Stolen Treasures
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~What the story’s about~
Claire Saunders is on the brink of realizing her dreams and putting her past behind her. She could care less about a group of pirates preying on San Diego. Nothing will derail her. Or so she thinks, until she finds herself an unwilling passenger aboard a schooner at sea. A reluctant participant in a covert operation, she sails further and further away from everything she’s worked so hard for. Without her there, everything she’s worked so hard for will fall apart.
Hot-shot agent Dion Gaetani can’t believe he’s been saddled with a civilian. Worse—a woman. Guilt-ridden over a prior op gone bad, this is a burden he doesn’t need.
Together, they must work in close quarters to capture a rogue band of pirates. The stakes are high. Dion’s own boat, the Treasure, is the bait. And an unwelcome yet undeniable desire is the complication.
~REVIEWS~
5 Delightful Divas from Dark Diva Reviews!
“Stolen Treasures is a wonderful book! It has romance, adventure, and suspense all wrapped up in one edge-of-your-seat story.”
~EXCERPT~
Finally, after a third hail, a head appeared above her, slowly followed by a body hard to ignore. Tanned, muscular legs gave way to khaki cut-offs, complete with frayed ends. The t-shirt was modern but dirt-smudged and tight enough to show off an impressive chest and arms. Further up, longish, dark hair, scruffy stubble, and unreadable eyes completed the illusion. He looked like a pirate.
Claire glanced up at the mast, half expecting to see the infamous Jolly Roger flying there.
He didn’t say a word, and she felt her cheeks flare with heat as he observed her. Using her clipboard as a fan, Claire let her brain delude her into believing the warmth seeping slowly through her body was weather related.
That’s when he raised a leg to place a sandaled foot on the boat’s railing, flexing well-defined muscles. The tempo of her fanning increased.
Yes, this guy could easily pass for a pirate. One of those old time swashbucklers who stole their women away to ravage them in the privacy of the captain’s quarters. Tall, dark and…scowling? Wait a minute. That wasn’t the way the fairytale went, was it?
Struggling to regain some composure, she adjusted her sunglasses and dug deep to remember why she stood here.
“I’m afraid you’re not supposed to be here.”
He just stared at her. That’s all. No response, no raised eyebrow. Nothing, damn it.
“Did you hear me?”
“Yes.”
She quickly suppressed the small shiver that trailed down her back. “Well, then?”
“Where is it you think I’m not supposed to be?”
“Here!” she said, pointing at the dock for effect.
He simply stared at her again. She stiffened. She had a long to-do list today and, muscled or not, this sailor stood directly in her path.
“You need to move this boat.”
“No. I don’t,” he replied casually.
“What?” She tried very hard not to shriek.
“I said, ‘No, I don’t.'” He turned away and disappeared as if the conversation was over.
Claire’s mouth dropped open. Instinct overrode thought as she hurried to the gangplank. She struggled to quickly navigate the steep angle and halfway up, tripped.
That figures. Limping now, she chose to ignore the standard “permission to come aboard” courtesy and kept going until she caught up to him.
As she took a moment to consider him, something began to thread its way around her anger. He was taller than her, but not too tall.
Danger oozed from him in waves of intimidation. His eyes weren’t just dark. They were like deep night, black, distant, and dispassionate. His mouth was the opposite of unemotional, however. Nothing more than thin lines showed, and Claire faltered.
He really did resemble a pirate, even more so up close. She glanced back and realized how far she’d have to run if escape became necessary.
“Permission to come aboard granted,” he said with slow, smooth precision.
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For information about Pirate’s Promise, book 2 in the Tropical Persuasions series, click here.