Bourbon Street Blues Read Online Free PDF

seen. But how in heaven did you tell something like that to a perfect stranger?
    “No, no,” she said with a firm shake of her head. “It wasn’t your business then and it’s not your business now .”
    A kid on a skateboard whizzed past her and Holly automatically tightened her grip on the straps of her shoulder bag. During Mardi Gras season, there were more purse snatchers out than usual, hoping to score big on tourists.
    But even that stray thought couldn’t distract herfor long from thoughts of Parker. A curl of something warm and delicious tightened in the pit of her stomach and she enjoyed the feeling. It had been a long time since any man had had such an effect.
    Lengthening her stride, she smiled to herself and hurried just a bit. If she was late for rehearsal, Tommy would never let her hear the end of it. And besides, she thought slyly, maybe…just maybe…Parker would turn up again.
    By the time she reached the hotel, Holly felt like a kid counting down to Christmas. Silly and she knew it. She’d only seen Parker once at the hotel and she had no reason to believe she’d be running into him again anytime soon, but still…
    “Afternoon, Miss Holly.”
    “Hi, Sam.” She nodded to the Hotel Marchand’s bell captain, who stood talking to one of the younger bellmen. At six foot four, Sam Malloy had silver hair, pale blue eyes and broad shoulders, and stood like a soldier at attention in his red-and-gold uniform. The doorman was busy helping a woman step out of an elegant black town car, so Sam hurried over to Holly.
    “Let me get that for you.” He reached out to open the front door for Holly and she gave him another smile as she stepped into the cool, dimly lit interior.The lobby of the Hotel Marchand was immediately welcoming, despite its air of Old World elegance.
    As she headed toward the bar, Holly glanced briefly at the elegant, curved staircase leading to the second floor. Just beyond it, a set of French doors led onto a flower-bedecked courtyard that was also accessible from both the restaurant and the bar.
    “You’re running a little late, aren’t you?”
    Holly shot a guilty look at the man standing behind the concierge’s desk. Luc Carter was grinning at her. Tall, with sandy-blond hair, pale blue eyes and a warm smile, Luc was the perfect hotel concierge, as charming as he was handsome.
    Over the past few months Holly had seen him talk crabby guests into smiling and calm a flustered elderly woman who was sure someone had stolen a diamond pendant from her room. It turned out, of course, that the woman had dropped her prized possession behind the dresser…but Luc had managed to forestall her when she’d come sweeping into the lobby demanding a police presence up to and including the FBI.
    “I am late, aren’t I?” she said with a wince, pausing briefly at the desk. “I guess Tommy’s already here?”
    Luc grinned and winked. “Started warming up about twenty minutes ago.”
    Holly sighed. “He’s never going to let me hear the end of it. The man is always on time. It’s like a religion or something to him.”
    “Funny,” Luc said, straightening a stack of maps of New Orleans as he spoke, “he said the same thing about you and being late.”
    “Now, who’re you going to believe,” she asked, smiling. “Me? Or Tommy?”
    “I always take the word of a beautiful woman,” Luc said gallantly.
    “You’re smooth, I give you that,” Holly answered, laughing. She tapped her fingers on the desk, tipped her head to one side and studied him for a moment. “You okay? You seem a little…down.”
    “Me?” Luc’s grin grew wider, as if he were trying to convince her that he was just fine. “No, I’m good.”
    “Okay,” Holly said, “if you say so.”
    “Honest.” He held up one hand in a three-fingered salute, as if swearing to it.
    She nodded, said, “See you later,” and headed off to start the afternoon’s work.
     
    L UC SOBERED as he watched Holly walk away. He’d