Simon's Bliss
Ellora's Cave
Genre: Romantic Suspense
ISBN #1-84360-383-7
Book Length: Short Novel
Buy the eBook

After six years in a loveless, almost sexless marriage, Zachary Simons finds the perfect woman for his re-entry into the world of passionate sex and sensual love play. Unfortunately, she's investigating his wife's murder and thinks he's the best suspect around. Zachary is used to getting what he wants, and he's not going to let anything, not even a murder investigation, get in his way.

Jocelyn Bliss knows better than to trust her instincts about men. The evidence is piling up against Zachary, and she's not going to let anything, not even mind-blowing sex, stop her from finding the truth. As she becomes more involved, Jocelyn has to decide whether to trust the instincts that tell her Zachary is innocent...or believe the ever growing evidence that says she's involved with a killer.


Excerpt:
Chapter 1

Jocelyn Bliss stared at the woman lying face up on the carpet and released a heavy sigh.

"I'm getting really tired of looking at dead bodies," Jocelyn mumbled. She waited for Frank, her partner for a year and a half, to respond. When he didn't, she glanced his way without turning her head.

He shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you. You're a homicide detective."

"I know." Jocelyn sighed again but kept it quiet. It was all part of the job, but it never got any easier. The woman on the floor was dressed in a pale pink and silver nightgown, designed for seduction, not sleep. The bodice was made up of elegant, expensive-looking lace that fell away into waves of satin that would have reached the floor if she'd been standing. She looked like a perfect little doll-a broken doll.

Jocelyn shuddered. Maybe it's time for a career change. She blocked that thought and reviewed the scene. One shot to the chest. A gun lay on the floor next to the body.

"Victim's name?"

"Catarina Simons, wife of Zachary Simons."

Everyone knew the name of Zachary Simons. Businessman, entrepreneur, philanthropist. Jocelyn felt the muscles in the back of her neck tighten. Any case among the wealthy and powerful meant extra political crap she hated dealing with.

"Who found her?" she asked.

"Well, Mr. Simons is the one who called us."

Jocelyn raised one eyebrow. "Meaning, you don't think he found her like this?"

"Word has it she was soon to be his ex-wife. The divorce was getting very messy."

"Aren't they all?" She looked around the room. The forensics team was collecting bits and pieces from everywhere. It was going to be a long night. "Have you talked to him?"

"Just the basics when he let us in. Doesn't seem too upset to have found his wife dead. He's across the hall."

Jocelyn flashed Frank a false smile. "Isn't that nice? Let's go talk to him."

They walked into the entryway and stopped. Jocelyn took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders back. Then, calm and focused, she opened the door. The room was empty. No one sat on the delicate floral-print love seat or the matching high-backed chair. A barrage of lace curtains covered the windows, giving the room a fussy atmosphere that sent horrified shivers up Jocelyn's spine.

Too much lace and too many printed flowers.

Sudden commotion behind her held Jocelyn at the edge of the room. She turned in the doorway and watched.

"Please. Just let me pass," a tall, wiry man said to the uniformed cop stationed at the door. The request was a strange mixture of command and whine. "I'm a friend of the family," he insisted.

Something about the way he carried himself-the tone of his voice, the set of his shoulders-warned Jocelyn he would be the tenacious sort. Interesting. The victim's husband has already called in reinforcements.

"Let him in," she said to the officer. The man stalked into the house and planted himself in front of Jocelyn. "Can I help you?" she asked after a moment.

"I'm Mr. Simons' lawyer, Jonathan Street." Jocelyn shared a meaningful look with Frank. She didn't know why she was surprised. Zachary Simons probably didn't sneeze without legal advice. Still, it made it convenient. They could skip the "I demand to see my lawyer" theatrics so popular now on TV cop shows.

"What's happened?" the lawyer demanded. "Is everyone alright? Catarina just called me a few minutes ago," he announced.

Jocelyn's forehead wrinkled with her confusion.

"Catarina? But I thought Catarina was-" She stopped just short of saying it.

"Dead." The single, stark word came from behind her. Jocelyn spun around at the deep voice. "Yes, it would seem so."

She mentally filtered out the gasp and questions from the sputtering lawyer and Frank's calm replies. Her heart pounded a furious rhythm as she absorbed the image of the man in front of her. He stood beside the loveseat, a sharp contrast to the feminine decor around him. He was tall. Jocelyn had always considered herself more than tall enough at five-foot nine, but she had to look up at him. Her mind instantly formed the overall image, then narrowed down to specifics.

He wore black jeans and a crisp white button-down shirt. His broad chest rippled under the stark material as he reached up and brushed a stray lock of deep brown hair from his grim eyes. She skimmed her gaze down to the floor, taking in his strong thighs and lean legs, stopping at his feet, encased in black boots hidden beneath his pants. The woman inside the detective couldn't resist acknowledging the near-perfection of his form, and the strength and confidence with which he stood.

The whole survey took less than three seconds but his image was burned into her mind. She looked up to his face. He was waiting for her. Her green eyes met the raging blue in his and she lost herself, as if he'd reached into her soul and claimed it for his own. Breath locked in her throat, slivers of heat raced down her spine and pooled between her legs.

A captivating sensuality poured from his eyes as he watched her. It hovered just beneath his skin. This was a man who loved women and sex. She wanted him. Now. Hard.

A flutter of panic moved through her stomach. Nothing like this had ever happened before. Never like this. No one had ever stared at her with such instant lust before. He didn't need to speak-she knew. He wanted her. The image of being stretched out on the floor, naked, under his thrusting body formed in her mind. Fire flickered in his eyes telling her he was thinking of a similar scene. Her nipples tightened under the lace of her bra. It was all she could do not to let her eyes fall to his crotch. She wanted, needed, to see if he was reacting physically to her, or if the lust was a trick of his eyes.

Sheer strength of will kept her from walking to him and wrapping her body around his. She squeezed her legs together to hold herself steady. The need between her thighs tightened. Tiny warnings in the back of her mind tried to assert themselves, but she ignored them.

"Jocelyn?" She heard Frank's call as background noise in her thoughts and ignored it. "Jocelyn." The voice was more insistent this time and accompanied by a tap on her shoulder.

She ripped her attention free and turned to her partner. Impatience, irritation, reprimand-they all marked Frank's face. How long had she stood there lusting after the primary suspect? It couldn't have been long, but it was enough.

Had Catarina Simons been lured by the fire in Zachary Simons' eyes? And when that fire had burned out-had he eliminated her?

Now, prepared for the impact of his gaze, Jocelyn looked back to the victim's husband. He slid a hand into his trouser pocket and settled into a casual pose that still carried strength and power in it. He owned the room. She looked into his eyes, bracing herself against the fire that had blazed so hot moments before.

It was gone. A stoic mask had settled on his face, the heat in his eyes covered over like a glass-shielded fireplace-making the fire pretty but with no warming effect.

The edge of his mouth curled up in an arrogant smile. She was still fighting the strange desire that had assaulted her-and he appeared perfectly calm.

Irritation electrified the hairs on the back of Jocelyn's neck. He can just lock desire away without a second thought? I don't think so.

"Mr. Simons?" Jocelyn asked, plotting a suitable revenge for his withdrawal. It had to be subtle. Something only he would see and something that could be misinterpreted if she got caught.

He nodded and offered his hand. "Zachary Simons." She placed her hand in his with a firm, professional grip. Rough calluses marked his palms. It was too easy to imagine his hands on her skin. Warmth sparkled between her legs. She met his eyes. Then for one brief moment, she glanced down, below his belt. Knowing he watched her, she trailed her tongue along the inside edge of her upper lip. His grip tightened compulsively on hers and the fire in his eyes sizzled again. Perfect. She dropped his hand and stepped back, ready to return to her role as a detective.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. Simons," she began, ignoring the ache between her thighs. "I believe you've met my partner, Detective Carroll." Again the suspect nodded.

Think of him as the suspect, she commanded silently. "We need to ask you a few questions, Mr. Simons."

"Yes."

The low intimate sound of his voice swept over her body like a physical caress. She shivered. Jocelyn gave herself a mental shake. She had to get control of her hormones or she'd be busted down to traffic cop. If they let her stay on the force. One mistake was all you were allowed. And she'd had hers.

"When did you arrive home?" she asked, taking out her notebook and pen and regaining her professional demeanor.

"You mean, when did I arrive here?"

Jocelyn nodded.

Zachary looked at the clock on the wall. "About thirty-minutes ago."

She glanced at the clock and marked down the time he'd arrived-7:30 p.m.

"You don't live here then?"

"No. Catarina and I were getting divorced. I moved out about six months ago."

"Tell me you weren't renewing your relationship with her," the lawyer whined. "Zach, I warned you about that."

Jocelyn noted the comment-and the tensing of Zachary's jaw. So, was Simons sleeping with his soon to be ex-wife? It wasn't unusual. Happened all the time. A warm familiar body when the stress got too much. Or had one of the Simonses been trying to create a reconciliation?

Zachary ignored his lawyer and continued to stare at Jocelyn. His eyes were flat and cold. All traces of the fire were gone. Was it because of his lawyer's question, or hers?

"Why did you come over here tonight, Mr. Simons?"

He rubbed his fingertips across his forehead and sighed. "Catarina called me. Said she wanted to talk about the settlement and didn't want to do it on the phone."

"We were getting very frustrated with the way the dissolution was proceeding," Jonathan interjected.

Now that was interesting. "How frustrated?" Jocelyn asked casually.

"Pretty frustrated. She was being completely unreasonable. She-"

"Thank you, Jonathan," Zachary interrupted. "I'm the one being questioned. Can we just get this over with?"

"What happened when you got here?"

Zachary quickly led them through the evening. He'd arrived at the house, found his wife on the floor, and called the police.

"Why didn't you call for an ambulance?"

"It was clear an ambulance wasn't going to help."

"Did you touch anything?" Frank asked.

"No."

"Take us through exactly what you did tonight. And be specific," Frank commanded.

For the first time since they'd started, Zachary looked away from her. Jocelyn sighed with relief to be out from under his watchful gaze.

Now she could observe him without caution.

Her mind was strangely divided-one side calmly listening to his answers, the other hearing his voice whisper of cool sheets and hot bodies. She glanced down at his thighs.

She had a thing for strong, powerful legs. Legs strong enough to hold up while he fucked her against a wall. It was a juvenile fantasy, she knew, but she loved the idea that a man wanted her so badly he was unwilling to wait. She drew breath in through her slightly opened mouth.

"Did you recognize the gun beside your wife's body?"

Jocelyn snapped back to the present with Frank's question.

Zachary nodded. "It looks like mine. I left it here when I moved out."

Frank noted his answer then looked to her. Jocelyn nodded and closed her notebook. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Simons." She was pleased her words came out clear and professional.

"Zach, do you want me to stay with you?" Street offered, placing a comforting hand on Simons' shoulder.

Zachary shook his head and subtly shifted away from the other man's touch. "I'll be fine."

The lawyer pursed his lips and nodded. "If you need anything, call me."

Jocelyn watched the interaction between the two men. Jonathan Street seemed very comfortable around his client. Zachary didn't reciprocate. It probably meant nothing, but Jocelyn filed it away for later. Nothing could be ruled out at this point.

"We'll finish up here shortly," she announced. "Someone will contact you later from the Medical Examiner's Office."

Zachary nodded, but didn't speak. His face was impassive. Either he was grief stricken, very smart, or just didn't care that his wife was lying in a pool of blood on their living room floor. No easy answer came to mind. She stared at him for a moment longer, then followed Frank and the lawyer to the door.

"I didn't get your name." Zachary's voice pulled Jocelyn to a stop. The others were already in the hall. She turned to face him, mentally kicking herself. In her stunned state, she'd forgotten to introduce herself.

"Jocelyn Bliss," she answered. He walked to her, stopping inches away. Insane as it was, she felt the urge to retreat, to back away from the powerful man who stalked her. Her heart accelerated to a rapid patter.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Detective Bliss." He offered his hand once more and she reached out to accept it. A shaft of pure desire raced from the point where their hands met to the deep center of her body. "I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again." His voice was seductive and low, and she knew he wasn't thinking about the investigation.

* * * * *

Zachary watched the door close with a snap. Hell of a way to spend an evening. Finding Catarina had been bad enough. Now, it was obvious he was the prime suspect in her murder. He wiped his hand across his eyes. Damn.

It was hard to believe that Catarina was dead. He didn't love her, hadn't been able to feel any emotion but anger and distrust for almost a year now, but to find her dead.

The pit of his stomach clenched at the memory of her on the floor. Worse, that he couldn't feel more remorse. He'd been married to her for almost six years and all he could summon was a remote sadness that a human life was gone.

He sat down on the love seat. The short couch was hard and uncomfortable. The only person who'd ever liked sitting on it was Catarina. She'd designed this room for her use. Zach hated it. Too much lace, too many bits of glass on the tabletops. It made him feel huge and awkward. It was feeling Catarina had excelled at creating.

Catarina had loved all things pretty and fragile. And she'd made sure the world viewed her in the same way. In the early days of their relationship, Zach had found it attractive. He could admit now that he'd like playing the role of the strong, protective husband for his dainty, delicate wife. It had made him feel manly and heroic. Now, he could see it was Catarina's way of controlling everything in her world, including him.

He dropped his head back and stared up at the floral print on the ceiling. He'd been anxiously awaiting the divorce.

Now the waiting was over. He was free to indulge himself. He grimaced at his own thoughts. Catarina was dead and all he could think about was sex.

And Detective Bliss. With that body, she was aptly named. She carried herself with the air of a woman used to dealing with power. Her tall, strong body looked like it could hold up no matter how long or hard the ride. He closed his eyes. It was too easy to imagine the good detective kneeling above him, his cock buried deep inside her, her breasts swaying as she rode him. Or better yet, him on his knees in front of her, tasting her sweet flesh. He'd been six years without that pleasure.

Yes, the detective would do nicely.

He shifted on the love seat to loosen the material around his crotch that had grown tight with his thoughts. His fingers trailed along his semi-erect penis and a tremor went through his body. Anticipation. He wanted to enjoy the tension, see how tight he could make it, until he couldn't stand it any longer. And neither could Detective Bliss.

The instant connection between them amazed him. He hadn't felt anything like it since he'd first discovered naked women during his teenage years. She'd recognized the power between them. Her eyes had glistened with hunger. Zach smiled and let his mind drift into fantasy. He didn't know anything about her-that would come later. No need to spoil the surprise yet. He was going to be very disappointed if she had a husband or lover waiting at home.

Of course, the fact that she was investigating his wife's murder and he was the prime suspect might cause some problems. Zach ignored the voice of caution going through his head. He wanted the detective. And he was used to getting what he wanted.

The sound of glass shattering in the hall was followed by a quiet "oops". Zach winced. He wasn't ready to abandon the house to the police just yet. What he really wanted was a drink, but Catarina had gotten rid of everything related to him when he'd moved out, including the twenty-year old scotch.

She'd gotten rid of everything it seemed but that gun. Zach stared at the empty room. This was not going to be pleasant. The only upside was the delectable Detective Bliss. A silver lining for every cloud and he had a feeling Jocelyn Bliss was going to be his...



Reviews:
"SIMON'S BLISS is a fast, sexy read. Unlike many romantic suspense novelists, Ms. St. Clare manages to skillfully balance both the suspense and the romance.And Zach and Jocelyn burn up the pages with desire that pulls them to each other despite themselves."

Sensual Romance Reviews


"I highly recommend this thrilling page-turner."

Sensual Romance Reviews


"The sexual tension and desire between Zachary and Jocelyn was incredibly palpable; you couldn't help being caught in it. Kudos to Ms. St. Clare for creating the perfect blend of suspense and sizzling erotica."

In the Library Reviews


".SIMON'S BLISS is an appealing erotic romantic suspense, with plenty of sizzle."

Romance Reviews Today