Length: Approximately 190 print pages
Sensuality Level: Sweet (G-rated)
Product Description
There is something about Jonna Sanders' new hired hand, Sam Barton, that disturbs her-- something more than just how dangerously attractive she finds him. Should she trust this mysterious, sensuous stranger?
When her peaceful, isolated world is shattered by eerie phone calls, destructive but unseen intruders, and someone stalking her, Sam's presence should be reassuring... but it isn't. A serial killer has chosen her as his next victim and the killer could be anyone. Even Sam.
Excerpt
A rustling noise sounded behind her and Jonna bolted to her feet.
Sam stood in the doorway, white-faced.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, curling the telephone receiver pro tectively to her chest with one hand.
Sam's eyes scanned the disaster, then clashed with hers. She stepped warily backward, coming up short as her calf contacted one of the end tables.
"Jonna, I'm sorry. I should have been here. I could have stopped this. Stopped him," he added with an extra layer of venom.
Him? Jonna searched frantically for a way around Sam. If he would keep playing games like this, if he was crazy, he would -
The gun. Damn. She'd left it in the pickup.
"What a con artist," she said, sarcasm disguising her fright. "Do you expect me to believe you didn't do this?"
"I didn't, Jonna. I swear on my life." He took a step in her direction, then froze at her yelped scream.
"Jonna, please. Listen to me."
She felt an unwelcome stab of sympathy at his tortured expression, but reminded herself he was one heck of an ac tor. And dangerous and deranged besides. She had to get that through her head and base every reaction on that fact and that fact alone. Dangerous. Deranged.
"Get out of my house. I told you I'd call the police." She looked at the phone and reached to dial 911.
"Don't you get it?"
"Get what? That you are crazy and...and...?"
"That someone wants to kill you," he said, enunciating each word carefully.
"Me?"
"I'm here to stop him."
"Who?"
"I don't know." He bowed his head. His jaw did that tightening thing that made the muscle there flex.
"The man who wants to kill you murdered my sister," he said. "He also killed a woman in Colorado. Probably an other. There may have been others - I'm not sure," he said. "But I know you're next."
"Why? Why would anyone want to kill me?" Her heart was beginning to ache from pounding so hard. Why was Sam doing this?
"The award."
Don't you remember the award? The dark, neurotic voice on the telephone? The memory stole the firm, solid ground beneath her feet and she began to shake uncontrollably. "That's ridiculous."
"You know that." Sam lifted one eyebrow. "The police know that. Everyone knows that - but someone forgot to tell him. He wants to kill you. Your thinking that the idea is ridicu lous won't keep him from doing it."
He believed it. Somewhere that truth clicked in her head. "Oh, Sam. Let me get you some help."
"I have proof that everything I've told you is true."
"Everything?"
"Everything I told you this morning," he amended, fluidly closing in on her, his movements so graceful that she almost didn't notice. A crushed lamp and a chaotic stack of miscellany were all that separated them. Another step and he would be within grabbing distance.
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Sensuality Level: Sweet (G-rated)
Product Description
There is something about Jonna Sanders' new hired hand, Sam Barton, that disturbs her-- something more than just how dangerously attractive she finds him. Should she trust this mysterious, sensuous stranger?
When her peaceful, isolated world is shattered by eerie phone calls, destructive but unseen intruders, and someone stalking her, Sam's presence should be reassuring... but it isn't. A serial killer has chosen her as his next victim and the killer could be anyone. Even Sam.
Excerpt
A rustling noise sounded behind her and Jonna bolted to her feet.
Sam stood in the doorway, white-faced.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, curling the telephone receiver pro tectively to her chest with one hand.
Sam's eyes scanned the disaster, then clashed with hers. She stepped warily backward, coming up short as her calf contacted one of the end tables.
"Jonna, I'm sorry. I should have been here. I could have stopped this. Stopped him," he added with an extra layer of venom.
Him? Jonna searched frantically for a way around Sam. If he would keep playing games like this, if he was crazy, he would -
The gun. Damn. She'd left it in the pickup.
"What a con artist," she said, sarcasm disguising her fright. "Do you expect me to believe you didn't do this?"
"I didn't, Jonna. I swear on my life." He took a step in her direction, then froze at her yelped scream.
"Jonna, please. Listen to me."
She felt an unwelcome stab of sympathy at his tortured expression, but reminded herself he was one heck of an ac tor. And dangerous and deranged besides. She had to get that through her head and base every reaction on that fact and that fact alone. Dangerous. Deranged.
"Get out of my house. I told you I'd call the police." She looked at the phone and reached to dial 911.
"Don't you get it?"
"Get what? That you are crazy and...and...?"
"That someone wants to kill you," he said, enunciating each word carefully.
"Me?"
"I'm here to stop him."
"Who?"
"I don't know." He bowed his head. His jaw did that tightening thing that made the muscle there flex.
"The man who wants to kill you murdered my sister," he said. "He also killed a woman in Colorado. Probably an other. There may have been others - I'm not sure," he said. "But I know you're next."
"Why? Why would anyone want to kill me?" Her heart was beginning to ache from pounding so hard. Why was Sam doing this?
"The award."
Don't you remember the award? The dark, neurotic voice on the telephone? The memory stole the firm, solid ground beneath her feet and she began to shake uncontrollably. "That's ridiculous."
"You know that." Sam lifted one eyebrow. "The police know that. Everyone knows that - but someone forgot to tell him. He wants to kill you. Your thinking that the idea is ridicu lous won't keep him from doing it."
He believed it. Somewhere that truth clicked in her head. "Oh, Sam. Let me get you some help."
"I have proof that everything I've told you is true."
"Everything?"
"Everything I told you this morning," he amended, fluidly closing in on her, his movements so graceful that she almost didn't notice. A crushed lamp and a chaotic stack of miscellany were all that separated them. Another step and he would be within grabbing distance.
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Used availability for Val Daniels's Between Dusk and Dawn