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

by Milly Taiden

  Charley laughed out loud at his assumption.

  Adrian watched her carefully as she continued laughing at him. He started to feel a bit foolish for asking such a thing. Who was he kidding? He didn’t think she’d ever have to buy flowers for herself. He’d buy flowers for her every day given the opportunity. Still feeling foolish, he was ready to cut and run when her laughter was replaced with a serious look, near tears.

  “They’re for my mother’s funeral,” she spit out. It was the first time she’d said it out loud.

  “I’m sorry,” Adrian immediately said. She felt his words were genuine and was pretty sure he felt like a huge ass right now. What he didn’t realize, though, is he’d made her feel something other than sadness, even if it was for just a few seconds.

  He nervously pulled at the flowers in front of him, looking upset. Charley tried to think of something to say to ease the awkwardness she knew he must be feeling.

  “Did you have a pleasant trip?” she asked.

  Adrian couldn’t believe she hadn’t stormed away from him and out of the flower shop. He hadn’t meant to be unkind, he didn’t know. He was impressed that she even thought to ask about his flight.

  “Yes, the trip was decent, thanks for asking.” He smiled.

  “Well good, I’m glad,” she said, going back to the flowers.

  “I don’t know what to say. I feel like a total moron. Do you have time to go for coffee? If that is totally off base you can slap me,” he said, crossing his fingers for her to see. She lit up with a big smile, nodding her head yes. He sighed, relieved that he hadn’t totally blown it.

  Ethan

  Ethan walked the woods by his house, smoking a cigarette as he made his way. He needed air. That house only overwhelmed him, filling his lungs with stifling dread. He had to figure out what the hell was going on, his dad was acting very odd.

  Sunlight poured through the trees, filling everything up with light, leaves scampered at his feet like tiny creatures. He practiced blowing rings of smoke, lost in thought. He was nothing but consumed by his mother and her death anymore.

  They couldn’t just let the loss of her be the end of things. Someone purposely took her life and no one wanted to talk about it. He had called his mom’s brother, Uncle Emmet. They had always been close, and even he wouldn’t say much about it. He told Ethan to let it be and concentrate on laying her to rest.

  As he came out of the woods, he saw the next-door neighbors out on their porch. They were busily carrying in groceries. Ethan hurried along, making his way to them. They had known him since he was a little kid playing baseball with their now grown son. If he remembered correctly, he’d gone off to college in Arizona or something.

  “Morning,” he said loudly.

  Debbie Johnson stopped what she was doing, looking down at Ethan.

  “Hey there, Ethan, how’s your family?” she asked courteously. In all the years she had known the Harpers she always preferred the children to their parents.

  “Oh, as good as they can be, I guess,” he said. He wasn’t sure how to go about asking anything.

  Debbie studied Ethan’s expression; he looked bothered by something.

  “We were just finishing up some errands. We’ll be at the funeral. Sandy was a lovely lady. I’m sorry for your loss,” she said, drifting off in reflection.

  “Thanks, can I ask you guys a question?” he asked.

  Debbie’s husband, Claude, immediately stopped and set the groceries down, waiting for Ethan to say whatever it was he was dying to spit out.

  “I’ve been in college, so I didn’t get home a lot. But did you notice anything odd around here before it happened?” he asked.

  His heart pounded in his chest as these people stared at him as if he were a member of a freak show. This wasn’t the response he’d expected. Feeling horribly nervous, he fished his cigarettes out of his jacket pocket, lighting one up.

  Being the gossip she was, Debbie was more than willing to speak her mind on Sandy and her thoughts about Sandy’s murder. Claude was constantly scolding her for spying on her neighbors. Sometimes when Debbie weeded her garden, she’d peer through the slats of the fence to see what Sandy was doing in her own garden. Sandy was pleasant enough; just not overly friendly. If you weren’t her friend, she didn’t have a lot to say to you. Debbie tried her best to make conversation on many occasions. She had learned over the years that Ned and Sandy had their occasional argument. She also knew that once a week they’d go to Scanolli’s, an Italian restaurant in town, and return home with a doggie bag.

  “I didn’t see her coming and going all that often anymore the last couple weeks before she died. I almost asked your father if she went to see the children. And right before I did, I seen her heading out one morning, she looked normal, but she was in a rush,” Debbie said, with a nod, describing the day Sandy nearly plowed her down with her black Mercedes.

  “I really wish I knew about this Sam character they talk about in the paper,” Ethan remarked, looking at his house, afraid his dad would hear.

  “I can tell you he’s lived here his whole life, and I heard he was a patient of hers. Older man, probably your parents’ age. Some people in the neighborhood know him. And he has a couple kids. Three of them.” She rattled on. It was apparent to Ethan she was doing her best to find out all she could about his mom. How much was true, that was a bigger question.

  “Well, thank you, Debbie. See you in a couple hours,” he said, turning to leave.

  “Hey, Ethan,” Claude said, jogging down the steps to catch up with him. He felt sorry for the kid. He had been waiting for Debbie to shut her fat trap so he could get a word in edgewise. This never happened for him, so he decided to get him alone.

  “I heard from a couple neighbors that Sam wasn’t that unusual a man. He held the same job for twenty years. He’s a married man, with three great kids,” Claude said.

  If this Sam guy was such a great man, then why would he kill his mother?

  “Well, thanks, but that doesn’t seem to fit the bill of a killer to me,” Ethan said.

  “No, but from what I hear, that little girlfriend of yours had quite the spiteful words to say about him,” Claude said, pleased with his bit of information.

  Ethan raised his eyebrows, thinking about Angelina. He hadn’t talked to her in a while. Why would she have anything bad to say about this Sam character? He thanked Claude, heading into the house to get ready for the service.

  Everly

  Everly laid out her black skirt and blouse on her bed. She was nervous and not looking forward to going to the service. Each moment that ticked closer to time to leave made her stomach hurt even worse. She had only been to two funerals in her life; funerals that made sense to her. Her Grandma was old, so it was easy to accept her passing. Her younger cousin, Lydia, had died in a car accident. She could understand that, too. As sad as it was, accidents happened, and the fact that Lydia hadn’t been wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident contributed to her death. But, her mom…she’d never be able to accept a crazed man had killed her.

  Vinnie came out of her bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He didn’t utter a word, just moved past her to the other side of the room to get dressed. She caught the sweet scent of his cologne as he walked by her. She’d always loved that smell. She was a bit put-out that he was giving her the silent treatment.

  Setting her necklace on top of her blouse, she looked up, watching him in the mirror as he hurriedly applied his deodorant. He was so vain, she thought, as she watched him watch himself in the mirror.

  “I’m sorry,” she said softly from behind him She wrapped her arms around his waist, his skin still warm and moist from his shower.

  “What exactly are you sorry for, Everly?” he asked, cold to her attempts at apologizing.

  She pressed her face against his back, breathing him in.

  “I was rude, and I know I probably hurt your feelings. I really appreciate you being here for me,” she insisted.<
br />
  “Well, you have a funny way of showing it,” he grumbled, dropping his towel. He shook her off, yanking his pants down from the hanger.

  Everly backed away, disturbed, noticing a long scratch down his back. She leaned forward to get a closer look.

  “What is that?” she asked, watching him intently.

  Vinnie turned around, shaking his head at her.

  “This house is unfamiliar to me. I was drunk, and I nearly broke my toes twice making it out of your room last night,” he snapped.

  “That doesn’t explain your back.” She shot back, a little disturbed at what appeared to look like claw marks. She knew them all too well. She was famous for putting them on him herself.

  “I’m sorry I can’t account for every mark on my body, Everly. You came home with a bruise on your leg last month. Were you fucking one of your band mates?” he threw back at her.

  Everly was furious, her rage rearing its ugly head. Without delay, she jumped at Vinnie, smacking him right across the face. He did his best to keep his cool. He realized he was out of line with that last comment, but she was getting too close to the truth.

  “I’m sick of you!” she yelled, storming to the bathroom. Finally at the end of his rope, Vinnie followed, grabbing her by the arm. She flailed around struggling to be free of his grip.

  “You’re sick of me, Everly?” he asked, backing her into a towel rack. He was furious and his heart pounded in his chest. His eyes were full of fury as he stared her down.

  “Yes, that’s what I said. Get your hands off of me!” She yelled, smacking him again, once she broke free.

  Vinnie grabbed her shoulders, pushing with all his might until she hit the opposite wall with a thump. He frantically grabbed her by the throat, pinning her in place as she did her best to get him off her.

  “You don’t ever say that to me,” he said low, waiting for her to give in and calm down.

  Everly’s heart raced with pure adrenaline as he held her in place. This wasn’t the first time they’d had a knock-down drag-out fight or the first time she’d told him she hated him. She knew he didn’t have the balls to go far enough to really rough her up. But she always pushed him, hoping he would so she’d have a bigger reason to leave him.

  “I’m stressed,” she said. He dropped his hand from her throat, pleased with the cover-up. Pulling her to him, they began kissing with a fierce intensity. She was willing to kiss him and he knew why. She was turned on by his aggressive ways of taking control.

  “That’s what I’m here for,” he said, smoothing her hair, staring into her eyes, hoping that she would believe him and accept it.

  “It’s almost time. We need to get dressed,” she said. She wasn’t in the mood to stroke his ego. She wanted to break his balls for the way he’d manhandled her—today of all days!

  Charley

  Charley and Adrian had been at the coffee shop chatting for almost an hour. She knew how long it’d been because she kept checking her watch to make sure she wouldn’t be late for her mom’s service.

  “I’m glad you gave me a chance to get to know you more. I have to admit I’m sad you have to go so soon, but I totally understand,” he told her.

  She smiled, he was so sweet and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind.

  “Yeah, you’re a really interesting guy, Adrian. It was nice getting to know you, too.”

  “Do you ever relax?” he asked her as she looked at her watch for what he’d swear was the hundredth time already.

  “Not often, no. This trip home is probably the most relaxation I’ll get all year,” she said, feeling every bit her workaholic self. She was fine with it, but to others she probably seemed dull and boring.

  “I don’t expect an answer now, but I would like to take you out before you go home. One night of fun before you head back to the world of editing. Promise me you will think about it?” he asked, smiling his best smile He thought she was amazing and prayed she would say yes right on the spot. She shifted in her chair, and he worried he’d pushed too much.

  Digging in her purse, she pulled out her business card--one he was already familiar with, but he wouldn’t tell her that.

  “This is my cell, the others are my work. Call me before I leave and I will do my best to meet up,” she said.

  She was proud of herself for taking the initiative and going for it. She genuinely liked him. He was cute, he had a great smile, he was charming, and he was easy to talk to. The best part, however, was he hadn’t tried flirting with her in the vulgar way most men flirted with her.

  “Go pay your respects to your mother. I really hope I see you again,” he said. Charley stood up, giving him another handshake. He wanted to hug her.

  Taking a chance, he extended his arms and went for it. She nervously hugged him back. Her hair, smelling of expensive shampoo and perfume, grazed his face. She gave him a quick smile then headed out of the coffee shop, floating on cloud nine.

  Charley sped away in surprisingly good spirits, considering she was on her way to say goodbye to her mother. She really liked Adrian and hoped she’d see him again. It had been a long time since she’d had male companionship.

  The Funeral

  Charley entered the funeral home in a daze. She hadn’t liked funeral homes since her grandma died. They smelled peculiar and held a still eeriness that left her unnerved. Plus, her sisters had their boyfriends to lean on for support. Charley didn’t have that and she felt so alone. She pleaded with herself silently to keep it together.

  More and more people filled the small waiting area. She tucked her legs in further, gripping her purse tightly. It was obvious to everyone filing in that the pretty blonde felt detached from all the activity going on around her.

  Ethan immediately made his way to Charley when he saw her sitting amongst the clutter of people.

  “Hey,” he said, touching her arm. She broke free from her thoughts and saw her brother standing there.

  “Hey,” she said back. She felt sick and couldn’t understand how her brother appeared to be so calm. She was trying to keep it together, but she feared her legs wouldn’t be steady enough for her to get up and walk over to her mother’s casket.

  “Who are all these people? I barely see any family,” Ethan asked, studying the large crowd. Charley shrugged her shoulders, going back to staring at the ground. He felt for his sister, and he wouldn’t let her suffer alone. He took a seat next to her. Charley perked up as Ethan sat by her and just…talked.

  “She loved you, Ethan. Anything you do to say goodbye would mean the world to her,” she said, reaching her shaky hand out to touch his hand.

  “And she loved you, too. I say since we are both the single ones in the family we go up there together. What do you say?” he asked, placing his other hand on hers. Charley nodded, letting him pull her up. She was thankful her legs didn’t give out as they made their way through the crowd of people, a sad sea of black. Each person’s head turned to watch the two siblings making their way to their dead mother’s coffin, the rest of his family was already sitting in the front. Their dad stood next to their mom’s casket.

  The casket was a dark, redwood with a tan lining. Ethan’s stomach turned when he caught sight of his mother. He kept telling himself it’s as if she’s sleeping. Ned was watching him closely as they finally came to a stop in front of the casket.

  “She looks beautiful, don’t you think, Ethan?” Ned asked, his large hand meeting up with Ethan’s back. He couldn’t look at her face, he let his hands find a spot, her wedding ring, and he stayed focused on that. He knew if he looked at her he would lose it, and he wasn’t going to do that.

  Charley felt Ethan’s silent freak-out in the form of his fingernails digging into her skin. She felt so bad for him, but she was in a state of total panic herself. She couldn’t stop staring at her mother’s face. The amount of makeup caked on her mom’s face was shocking.

  “Why is there so much stuff on her face, Dad?” She asked panicked. Her mother had always bee
n a fair-skinned woman, with delicate veins that lined her smooth forehead. Her strawberry blonde hair had lost its luster. This was not how her mother looked…ever, except her full lips remained.

  “Honey,” her dad said, in a tone that was meant to pacify. Charley looked at her dad wondering why he wouldn’t explain. She started to lose her breath, her heart pounding a hard and heavy rhythm, her ears buzzing.

  “No, Dad…why does she look like that?” she pressed. “This is not how mom looks!” She was frantic. Everly stood up, quickly making her way to Charley and Ethan, followed by Quinn and Vinnie. Jordan remained seated, a little uncomfortable with the events unfolding in front of this room full of people.

  “Charley,” Quinn said, reaching for her hand, but Charley pulled away.

  “Somebody get the staff. I want to talk to someone,” she ordered. She didn’t care if the whole parlor thought she was losing it.

  A tiny Asian man came walking up quickly. He studied the blonde, knowing all too well what he was getting into. The family would often freak out the first time they viewed their loved one in a casket—especially those whose untimely death was the result of a brutal murder. He preferred a closed casket, but it was written as clear as day on the paperwork, “Open casket.”

  “Ma’am, I am in charge of your mother. Would you like to come with me, and we can talk in private?” he asked.

  Charley nodded, feeling her feet moving and Ethan following close behind as they made their way to the office. The man closed the door, extending his head toward the chairs in the room, offering them a seat. He sat at the edge of the desk, crossing his arms, a serious look on his face.

  “Your mother was a victim of blunt force trauma. A lot of damage to the body. In order to show the body, our staff has to cover up these things, so it’s a much more pleasant viewing,” he said, nodding his head to her.