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 year before last and 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 beachcombing, 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!
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.
