Within His Embrace
Heart of Justice, book 4
Erotic Romantic Suspense
Available November 23 from Liquid Silver Books

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With her job gone and her carefully crafted life plan wrecked, Leigh Strong decides to take a short vacation from reality before she has to face putting it all back together again. A wild shootout puts her in the sight of SWAT cop Craig MacGilvary, the man she is fiercely drawn to, but that drives her crazy at the same time. She finds his stern, strong and silent personality a tad too uptight and decides he needs to live a little. She’s determined to discover if he’s really stoic, or if under all that starch burns a man of fire.
Craig’s ordered world is interrupted by the extroverted, live-it-up Leigh. Her in-your-face style disturbs his desire to keep things in line, and the feral attraction he feels for her arouses a fierce need to protect. They discover an unexpected and sizzling passion that makes him question his sanity. When her past and his catch up with them, and danger follows hot on their heels, the perils they’ll face apart and together will test all their resolve in both career and love.

As Craig tended to her wound, she noticed the gathering crowd. She peppered Craig with questions. “What is going on? Why did that jackass shoot at me? Have I made enemies I don’t know about?”

He explained about Delilah’s old boyfriend having a grudge and shooting her new boyfriend near Delilah’s house. “That’s all I know.”

“Oh, God. I should call her. She’s all right isn’t she?”

“Don’t know. Hold still while I finish this and then you can call her.”

Backup came in the form of a city police cruiser with two cops. Craig relayed what happened at the scene while the city officers asked her questions and took her report.

“How did you happen to be so close?” she asked Craig when the police started taping off the area.

Craig stared at her with his trademark intense look. A little over six feet tall, he commanded respect. His military-short golden blond hair receded a bit at the hairline. With a nicely cut nose, firm jaw line, and looks too rough-hewn to qualify as handsome, Craig possessed a masculinity that screamed don’t mess with me loud and clear. His wide shoulders, muscled arms, and trim waist made the short-sleeved brown uniform look as if it was tailor made for him.

He shrugged, hands on hips and firm cop face in place. “I was headed through town and heard the call.” For a split second his expression softened, his eyes meeting hers with a clear, unguarded sincerity. For a fleeting moment his professional exterior disappeared and she thought she saw real panic on his face. “When I thought you might be in danger I--” He cleared his throat and his composure returned. “I happened to be nearby.”

Amazement blossomed inside her. He spent most of their infrequent social encounters making sure he could escape as soon as possible. He always seemed to be running away. The fact that he’d run toward danger for her blew Leigh away.

Nah. Craig MacGilvary barely stands the sight of me. He was doing his job, nothing more. He would have done the same for anyone. What’s the motto? To protect and serve? He’s seen many people injured and shot. I must have imagined it.

“Well, thank you.” She didn’t know what else to say.

Not that she had much more of a chance, because the ambulance drove up. Though she felt like a dweeb, she allowed the paramedics to check her out. She half expected Craig to disappear, but like a sentinel he hovered, disapproving and glowering, in the background but not far away.

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