Big Easy Temptation (The Perfect Gentlemen #3)(14)
With a sigh, Holland stared out at the city and prayed for strength, because if she intended to resist that man, she was going to need it.
THREE
Dax was feeling unaccountably optimistic as he hopped off the Saint Charles Avenue streetcar and began to make his way home. Well, his parents’ place. He wasn’t truly certain he could call anywhere home. Since the time he’d shipped off to Creighton Academy, home had become a collection of people rather than a place. Home meant his friends, his family.
Seeing Holland again had put him in a reflective mood. Or maybe it was coming back to New Orleans. The last time he’d been in town had been for his father’s funeral. He’d been so angry he couldn’t see or think straight. Time and distance had made him calmer, more rational.
But there was nothing calm or rational about the way he felt when he looked at Holland Kirk. A part of him had hoped that his hunger for her had been a memory, embellished by time and his lingering fondness until the feeling had become too big to be true. Nope. Instead, Dax was more convinced than ever that she was the one. Holland made him want more from life, made him want to be better. She was the one woman for whom he would fold his six-foot-four body in two and sleep on that god-awful couch just to be close to her.
He strolled past tourists staring up at the gorgeous antebellum mansions that made the Garden District an attraction. They came in pairs and trios. Later, the large, guided groups would follow, eager to see a slice of New Orleans history and the beauty of the neighborhood his mother had lived in all her life.
Dax ducked his head and meandered to the other side of the street to give the tourists a wide berth. The last thing he needed was for someone to recognize him. He’d really tried to keep a low profile . . . until his friends dragged him into stupid crap like that date with the anorexic supermodel.
His cell phone trilled and he smiled as he answered it. He’d been on assignment for months without talking to his friends or family. He’d exchanged some e-mails with them, but hearing a friendly voice was a different thing. “My man. What’s going on, super spy?”
“Seriously? You know that would get me killed if I really was a spy?” Connor shot back, though he was chuckling. “How was your flight?”
“Long and rough.” He’d hitched a ride on a transport plane. It was a long way from the private jets his buddies took. If he’d called Gabe, Bond Aeronautics would have sent a plane for him, but he’d wanted to move as quickly as possible. Mad would have sent him a Crawford jet, but it also would have been filled with Mad, three hookers, and more liquor than anyone should ever drink. And herpes. He was pretty sure Mad’s jet had herpes.
“Ah, you have to love the military. Well, I suppose you’ll have some comfort now that you’re in New Orleans. Tell me you’re staying with your mother and not in some barracks.”
He was kind of hoping that after a while he’d be staying with Holland. Despite what she’d said, he had no intentions of playing fair. If she didn’t think she could handle his lifestyle, he would show her differently.
“I’m staying with Mom. Gus is on a short vacation, too. It’ll be nice to spend some time with them.” He let out another breath. “And I’ve convinced NCIS to take another look.”
Connor paused. “Don’t you mean you convinced Holland Kirk to take another look?”
He hadn’t mentioned that he would be seeing her again, but he should have known Connor would figure it out. “Yes.”
“Good. I just want you to be careful with her. She’s not a good-time girl.”
He’d never once thought she was. “You’re right. She’s an intriguing woman and I’ve been serious about her for years. You know, I wish just once someone would warn her about hurting my tender feelings. She’s the one who walked away.”
“I’ll be sure to tell everyone,” Connor said, sounding terribly amused. “Now, I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?”
His mother’s house was another block down, but Dax slowed his pace. He wasn’t talking about his father’s death in front of his mother or Gus unless he had a reason. As far as they knew, he was in town to work on the new training manuals and spend some time with family. He didn’t want to get their hopes up. “Give me the bad news.”
“The girl is a ghost. I can’t find a trace of her anywhere. Amber Taylor dropped off the face of the earth roughly three weeks after your father was killed.” Connor was one hundred percent on Dax’s side. None of his friends referred to his father’s death as a suicide. “She never went back to her high school after winter break. Her mother apparently told the administrators she would be home schooling after the new year. I’m trying to track the woman down. The house they lived in has been rented to someone else. The landlord said the mom and her daughter walked away one day and left everything behind. He hasn’t seen her since.”
Another dead end. “Keep trying.”
“I will, but I have to put this on the back burner for a little bit. I’ve been asked to look into another matter. It’s important, Dax. You know I wouldn’t let this lie unless it was.”
If Connor said it was important, then it likely had something to do with national security, and Dax couldn’t argue with that. “I do. Don’t worry about it. I’m here now and I’ve got Holland. We’ll work it from this angle. Do what you need to do. Are you going to be out of touch?”