Big Easy Temptation (The Perfect Gentlemen #3)(29)
He shrugged as she placed the bandage over his wound. “I didn’t want to deal with the press. It’s better if we just quietly file a report on the theft and leave the rest out of it. Have you wondered why he didn’t take your purse?”
She moved on to the angry red scrape across his knee. He’d hit the pavement so hard he’d torn through his slacks, but it didn’t look as if he needed stitches. The bleeding had thankfully stopped. “I have no idea. He wasn’t very smart, though. He got the cheaper of the two bags I was carrying. This purse is actually vintage Versace. Joy bought it for me as her maid of honor. It’s worth a small fortune, much more than the laptop itself.”
“Was that the only thing in the bag?” His low voice sounded monotone. He’d been distant, almost removed ever since the asshole had gotten away.
Holland wondered if he was angry or embarrassed that he hadn’t brought the bad guy down. There was nothing more Dax could have done. “My laptop, an extra battery, wireless mouse. That’s all. My phone was in my purse, thank god.”
“Was it a particularly expensive laptop?”
“It’s government issued, so what do you think?” she asked with an acidic little grin. “It sucked. And don’t worry. I already called the office. They shut down any access from that system and changed every one of my passwords. It’s really more of a hassle than anything. I bet he was actually trying to get my purse and missed.”
Dax finally cast his gaze on her, his eyes chilly. “He wasn’t. I watched him. He knew exactly what he wanted.”
A tinge of disquiet rolled through her. “Are you saying someone followed us? How would they even have known where we were?”
His mouth tightened. “Don’t forget, someone took a picture of us going into Antoine’s. It was up about five minutes after we entered the restaurant. We were there for two hours. Unfortunately, it’s not hard to follow someone like me around. All you have to do is watch the gossip sites.” He glanced at his phone. “I’m glad no one snapped pictures of me fighting that asshole. That would have made for awesome press.”
With a wry nod, Holland closed up the first aid kit and sat back on her couch, trying to figure Dax out. He’d been so heroic and intent on saving her. Now he seemed all but shut down and she couldn’t stand it. She needed to come at the problem from a different angle.
“I was scared for you,” she murmured.
He stared her way through narrowed eyes. “I know you like to think of me as a spoiled rich kid, but I am a captain in the Navy. I know how to handle myself in a fight.”
As the truth behind his mood hit her, she softened. He was still feeling the adrenaline. She’d seen this time and time again after a battle or fight, felt it herself a few times when she’d gotten into dangerous situations. He needed calm and she was going to give it to him.
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have shot you. My laptop wasn’t worth your life. I back everything up. Every note I had, every file I’ve gathered is saved to an alternate storage system. Even the notes I took during the interview with my uncle are saved there. I’ll pull it all onto my home system tonight, so it’s not a big deal. You were amazing, Dax. I appreciate you for trying to come to my rescue but I never want you to put yourself in that position for me again.”
His body language softened slightly. “Didn’t like watching him pull a gun on me, huh?”
Her heart had nearly stopped when she’d caught up to them. “If I never see it again, it will be too soon.”
She’d stood at the entrance of the alley helplessly, knowing she couldn’t get to him or her own weapon in time. If the assailant had wanted to pull the trigger, she couldn’t have saved Dax. In that moment, she’d realized she could lose him. And something had shifted inside her. Yes, she was afraid that a relationship with him could end in heartache, but was she willing to go her whole life without knowing what it felt like to wake up beside him? To wrap her arms around him and know he belonged to her? To surrender utterly to the one man she knew would make everything else worthwhile?
As if their kiss at Antoine’s had taken place mere moments ago, she could still feel his lips on hers, tempting her as his big body had pressed her, hot and hard, to the wall. She’d almost been willing to do anything to have him right then and there.
“He got lucky. If I’d been closer, I would have gotten that gun out of his hand and grabbed your laptop,” Dax vowed. “If I ever see that asshole again, I’m going to wipe the floor with him.”
She gave him a placating smile, intending to make sure they stayed far away from the guy. “Like I said, there’s nothing important on that laptop that I can’t get back. So if this was some nefarious plot to steal my secrets, they failed.”
He fell quiet for a moment. “I find it interesting that you start investigating my father’s case and someone immediately assaults you.”
He sounded a bit suspicious, like he was looking for conspiracy theories all around him. She had a few theories of her own. “It was very likely a random street crime. It’s the season, and we happened to be on the perfect street and at the right time of day. Or if they were targeting me, it was because of your media attention. If a reporter thinks we’re dating, they likely want the laptop to get information on me. Or in case we have stuff stored on it.”