Divorced, Desperate and Dead (Divorced and Desperate Book 5)
Read Divorced, Desperate and Dead (Divorced and Desperate Book 5) Online
Authors: Christie Craig
Tags: #romantic suspense, #divorce, #romance, #romantic comedy, #sexy, #light paranormal, #contemporary romance
Rave Reviews for Christie Craig!
Divorced, Desperate and Delicious
“This is an entertaining fast-moving mystery and romance peopled with interesting, likable characters, as well as warm cuddly animals. The main romance, as well as the secondary ones, are delightful, and the suspense is well done. This is an all-around enticing and fun story to read.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“Christie Craig delivers humor, heat, and suspense in addictive doses. She’s the newest addition to my list of have-to-read authors . . . Funny, hot, and suspenseful. Christie Craig’s writing has it all. Warning: definitely addictive.”
—
New York Times
bestselling author Nina Bangs
“Readers who enjoy Jenny Crusie and Janet Evanovich will fall head over heels for
Divorced, Desperate and Delicious
, a witty romantic adventure by debut author Christie Craig . . . A page-turner filled with humorous wit, sexy romance and just enough danger to keep you up long past midnight.”
—RITA Award-winning author Dianna Love Snell
“Suspense and romance that keeps you on the edge of your seat . . . until you fall off laughing . . . Christie Craig writes a book you can’t put down.”
—RITA finalist Gemma Halliday
Divorced, Desperate and Deceived
“The fun—and action—never stops in the enchanting
Divorced, Desperate and Deceived
. Christie Craig’s prose practically sparkles with liveliness and charm in the exciting conclusion to her stunning
Divorced, Desperate and Delicious
Club trilogy.”
—Joyfully Reviewed
Divorced, Desperate and Dating
“I was simply delighted by this breezy, snappy, goodtime story . . . This book is sure to brighten your day.”
—Beyond Her Book Blog,
Publishers Weekly
Gotcha!
“The mystery and romance plots fit seamlessly into a witty and fast-paced novel that’s easy to read and satisfying to the heart.”
—
Publishers Weekly
Weddings Can Be Murder
“A story that twines emotions and feelings with sizzle and steam, all wrapped around bits of humor . . .
Weddings Can Be Murder
combines passionate and intense characters with a plot that’s well balanced and fast moving. It’s edgy and fun.”
—Once Upon a Romance
Dream Come True
“You should do that more often,” he said.
“Do what?” she asked.
“Laugh.”
She suddenly became aware of having a man in her bed. Imaginary or not, it felt awkward. No, not awkward. Just different. Nice different, a little voice inside her said. It felt . . . less lonely.
He reached over and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.
How long had it been since someone had touched her?
Crazy how you could miss something as simple as a brush of fingers across your skin.
He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. His tongue slipped slowly across her lips. His hand came to rest on the curve of her waist. It felt warm, and before she realized what she’d done, she had scooted closer, deepening the kiss.
He pulled back just a bit. “Now this is more like how a dream should go.”
Divorced, Desperate and Dead
Christie Craig
Divorced, Desperate and Dead
Christie Craig
Copyright © 2014 by Christie Craig
Material excerpted from
Divorced, Desperate and Dangerous
and
Reborn
copyright © 2014 by Christie Craig
Cover design and illustration by
Janet Holmes
ISBN:
978-0-991020-62-1
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this book. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented without the express written permission of both the copyright holder and the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
To my support team: Hubby, who tolerates my writing schedule and brings me coffee. My agent, Kim Lionetti, who owns the sharpest word-cutting scissors I know. My copy editor, Shawnna Perigo, who helps me make sense. To my critique buddies: Susan C. Muller, Jody Payne, and my hometown buddy, Judy Hodes. You guys totally rock.
Contents
Excerpt from
Divorced, Desperate and Dangerous
Chapter One
“Don’t move or I’ll shoot. I swear I’ll do it.”
Detective Cary Stevens had just stepped out onto his sister’s patio when the threat rang low but clear. He could hear his two older sisters, Kelly and Beth, chatting at the poolside, enjoying their Saturday afternoon, oblivious to what was going on.
He turned around and faced the owner of the small voice. She aimed the gun right at his chest. And the dang thing was loaded, he could tell from the drops of water spilling out of the tip. “You wouldn’t do that, would you?”
“I will if you don’t give me what I want. And don’t tell me you don’t have any, because you always do. So reach into your pocket and pull it out.”
He tucked two fingers into the front pocket of his jeans and brought out the wrapped piece of bubble gum that he’d put in there just for her. Then because he didn’t completely trust his niece, he snatched the water gun. “Your mom is going to make me pay for your next dentist appointment,” he said.
“That’s your problem,” his eleven-year-old niece, Bella, said and grinned.
“Peewee,” his older sister called from the lounge beside the pool.
“Yeah,” Cary answered reluctantly. But holy hell, he’d give anything if his family would stop calling him that. Supposedly, they’d named him that the day his mom brought him home from the hospital. He’d been premature, and according to them, the name fit. But now, at six feet, three inches and two hundred pounds, he should have outgrown the nickname.
And he had. No one dared to call him that, but his sisters.
“What are you doing? If you’re giving my kid gum again, I’m going to kick your butt.”
Bella laughed. “You know she won’t really do that, don’t you?”
Cary smiled at his niece and walked over to his sisters. “She held me up at gunpoint. I had to give it to her.” He set the gun down on the bottom of his sister’s lounge chair.
“Bullshit,” Kelly muttered.
“Hey, you grounded me for saying that last week,” Bella called from the other side of the pool.
Kelly frowned. “You’re early. But that’s fine. Where’s your swimsuit?”
“I didn’t bring it,” he said, knowing both his sisters were going to get mad. But they would just have to get over it. Thanks to his brother-in-law, to whom he now owed a beer, he knew what they were up to. No way in hell was he going to let them fix him up with one of their friends. No doubt the girl was beautiful, smart, and witty—all traits he liked. But he was a love-’em-and-leave-’em kind of guy, and he doubted any of their friends were love and leave kind of girls.
Thankfully, due to the call he’d gotten thirty minutes ago from a snitch who had info on the Jones case, he didn’t even have to lie. Good thing, because he sucked at lying to his sisters.
“I told you it’s a pool party,” Beth said.
“I know, but I can’t stay. I have to meet someone. I just wanted to stop by a minute and apologize for missing it.”
“No,” Kelly said. “You can’t leave. I’m grilling hamburgers. And . . . I want you to meet someone. She even went out and bought a new swimsuit.”
“Darn,” he said, only mildly regretting that he was going to miss the new swimsuit. “Sorry. But seriously, I have to be somewhere.”
“Is it a date?” Beth asked. “You going out with someone?”
“No. It’s work,” he answered honestly.
