Stevie's Chase (American Heroes Against All Odds: California #5)

The back jacket blurb: "Brooding loner Chase Sullivan had a secret. Once responsible for bringing down a notorious criminal, Chase was all too aware of the danger that lurked everywhere he went. And getting too close to anyone could mean putting both their lives in jeopardy. Then Stevie Holt walked into his life. The feelings she stirred in his lonely heart were nothing short of full-fledged desire, and Chase was finding her impossible to resist.... "Soon the danger he'd feared crept back with someone determined not to let him -- or Stevie -- get away. But as time ran out, could Chase protect the woman he loved, and secure the future he knew they deserved?" Chase and Stevie are just terrific. Chase is a classic dangerous, wounded hunk, complete with motorcycle and black leathers. When Chase is injured, his happy, healthy, loving neighbor Stevie nurses him -- with the expected results. Chase turns out to even more complex and attractive than you might have expected. Stevie is almost too good to be true, but I was okay with that. My only complaint was that there were a couple of pretty obvious Dumb Moves that I couldn't quite see this intelligent hero or heroine making. Definitely not TSTL material, but I would have liked to see Davis come up with a better way to get the couple back into hot water. Still, the combination of engaging characters, suspense and danger, and Davis' lushly sensuous descriptions, adds up to a good read. Davis notes that there are two follow-ons to this story: "Left at the Altar" (SIM 596) and "Morning Side of Dawn" (SIM 638).