When She Was Bad... by Cara Summers

With very little time to retrieve the stolen painting, Pepper Rossi followed the thief to an exotic island where she hoped to convince the thief to return it. Since the thief was her aunt, Pepper figured the odds were in her favor. Unfortunately, Cole Buchanan, who just happened to work for the same detective agency, followed her to the island. Pepper knows her skills as a detective pale in comparson to Cole who acquired his during his time at the CIA. Cole reluctantly agrees to let Pepper retrieve the painting, but only if Pepper will allow him to explore their mutual attraction for the next 24 hours.

The final story in the 24 Hours: Island Fling series tells an interesting tale where Pepper tries to be the confident private eye, while opening herself to experience everything Cole has to offer. The actual theft of the painting was a bit hokey, but the ending made up for it. Definitely worth reading.

Details: Blaze #239, March 2006

Bottom line: A very good book