“So fine with it,” she replies with a nod, already walking to the door. “Feed me, Dr. Jones.”

“Are you going to call me that all the time?”

“Yes.” She laughs.

***

“Miss Jade is a tricky one. You might get wet.” Lena reads the clue aloud again and then stares off into space. She’s sitting on her bed, cross-legged. She’s in yoga pants and a simple T-shirt, her blonde hair is piled on top of her head, and I want nothing more than to strip her naked and explore every fucking inch of her.

This whole two bed thing is out of the question going forward.

“Jade is my middle name,” Lena informs me. “I’m told it’s because jade inspires peace and calm.”

“Do you feel calm and peaceful?” I ask, stretching out on my bed, my hands tucked behind my head.

“Not usually,” she says with a smile. “I admit, I’m lost on this one.”

“I’m not.”

Her gaze whips up to mine in surprise. “What? Why didn’t you say something?”

“Because you’re beautiful when you’re thinking hard.”

She scoffs, but her cheeks turn the prettiest shade of red. I want to watch them flush for other reasons entirely.

“I’m quite sure she wants us to go hunt for some jade at Big Sur, California.”

“Oh, fun!” She claps her hands and immediately reaches for her phone, presumably to search Google. “I had no idea that you could find jade there. I’ve always wanted to see Big Sur. The photos I’ve seen are amazing.”

“It’s beautiful,” I agree. “Or I’m told.”

“You haven’t been either?”

I shake my head no.

“Good. We will see it together.” She smiles as she pages through her phone, and then frowns. “It’s another nine hour drive tomorrow.”

“So we’d better leave early.”

She nods and plugs her phone in, then climbs under the covers.

“Good night.”

She falls asleep quickly, but I’m awake for a long while after her. I know she’s not indifferent to me. When I came out from the shower her eyes traveled over my body like she was memorizing every inch of me. Of course, I wasn’t naked, but I want to be. I don’t know if we could have a relationship, but I want her.

And I’m going to have her.

***

“I hope this whole trip isn’t a road trip,” Lena says the next day as we pull into Big Sur. “Nine hours is a long time.”

“I agree.” We left later than I’d hoped because we both slept in, and by the time we ate and got on the road it was close to nine in the morning.

But we’re not on a schedule.

“Do we know where we’re staying?” she asks.

“Yes, when I checked out of the hotel this morning, the lady asked me if we’d figured out the clue. When I told her we’re headed to Big Sur, she handed me an envelope with hotel information.”