To My Senses The Nicci Beauvoir Series Book 1 by Alexandrea Weis

Sammy’s car. I wasn’t sure.
    “ If you don’t put me down
soon, I swear I will puke all over your nice shoes.”
    He dropped me onto the
front seat of the Jaguar. “Just don’t puke on the seat,” he
countered, closing the car door.
    When he climbed into the
driver’s side, I punched him in the arm with all of my
might.
    “ Like to punch and kick,
eh? I’ll have to remember that.”
    “ Is this a formal
kidnapping, or do you want to hold off contacting my father until
you have painted an appropriate ransom note?” I glared at him while
my foot was furiously tapping on the floor of the car.
    “ Not a kidnapping. More
like a borrowing. Relax.” He placed his hand on my bouncing knee.
“I only kidnap woman who wear pasties and work on Bourbon
Street.”
    “ Very funny.” He turned the
key and the engine hummed. “Where are we going?” I
implored.
    He put the car in gear. “To
have some fun.”
    David drove along Esplanade
Avenue, heading away from the Quarter. It was a glorious day. The
sky was pale blue, with only a few clouds and there was a gentle
breeze. I sat back and decided not to ask any more
questions.
    As David expertly
maneuvered the car through the traffic, I found myself comparing
him to many of the men I had dated. There had been the boring
dates, the interesting dates, and the dates I swore I would never
survive. Of all the men I had been with, I had never felt as
comfortable with any of them as I felt at that moment. David gave
me an uncanny sense of ease, like knowing someone for many years,
even though this was only our third meeting.
    One thing that always
impressed me about a man was his ability to drive a car. I didn’t
like a wimpy driver that followed all the street signs and was
courteous to everyone. No, a man that was relentless behind a wheel
was a real turn on for me. I guess I compared it to the man’s
ability to take control of the forces around him. Most of the men I
had dated had driven like blind grandmothers off to Sunday church.
David was a ruthless, risk-taking driver. He drove like he lived,
on the edge.
    We approached the end of
Esplanade Avenue and turned into the entrance to City Park. The
park was located on the outskirts of the city, just past the famous
above-ground cemeteries, frequented by tour groups. It was a vast
fifteen hundred acre complex that offered golfing, horseback
riding, tennis courts, and other outdoor activities.
    I glanced curiously at
David as the car followed one of the narrow streets in the park to
the Casino. The building had been a casino in the early part of the
last century and the name had never been changed. David parked in
the first available spot and was out the door before the engine had
even stopped. I followed quickly behind him.
    “ What are we doing here?” I
implored, noting the rather simple white building before
us.
    He grasped my hand, pulling
me toward the Casino. “Come on.”
    Once inside, the smell of stale popcorn and
burnt hot dogs accosted my nose. When David dragged me in front of
the City Park license desk, I finally began to comprehend his true
intentions. This was the place to purchase a license for fishing in
the numerous stocked lagoons located throughout the park.
    I halted several feet away
from the desk. “You have got to be kidding!”
    “ Oh come on, Nicci. It’ll
be fun.”
    “ Is this just because you
don’t think I can string a worm on a hook?”
    “ No, I just want you to
have some fun.” He came up to me. “I think you need it. I think we
both need it.”
    “ What makes you think I
need to have fun?”
    “ All right, if it makes you
feel better, I desperately need to have some fun. Okay?”
    Without waiting for an
answer, he proceeded to the desk and purchased two fishing tickets.
He then went into the tackle store that was adjacent to the license
desk. A few minutes later, he emerged carrying two bamboo fishing
poles.
    “ We have to dig our own
worms,” he said, sounding like an excited