USA Today best-selling and award-winning author Desiree Holt
writes everything from romantic suspense and paranormal to erotic.and 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.


To say Killian Walker was shocked when he discovered that not only was his father not married to his mother, but he had three half-brothers in the same situation. Facing each other for the first time at the reading of Dusty Walker’s will, the atmosphere could best be described as hostile. The terms of the will didn’t help matters. Spending a week in Red Creek, Kansas in Dusty’s house and Dusty’s business was just not on his agenda of things to do. But if he wanted the money to start his own ranch, he’d have to grit his teeth and man up.

Lexie Choate had big dreams about success in the world of art. Her teachers at Savannah School of Art praised her talent and told her she was a shoo-in to win the prize of a gallery show of her own. The last thing she expected was for the man who stole her heart to also steal the prize from her. She ran back to Red Creek, to heal her broken heart and recover from her disappointment. As the owner of Heart Starter, the popular coffee shop in town, she was busy building a new life for herself, while she continued to paint in secret. Hope never dies.

When Killian walked into Heart Starter the chemistry between the two of them was instant and explosive, but neither of them was looking for anything long term. She wanted to get back into the world of art. He was planning to build his ranch and not in Nowhere, Kansas. One week, they agreed. One week to enjoy each other, then goodbye. Funny thing, though, just when you think you’ve got everything planned out, life has a funny way of turning your life upside down.



Lexie and Killian

"It's not stupid at all. It's the truth." Killian uncapped the beer and took a long drink straight from the bottle. "What if I took a chance, and I was right? Someone like you can't imagine what it would be like to make a mistake in a personal relationship."


"Is that so? Someone like me? Well, I made a monumental mistake, and I've regretted it ever since."


"I went to art school in Savannah. Yes, art school," she repeated, when she saw his expression of skepticism. "Even people in Red Creek can love the arts."


"Oh, yes, you did. I saw it on your face. See? See what happens when you make assumptions?" She swallowed some of her wine. "So I met someone in art school, a very talented painter. His name was Rick."


"Let me guess." His mouth twisted in a grimace. "The two of you fell in love."


Chapter 26