{"product_id":"big-easy-temptation-isbn-9780425275344","title":"Big Easy Temptation","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling authors of the Masters of Ménage series present the third scintillating novel featuring the privileged, wealthy, wild men of Creighton Academy—the Perfect Gentlemen.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Years ago, Naval officer Dax Spencer and NCIS agent Holland Kirk indulged in a steamy affair—until she betrayed him in the wake of his father’s death. Dax tried to put her behind him with a payback of his own. But he never forgot Holland…\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Now, as Dax and his fellow Perfect Gentlemen unravel a web of lies, he discovers his family’s tragedy is part of a much larger conspiracy. Soon, all clues point him back to New Orleans…where Holland waits, protecting her deadly secret and holding a torch for the only man she’s ever loved.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Once reunited, they can’t fight the passion flaring hot and wild. But something sinister lurks around every corner, from the elegance of the Garden district to the beauty of the bayou. Dax and Holland may find their way back to each other—if they survive...“Shayla Black and Lexi Blake never fail to heat up the page, and the Perfect Gentlemen series is no exception. Hot and edgy and laced with danger, the stories in the Perfect Gentlemen series are just that—perfect.”—\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author J. Kenner\u003cb\u003eShayla Black\u003c\/b\u003e is the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of over 40 sizzling contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances, including the Wicked Lovers series (\u003ci\u003eWicked for You\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHis to Take\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eTheirs to Cherish\u003c\/i\u003e). She lives in Texas with her husband, munchkin, and one very spoiled cat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eLexi Blake\u003c\/b\u003e is the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of the Masters and Mercenaries series (\u003ci\u003eYou Only Love Twice\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e Cherished\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e A View to a Thrill\u003c\/i\u003e). She lives in North Texas with her family.\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \u003cb\u003eOne\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \u003ci\u003eNew Orleans, Louisiana\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \u003ci\u003eThree years ago\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Holland Kirk sighed as she packed up her laptop. Another case closed. She liked the simple ones. Two enlisted sailors had gotten into a bar fight over a\u003cbr\u003e    local and one of them had waited two days before deciding to jump his opponent back on base. He’d nearly gutted the other man. Luckily, she’d found a\u003cbr\u003e    witness and now the seaman was sitting in a jail cell.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    If only all her cases were so easy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She stood and stretched, trying not to think about the news she’d heard earlier today. Courtney had waltzed in with two chicken salad sandwiches and the\u003cbr\u003e    latest gossip.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Captain Dax Spencer had taken a one-month training assignment right here in New Orleans. Could Holland believe it? One of the Perfect Gentlemen here in\u003cbr\u003e    their backyard. Courtney had been star struck.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Holland kind of wanted to hide.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Her cell phone trilled and she looked down to find a text from Courtney.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    He’s even hotter than I imagined. I’m the writer assigned to him for this project! Squee! I need an entirely new wardrobe. And a mani pedi.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    A flurry of emoticons followed, all conveying her excitement. Holland wasn’t sure what a couple of them were, but they definitely looked happy. Courtney\u003cbr\u003e    knew she’d met Spencer at some point, but had no idea he was basically the man of her dreams. And now she meant to avoid him at all costs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Sounds good! Hope you two have fun.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She sent the text, trying not to admit that her stomach dropped at the thought of pretty, curvy Courtney with Dax. Courtney looked like a swimsuit model.\u003cbr\u003e    She was exactly the type of woman Holland would expect on the arm of one of the infamous Perfect Gentlemen.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Absolutely not her. Never Holland.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    It had been years since she’d spoken to the gorgeous Dax Spencer, but she dreamed of him often. It wasn’t like she hadn’t dated, but she ended up comparing\u003cbr\u003e    every single man who came into her life to Dax, and they always came up short.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She’d seen him at his father’s funeral. She’d shown up quietly and sat in the back. It had been a travesty how few people had been in attendance. Admiral\u003cbr\u003e    Harold Spencer’s exemplary reputation had been washed away with one indiscretion.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Hey, I’ve heard we’re going to have trouble.” Jim Kellison leaned against the door to her office, his dark eyes grim. “Your friend was telling everyone\u003cbr\u003e    Captain Spencer has come back to town for a while.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She was certain that had a couple of special agents thinking about early retirement, including the one in front of her. “Apparently he’s agreed to help\u003cbr\u003e    write the documentation on the new training procedures. He’s been testing them on his ship.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Sure. That’s what every captain dreams of,” Jim shot back. “Spending several weeks writing training manuals. I’ve heard a rumor you run in his circle.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She shook her head. “God, no. I’m friends with his sister. I was very close to the wife of one of his friends.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Joy Hayes. It was hard to believe she was really gone, the victim of a single bullet from a lone shooter. Tears threatened. They did every single time she\u003cbr\u003e    thought about the day Joy died. How could she ever forget it? Some TV news show rolled the video of her friend dying at least once a week.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Joy had been killed by a man who’d wanted to assassinate her husband. The news stories claimed the assassin was a mentally ill man who hated Zack and\u003cbr\u003e    couldn’t stand the thought of him in the White House. Three days later, Zack Hayes had been elected president.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Six weeks after that, the terrible scandal involving Admiral Spencer had blown up. In the thick of the gossip and media speculation, he’d killed himself.\u003cbr\u003e    Holland could only imagine how dark those days had been for Dax.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    So much pain in a short amount of time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She would love Zack Hayes to the end of her days because while everyone else had abandoned the Spencer family, the man with the most political capital to\u003cbr\u003e    lose had sat beside Dax in the church for the admiral’s funeral that day. All of the Perfect Gentlemen had been there—Crawford, Bond, the scary one, Hayes,\u003cbr\u003e    and Calder. They’d deflected the press from Dax and protected their friend.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She might not always understand the ties that bound those men together, but she sometimes envied them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Jim nodded sympathetically. “Yes, Mrs. Hayes was a gracious lady. We all mourn her loss.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    More tears burned her eyes. She blinked them back. “Has Captain Spencer been in touch with you? You and Bill closed the case on his father, if I recall.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    That was an understatement. She knew exactly who had worked the case, but she’d tried to stay far from it. Being close to Augustine Spencer, Dax’s sister,\u003cbr\u003e    meant recusing herself from participating in the admiral’s open investigation. She hadn’t even read the file. She couldn’t bring herself to do it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Harold Spencer, upright family man and naval officer, a beacon of New Orleans society, had been caught on camera in bed with an underage prostitute. She’d\u003cbr\u003e    heard that a witnesses close to the admiral told NCIS the man had been a pedophile for a very long time. Rumors had spread like a bad virus and the jackals\u003cbr\u003e    had shown up to drag the Spencer family through the mud.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    And then, before he could be court-martialed, he’d been found with a bullet in his brain.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “We closed the case, but the captain made it very clear how unhappy he was about it.” Jim huffed. “We did a thorough investigation.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Jim was one of the finest investigators she knew. He’d been a special agent for more than fifteen years. “I’m sure you did your best. These kinds of cases\u003cbr\u003e    are always hard. There was a lot of media scrutiny.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The press had been like a pack of wolves. The office had been inundated with their calls. Once the salacious story hit the tabloids, reporters had written\u003cbr\u003e    article after article speculating on the lurid details of the admiral’s organized sex parties and the supposed ways in which he’d defrauded taxpayers to\u003cbr\u003e    host them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    NCIS had been forced to investigate each and every rumor. All of them had been proven false, except the original allegation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    God, she hoped the admiral hadn’t known the girl’s true age. Amber Taylor had been fifteen, but on camera she’d looked at least a half dozen years older.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “I have gray hair from that case,” Jim acknowledged. “And I swear Bill went bald after that last press conference. I’ve never seen a man look so terrified\u003cbr\u003e    on camera. There’s a reason he didn’t go into the entertainment field.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    It was probably for the best since Bill had a brilliant mind but a potbelly that wouldn’t look great on screen. “I remember. So I guess you’re afraid\u003cbr\u003e    Captain Spencer’s return will mean more media attention? If it’s any consolation, I don’t think he liked the press coverage any more than we did.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “I’m not worried about the press.” Jim ran a hand over his hair. “I’m worried about \u003ci\u003ehim\u003c\/i\u003e. I don’t need his harassment again. He was like a dog with\u003cbr\u003e    a bone, Kirk. He called ten times a day, sent so many e-mails I couldn’t keep up with them, and I won’t even go into all the times I could have arrested\u003cbr\u003e    him for interfering with an investigation. I didn’t, because I like his mother and sister. I thought they’d been through enough, but I won’t put up with\u003cbr\u003e    that crap again.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Holland had stayed away. She’d actually taken a couple of weeks off and gone to visit some friends because the temptation to interfere had been so great.\u003cbr\u003e    But she’d heard stories of Captain Spencer causing trouble. He’d apparently been particularly angry when his father’s death had been ruled a suicide.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    It would be a hard truth for a man like Dax to take.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Still, according to Gus, her brother was trying to move on. Holland liked Augustine Spencer. She was wild and smart and larger than life. She also worked\u003cbr\u003e    at the White House and had been close to Joy. The three had formed a special friendship, and she still cherished the time Gus spent in New Orleans.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Maybe the captain simply took the assignment to be close to his mother for a while,” Holland suggested. “I know this mess has been hard on her.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Gus had offered to turn down the job with the Hayes administration and Dax had offered to leave the Navy, but Judith Spencer had insisted her children\u003cbr\u003e    continue with their lives. Their mother had been adamant. Still, Holland checked in on her from time to time. She had to be lonely in that huge house.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “I don’t buy it.” Jim shook his head. “He’s been in the Gulf for six months. Lots of action there.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Maybe he’s ready for a change.” Holland shrugged.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Does Captain Spencer strike you as a desk-job sort of man?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She frowned and bit her lip.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “You know I’m right. He’s not a man who likes peace and quiet. And he didn’t choose a New Orleans training post for the gumbo.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “You think he’s here to try to get the case reopened?” She really hoped not.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “I think he’s a son who loved his father and can’t handle knowing that the man who raised him wasn’t who he thought. I wouldn’t want to believe it of my\u003cbr\u003e    own father. It’s got to be doubly hard on a man like the captain, who’s used to getting his way. All that money must have made his life pretty cushy up\u003cbr\u003e    until now.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    In an instant, Holland remembered him, so handsome and earnest, that day in the library.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e        Do you know what I like about the Navy? I’m not royalty there. No one gives a crap that my family has money. No one cares what my last name is. I work\u003cbr\u003e        hard and I’ll continue to do so.\u003cbr\u003e    \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    At the time she’d thought he was naive. Having worked NCIS for the last few years, she’d figured out that for all of the captain’s connections, his father\u003cbr\u003e    had been as much of a negative as a positive. He’d had to work twice as hard to prove he wasn’t moving up the ranks due to nepotism. During the war, he’d\u003cbr\u003e    served his country valiantly in the Persian Gulf. She’d read reports of his bravery and knew he’d earned his captaincy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “The Spencer I knew was a hard worker despite the fact that he could have coasted through,” she argued. “He’s honest and loyal. Just because he’s rich\u003cbr\u003e    doesn’t make him soft. He’s a good man, and you should treat him with respect when he shows up.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “I’m glad to hear you say that, Holland.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She stopped, her focus narrowing to that deep voice dredged up from the depths of her memory. Dax Spencer had the sexiest accent, having been raised right\u003cbr\u003e    here in New Orleans. His father had been career Navy, but Judith Spencer had insisted on a somewhat normal childhood for Dax and Gus. They spent time with\u003cbr\u003e    their father, but also lived in a big mansion in the Garden District. Dax had gone off to Creighton Academy at the age of twelve, but he’d never lost that\u003cbr\u003e    thick, molasses-rich NOLA drawl. When he spoke, his tones deep and dark, it did something to Holland she couldn’t explain.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Speak of the devil. You could have knocked, Captain Spencer.” She turned, and the sight of him was like a punch to the solar plexus. She breathed through\u003cbr\u003e    the reaction, trying to hide the fact that being this close to him already had her heart pounding.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Damn, but he looked good. The years had been kind to him, turning a beautiful boy into a gorgeous, powerful man. He filled out his khakis in a way most\u003cbr\u003e    sailors couldn’t. Tall and broad and powerfully built, he was a glorious hunk of masculinity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    He gave her a lopsided grin that threatened to stop her heart. “I didn’t want to interrupt.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Jim had gone a nice shade of red. “Captain Spencer, it’s good to see you again.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Dax didn’t seem fazed at all that he’d overheard them talking about him, but then he was likely used to it. He simply gave Jim a friendly grin. “Now I’m\u003cbr\u003e    absolutely sure that’s a lie. I’m sure I was a pain in the ass and the last couple of months without me have likely been pleasant. How about I promise to\u003cbr\u003e    be respectful this time around. I wasn’t in a good place the last time we talked.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “That’s understandable,” Jim allowed, holding out a hand. “Let me know if I can help you, and welcome back to New Orleans.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Dax shook his hand with a nod. “Thank you, Agent Kellison. I promise I’m not going to make your life hell.” Jim left with a friendly wave, and Dax turned\u003cbr\u003e    his attention to Holland. “I called him a lowlife cocksucker who deserved to have his entrails eaten by a gator. I might have been in a bad mood at the\u003cbr\u003e    time.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “It seems so.” Why did she sound so breathy? She wasn’t the vampy type.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “You look good, Holland,” he said. “Did I ever thank you for coming to my father’s funeral?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She shot him a startled glance. “I didn’t realize you’d seen me there.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Sweetheart, there were so few people I couldn’t have missed you. I truly appreciate it. I know my momma and Gus did as well.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    As Holland’s heart continued to race, she thanked goodness the office door stood open and she could see people moving out in the hallway. She wasn’t sure\u003cbr\u003e    she could handle being alone with him, knowing the last time she had been she’d kissed him. The press of their bodies and lips had been the single most\u003cbr\u003e    erotic moment of her life. She’d slept with men and not felt as close to them as she had to Dax Spencer in that one moment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Sometimes she could still feel the way his tongue had moved against hers, sliding in a silky dance. She could feel his hands on her body. He’d been subtle,\u003cbr\u003e    but she’d felt the possession in his grip. If Admiral Spencer and Constance Hayes hadn’t barged in, she’d likely have found herself on top of that desk\u003cbr\u003e    with her legs spread and clinging to Dax Spencer as he drove into her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Why are you here, Captain?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Can’t you call me Dax? You have dinner with my mother twice a month. You see my sister every time she’s in town. Can’t we at least be on a first-name\u003cbr\u003e    basis?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Her reticence sounded ridiculous when he put it that way. They actually did run in the same small circle. She simply avoided him at all costs and had since\u003cbr\u003e    the moment she realized she wanted him in a way she’d never wanted any man. “All right. Dax, welcome back to New Orleans. What are you doing here?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    He cast her a sidelong glance. “Well, Holland. I’m in the Navy and I was recently stationed at the Joint Reserve Base New Orleans in a training capacity.\u003cbr\u003e    I’ve been involved in new training methods on modern ships.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Yes, because Captain Awesome really wants to spend a month writing training manuals.” That was the moniker the sailors had given him after his wartime\u003cbr\u003e    bravery. He’d been creative and smart and he’d stood by his men. They loved him. They would lay their lives on the line for him. He was everything the Navy\u003cbr\u003e    looked for in a captain.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Dax’s eyes widened in surprise. “Captain Awesome? Are you serious?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \u003ci\u003eAs a heart attack\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    . “It’s what everyone calls you. After what you did in Operation Iraqi Freedom, can you doubt it?” In the middle of unexpected enemy fire, he had devised\u003cbr\u003e    and implemented a battle plan on the fly. He’d used his ship in a way that had shortened the skirmish and saved lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    His gorgeous mouth turned down. “That was supposed to be classified.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    He wasn’t that naive. “Nothing that cool is classified, Captain. Dax.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Captain Awesome might be the worst call sign I’ve ever heard.” He shook his head woefully. “I’m back in New Orleans because I was asked to spend a couple\u003cbr\u003e    of months providing insight on the new training procedures. Since I implemented them on my ship, I decided to help out.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She didn’t believe that for a second. “And that’s the only reason you’re here?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    He sent her an unreadable smile. “I have some other things to accomplish while I’m here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “You want us to look into your father’s case again.” Nothing else made sense to her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “I’m here for numerous reasons. One, my mother’s birthday is soon. Two, Gus is taking a little time off. So I came to be with my family. After everything\u003cbr\u003e    that happened, family is my priority.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She understood. “I’m glad. I think your mom is lonely. I’m pretty sure Gus isn’t.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Dax shuddered, proving he’d heard about Gus’s proclivities. “I do not need to know what my sister is doing. Or who. I came back to make sure my mother is\u003cbr\u003e    all right . . . and to take care of a few other loose ends.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Finally they were getting to the point. “Did you come to see Jim or Bill?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    His eyes pinned her. “I came to see you, sweetheart.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Damn, but she was in trouble. “Why? I can’t help you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Oh, I think you can. Holland, have dinner with me. Give me a chance.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She shook her head because even if the Spencer name wasn’t as shiny as it had once been, they still came from different worlds. “I don’t think that’s a\u003cbr\u003e    good idea.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Besides, Holland wasn’t entirely sure what he was after. He might be asking for her to reopen his father’s case. Or he might be asking her for a date.\u003cbr\u003e    Either would be a bad freaking idea.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Holland, listen. Please. You’re the only one who might give me a shot, the only one who might hear what I have to say.” His jaw hardened to a stubborn\u003cbr\u003e    line. “Have dinner with me. Let me plead my case.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Or?” There was always an “or” in these types of conversations.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “I spend the rest of my life knowing I didn’t do everything I could to honor my father.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Shit. What was she supposed to do with that plea? He’d given her the one argument that guaranteed she wouldn’t turn him away. “All right. My place. Eight\u003cbr\u003e    o’clock. Don’t be late.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    He flashed dimples, sending her into a tailspin. “I’ll bring the wine.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    He turned and strode out, leaving her watching his amazingly hot backside and wondering what the hell she’d agreed to. She’d known she couldn’t handle him\u003cbr\u003e    when he’d done his best to persuade her to give him a shot during Joy and Zack’s reception years ago. Not much had changed. Besides, she’d wanted a career\u003cbr\u003e    of her own then. She still did. Certainly, she didn’t want to be like her mother, following her father from base to base, always having to make new friends\u003cbr\u003e    and find a way to fit in. If she’d allowed herself to date Spencer back then, she would be his wife now and she would have had his children, watching him\u003cbr\u003e    as he rose through the ranks and left her further and further behind.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She wanted more for herself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Yes, she was stronger now. More mature. She’d had more experience with the opposite sex. Could she handle him? Ready or not, it seemed she was going to\u003cbr\u003e    find out.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Berkley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300209381605,"sku":"NP9780425275344","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780425275344.jpg?v=1767722586","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/big-easy-temptation-isbn-9780425275344","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}