RAVES FOR THE NOVELS OF
Carly Phillips
“[An] entertaining and sexy romance…[A] fun and romantic summer read…Will please readers with its mischievous characters, red-hot passionate encounters, and spirited plot.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Fast-moving and sexy…Her many readers will clamor for this.”
—Booklist
“This sassy, sexy story with a rapid-fire pace…will send readers looking for the rest.”
—Library Journal
“Fast-paced and fabulously fun, Carly Phillips entertains with witty dialogue and delightful characters.”
—Rachel Gibson, New York Times bestselling author
“A sassy treat full of titillating twists sure to ring your (wedding) bell.”
—Playgirl
“A titillating read…on a scale of one to five: a high five for fun, ease of reading, and sex—actually I would’ve given it a six for sex if I could have.”
—Kelly Ripa
“This is one of Phillips’ best, a lighthearted, fast-moving plot filled with her signature quirky characters. The book also shows depth of heart, outlining some of the life choices we make that perhaps could use a second look. Great fun with a bit of insight tucked in—fans will be clamoring for this one! HOT!”
—RT Book Reviews
“Once again Carly Phillips has done it. She knows how to combine suspense, romance, and comedy. Loved it.”
—Night Owl Reviews
“An entertaining read from start to finish that fans of Ms. Phillips, both new and old, are sure to enjoy.”
—Joyfully Reviewed
“Carly Phillips’ characters are always believable, and I think that’s what makes her books keepers…The only issue a Phillips fan will have is leaving these wonderful characters.”
—Fresh Fiction
Berkley titles by Carly Phillips
SERENDIPITY
DESTINY
KARMA
PERFECT FIT
Specials
FATED
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
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.
PERFECT FIT
A Berkley Book / published by arrangement with the author
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley mass-market edition / January 2013
Copyright © 2012 by Karen Drogin.
Excerpt from Perfect Fling by Carly Phillips copyright © 2012 by Karen Drogin.
Cover art by Hugh Syme. Cover design by Annette Fiore DeFex.
Interior text design by Kristin del Rosario.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
eBook ISBN: 978-1-101-61851-6
BERKLEY®
Berkley Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
BERKLEY® is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
The “B” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON
I am so lucky to have the following people in my life:
If not for Janelle Denison, who reads my pages, rereads my pages, and talks me through my “I’m stuck” moments, I’m not sure there would BE a Serendipity! Leslie Kelly and Julie Leto, my plotting buddies and close friends, whose brains save me each and every time. I DO need a stinkin’ plot and thank goodness you two are great at twists and turns and even better at being friends. And Shannon Short, who is my constant, who e-mails/talks me through things I cannot discuss here, but who understands this business as well as anyone and lets me vent and share the ups and downs…You have no idea how much I value you all! I can’t imagine my life without each one of you in it and I hope I give back as much as you give to me.
A special shout out:
Writing can be a very solitary profession—unless you’re an Internet junkie, like me. A special thank you to my #Sprint partners on Twitter—Marquita Valentine, @marquitaval; Lissa Matthews, @lissamatthews; Olivia Kelly, @oliviakelly_;and Andris Bear, @andrisbear—you were there for me at 9 A.M. for the writing of this book. You were invaluable in keeping me motivated, in my chair, turning out words in our thirty-minute shifts. We may not have met in person (yet) but I feel like I know you all. Thanks and I hope you’re there for the next book, too!
A special thank you to Alexis Craig—@Dispatchvampire—whom I also met on Twitter and who allowed me to pick her brain about all things cop related. I hope I didn’t drive you too crazy! Thanks to Kelli Bruns for the nursing info.
And locally, a very special thanks to Frank for answering my questions in e-mail form, not laughing (at least not when I could see or hear), and for having the utmost patience. Not to mention for taking care of my parents. I’m grateful!
Any and all police- and/or nurse/injury-related mistakes are solely my own!
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Special excerpt from Perfect Fling
One
Perfection was overrated, Mike Marsden thought, as he approached his childhood home. He arrived in time for dinner, just as he’d done every Sunday since his return to his hometown of Serendipity, New York, almost a month ago. Sunday evening meal at his parents’ house was mandatory, and each of his siblings would be there. Nobody said no to Ella Marsden. And since Mike had been away for a half dozen years or so, his mother was especially glad to have him back, no matter how uncomfortable the notion of
coming home made him.
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket and looked up at the white clapboard house with blue trim and matching shutters. Small but well kept, the two-story home on a residential street was as perfect on the outside as it was on the inside. Same as it was when he’d left for Atlantic City all those years ago. Maybe that was why he was itching beneath his skin now. The idea of perfection made him antsy. It always had. And despite wanting to please his parents, Mike was the kid who’d always tried their patience.
Impulse control issues, his teachers called it. Mike blamed heredity. He couldn’t stick with one thing very long, be it his small hometown, a relationship, or a monotonous job. Simon Marsden, Mike’s adopted father and the man who’d raised him, had been the police chief of Serendipity. Mike’s brother, Sam, had followed in his footsteps, becoming a homegrown cop like his dad. Their sister, Erin, was the assistant district attorney to Serendipity’s D.A.
And Mike? He liked his life, choosing his career as a New York City undercover cop, where he’d carved out a name for himself by skating the rules instead of strictly following them. He made sure his job, his women, and even his friends were easy enough to walk away from when the impulse arose. Never again would there be a repeat of a woman misinterpreting his intentions or expecting too much. He’d run from that strangled feeling once before, ending up in Atlantic City. He wasn’t about to repeat past mistakes or risk what he knew was a genetic inability to stick around.
Yet here he was, back in his small hometown, having taken over his father’s job as chief of police while his dad fought cancer. The doctors said it was treatable, and Mike forced himself to believe it. Coming home was the least he could do for the man who’d both raised him and treated him no differently than his biological children—even if Mike hadn’t always deserved it. The situation was temporary while Simon recovered, or Mike didn’t think he’d have been able to say yes to the position.
He knocked once and let himself inside, the smell of his mother’s pot roast seducing his senses and making his stomach grumble.
“Michael, is that you?” his mother called from her post in the kitchen. When he was a kid, he’d thought she had a sixth sense that told her which child walked in the door, but as an adult he realized they each had their own arrival time and his mother intuitively knew their routine.
“It’s me,” he yelled back, bending to give his parents’ new dog, a small white fluffball that resembled a dust mop, a pat on the head, still marveling that they’d named the furry thing Kojak.
“Well, come give me a hug,” Ella called out, as if she hadn’t seen him in ages. In reality, she’d stopped by the police station yesterday to say hello.
He grinned and his shoulders eased downward. The insecurities that always followed thoughts of perfection fled at the warmth in his mother’s voice and the comforting smells of home.
“Come on, little man. Let’s go say hi to Mom.” He headed for the kitchen, Kojak by his side.
Along the way he passed the family room, where his father lay snoring in his recliner, football game on the big-screen television he and his siblings had bought them for Christmas last year. Knowing Simon needed his rest, Mike let him sleep.
“Hey, Mom,” Mike said, entering the kitchen and giving her the requested hug before turning to the oversized pot on the stove. “Smells delicious.” He lifted the lid only to have his mother smack his hand with her wooden spoon.
“Hey! No sampling.” She waved her weapon in front of his face, a knowing smile lifting her lips.
Despite his father’s illness, she’d managed to retain her cheery disposition, and if a few more lines creased her beautiful skin, it didn’t affect her good looks at all. Wavy auburn hair curled naturally around her face, adding to her youthful appearance.
“Hey, family!” His sister Erin’s voice sounded from the entryway.
“In here,” Mike called back, then winced because his father was sleeping.
“Dad’s snoring,” Erin said, striding into the kitchen with a box in hand. “A hurricane couldn’t wake him.”
“That’s because I gave him a painkiller a little while ago. His back was hurting,” Ella said.
Mike pushed past the fear in his throat. The old man was strong. He would pull through. “What kind of cake did you bring?”
“Angel food. Dad’s favorite.”
Of course. Erin was always the good girl, doing the right thing without being asked. Mike could barely remember to get himself someplace on time, let alone bring something with him.
His sister placed the white bakery box on the counter. “Hi, Mom,” she said, pecking her cheek. “Big brother.” She grinned and pulled him into a hug.
“Hey, pest.”
She nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. “Jerk.”
“Squirt.”
“Enough!” Ella yelled at them like they were naughty kids, and Erin laughed.
“It’s just so easy to fall back into it.” She shook her head and grinned. Erin was a true mixture of both parents. Their mother’s once-dark hair was now auburn with reddish highlights, and Erin’s was naturally so with Simon’s hazel eyes. Eyes that now danced with laughter. “So where’s Sam?” she asked.
“Your brother isn’t here yet.” Ella glanced at the clock on the oven and frowned. “He’s late, and that’s not like him. Is he working a shift today? Maybe he got held up.” She looked to Mike for the answer, since he was now his brother’s boss.
“Not that I know of, unless he switched with someone.”
“Well, let’s sit down in here for a little while and wait. Give your father some more time to sleep.” Ella gestured to the Formica table and they all grabbed a seat, same chairs they’d each eaten in growing up.
“How’s Dad doing?” Erin asked. “You mentioned back pain?”
Ella nodded. “The doctor said he might try radiation this week instead of waiting until later on. It’s supposed to shrink the tumor and help with the pain. But he’s handling the chemo well enough. And his spirit is amazing,” she said with obvious pride.
“What about you?” Mike asked his mother, reaching for her hand.
She immediately waved him off. “I’m fine, Michael. I’m not the one who’s sick.”
Mike shot his sister a knowing look. Their mother acted like Superwoman, stepping up and handling everything without complaint. Perfection personified, Mike thought. But he knew she had to be exhausted. He opened his mouth to argue that she needed rest too, but Erin shook her head, telling him to let it go.
Fine, he’d listen for now, but at some point his mother would have to give in and let someone else help her out for a change.
Suddenly the telephone rang, and Ella rose to answer it.
“Don’t pressure her. She likes feeling needed,” Erin whispered as their mother spoke on the phone. “I’m coming over to sit with Dad one day this week so she can go get her hair done. Sam promised to play chess with Dad one afternoon this week. She’s getting breaks.”
“Why didn’t anyone ask me to help out?” he asked, too petulantly for his liking. The fact that he hadn’t thought to relieve his mother had him feeling out of sorts and selfish. As usual, he’d fallen short compared to his siblings. So what else was new?
“We figured you had your hands full taking Dad’s place and getting up to speed,” Erin said.
“It’s been a month. I’m as up as I’m going to get. The rest depends on everyone accepting how I want to do things.” He’d have made time for his mother. He was about to say as much when Ella returned.
One look at her pale face and Mike shot to his feet. “What’s wrong?” he asked, placing a bracing arm around her shoulder.
Erin came around her other side. “Mom?”
“Sam’s been in an accident.”
Heart pounding hard in his chest, Mike eased his mother into the nearest chair. “What happened?”
“That was Cara,” she said of Sam’s partner. “His car crashed
into a tree. He’s at University Hospital now.”
“Cara was with him?” Mike knew for a fact they weren’t on duty today, but it wasn’t surprising they were together. Those two made a mockery of the notion that men and women couldn’t be just friends.
It was Mike who couldn’t just be Cara’s friend, not after an explosive one-night stand three months ago that he’d yet to get out of his head. “Are they both okay?”
“Cara sounded fine. Sam’s being assessed,” his mother said, still trembling.
Mike swallowed hard. His mother’s fear wasn’t an easy thing to deal with, not when she was usually so strong. But she’d been hit with too many things at once lately.
“I need to go to your brother, but I can’t leave your father. I don’t want to drag him out there and put him under all that stress, around sick people and germs…”
This was something he could do to help. “I’ll head over to the hospital,” Mike said, glancing at his sister.
She nodded. “And I’ll stay here with you and Dad.”
“No.” Ella shook her head. “You go with your brother. You two should be together when you get news on Sam.”
Mike immediately thought of a solution. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll call Aunt Louisa to come over,” he said of his mother’s sister who also lived in Serendipity a few streets away. “That way you and Dad won’t be alone.”
“I don’t want to be a bother to her.”
But Erin had already reached for the phone and begun dialing over their mother’s objections.
A few minutes later, their aunt was on her way over while Mike and Erin headed for the hospital.
Officer Cara Hartley paced outside the emergency room, hoping for news on her partner and waiting for his family to arrive. She didn’t know which members would come, given Sam’s father’s condition, but her gut told her his brother, Michael, would be one of them. As laid-back as he appeared, when it came to doing his job or caring for his family, the man was as take-charge alpha as they came.
He also liked control in the bedroom, something Cara knew only too well. She shivered at the reminder of one incredible night a few months ago when Mike had been home for the weekend visiting his father. He and Sam had shown up at Joe’s Bar, they’d flirted, he’d bought her drinks, he’d walked her to her car, and the next thing she knew, she’d agreed to let him follow her home and take her—not just to bed but wherever he damn well pleased. He’d been phenomenal, bringing her to heights she’d only dreamed of and igniting a hunger that had fueled many fantasies in the months since.
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