It's out!! (Okay, right NOW, it's not on the new release page, but maybe it will be when you read this.)

I'm also at Nobody Writes It Better today, posting about romantic adventure.

Here's another excerpt for you:

No matter how she’d prepared herself for affecting a cool reaction, nothing readied her for the man who approached. He moved with sinuous grace, hard muscled, lean faced, with his dark hair cropped close in what he called his “dig cut”, easier to keep clean. Silver-blue eyes glinted in the firelight. Her mouth dried up at the sight of him in the muscle-shirt style she’d always loved, his broad shoulders and sculpted arms tanned dark. She’d never touch him again, and the loss of familiarity weighted her belly. The past couple of years had been good to the man she’d known nearly half her life. The man who’d turned his back on everything she held precious.

Adrian Reeves, gorgeous as ever.

“Mal.” He was the only one to call her that. He braced a booted foot on a tree stump, the picture of virility. Unbidden, memories of being wrapped in those arms flooded back.

Mallory swallowed. “Adrian.”

“You look good.” His mocking smile took in her mud-spattered boots and pants even as his Scottish burr tickled her nerves. “Never thought I’d see you in those clothes again.”

She pushed away her reaction to his look, that jump in her stomach, by recalling Jonathan’s
expression of surprise when she’d packed. Her need to keep her gear had given him evidence she hadn’t put this life behind her as she’d claimed.

“Toney wouldn’t tell me what you’re looking at. I think he’s still mad at me.” She glanced after the younger man as he strolled off toward an open-sided tent before she turned to Adrian. “Have you found something good?”

A light came into his eyes, sending the cynicism she’d seen there before scurrying into the shadows. That hadn’t changed. Dr. Adrian Reeves loved his work.

“You might say that. Will you be able to stay through tomorrow? I’ve got some stuff to show you.”

He rubbed his palms together, grinned, and she caught a glimpse of the idealistic boy she’d loved. She glanced toward the dunes. On the other side would be the dive boat, the gear they’d need to go out to the site dozens of feet beneath the surface. She could taste the oxygen and feel the regulator in her mouth. The wash of nostalgia was unexpected. Turning back, she shook her head. “I need to get home as soon as I can.”

He stepped forward, his eyes scanning her, but she didn’t flinch. He was looking for a weakness. She refused to show him one.

“You said that on the phone. What’s your hurry?”

God, she didn’t want to tell him the truth, not two seconds after she got out of the truck. “I have a life in the States.”

“One you were willing to drop to come out here.”

“You didn’t leave me any choice.” She held his gaze for a long time, wanting him to understand he’d inconvenienced her, but also needing to hide how much it hurt her to come.

“Yeah, well, you have to stay tonight. I don’t want anyone in the jungle in the dark.” He flicked his gaze over her. “You’re probably hungry.”

He turned away, his body loose limbed, relaxed, the opposite of the tension that ran through her own body.

“Dinner should be almost ready. Let’s hit the mess tent.”

She fell into step beside him, unwilling to give him the slightest edge. “Let me guess. Chili and
beans.”

“The digestive tract’s best friend.” He looked over his shoulder at the Land Cruiser. “You going to leave your bag in the truck?”

She flushed. Over the past few years she’d gotten accustomed to being waited on by bellboys, waiters, valets, but Adrian’s gentle prodding reminded her of his rule—everyone carried their own weight in his camp. She backtracked the few steps to the Land Cruiser for her duffel and turned to see Adrian’s smirk as he recognized the worn bag.