Private investigator Ethan Darling wasn't expecting a beautiful woman to fall into his arms or his life. After watching his fiancée, a talented and courageous hostage negotiator, gunned down during a police shoot out five years earlier, Ethan closed the door on his heart for good. But when KALM-TV hires him to act as both investigator and bodyguard for the smart, stubborn and sassy Georgiana Mundy, whose popular cooking show is at the top of the ratings charts, Ethan has to admit to himself that Georgie is sparking thoughts he thought were dead and buried. The biggest problem is, she doesn't want him around, as a guardian or a lover.

Having spent her childhood bouncing from foster home to foster home, Georgie never had anyone she could depend on until she met Raine Preston, a fellow foster child who became like a sister as the two struggled to protect each other from the realities of the abusive foster parents with whom they were placed. But circumstances have forced Georgie to keep her friendship with Raine a secret from her boss and co-workers ever since the day her ex-boyfriend, Paul Corcoran, who just happens to be the son of the owner of the network, drugged and raped Raine while Georgie was at work. Unbeknownst to Paul, Raine conceived a child that day, a little girl, and Georgie has sworn to protect them from Paul or anyone else who might try to harm Raine or the baby.

Ethan doesn't understand why Georgie is so suspicious of him, or why she keeps trying to give him the slip and disappear for days at a time. Obviously she's hiding something, but he can't tell if she's trying to cover up criminal activity, or protecting someone or something else. But the more time he spends in her company, the more certain he becomes that he wants to unlock the mystery that is Georgie Mundy, and convince her that he's the one man she can trust with her secrets and her heart.

SATISFACTION is an entertaining follow-up to AROUSING SUSPICIONS, which featured Ethan's brother, Nate. Ethan is a sexy hero, full of strength and determination, but with enough humor and vulnerability to keep him appealing. The repartee between Ethan and Georgie reminds me of a well orchestrated chess match, each working to outmaneuver the other while keeping their own secrets safely concealed. You'll definitely want to discover how this match turns out!