A re-release, this book has been revised and re-edited. I have read both versions and this one far surpasses the previous. The sizzling starts at the very beginning but quickly you will understand that it is a coping mechanism for Mark as he holds on to his love for Faith while a prisoner of arms dealers. The telepathic link he has always had with Faith is his only hope of rescue.

Faith on getting his message telepathically has to figure out a way to find where he is and get someone to help her save him. Not easy to do when you really don’t want to reveal your unique connection. With another telepath on his end, Mark has to try to give her hints without giving away her identity. He calls her Tidbit, his nickname for her since school.

As Faith begins pulling strings to find him, the other side is trying to find not only her but another survivor of the ambush and eliminate them.

With her assistant Tess researching Spec Ops for what she believes is part of Faith’s next book, Faith finally gets a lead. Joey Latrobe is in the hospital, he was part of Mark’s team and he has a brother Eric. With the aid her computer wiz friend Andy she gets a number to contact Eric and starts leaving messages for him.

Annoyed yet curious Eric ‘Rick’ Latrobe, decides it’s time to make contact with this author. With his brother safely out of harms way, he and his Phoenix team need to determine which side Faith is on as they try to find Joey’s Captain, Mark Halloran.

This is a favorite scene with Faith anxiously awaiting Rick’s arrival.

Faith was awake at five o’clock, too restless to sleep. She dressed hastily in slacks and a silk shirt, pulling her hair back into a clip at the nape of her neck, but didn’t bother with makeup. She’d been too nervous to bother with it. Anyway, it wasn’t as if she were going on a date.

She made coffee, a rarity for her, then paced while she drank most of the pot, giving herself a caffeine high that she didn’t need. She tried reading through Tess’s notes again, but her mind refused to settle down. She couldn’t seem to find enough to occupy herself. Time seemed to have weights on its feet, dragging so slowly it felt as if days passed rather than minutes.

Tess finally dumped the dregs in the coffee pot and brewed some chai tea for both of them, forcing Faith to sit at the table and drink it.

“You’re driving me nuts,” Tess told her. “I think you’ve already worn a groove in the floor. What time do you think he’ll get here?”

“I don’t know. He said early. What’s early?”

“Well, it’s eight o’clock right now. To some people that’s early. To others, it’s late.”

Faith shuffled the papers in front of her, pretending to study them again. “I just hope he gets here soon.”

Tess moved to the living room window, watching the street through the slatted blinds. “Do any of your neighbors own a black Lincoln?” she called out.

“A couple of them.” Faith came in from the kitchen where she was getting coffee ready to brew. “Why?”

“I swear this is the second time I’ve seen this one roll past the house.” Faith shrugged. “I’ve got at least two neighbors who parade them around like icons of affluence. You probably saw both of them leave.”

“Maybe. I guess after last night everything’s making me nervous.”

Faith flipped the switch to the coffeemaker. “I’ll check it out. I’m going to get the newspaper.”

“Are you crazy?” Tess grabbed her arm. “People threaten your life and you go around like everything’s normal?”

Faith gave a nervous laugh. “Not exactly. But what’s going to happen to me on my own street? The paper’s just at the edge of the driveway.”

She shrugged off Tess’s hand, unlocked the front door, and hurried down the pavement. A black town car sitting in front of the house four doors down, engine idling, registered peripherally in her vision. The Thompsons. Obviously. Harry Thompson was probably cursing as he waited impatiently for his wife, the habitually tardy Gail.

As she reached the end of the driveway the car began moving down the street. She shaded her eyes, waiting, planning to wave at them. And then it all happened before she could blink. The town car picked up speed and seemed to be heading right for her. At that exact moment a black SUV pulled up to the curb, and a man leaped from it as it rocked from the fast stop. The car was scant feet away from her and coming faster, and she couldn’t seem to make her feet move.

Then strong arms wrapped around her and carried her to the lawn as the car whizzed by, so close it almost brushed her legs. Her face hit the turf, and the breath was squeezed from her lungs by the heavy body on top of her. Seconds ticked by while she struggled to breathe, unable to make her body, her mouth, or her brain work.

Finally the pressure was gone, and big hands reached down to help her to her feet.

“What the hell are you doing out of the house?” She looked up. And up. And up even more. Mark was well over six feet but this man topped even him. At the moment he wore an expression of mingled anger and disgust on his face. His blue eyes looked like twin torches.

“I-I was getting the newspaper.” She was shaking so badly she wasn’t sure she could stand upright.

“Get the hell into the house before they decide to come back.”

Gripping her arm with fingers like steel, he frog-marched her into the house and practically threw her inside, where Tess stood waiting in the hallway.

“Don’t move.” He jogged to the SUV and dragged the keys from the ignition.

Tess was standing with her arms around Faith when Rick strode back inside seconds later, slamming the door and locking it.

“Faith, my God.” She brushed Faith’s hair back from her forehead. “Did that car almost run over you?”

Rick glared at Faith, who was trying to gather some semblance of dignity. “Damn straight it did, thanks to your friend’s stupidity.”

Faith couldn’t stop shaking, nor could she get the image of the black car closer than a whisper of breath out of her mind. She had to fight the urge to race to the bathroom and throw up.

“She was just getting the newspaper, for heaven’s sake,” Tess snapped at him.

“After I told her last night to stay in the house with the doors locked.” He glared at Faith. “Did I not? Was I talking to myself?”

“Y-yes.” Faith moved away from Tess, her hands gripped tightly together to still their trembling. “But I just—”

“Someone is obviously trying to kill you, and you have to go out for the newspaper? You got a threat last night, didn’t you? It came up while you were talking to me.”

She nodded. Her brain wouldn’t come unstuck. She was shaking so badly she wasn’t sure if she could stand upright.

“How?” he demanded.

“Ph-phone. And email.”

Tess moved closer to Faith and put an arm around her again. “Can’t you stop shouting at her? She’s obviously in shock.”

“She’s lucky she’s not dead.”

“I assume you’re the mysterious Eric Latrobe?” Faith looked up at the mountain of a man looming over them. “At least I hope that’s who you are.”

“So you don’t let just any stranger in the house?” His voice was edged with sarcasm. “Good for you.”

“O-only men who save my life,” Faith told him. She was getting some control back, her pulse settling down to a manageable beat.

“Smart mouth, too.” He inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly, working to get his temper under control. “All right, Miss Wilding. You’ve been trying your best to get hold of me, so let’s cut out the crap here. What do you want, and why does someone want to kill you? Besides claiming to be an author, just who the hell are you?”

She wet her lips and struggled to keep her voice even. “I’m Tidbit. And I’m trying to get help for Mark.”

Rick stared at her as if she’d just descended from Mars.
Holt, Desiree. Jungle Inferno (The Phoenix Agency Book 1) (Kindle Locations 2282-2330). Kindle Edition.

From here the excitement revs up as the Phoenix team with the aid of Joey and Faith try to beat the clock as Mark’s time begins to run out.

Plenty of extremely hot scenes and hold your breath action. These two definitely deserve their Happily Ever After!

I am about to start the next book in this series. I just can’t get enough of the Phoenix Agency Team.

5 Contented Purrs for Desiree!

Desiree Holt

USA Today Bestselling and award winning author Desiree Holt writes everything from romantic suspense and paranormal to erotic, a genre in which she is the oldest living author.

She has been referred to by USA Today as the Nora Roberts of erotic romance, and is a winner of the EPIC E-Book Award, the Holt Medallion and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice nominee.

She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times and numerous other national and international publications.

“Desiree Holt is the most amazing erotica author of our time and each story is more fulfilling then the last.” (Romance Junkies)

A re-release, this book has been revised and re-edited. I have read both versions and this one far surpasses the previous. The sizzling starts at the very beginning but quickly you will understand that it is a coping mechanism for Mark as he holds on to his love for Faith while a prisoner of arms dealers. The telepathic link he has always had with Faith is his only hope of rescue.

Faith on getting his message telepathically has to figure out a way to find where he is and get someone to help her save him. Not easy to do when you really don’t want to reveal your unique connection. With another telepath on his end, Mark has to try to give her hints without giving away her identity. He calls her Tidbit, his nickname for her since school.

As Faith begins pulling strings to find him, the other side is trying to find not only her but another survivor of the ambush and eliminate them. 

With her assistant Tess researching Spec Ops for what she believes is part of Faith’s next book, Faith finally gets a lead. Joey Latrobe is in the hospital, he was part of Mark’s team and he has a brother Eric. With the aid her computer wiz friend Andy she gets a number to contact Eric and starts leaving messages for him.

Annoyed yet curious Eric ‘Rick’ Latrobe, decides it’s time to make contact with this author. With his brother safely out of harms way, he and his Phoenix team need to determine which side Faith is on as they try to find Joey’s Captain, Mark Halloran.

This is a favorite scene with Faith anxiously awaiting Rick’s arrival.

Faith was awake at five o’clock, too restless to sleep. She dressed hastily in slacks and a silk shirt, pulling her hair back into a clip at the nape of her neck, but didn’t bother with makeup. She’d been too nervous to bother with it. Anyway, it wasn’t as if she were going on a date.

She made coffee, a rarity for her, then paced while she drank most of the pot, giving herself a caffeine high that she didn’t need. She tried reading through Tess’s notes again, but her mind refused to settle down. She couldn’t seem to find enough to occupy herself. Time seemed to have weights on its feet, dragging so slowly it felt as if days passed rather than minutes.

Tess finally dumped the dregs in the coffee pot and brewed some chai tea for both of them, forcing Faith to sit at the table and drink it.

“You’re driving me nuts,” Tess told her. “I think you’ve already worn a groove in the floor. What time do you think he’ll get here?”

“I don’t know. He said early. What’s early?”

“Well, it’s eight o’clock right now. To some people that’s early. To others, it’s late.”

Faith shuffled the papers in front of her, pretending to study them again. “I just hope he gets here soon.”

Tess moved to the living room window, watching the street through the slatted blinds. “Do any of your neighbors own a black Lincoln?” she called out.

“A couple of them.” Faith came in from the kitchen where she was getting coffee ready to brew. “Why?”

“I swear this is the second time I’ve seen this one roll past the house.” Faith shrugged. “I’ve got at least two neighbors who parade them around like icons of affluence. You probably saw both of them leave.”

“Maybe. I guess after last night everything’s making me nervous.”

Faith flipped the switch to the coffeemaker. “I’ll check it out. I’m going to get the newspaper.”

“Are you crazy?” Tess grabbed her arm. “People threaten your life and you go around like everything’s normal?”

Faith gave a nervous laugh. “Not exactly. But what’s going to happen to me on my own street? The paper’s just at the edge of the driveway.”

She shrugged off Tess’s hand, unlocked the front door, and hurried down the pavement. A black town car sitting in front of the house four doors down, engine idling, registered peripherally in her vision. The Thompsons. Obviously. Harry Thompson was probably cursing as he waited impatiently for his wife, the habitually tardy Gail.

As she reached the end of the driveway the car began moving down the street. She shaded her eyes, waiting, planning to wave at them. And then it all happened before she could blink. The town car picked up speed and seemed to be heading right for her. At that exact moment a black SUV pulled up to the curb, and a man leaped from it as it rocked from the fast stop. The car was scant feet away from her and coming faster, and she couldn’t seem to make her feet move.

Then strong arms wrapped around her and carried her to the lawn as the car whizzed by, so close it almost brushed her legs. Her face hit the turf, and the breath was squeezed from her lungs by the heavy body on top of her. Seconds ticked by while she struggled to breathe, unable to make her body, her mouth, or her brain work.

Finally the pressure was gone, and big hands reached down to help her to her feet.

“What the hell are you doing out of the house?” She looked up. And up. And up even more. Mark was well over six feet but this man topped even him. At the moment he wore an expression of mingled anger and disgust on his face. His blue eyes looked like twin torches.

“I-I was getting the newspaper.” She was shaking so badly she wasn’t sure she could stand upright.

“Get the hell into the house before they decide to come back.”

Gripping her arm with fingers like steel, he frog-marched her into the house and practically threw her inside, where Tess stood waiting in the hallway.

“Don’t move.” He jogged to the SUV and dragged the keys from the ignition.

Tess was standing with her arms around Faith when Rick strode back inside seconds later, slamming the door and locking it.

“Faith, my God.” She brushed Faith’s hair back from her forehead. “Did that car almost run over you?”

Rick glared at Faith, who was trying to gather some semblance of dignity. “Damn straight it did, thanks to your friend’s stupidity.”

Faith couldn’t stop shaking, nor could she get the image of the black car closer than a whisper of breath out of her mind. She had to fight the urge to race to the bathroom and throw up.

“She was just getting the newspaper, for heaven’s sake,” Tess snapped at him.

“After I told her last night to stay in the house with the doors locked.” He glared at Faith. “Did I not? Was I talking to myself?”

“Y-yes.” Faith moved away from Tess, her hands gripped tightly together to still their trembling. “But I just—”

“Someone is obviously trying to kill you, and you have to go out for the newspaper? You got a threat last night, didn’t you? It came up while you were talking to me.”

She nodded. Her brain wouldn’t come unstuck. She was shaking so badly she wasn’t sure if she could stand upright.

“How?” he demanded.

“Ph-phone. And email.”

Tess moved closer to Faith and put an arm around her again. “Can’t you stop shouting at her? She’s obviously in shock.”

“She’s lucky she’s not dead.”

“I assume you’re the mysterious Eric Latrobe?” Faith looked up at the mountain of a man looming over them. “At least I hope that’s who you are.”

“So you don’t let just any stranger in the house?” His voice was edged with sarcasm. “Good for you.”

“O-only men who save my life,” Faith told him. She was getting some control back, her pulse settling down to a manageable beat.

“Smart mouth, too.” He inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly, working to get his temper under control. “All right, Miss Wilding. You’ve been trying your best to get hold of me, so let’s cut out the crap here. What do you want, and why does someone want to kill you? Besides claiming to be an author, just who the hell are you?”

She wet her lips and struggled to keep her voice even. “I’m Tidbit. And I’m trying to get help for Mark.”

Rick stared at her as if she’d just descended from Mars.
Holt, Desiree. Jungle Inferno (The Phoenix Agency Book 1) (Kindle Locations 2282-2330). Kindle Edition.

From here the excitement revs up as the Phoenix team with the aid of Joey and Faith try to beat the clock as Mark’s time begins to run out.

Plenty of extremely hot scenes and hold your breath action. These two definitely deserve their Happily Ever After!

I am about to start the next book in this series. I just can’t get enough of the Phoenix Agency Team.

5 Contented Purrs for Desiree!

  Desiree Holt

USA Today Bestselling and award winning author Desiree Holt writes everything from romantic suspense and paranormal to erotic, a genre in which she is the oldest living author.

She has been referred to by USA Today as the Nora Roberts of erotic romance, and is a winner of the EPIC E-Book Award, the Holt Medallion and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice nominee.

She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times and numerous other national and international publications.

“Desiree Holt is the most amazing erotica author of our time and each story is more fulfilling then the last.” (Romance Junkies)