He's searching for absolution. She wants her happily ever after. Solomon Clarke goes by Saint, though he’s anything but. After lusting for him from afar, the masquerade party affords me the anonymity to pursue that attraction without worrying about the fall-out of hooking-up with the bouncer from the Hawkeye Club. From the second he lays his eyes and hands on me, I’m helpless to resist him. Even burying myself in a dangerous investigation can’t erase the memory of our combustible connection and one night together. The only problem… he has no idea who I am. Caroline Brooks thinks I don’t see her watching me, the way her eyes rake over me with appreciation. But I’ve noticed, and the party is the perfect opportunity to unleash the desire I’ve kept reined in for so damn long. It also sets off a series of events no one sees coming. Events that leave those I love hurting because of my failures. While the guilt eats away at my soul, Caroline continues to weigh on my heart. That woman may be the death of me, but oh, what a way to go. Life isn’t always clean, and sometimes, it takes a saint to do the dirty work. ***Tainted Saint is the first novella in The Hawke Family Series, but it is a continuation of the same story in the main series. While it is a complete story, it is NOT meant to be read as a standalone. The story of the Hawke siblings and the secondary characters featured in Tainted Saint starts in Savage Collision and continues in book two, Tortured Skye, book three, Stone Sober, and book four, Building Storm. These stories all build on one another and are intertwined. They need to be read in order to fully enjoy and understand the plots and characters. ***