Wild for You

Wild for You

by

Sophia Knightly

Previously written as Victoria Marquez

Without limiting the rights under copyright(s) reserved above and below, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

Please Note

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.

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Copyright 2001, 2011 by Victoria Koch

ISBN-13: 978-1478127147

Cover and eBook design by eBook Prep
www.ebookprep.com

Cover Art: Shutterstock, HotDamnDesign

Thank You.

Dedication

With much love to my wonderful husband Paul and our daughters, Genevieve and Jacqueline,

who make life beautiful.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to my amazing mom, Emilia, for her fun and generous spirit. And to my dear Tia Julia who gave me wonderful books to read at an early age.

Chapter 1

"For Christ's sake, Marcos, I'm a detective, not a baby-sitter," Clay muttered.

"Marisol isn't a baby, as you'll soon find out." Dr. Marcos Calderon looked burdened as he leaned forward on the leather stool in the cool, dim bar. "I wouldn't be asking you to watch over my little sister if I didn't think she was in danger."

Clay took a swig of beer and studied his longtime pal. Marcos' eyes were grim and his normally confident tone sounded weary. Something was off. When Marcos had texted him to meet at the Grove Bar, Clay had thought it was to catch up over a few beers, like old times. He hadn't seen Marcos since he'd moved from Miami to Naples, Florida.

"Why do you think she's in danger?" Clay asked.

"She let it slip that she's been getting weird messages from some anonymous guy. When I pressed for details, she clammed up. I'm sure she doesn't want me to get involved. She never does." Marcos let out an exasperated breath. "It was a lot easier to keep an eye on her when I lived here."

Clay hunched forward and contemplated Marcos' request. Six years older than his sister, Marcos was fiercely protective of her, especially since she'd moved to the States from Argentina. In the past, Marcos had talked about Marisol, but Clay had never met her.

Clay took another swig of beer and wiped the froth from his upper lip. "Where does she work?"

"She owns the Villabella Beauty Salon in South Beach."

"I've never set foot in a prissy salon, but I'll stop by. I can ask for a haircut and get her talking."

"Good idea." Marcos eyed Clay's ponytail. His cropped brown hair was much shorter than Clay's. "Going shorter?"

Clay nodded. "Yeah, I don't need long hair for undercover now that I'm working homicide."

"It shouldn't be too hard to gain her confidence. Marisol is pretty outgoing and friendly. Flirting comes as naturally to her as breathing. When it comes to men, she's a magnet," Marcos said with a wry twist of his lips.

"I'll keep that in mind." It sounded like Marcos wanted to warn him off.
Why
? Clay wondered. He wasn't interested in going after Marcos' kid sister.

"Don't let her playful side fool you. She's very smart and used to getting her way. And damned stubborn, Gator." Marcos had begun calling Clay "Gator" when they were roommates in undergrad and he'd learned Clay was a native Floridian.

"Let me get this straight. Your sister is playful, outgoing, a male magnet and damned stubborn. Anything else you want to warn me about?"

Clay's comment was meant to be flippant, but Marcos looked solemn as he said, "I think that about covers it." He gave Clay a measured look. "Will you do it?"

"Sure, you can count on me." The tension eased from Marcos' face as he finished his beer with a satisfied gulp. "You've never asked me for a favor, even though I sure owe you one."

"You don't owe me anything. I really appreciate it, man," Marcos said, giving him a hearty clap on the back. "Thanks. Now that I know she's in good hands, I can get back to my patients." He paused. "There's one more thing you should know. Marisol is impulsive and that often lands her in trouble."

"I'm sure I can handle her," Clay said in a dry tone.

"Good." Marcos threw some cash on the counter. "My treat. Later, Gator."