Click on image to enlarge.

Category: Erotica/Erotic Romance/Romance
Description: Fall has arrived in Philadelphia, but the season has more in store for Diana Glendower and her lovers Graeme Shepherd and Peter Oberon than a change in the weather. With Graeme in full health once more, it's back to business as usual--classes, student excuses ? and murder. Graeme's familiarity with ancient and obscure languages draws the trio into a serial murder investigation, each more brutal and worrisome than the last. As Graeme, Diana, and Peter explore the case in their own way, none of them expects that the killer is right under their very noses. And this time one of them might not survive.
eBook Publisher: Atlantic Bridge/Liquid Silver Books, 2011
eBookwise Release Date: July 2011

Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [231 KB]
Words: 49453
Reading time: 141-197 min.

Chapter One

The new living arrangement lasted three weeks.

Maybe if Graeme Shepherd had had summer classes to teach, anything to get him out of the apartment on a regular basis, they might have found some sort of equilibrium. But the courses had been set while he had still been a gibbering idiot under his manipulative ex-wife's convoluted spell and the interim instructors contracted, which left Graeme with nothing to do but stay home and work on his next journal article.

Since Peter Oberon's line of work entailed long stretches of indolence punctuated by the occasional well-paying adrenaline rush, the two of them were stuck with each other's company.

Diana had tried to sweeten the pot, of course. For a while it was worth the aggravation of Graeme's rigid ways to wake up in the middle of the night with her soft curves curled up in his arms. Even more rewarding was waking her up. To be honest, in the night even Graeme was tolerable, a strong and steady presence to keep Peter grounded. But the sun always came up, and Diana couldn't stay and mediate all day, as she still had classes of her own to oversee in her more respectable role as Dr. Glendower. So Peter and Graeme poked and goaded and harassed each other until what had started out as playful ended up hurting more than it should.

When the call came in for a job in Copenhagen, Peter had jumped at it.

He'd jumped so hard, in fact, that he didn't bother to tell Graeme or Diana where he was going. He'd thrown whatever was clean into a carry-on, grabbed his security case, and hailed a cab while Graeme was out having lunch with a colleague.

It stung that neither one of them called to ask where he was.

Copenhagen led to Dubrovnik with a quick side jaunt to Thessaly, leaving Peter half a million dollars richer and startled to find that the summer had already passed. There was never a question of his not returning to Philadelphia. He knew better by now. If he didn't go back, by hook or by crook Philadelphia would come to him, intended or not. So he returned.

But this time it was going to be on his own terms.

Fall was just starting to nibble around the heels of the city when he got back, the days still warm leaning toward muggy, the nights crisp and comfortable. He knew Graeme and Diana were both back in school, but he hadn't been by to visit. Not until he got a few things taken care of first.

Madeline was waiting for him in the lobby of the old Victorian hotel. She looked as exquisite as her surroundings, blond hair loose around her shoulders and a short skirt showing off her elegant long legs and promising to reveal even more. She stood with a smile when she saw him, balancing effortlessly on the four-inch stilettos she wore. "I was beginning to think you'd stood me up."

"Never, my dear." Taking her hands, he leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek. "You were grateful for the extra time to make sure you looked flawless, I'm sure."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me I needed the time?"

"No. But I'm sure you appreciated it anyway."

He didn't let go of her hands, and she didn't seem to mind. "You look good yourself. Tanned. Been somewhere warm?"

"Greece."

"Very nice." She pulled away long enough to pick up the bag sitting next to her chair before slipping her arm through his. "So, shall we go up? I have so much I want to show you." There was a pleasant purr of anticipation in her words.

He drew her a little closer and started guiding her toward the elevators. "My dear, I can hardly wait."