Marine Zach Taylor is stubborn, overbearing and paranoid. But he's also handsome, which counts for a lot in Andersen's sexy romances (Head Over Heels, etc.). When he comes home on leave and meets curvaceous chef Lily Morrisette at his sister's place, he immediately assumes that she's after Glynnis's substantial trust fund. On the rare occasions he stops making her life miserable on this account, it's only because he suspects Glynnis's new fiancée, David, of the same thing. Upon discovering that Glynnis has gone to visit David's family, Zach rushes off to save his sister with Lily in tow. After that snafu is untangled, a Colombian with a grudge against Zach kidnaps Lily. Zach is surprisingly ineffective and unlikable right up to his 11th-hour romantic capitulation, while Lily's sexual, culinary and financial sophistication seems unusual for a woman who curses by saying "holy petunia" and "oh, poop." But perfect pacing, steamy sex and a fun cast of secondary characters make up for what's missing in character consistency. From David's belatedly blossoming sister to Zach's charming Marine buddies, the story's supporting cast adds human warmth and an extra dose of fantasy. (Mar.)
