The Best Book You Probably Haven’t Read
By Tim Smith
I’m pleased to be here talking about my
romantic mystery Lido Key, from eXtasy Books. This book originally came out last
year but I felt it deserved another send-off because it’s one of my favorites.
It’s the second installment in my popular Vic Fallon private eye series but the
books don’t need to be read in order. Lido Key evokes the pulp fiction style of
Chandler, Spillane and Westlake, with all of the required elements – tough
romantic hero, sexy heroine who’s hard as brass on the outside but soft in the
middle, vivid atmosphere, a supporting cast of shady characters and liberal
doses of hot sex.
Vic Fallon has worked on some strange cases
since he left the police force to become a Private Investigator, but when a
former lover asks him to look into a bizarre blackmail demand, it’s one for his
memoirs. Vic hasn’t spoken to Ariel Weston since his last trip to Siesta Key,
Florida three years earlier. The end of their affair wasn’t amicable, and Vic swore
that the next time he saw Ariel he’d drown her with the nearest Pina Colada.
When Ariel gets caught up in a potentially embarrassing sex scandal, she
appeals to him for help. Vic reluctantly agrees but finds himself in a real
quandary when he realizes they still have feelings for each other. Can Vic
solve Ariel’s problem before the blackmailer ruins her life? Will Ariel succeed
in convincing Vic to give their failed relationship another chance?
Here’s an excerpt where Vic has a flashback
of meeting Ariel for the first time:
Their initial meeting had happened on his
first night in town, at a place called The Daiquiri Deck in Siesta Key Village.
Vic hadn’t been actively looking for a hook-up when he went there after a day
of beach-combing, but when he locked eyes with Ariel Weston from across the bar
there was no escape.
Vic moved to the stool next to hers, drawn
in like a marlin hooked by a determined fisherman. “Excuse me, Miss, but I’m
new in town. Could you please direct me to your house?”
She began with a chuckle that escalated
into full-blown laughter, then she playfully smacked Vic’s forearm. “That’s so
lame, it’s cute!”
“Thank you.”
Her eyes scanned him up and down. “I don’t
think I’ve seen you around here before, have I?” she asked in a low, smoky
voice.
“No. Do I need a reservation to sit here?”
She laughed again. “A smart-ass. I like
that quality in a man. Where are you from, smart-ass?”
“A whole other world. Would you like me to
provide references before we go any further?”
She placed her hand on his on top of the
bar and drilled his eyes with hers. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary, but since
we’re going to be friends I think I should call you something more formal than
smart-ass.”
“Are we going to be friends?”
“Unless you think you already have enough
of them.”
“You can never have enough friends. Why
don’t you call me Blake?”
“Is that your real name?”
“No, my real name is Vic. I just use Blake
to fool people. What should I call you besides totally hot?”
“I like that, but let’s go with Ariel.”
“Pretty name.”
“Thank you. I’m rather attached to it.” She
massaged his hand. “I should tell you something, Vic. I’m married to a rich
older man, we don’t have any kids and we’ve always had separate bedrooms. He
doesn’t really notice if I’m not home, since he’s only there long enough to
change clothes before he meets his latest girlfriend. He doesn’t ask me any
questions and I don’t grill him about where he drops his pants. Does that
bother you?”
“One man’s ignorance is another man’s bliss.”
“Ooh, a clever smart-ass. That’s another
quality I like.”
“And we’re just getting started.”
*
* * *
Naturally, since this is an erotic romance there
has to be some steamy sex:
Ariel cupped his face and kissed him,
probing his mouth with her tongue. Vic inhaled her scent, which triggered
memories of their previous encounters. He devoured her mouth and ran his palm
along her smooth back. Ariel pressed closer and moved her hips against his.
She stood back, reached around to unfasten
her top and shrugged it off, then wiggled out of her bikini bottom. “You don’t
want to go for a swim fully dressed, do you?”
Vic quickly stripped off his clothes. He
gazed lustily at Ariel’s still-perfect body. Her 36C breasts were firm, her
stomach was flat and there were no tan lines gracing her trim physique. The
bikini wax she’d gotten earlier left her pubic patch in the shape of a heart,
and trimmed close. Ariel placed her palms on her chest and slowly moved them
down her body, pausing to squeeze her nipples. She continued until one hand
rested on her stomach and two fingers of her other hand snaked in between her
legs.
“You still remember your moves, don’t you?”
Vic asked.
“Mm-hmm. I know this always made you hot.
Does it still make you hot?”
“Oh, yeah.”
She moved closer, dropped to her knees then
took his cock into her mouth. She stroked him with her hand while her skilled,
seductive lips worked over him. Vic closed his eyes and enjoyed what she was
doing to him. When she felt Vic begin to swell in her mouth she stopped sucking
and stood.
“Not so fast,” she whispered.
She took his hand and led him down the
steps into the pool. Vic kissed her while his hard-on poked her midsection.
Ariel’s hands went to his shoulders, rubbing his flesh while she moved her hips
against him again. Vic was getting more into her heat as a dozen lusty
scenarios crowded his mind.
Ariel grabbed his hand then led him further
into the warm water. When they were several feet in she began a leisurely
backstroke to the other end, then rested against the deck. Vic swam to meet her
and held on to the tile.
Vic placed his free hand on her neck. “Ever
kill anyone?”
“No. Why?”
“Because you’re teasing me to death.”
*
* * *
If you’re in the mood for a blast from the
past with a contemporary twist, pour yourself a glass of Scotch, prop your feet
on the desk, tip back your fedora and enjoy Lido Key.
It’s the stuff dreams are made of.
One lucky reader who comments on my blog
will be randomly selected to win an e-copy of the first Vic Fallon mystery, The
Bundle. Good luck!
P.S. – Vic Fallon will return soon in the
third installment, The Dirty Blonde.
Bio:
Tim Smith is an award-winning, bestselling
author whose books range from romantic mystery/thriller to contemporary erotic
romance. He is also a freelance photographer. When he isn’t pursuing those two
passions he can often be found in The Florida Keys, doing research in between
parasailing and seeking out the perfect Mojito. His website is: www.timsmithauthor.com.
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