Big Easy Temptation (The Perfect Gentlemen #3)(23)

“She had a history of running away from home. A few juvenile arrests for petty theft. She served a few months in juvie and went home to an alcoholic mother and absentee father. It’s not surprising that she left after the scandal.”

“What I find surprising is that no one has seen her since.”

She shook her head sadly. “Dax, no one cares anymore. The press has moved on to the next scandal. The girl likely ran and didn’t look back.”

As much as he hated to admit it, Holland was right. No one outside of his family and friends cared anymore. His father was dead and buried and there were new salacious stories for the press to devour. Hell, half of them were about Mad and Gabe. “Still, someone somewhere has to have seen her.”

“I’ve got a list of everyone involved in the case. I’m making a timeline. Then I intend to track every single witness down. The victim’s mother is no longer at her old residence, so I’ll head over there in the morning to ask some questions, see if I can find out where she’s moved. I don’t know if she’ll be helpful, but she’s the best lead I’ve got.”

Then that was where they would start. The waiter brought out the oysters, placing them on the fine linen in between them.

Dax switched seats. He wanted to be closer to her. He’d scored a major victory. She was discussing the case with him. If he was a smart man, he would accept that as enough. He’d never been particularly smart when it came to Holland Kirk.

Her eyes widened.

“I can hear you better here,” he claimed as innocently as he could. “And you know a nice bottle of wine would really complement the meals we have coming up. I think I saw a proper sauvignon blanc on the menu. It pairs with your chicken and my crab.”

Hopefully. He wasn’t exactly a sommelier, but white went with chicken and seafood, and it definitely loosened Holland up. She was finally smiling, and he wasn’t about to let that stop.

“Fine, since neither one of us is driving,” she allowed and asked the waiter to bring a bottle with dinner.

She ate one of the oysters with the relish and gusto of a woman who’d been eating them all her life. When she set the shell back down, she leaned in. “So which one of your walking penis friends is in town?”

“How did you . . . Courtney. Of course. She’s a nice girl.” She was exactly the kind of woman he used to go after. Sweet, a little funny, open sexually. She’d pretty much offered herself up on a silver platter the day they’d met, but she’d been less aggressive since she discovered he had a connection to her best friend. Slightly less. “Gabe is here. I know he’d love to see you.”

“And? Oh, god. If Gabe’s here that means Mad is, too,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll call the local hospital and tell them they’re going to need a rush shipment of penicillin. Wait, didn’t Gus come in last night? Gus can handle Mad. Though the prostitutes of New Orleans will weep.” She blushed. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t saying something mean about your sister. I adore her.”

But Gus was kind of the female equivalent of Mad. “I’m sure she’s handling Mad as we speak.” He shuddered. “Let’s talk about something more pleasant. Don’t you have a murder or something that’s nicer to think about than my sister sleeping with my friend?”

“Oh, I’ve had some great murders,” she said with relish. She was smiling as she started to talk.

And he had her right where he wanted her.


*

An hour and a half and one shared Cerises jubilee later, Dax was a happy man. They’d spent the entire time talking about their work and friends. She’d discussed a few cases she’d worked and what it had been like growing up as the niece of one of the biggest, baddest cops in the parish. He’d told her a few stories about his friends—the ones that made him look like a choirboy, of course. And he’d talked about what it meant for him to have his own ship, to lead his men. It had been everything he’d thought a date with her would be. Fun and satisfying on a level he hadn’t known with a woman before. Yes, he wanted her sexually. No doubt about that. He’d been tamping down his arousal most of the night. And when she really laughed . . . well, that throaty sound fired his blood. But the desire went beyond sex. He wanted her company. He wanted her near him.

He wanted her always.

He’d only checked his phone once. She’d gotten a call she couldn’t avoid and stepped away to talk. That was when he’d seen the alert pop up. Connor had rigged a system that alerted Dax when his name came up in the tabloids. Dax had clicked through to find a picture of him and Holland entering Antoine’s, his hand on the small of her back.

Three Internet gossip sites had already picked up the story. It was possible the bigger rags would run with the story, too.

God, he was going to have to tell her, but he wanted to wait a little while longer before reminding her of all the reasons she refused to date him.

“I haven’t eaten that much in forever,” she admitted. “After work, I usually heat up something in the microwave.”

“Why would you do that when you’re such an amazing cook?”

She blushed sweetly. “I like to cook, but I rarely do it. Cooking for one isn’t much fun. I don’t like to waste all that food. My uncle’s recipes usually feed a dozen men. Though you ate almost everything I made the other night.”