Charlotte deShawn and her friends Prissy, BrieAnna, and Bebe share an uncommon bond; they're all orphans. Growing up in Savannah, a town where family name and connections are vital to social standing, the four outsiders bonded as children and pledged to turn their backs on the pain of their pasts and stand by each other as family. But the past can be a tricky thing to ignore, something Charlotte learns when Griffin Parish, the man Charlotte has lusted after since she was fifteen, hires her to find Jaden Carswell, the baby daughter of his stepfather's business partner who disappeared after her parents were brutally murdered more than twenty-five years earlier.
In his will, Otis, Griffin's stepfather, left half of the Magnolia House, the hotel Otis and Griffin restored, to Jaden, which means that Griffin needs to find her so that he can buy out her half or have her declared legally dead if she cannot be found. Charlotte is a little wary of taking on such an important case; after all she's only filling in as a PI for her father while he recovers from a fractured leg, but the money offered is considerable and she's intrigued by the possibility of helping a fellow orphan.
But as Charlotte begins her investigation, she learns that there is more to the story than she has been told. Jaden's parents were murdered because of a valuable diamond necklace which Jaden's mother planned to sell to help finance the restoration on Magnolia House, and which has been missing ever since the murders. Furthermore, no one was ever arrested for the murders, which means the murderer could very well be watching Charlotte's every move, putting her in great danger if she succeeds in discovering the truth.
And then there's Griffin. Charlotte is certain that he's hiding something from her, especially since it's in his own best interests for her to fail to find Jaden. But she can't ignore the strong attraction that has existed between them for so long, either, an attraction that bursts into flames when they decide to disregard their parents' disapproval and become lovers. But when circumstances prove to Charlotte that she is unable to trust the man she yearns for, she turns to her friends for help in solving the mystery. The search leads the foursome to a psychic with a secret of her own, a morgue owned by brothers who may or may not be vampires, a stoic banker with some unusual abilities, and a couple of "accidents" that have nothing to do with chance. But the truth about Jaden's disappearance will prove to be stranger than anything Charlotte could possibly imagine, and may threaten to destroy everything that she has always held dear.
HOT AND BOTHERED is an affirmation of the bonds of friendship and the strength of family, no matter how odd that "family" may look from the outside. Charlotte and her friends have embraced their unconventional families with gusto, which makes them all admirable, despite the fact that they're all so very different. Griffin is an interesting portrait of the conflicted hero, trying to do what he thinks is right but often failing miserably. The suspense is well-maintained, with the identity of the villain remaining hidden for book two of this series. An entertaining read.
Savannah, Georgia: city of history, mystery, and more than
a few ghosts, as well as four best friends who have never
fit in anywhere except with each other. But everything is
about to change as an unsolved murder from decades ago
draws them close--and closer still--to four sexy bachelors
with secrets of their own...
Savannah When It Sizzles
In the "new" old south, pedigree and money still mean
plenty...especially when you have neither. P.I. Charlotte
deShawn and her friends Prissy, BrieAnna, and Bebe know all
too well what it's like to be on the outside looking in,
having grown up with more questions than answers about the
parents they each lost at an early age. For Charlotte,
enduring condescending looks and whispers only made her
more determined to ignore social standing. So why should it
be a problem when wealthy hotel owner Griff Parish wants to
hire her to find the missing heir to his family fortune?
Just because their chemistry is hotter than Georgia in
August doesn't mean she can't be a pro about this. After
all, they travel in completely different circles...or they
did until now...
Griff's always had a thing for Charlotte, with her long red
hair, big green eyes, and wild streak. Even the hefty chip
on her shoulder only reminds him of how strong she is.
Still, nothing's ever come of the attraction. Now, however,
the temptation Charlotte represents is too close to ignore.
True, Griff got himself into this fix. He could have hired
a different detective agency -- but that wouldn't have
served
his ends. He has damn good reason to keep Charlotte deShawn
close, and it has nothing to do with her keen mind or her
gorgeous body. Yeah, right. Falling hard for Charlotte
wasn't part of the plan, but in Savannah, what you expect
is just about never what you get...
Griffβs neck snapped as someone grabbed his tie and yanked
him inside the carriage house, the dark interior making it
impossible to see who did the yanking.
βWhat the...!β he gasped as the wood door clicked
closed. He stumbled, his body flattening a womanβs against
the wall giving him a soft landing that made the choking
worth it. He caught the faint aroma of coffee and doughnuts
as breasts swelled against his chest, his body reacting as
if he hadnβt had sex in months. Hell, maybe he
hadnβt. βCharlotte?β he croaked through a shrinking trachea.
βWe need to talk.β
βWish I could.β He loosened his tie and gave a quick
glance around the narrow hall, his eyes adjusting to the
dim light. βConsider using a telephone?β
βSomeone might overhear and I know you donβt want
that and I was heading for my house to change and I saw you
coming and...β She took a deep breath, her face scrunched
in question as she peered up at him. βSo why did you really
come to the office?β
βThe will? The missing daughter? Keeping things
quiet? Stop me if youβve heard this before. You sure you
didnβt whack your head when you fell off that chair?β
Her breath came fast and getting faster. Her eye lit
with fire, even in the dim light he could tell. βWhy me?β
she whispered, the implication having nothing to do with
the case but the two of them together now in this hallway
after all these years of dancing around.
His brain refused to function probably because the
part of his anatomy below his belt was over
functioning. βYou run an ad in the yellow pages.β Maybe? He
had no idea about anything right now except Charlotte and
wanting to kiss her and knowing he shouldnβt. Things
between them were complicated, always had been and getting
worse by the minute. He studied her delicious mouth wanting
and waiting for his. Make that getting more complicated by
the second and if his plan worked, complicated would be a
huge understatement and their lives would be totally fucked.
He touched Charlotteβs cheek, her skin soft and
smooth as her body leaned into his, setting him on fire.
βWe donβt have an ad.β She bit her bottom
lip. βYouβre right, I should have phoned,β she said with a
shiver. βBut weβre here now.β She yanked his tie again,
bringing his face to hers and she kissed him right on the
mouth, her lips full and moist and delicious and opening.
Did they have to open! Closed lips were a lot easier to
dismiss but this was not a dismiss kind of kiss especially
since heβd wanted it for so many damn years he lost count.
She released his tie, her arms sliding around his
neck as his tongue toughed hers and he lost his mind.
Dumbass!
Their tongues mated and his hands dropped to her
sweet round bottom pressing her softness to his hardening
dick. Thereβd always been an attraction between them but
this was pure jump-her-bones-and-do-her-right-now lust...
and he liked it more than he ever imagined.
She sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, the motion
suggestive as hell as her legs parted nesting his erection
tight against her heat. God she had great heat! He slid his
hands into the waistband of her skirt, her firm rump
fitting so well into his palms. His mind warped, there was
a ringing sound...no kiss or ass-grabbing had ever made his
head ring before, especially to the tune of Moon River...A
Johnny Mercer song...his favorite. Ah fuck! His cell!
It was like a bucket of freezing snow dumped on his
head and instant sanity punt gut-tightening lust through
the goalpost of are you out of your freaking mind? He
stepped back, his vision clearing, his body in big pain
from what it wanted but couldnβt have.
βI...I didnβt come here for this,β Charlotte panted
as she raked her red tangle of curls away from her flushed
face. βLeast I donβt think I did, not that Iβm complaining.
I am so not complaining.β
βIt has nothing to do with thinking. In fact, not
thinking is what got us both to this point.β Did that make
sense? Nothing right now made sense.
She stared at him, her eyes liquid green pools, her
lips parted, Moon River jarring his brain. He wanted
nothing more than to stomp the phone flat and take her fast
and hard and deep right here against the wall satisfying
what theyβve both ached for, for half their lives. Instead
she yanked opened the door and ran off into the bright
sunlight leaving him with the biggest hard-on of his whole
damn life.
He knew when he stepped into that office only
Charlotte would be there, alone without RL, and that he
didnβt have a choice in what he had to do and that things
could get sticky. He hadnβt planned on it getting this
sticky this fast. Damn Otis! Damn his damn cock. Griff
snapped open the phone and growled, βWhat!β
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