This situation is heating up
Women are disappearing in Adobe Creek, Arizona, and itâs up to Detective Meg Flores to stop it. But when New York detective Tico Butler is called in to take over the case, Meg feels threatened. Will he also take over her job? Sheâs prepared to hate himâbut sheâs not prepared for the intense chemistry between them!
From the moment Tico arrives, Meg is struck by his bad-boy good looks and his smooth-talking charm. She may not have wanted him here, but heâs proving hard to resist. And when they go undercover together, the desert isnât the only thing getting hotterâ¦.
Tico lay with his eyes closed, trying to catch the breath that had been knocked out of him.
Meg Floresâs laughter mingled with her teammatesâ, penetrating his mind like a double shot of whiskey. If she spoke the same way she laughed, the woman had one sexy voice.
His senses homed in on the sound of footsteps coming toward him. A cowboy boot stride with attitude. Heâd bet a monthâs pay he knew who the boots belonged to. Wondering if sheâd act the part of rescuer, he kept his eyes shut. All hope was dashed when, still chuckling, she whispered to his horse, âGood job for throwing this bozo, fella.â
He opened his eyes in time to see the sole of a cowboy boot press down on his chest. The curious stare of one Meg Flores flattened him more than he already was. Damn, she was smoking-hot! The reins dangled from her right hand. Diablo glared at him from over her shoulder.
Traitor horse.
âCan I get you a taxi back to New York, Detective?â
Dear Reader,
As many of you know, I find inspiration for my stories from real-life people and situations. Desert Heat grew from my unbounded admiration for my niece and her spouse, two California detectives who face danger practically every day to fight crime against two elements: gangs and drugs.
Amanda and Nic are only two people, but they work from a mind-set that it only takes one person to make a difference. These two professionals train and work tirelessly to be as skilled as possible to keep the streets safe. They have been targets of the criminal element, had bounties on their heads, and still go to work eager to make a change for good.
After I listened to Nic and Amandaâs stories, Tico Butler and Meg Flores came to life in an Arizona border town and took action against two of the most notorious crime elements: drugs and human trafficking. While hunting the bad guys, Tico, a former gang leader turned cop, clashes with the one woman sworn to run him off her turf: Adobe Creek detective team leader Meg Flores. Heat rises in more ways than one while these two battle danger from the criminal element and their own emotions to get the job done.
I hope you enjoy Desert Heatâ¦it is hot in so many ways!
All the best,
Kathleen Pickering
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KATHLEEN PICKERING is an author whose goal is to touch readersâ hearts by creating worlds of adventure, love and intrigue. Given her upbringing with a strict Irish-Catholic mother and a gregarious German-Protestant father, coupled with a family tree about which one tends to only whisper, Kathleen is convinced sheâs living proof that life is stranger than fiction. She brands herself as the author with more than just a story to tell and draws her characters and stories from real-life situations. She loves to travel and finds traveling to research her work an added perk. Just be aware, if Kathleen meets you, you may very well end up in one of her stories.
Dedicated to Amanda and Nicâ¦and every law enforcement agent who refuses to let danger destroy the power of love.
CHAPTER ONE
DETECTIVE TICO BUTLER stood outside a stable in the scorching southern Arizona heat, more out of his element than a scorpion in a snowbank.
His gaze slid from the dust-covered silver Harley Road Glide heâd ridden across the country to the strong, brown, wild-eyed stallion heâd rented to take him the final mile to his destination: the two-bit town of Adobe Creek.
Heâd only been on a horse a few times as a kid in New York. It was something his father seemed to think was important, but the horses theyâd ridden were from a local riding stable and docile. This horse looked much more muscled than the mounts Tico remembered and way too unmanageable.
The stable hand holding the reins eyed Ticoâs leather vest and fake sheriffâs badge, letting his gaze rest on the cowboy hat as black as Ticoâs hair. Shaking his head, the old man beckoned Tico closer. âWell, Sheriff. This here is Diablo. You good with animals?â
âDeal with âem every day.â Tico didnât want to mention the animals he dealt with were the two-legged kind and usually fleeing a crime scene in Brooklyn. âAre you Charlie Samuels?â