Red Hot Lovers: 18 Contemporary Romance Books of Love, Passion, and Sexy Heroes by Your Favorite Top-Selling Authors

by Milly Taiden

  Charley rang the doorbell one more time before turning the doorknob to try and let herself in. She wasn’t sure if her key still worked

  Groaning in annoyance, she dropped all the newspapers at her feet, shoving the key in the lock. After a few moments of great effort, the door gave up its fight, letting her inside.

  She turned up her nose at the musty odor that greeted her as she stepped inside. It was dark and way too quiet to be her home. Walking into the foyer, she saw several photos hung on the floral wallpaper, each child’s picture beautifully displayed in an oak frame. Charley ran her fingertips across her own photo. Her hair was shorter in her senior picture, but she still looked about the same. She pulled off her high heels and placed them perfectly against the wall by the old coat rack. She wiggled out of her jacket, hanging it carefully. Making her way down the hallway and into the kitchen, she gasped in shock at the mountain of crusty dishes and the overflowing trash.

  She would tackle that right after she found her father. She knew he had to be around. His truck was sitting in the driveway.

  “Dad?” She called out, heading for the dining room. The place setting lay untouched and a bit dusty. He probably hadn’t used the dining room since Mom died.

  Charley couldn’t believe how dirty the house had gotten in just a few weeks. It devastated her to see such disarray. She was a neat freak just as her mother had been.

  Going into the family room, she discovered him asleep and snoring away in his recliner, his hand above his head. She smiled at how peaceful he looked. For once he appeared calm, not miserable or upset.

  She ran her hands through his graying hair as he slept, his glasses hanging halfway off his face. He was still the same old dad, a little rounder than the last time she’d seen him, but the same.

  “Dad,” she said quietly, shaking him a little. It only took him a moment to open his eyes, his face turning to sheer joy to be staring into the eyes of his second oldest child.

  “Charley Rae, I’m so glad to see you,” he said, yanking the recliner handle to sit vertical. He stood immediately and wrapped his arms tightly around her. She rested her head on his shoulder, lingering in the moment of his hug and holding on tight.

  “I’m glad to see you too, Dad,” she insisted. He finally released her, looking her over carefully. He pushed her hair off her shoulders, a smile still on his face. Charley wondered if what she saw in him was indeed happiness or relief. She knew she’d probably be the one to fill in for Mom. She assumed he knew that as well.

  “You look beautiful as ever,” he said, gushing over her.

  “Thank you. How is everything going, Dad?” she asked, sitting on the couch, noticing several beer cans littering the coffee table next to one of her mom’s magazines.

  “Things are hard,” he said with a sigh.

  ***

  Ned Harper was nearly sixty-one and had never imagined losing his beautiful Sandy. He didn’t know how he would go on without her. She was the love of his life. She’d given him four beautiful children and a lovely home full of life and laughter. And now she was gone.

  He stared at his Charley, remembering her life here. She’d been the most studious of his children and everything a mother could wish for. Ned just adored her in spite of her stuffy ways. He wished his sense of humor had worn off on her.

  As glad as he was to have Charley home, he hoped she wouldn’t be too eager with her questions surrounding her mother’s death. The less he talked about it, the better. He’d suffer in silence. He knew that’s what Sandy would have wanted.

  “Just remember, Dad, I am here to help. I took a couple weeks off of work and everything. And the first thing I am going to do is clean up the kitchen,” she said smiling, as she hurried off. It was obvious he wasn’t ready to talk about anything. She would let him revel in the homecomings.

  Everly

  Vinnie watched Everly and Ethan hurry up the steps leaving him with the luggage. He slammed the trunk down in a huff, pulling a cigar from his shirt pocket. He was in no hurry to go inside that old house.

  Everly nervously fussed with her hair and clothes as she stood at the door. It was obvious to Vinnie that she was concerned with the impression she made. He lit his cigar and puffed away, a troubled look on his face.

  The door opened to shrieks and screams of laughter from the two sisters. He watched closely, impressed at Everly’s good mood and the way she bounced up and down with Charley, appearing glad to see her.

  They broke apart and headed inside, leaving him to deal with the luggage. He surveyed the neighborhood. It was all shabby and basic to him. He could never see himself being happy with such a simple way of life. His values were much higher than that.

  “Didn’t anyone tell you cigars are bad for you?” Ned asked, coming down the steps to welcome him. Vinnie gave a dry chuckle, handing it over to his soon to be father-in-law. Ned took a puff, leaning against the car with Vinnie.

  “Your daughter tells me that all the time, but I don’t listen,” he shot back. Everly had once told him how sexy it made him look, that she loved the smell. Now she snubbed him each time he lit up. He couldn’t figure her out.

  “Well, let’s get inside. It’s rather chilly out here,” Ned said, waiting for Vinnie to follow. Vinnie didn’t budge, he really had a lot on his mind. And the one person who could give him answers was Everly’s Dad.

  “Lately, I feel like she almost detests me,” he blurted out. He watched the house for Everly or anyone who might want to listen in. He didn’t want to appear pathetic or less of a man in front of anyone.

  Ned took his words in, shaking his head. He was trying his best to come up with something that made this man feel good. He didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Everly had been with Vinnie for four years, and the first couple years she seemed to be head over heels for him. A couple years back, though, things started changing. Everly didn’t talk about Vinnie as much, and she had spent many nights crying on the phone to her mother. In one of those conversations, he was sure things might have turned violent on her part. He didn’t close his eyes to violence, but he knew Everly wasn’t the type to lash out without good reason.

  “She’s just lost her mother, that’s hard for anyone. And she and Sandy were close. Give her some time and she will come back around Vin,” Ned said, yet again waiting for him to head up the stairs.

  “We were going to get married, and now I feel like she is stuck in grief.” He instantly regretted spitting that out, but he had no one to talk to about Everly. His friends were all single, they were dance instructors like him and they were too busy sleeping with everything that batted an eyelash at them to understand what Vinnie wanted. Vinnie had enough of that lifestyle. He was ready to have a real girl to come home to every night. He knew he could have anyone he wanted, but he wanted Everly. She had grace and an incredible presence. She tolerated so much and she was truly a genuine person, and he loved everything about her.

  “Everly will come around; you’ll see,” Ned said, patting him on the back. This time he pushed him lightly forward.

  “I’ll be in, just give me a couple minutes,” he said. He wasn’t ready to enter that home. With Sandy dead and having to see all her stuff kind of creeped him out.

  Ned headed in, wondering if he’d said the right things to Vinnie. He was still a young man but older than his daughter by six years. Ned knew how he was at that age. And he’d been nowhere near as good looking as this Russian man. Even with the best of intentions, he didn’t feel anyone was right for Everly. When Everly was in college, she had dated her longtime classmate, Ryan. Ned had never seen Everly happier. When Ryan ended things with Everly, he moved out of state for a job, taking an old girlfriend with him. He didn’t think his daughter ever truly healed from being burned by that young man.

  Quinn

  Quinn was finally moments away from her dad’s home. She was barely able to contain herself as the cab pulled up in front of the house.

  “This is it,” she said. />
  She dug through her purse, taking out some cash and tossing it at the cab driver. She was sure that was plenty enough for the ride.

  “Hey, hey, hey, you try to jip me lady!” The Indian man yelled at her as she tried to get in the trunk.

  Quinn sighed, rifling her purse for something else. She knew she was out of money.

  “That should cover it,” Vinnie said, leaning into the cab and handing the cab driver a twenty. Quinn stopped looking and zipped up her purse. At last, the trunk popped open, and she looked up at Vinnie as she tugged at her suitcase. A big smile crept across her face. She couldn’t get over how hot he was or how her sister had managed to land such a catch. She’d seen him dance and she imagined he was a beast in the bedroom.

  “Let me get that,” Vinnie said, beaming a sly smile at her. She controlled her urge to gush.

  “It’s been too long, Vinnie, Where have you been all my life?” she flirted, grazing her hand on his forearm. Vinnie slammed the trunk shut, giving a quick knock to let the cabbie know he could leave.

  “I’ve been with your sister, remember?” he asked, winking at her.

  Quinn bit her lip. He was so intense. She loved how he smelled of cigar smoke. And how he looked like he wanted to attack you when he talked. His eyes were incredibly sexy and his accent made her go weak at the knees.

  “Oh yeah, of course. I have missed Everly.” She rolled her eyes, taking off her jacket. It wasn’t that she was hot, she just wanted him to check her out and maybe see what he was missing. It felt a bit wrong to do it, but she was young and Vince and her sister weren’t married. What’d she have to lose? Her mother had always told her when you want something, you should try your best to go for it. She didn’t see why that should be any different just because of whose he was.

  She headed up the stairs with such spunk, but when she reached the door and saw Everly inside, she regretted her actions toward Vinnie. She knew it was wrong. She’d have to keep reminding herself of that.

  “Shall we?” she said, looking back at Vinnie. He held his stare on her rear-end intentionally to let her know he noticed. He loved the stupid games girls played with him, there was no denying that. He also knew how easy Quinn was, and that she kept stringing along her rich boyfriend. He had no respect for the girl.

  “Of course,” he said, giving another wink that he was certain would be enough to have her fantasizing about him tonight when she climbed into bed.

  Quinn laughed when her two older sisters rushed her. They both squeezed her tight, telling her she looked fantastic, yet tired, how skinny she looked and all the other things they usually said when they hadn’t seen her in a while.

  “How was the flight?” Everly asked Quinn, they all headed for the kitchen. Quinn reassured them it was great as she looked around for Ethan.

  “Quinn’s here, Dad!” Charley shouted. Her dad turned from the pot on the stove, a large saucy ladle in hand. He scooped her up like a little rag doll, her feet dangling as he mashed her around. She’d always hated his hugs.

  “My little Quinn Rose, it’s good to see you. Where’s that hotshot boyfriend of yours?” he asked.

  Quinn surveyed her white shirt for signs of tomato sauce before answering her goofy father.

  “He’s back in LA filming or whatever it is he does,” she said, making her way to the food. Charley was busy cutting up vegetables with their mom’s favorite knife. She was even wearing her pink apron, she didn’t like this much, and those were Mom’s things, not Charley’s.

  “I thought you said he told you he would take time off to come with you?” Everly reminded her. She snagged a carrot, nearly losing a finger as Charley worked the knife spastically in the zone.

  “Yeah, he did, but I’m a big girl,” Quinn said. She hated when her sister tried defending anything that Jordan did. He wasn’t her idea of Mr. Right; in fact, she didn’t want any man. She thought the role her mother played her entire life with her father was bullshit. And she didn’t want to tie herself down to any man, giving him the upper hand.

  “We all know you’re a big girl. But you guys get along so well together. It would have been nice to see him,” Everly said, pulling out the dishes.

  “Tell me, how’s the wedding going?” Quinn shot at Everly. Everly’s face took on a saddened look. It amused Quinn to see she had elicited such a response from Everly. She’d always known how to bring her down a notch when she wanted to.

  “The wedding is still set for summer. It’s just a matter of what year, Quinn,” she replied, eyeing her sister. Sometimes she wanted to smack the little bitch right across her face.

  Vinnie sat at the table watching them all gossip and cook, not saying much of anything. Everly knew he was most likely upset with her. But now was not the time to get into that.

  “I thought the colors were ugly,” Quinn said, laughing. Vinnie smirked. Everly’s expression remained aloof. She knew her sister was trying her best to rattle her cage. It was her defense mechanism when she didn’t want to talk about something, and she wasn’t going to win. Everly set the dishes on the countertop, pursing her lips, silently debating what she would say next.

  With her hand on her hip, Everly turned to face Quinn.

  “Were you going to speak at Mom’s service tomorrow?” Everyone grew silent in an instant. Quinn’s satisfied grin melted quickly from her face. Quinn’s response delighted Everly, how dare she make jokes in times like these?

  “You’re a bitch,” Quinn said heatedly. She was ready to haul off and punch her. She was ready to lose it.

  “What? It was a serious question,” Everly replied.

  Charley shook her head in disbelief at her sister’s crafty slam. Vinnie sighed, hoping he wouldn’t have to step in between a catfight.

  “Whoa, no name calling,” Ethan said, entering the room. He’d been out back smoking.

  Quinn’s anger subsided as soon as she laid eyes on her baby brother. She ran to him, ruffling his hair and punching him in the arm. He was the coolest in her eyes, any girl would be lucky to have such a handsome and sweet guy to call their own. She secretly hoped that would never happen so she could claim all his time for herself. She regretted not seeing him more often, but he came out to LA whenever she could afford to pay his way or beg Dad to. All her girlfriends had a crush on him, not caring they were years older than he was. She had warned them all to back off where he was concerned.

  “We have to catch up,” she said, taking hold of his arm. Charley gave him a wave with the knife in her hand, Everly kissed his forehead. He loved all these women in different ways, there were many advantages of being the little brother to all sisters. Charley was the one he went to for solid advice. Everly was the one he went to when he just wanted to talk about life. And Quinn was just fun and real.

  He gave Dad the usual high-five in passing; it was cheesy, but Dad liked it. His dad treated Ethan like a man from the beginning, sports and video games, life lessons on girls and all the important things to become an appealing well-rounded guy. It must have worked because Ethan could easily have a girl eating out of the palm of his hand in no time. He’d never wanted to admit it, but in his humble opinion, he was quite the catch.

  Everyone was together now after years of being apart. The last time he’d seen Charley was three years ago. They all flew out to visit her at her new place. He was a young kid and he really didn’t care about her success, now he appreciated it. But this time they were together for an unhappy occasion--one no one wanted to talk about. How would they be able to plan a funeral when no one could even speak of her?

  “Who wants some wine?” Everly asked, opening a bottle. Vinnie helped with glasses, even handing him one. Ethan looked at his father who shrugged taking one as well.

  ***

  Charley sipped the red wine, looking from one person to the next. The food was nearly done, and now they’d just wait. She wasn’t sure how to process this reunion of sorts. Her mother would be so pleased to have seen them together again under one roo
f, knowing it was important they were all together as a family. She hoped everything would go well, but that was yet to be seen.

  She raised her glass in a silent toast, finding Vinnie staring at her as she did so. He hadn’t let up, and he spooked her sometimes. Feeling a little uncomfortable, she touched her blouse, making sure she was covered.

  “Food is done, so let’s eat, shall we?” she said, smiling at everyone, and untying her apron. Everyone hurried to the dining room, not denying her the job of homemaker for the night.

  Charley

  Charley silently cleaned up the dishes. It was nearly two in the morning, and she was a little tipsy. She’d indulged in too many glasses of wine. With the house in order, she was just about ready for bed. Turning off the kitchen light, she stopped at an up-to-date picture of her mother hanging in the hallway. It hurt to look at her face, to not hear her voice any longer. She couldn’t even find the words to ask her father how it all had happened. She really didn’t need to hear the details, and she didn’t want to put her father through the ordeal again. She just hoped her mother hadn’t suffered.

  Opening the bathroom door, the scent of her mother hit her nose. She picked up her perfume bottle, spraying her chest lightly, a smile showing on her face.

  Charley washed her face, trailing her fingers across her skin, staring at herself carefully in the mirror. The running water was the only sound in the whole house.

  Vinnie

  Vinnie stumbled into the dark bedroom, running into a chest at the end of Everly’s bed. He cursed silently as the pain radiated in his toe. He really had to take a leak. He had way too many shots of Jack with Ned, and now he was paying for it. He could usually handle his liquor, but tonight, for some reason, it had actually affected him.