Sean Moran slipped away from the party. The bride and groom
had left under a shower of rice, but people were still milling around beneath
swags of white lights, drinking the couple’s booze and enjoying the breeze off
the water. Sean would have liked another drink, but he needed to get back to
his condo. As he crossed the wooden bridge spanning the sand dunes, he spied a
woman on the beach with a champagne flute in hand.
Leyla Breda.
Her formfitting dress looked silver in the
moonlight, and it shimmered against her body as she strolled toward the surf.
Nearing a piece of driftwood, she dropped her shoes to the sand and sat down.
She nestled the flute at her feet, then lifted her arms and twisted her dark
hair into a knot at the top of her head.
Sean stopped at the end of the bridge. He had
about a hundred things left to do tonight, including contacting his boss.
Instead, he walked over to Leyla.
"How's the champagne?"
She jumped and turned around. Recognition
flickered across her face, and her shoulders relaxed.
"It's good." She held up her glass.
"You didn't have any?"
"Nope. Can I get you a refill?"
She smiled. "What, are you a waiter now,
too?"
He stepped closer. "I'm Sean Moran, by the
way." He held out his hand. "We never actually met."
"Leyla Breda." Her handshake was brisk
and businesslike, but the warm look in her eyes gave him hope.
"Joel's little sister," he said.
"That's me."
He turned toward the water so he wouldn't be
tempted to stare down the front of her dress.
"I didn't get a chance to thank you
earlier," she said. "Things got really hectic."
"Looked like you had your hands full."
"So, are you here for Joel or
Miranda?"
He looked at her. "Joel."
She tipped her head to the side as she gazed up
at him. "And you know him from . . . ?"
"Work."
She frowned. "Here?"
"No. We go way back. We were in the same
academy class in Houston, spent some time at HPD together."
"Oh. That was a while ago."
"Yeah."
"So . . . the vice squad, then?"
"Yeah. Mind if I sit down?"
"Not at all."
Sean lowered himself onto the other end of the
sandy log. He didn't like the direction the conversation had taken so he
steered it back to her.
"So, how long have you been a
caterer?" he asked.
"Hmm . . . let's see. I guess it's been
about three weeks now." She turned and smiled at him, and he felt a hot
jolt of attraction. "Why? Can you tell?"
"Not at all."
"Right."
"Well, the timing seemed a little
bumpy."
"Just a little." She rolled her eyes.
"We had several staffers no-show. It happens a lot in this business.
People are flaky. Despite all my planning, you could say we were a bit
rushed."
Rushed was right. No woman had ever clapped at
him before. He'd discovered it was a turn-on.
With two brothers on the police force, Leyla Breda is well aware of the rising crime in her small beach town, but she never expected it to show up on her doorstep. When Leyla finds one of her employees murdered in the alley behind her coffee shop, she's deeply shaken, and as a new law enforcement officer in town begins to circle her place of business, her instincts only sharpen.
Sean Moran is on an undercover The seaside community of Lost Beach may look like a picturesque postcard, but his team suspects it's a point of intersection for several crime syndicates that the FBI has been investigating for years. Even so, when the brash and beautiful Leyla Breda starts bossing him around, he's immediately intrigued. He knows her brothers want him to back off, but every time he sees her, he feels more of a spark.
Leyla's connections in the local community and Sean's skills allow them to go deeper into the case together than they would be able to go alone. But when a single crime spirals into something much darker, Sean's carefully planned mission takes a deadly turn.
I still have not alternated between two, I would like to try
ReplyDeleteIt's a good way to read!
DeleteGreat review! I've had more trouble with this series, partly because I haven't read them all or in order.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart
Thanks! I liked books two and three more than book one or four, but all were entertaining.
DeleteI've heard the same opinion about this one from other bloggers...that it's good, but not nearly as good as her other books.
ReplyDeleteYes, for sure, but still an entertaining read. :)
DeleteIt sounds like a good read, but not a gripping one. I'll get to this series eventually.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Sophia!
DeleteSounds like it was pretty good. Hoping your next read is even better.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary!
DeleteYes, not my favorite, but I love the series.
ReplyDeleteDitto!
DeleteGood to know you recommend this series, even though Book 4 wasn't as good as you'd expected. I enjoyed Vanishing Hour, so I might give this series a try.
ReplyDeleteGreat review. I've been enjoying this series a lot.
ReplyDelete