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Zusatztext Praise for Virginia Kantra and the Dare Island novels “Virginia Kantra delivers.”—Jayne Ann Krentz! New York Times bestselling author “It’s always a joy to read Virginia Kantra.”—JoAnn Ross! New York Times bestselling author “Hums with the rhythm of life…I loved it.”—Mariah Stewart! New York Times bestselling author of At the River’s Edge “Intimate and inviting...Contemporary romance at its most gratifying.”— USA Today Informationen zum Autor Virginia Kantra Klappentext Jack Rossi is Dare Island's new police chief. The laid-back North Carolina community is just what he needs to recover from a rocky marriage and a big-city police department. He's learned his lesson: no more high-profile women or high-pressure jobs. The last thing he wants is an unconventional alt girl rocking his world. Grad student Lauren Patterson made headlines when she kept a bank robbery from going bad. She's fled to Dare Island to clear her head and focus on writing her story. However! sexy Jack Rossi is a distraction that's too hot to ignore! and it's igniting an affair too combustible to resist—or quit. But when their pasts come looking for them! Jack and Lauren find themselves fighting for the future they deserve! whatever the price. Leseprobe One LAUREN PATTERSON ENTRENCHED herself in the corner table of Jane’s Sweet Tea House, barricaded behind her laptop, a latte, and a Glorious Morning muffin. Facing a blank computer screen wasn’t nearly as terrifying as confronting three masked men with guns, she told herself firmly. She hadn’t frozen then. There was absolutely no excuse for her to be paralyzed now. The July sun pushed past the HELP WANTED sign in the window to pool like syrup on her table. Beyond the shade of live oaks and loblolly pines, beyond the shrubs and shingled rooftops of the harbor, the waters of Pamlico Sound gleamed. Vacationers seeking an air-conditioned respite from the North Carolina heat packed the eclectic bakery. A young couple, broiled pink by the sun, held hands on a sofa. A father in line lifted his little daughter onto his shoulders. All of them happy. Together. Lauren’s muffin stuck in her throat. Behind the counter, a pretty teenager in geek girl glasses struggled to meet the stream of orders for iced espresso drinks. Before Lauren’s fifteen minutes of fame, she’d moonlighted as a barista to make ends meet. The psych department frowned on its graduate students taking outside jobs, but her stipend had barely covered her living expenses. Not to mention all the things her little brother Noah needed that Mom couldn’t afford. Luxuries like game controllers. Athletic shoes. Meat. Lauren swallowed hard. She couldn’t do anything that would plunge her family into that state of financial uncertainty again. The advance from her publisher was already half spent, the publication date set. Late October, so the book would be shelved in time for Christmas but not lost in a sea of cookbooks and gift books. It was already selling briskly online. She just had to finish it. The cheerful silver bells on the door chimed, announcing the arrival of another customer. She looked up, seeking a more positive direction for her thoughts. Or maybe, she admitted, she was simply searching for a distraction. A man stood silhouetted against the brightness outside. Thick, close-cut hair. Lean, muscled body. Dark mirrored sunglasses. Her heart beat faster. A cop. Save me, she thought. She took a deep breath and looked away. The sudden sight of the law was never good news. A uniform at the door, blue lights flashing in the rearview mirror . . . Anybody could get sweaty palms and a dry mouth. She was not having a panic attack. She put her hand on her belly anyway, under the cover of the table, and drew a careful breath. In...
