Cajun Spice by Desiree Holt Read Free Book Online Page A

me, are you?”
    She shook her head. “Not at all. But I don’t want to get in the way of your work.”
    “You’re not, believe me.” He cocked his head. “So, let me ask you another question. Not that it’s any of my business, but you haven’t heard from your fiancé since we landed. I can’t believe he’d let a beautiful woman like you wander around The Big Easy by herself.”
    She looked down at her plate, running her finger around the rim. “He’s not exactly my fiancé,” she said at last. “Not anymore, that is. And maybe he never was. Maybe I only thought he was.”
    “So, where is he now?”
    She looked at him, her face suddenly sober. “Why all the questions?”
    He lifted his shoulders in a gesture of nonchalance. “No special reason. I want to make sure he doesn’t show up and hassle you in any way.” He reached for one of her hands and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I want you to enjoy yourself.”
    “You don’t have to worry about that,” she assured him. “He’s got…some problems that have nothing to do with me. Problems I have no intention of becoming involved in. So good riddance. I hope I’ve seen the last of him.” She managed a smile. “But thank you for thinking of me. Anyway, let’s not talk about him, okay?”
    “Suits me just fine.” He swallowed the last of his coffee. “How about finishing up and we’ll go for a stroll through the park? There are some sidewalk musicians playing and some street artists you might be interested in.” He lifted her free hand and stroked her knuckles, then placed a light kiss on them. “Okay?”
    Daisy nodded and finished the last of her beignet. All Marc had to do was touch her and she felt ready to burst into flames. But the flame was tamped down slightly now. He’d been as evasive about his work as she had, and what did that mean? Were neither of them what they seemed?
    Forget it. Just have a good time. That’s what you’re here for, right?
    How could she look beyond that, anyway, when her life was such a mess? She had no place to live and only a short time to find one. No job, and the prospects of another not looking good, not with her name smeared with the mud from Craig’s actions. She had good savings, but she couldn’t use them all up without any way to replenish them. What would Marc think if he knew the whole story? And would he want to wait until her life was back on track again?
    She smiled at him, rose from her chair, and picked up her purse, sliding the thin strap onto her shoulder.
    Marc took her hand again, folding it into his warm one, and brushed a kiss over her lips.
    “Let’s forget about work and go have fun.” His eyes darkened to navy. “I’ve got some ideas for a different kind of fun later on, okay, chere ?”
    “Okay.” The shiver this time had nothing to do with uncertainty and everything to do with anticipation.
     
    *****
     
    Forensic accounting. Marc let the word roll around in his brain. Interesting choice for a woman whose boyfriend had embezzled millions of dollars. Was she choosing that career path so she could help him in the future, assuming he didn’t get picked up? Or because she was an innocent in all this and wanted to protect herself in the future? He had trouble believing that Daisy was involved in the actual fraud. He could possibly be wrong, but in the three intense days they’d spent together, he’d seen no signs of it. No one, he thought, could be that good an actress.
    Deep inside, he prayed his instincts were correct because Daisy had embedded herself in his system. He didn’t want this to end when they returned to New York. Or ever, if he could manage that. He wanted to wake up next to her every morning and go to sleep with her in his arms every night.
    But before they could get to that stage, get past Mardi Gras wildness, he had to be positive she wasn’t part of Craig Myers’ scheme and didn’t know where the money was.
    As the day wore on and they wandered through the