Big Easy Temptation (Perfect Gentlemen Series #3)

by Shayla Black, Lexi Blake

Overview

The New York Times 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.
 
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…
 
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.
 
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...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780425275344
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/03/2016
Series:	Perfect Gentlemen Series , #3
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	515,686
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 40 sizzling contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances, including the Wicked Lovers series (Wicked for You, His to Take, and Theirs to Cherish). She lives in Texas with her husband, munchkin, and one very spoiled cat.

 
Lexi Blake is the New York Times bestselling author of the Masters and Mercenaries series (You Only Love Twice, Cherished, A View to a Thrill). She lives in North Texas with her family.

Read an Excerpt

    One

    New Orleans, Louisiana

    Three years ago

    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
    If only all her cases were so easy.

    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
    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
    Holland kind of wanted to hide.

    Her cell phone trilled and she looked down to find a text from Courtney.

    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.

    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
    Sounds good! Hope you two have fun.

    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.
    Absolutely not her. Never Holland.

    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
    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
    “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
    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
    “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.”

    She shook her head. “God, no. I’m friends with his sister. I was very close to the wife of one of his friends.”

    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
    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
    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.
    So much pain in a short amount of time.

    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
    She might not always understand the ties that bound those men together, but she sometimes envied them.

    Jim nodded sympathetically. “Yes, Mrs. Hayes was a gracious lady. We all mourn her loss.”

    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.”

    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,
    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
    And then, before he could be court-martialed, he’d been found with a bullet in his brain.

    “We closed the case, but the captain made it very clear how unhappy he was about it.” Jim huffed. “We did a thorough investigation.”

    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
    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
    NCIS had been forced to investigate each and every rumor. All of them had been proven false, except the original allegation.

    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.

    “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
    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
    “I’m not worried about the press.” Jim ran a hand over his hair. “I’m worried about him. I don’t need his harassment again. He was like a dog with
    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.
    It would be a hard truth for a man like Dax to take.

    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
    “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.”

    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
    “I don’t buy it.” Jim shook his head. “He’s been in the Gulf for six months. Lots of action there.”

    “Maybe he’s ready for a change.” Holland shrugged.

    “Does Captain Spencer strike you as a desk-job sort of man?”

    She frowned and bit her lip.

    “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.”

    “You think he’s here to try to get the case reopened?” She really hoped not.

    “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
    In an instant, Holland remembered him, so handsome and earnest, that day in the library.

   
    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
    “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
    “I’m glad to hear you say that, Holland.”

    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
    “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
    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
    He gave her a lopsided grin that threatened to stop her heart. “I didn’t want to interrupt.”

    Jim had gone a nice shade of red. “Captain Spencer, it’s good to see you again.”

    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
    “That’s understandable,” Jim allowed, holding out a hand. “Let me know if I can help you, and welcome back to New Orleans.”

    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
    “It seems so.” Why did she sound so breathy? She wasn’t the vampy type.

    “You look good, Holland,” he said. “Did I ever thank you for coming to my father’s funeral?”

    She shot him a startled glance. “I didn’t realize you’d seen me there.”

    “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.”

    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
    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,
    “Why are you here, Captain?”

    “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
    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
    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.
    “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
    Dax’s eyes widened in surprise. “Captain Awesome? Are you serious?”

    As a heart attack
    His gorgeous mouth turned down. “That was supposed to be classified.”

    He wasn’t that naive. “Nothing that cool is classified, Captain. Dax.”

    “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
    She didn’t believe that for a second. “And that’s the only reason you’re here?”

    He sent her an unreadable smile. “I have some other things to accomplish while I’m here.”

    “You want us to look into your father’s case again.” Nothing else made sense to her.

    “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
    She understood. “I’m glad. I think your mom is lonely. I’m pretty sure Gus isn’t.”

    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
    Finally they were getting to the point. “Did you come to see Jim or Bill?”

    His eyes pinned her. “I came to see you, sweetheart.”

    Damn, but she was in trouble. “Why? I can’t help you.”

    “Oh, I think you can. Holland, have dinner with me. Give me a chance.”

    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
    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.
    “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
    “Or?” There was always an “or” in these types of conversations.

    “I spend the rest of my life knowing I didn’t do everything I could to honor my father.”

    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
    He flashed dimples, sending her into a tailspin. “I’ll bring the wine.”

    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
    She wanted more for herself.

    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
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Big Easy Temptation"
by .
Copyright © 2016 Shayla Black.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

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.”—New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner

From the Publisher