Lucas wrapped his arms around her and twisted his body before
they hit the ground. He’d been aware Teal was about to step into the prairie
dog’s city, but he couldn’t reach her in time to stop her fall. He’d
hit one of the holes in his haste and lost his balance too.
 All he could do now was tuck and roll, keeping her body cushioned with his
own. He landed flat on his back, and finally stopped rolling with the Special
Agent’s inert body splayed like a broken doll across his chest.
The gorgeous Special Agent of his dreams. This couldn’t be good news
for their budding relationship.
“You okay?” he whispered when his breath evened out.
Teal remained quiet, not even stirring in his arms. Did she have the breath
knocked out of her? Was she conscious?
Afraid to move, afraid not to, Lucas held his breath and waited a minute. Finally,
he felt her chest heaving in and out and knew at least she was breathing.
He loosened his grip, and with a sigh of tremendous relief softly placed his
lips against her silken hair. She was okay.
Squirming slightly in his arms, she ended up aligning her limp body exactly
horizontally with his. He cursed under his breath. His body immediately reacted
to the movements and to the feel of a rounded female pressing against him too
intimately. Instead of limp, he went hard. Completely normal for a healthy male.
But not so good for someone who was trying to earn her trust.
He could feel her warm breath against the damp skin of his neck, and chills
began nipping along his spine. His heart raced as he felt her nipples pebble into
his chest.
Lucas began to shake. His body wanted one thing - - desperately. But his head
knew better than to let anything like that happen between them. Not yet.
“Please,” he begged. “You have to get up. It wouldn’t
do your career any good for the forensic team to show up and find us rolling around
in the sand together.”
That seemed to get through to her. She groaned and slid off his body to the
ground beside him.
The sound and friction of her movements melted his insides and hardened other
parts. “Talk to me, Teal. Are you injured?”
“How the hell did a cliff come out of nowhere like that? I thought...”
She lifted her head and looked around. “What happened?”
“You stepped into a prairie dog hole and lost your balance. You didn’t
twist your ankle did you?”
She sat up and checked both her ankles. “I guess not. In fact, I seem
to be in remarkably good shape. Is that thanks to you?”
Lucas sat up beside her, hoping the lingering shadows of dawn would hide the
evidence of his own body’s shape. At least until he could get things back
under control.
“It wasn’t anything. I gave you something to land on.”
“That’s twice you’ve saved my life. I own you big time.”
“I would hardly call tripping over a hole in the desert a matter of life
and death. As long as you’re ok...” He stopped himself from finishing.
Would it be better to have her feeling obligated to him? Could that work in his
favor?
He clamped his mouth shut and shrugged. “We’ll work something out.”
Standing, he held out his hand. “Let me help you up. Go slowly until
you’re sure no bones are broken.”
“I’m fine,” she said with as grunt as she got to her feet.
“Just embarrassed. I’m usually pretty agile. I don’t know what’s
the matter with me.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re in a strange land
and unfamiliar with the environment.” He watched as she dusted off her slacks
and jacket. “This might be a sign you know.”
She lifted her eyebrows in question.
“You’re going to need someone to watch over you until you learn
your way around. There’s a lot of hidden dangers in the high desert. Maybe...”
“Are you applying for the job?” Her voice carried an angry note
of sarcasm, and he figured he’d pushed her too fast after all.
“Teal. I’m just saying you could use some help. Temporarily, of
course. I’d be willing to...”
“Forget it. The FBI would not approve of one of their special agents
needing a bodyguard. It’s against regulation.”
Lucas dropped the subject. But he had to find a way to stay close to her. Teal
could potentially be in danger from things she didn’t even know existed.
And he was positive it would somehow be his destiny to keep her safe.
He considered his options for a moment. Now that he thought about it, she’d
given him a good idea. Perhaps there was a way to make the FBI change at least
one of their regulations.
From the book: SHADOW SURRENDER
by Linda Conrad
Silhouette Romantic Suspense
March 2007
ISBN 978-0-373-27527-4
Copyright 2007
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher
Missing Lines
How embarrassing! I've learned that SHADOW SURRENDER has two printer errors!
Yikes! Sorry!
Here are the missing lines from Page 70:
“I’m teasing you, Bright Eyes. Relax. If you feel better wearing
your gun, by all means bring it along.”
Guns were not the weapon of choice for Skinwalkers - - or for the Brotherhood.
But if they ran into any of the evil ones, a bullet would kill them just as dead.
Lucas hadn’t yet decided whether the murder and the trouble had anything
to do with the Skinwalkers. But he was determined to protect her from any harm
- - no matter what Teal might believe she could do better on her own.
And here are the missing lines from the end of chapter 13 (page 208)
He wanted to discuss sand painting. Now?
She stood up and stared at him. His hair was still damp from a shower. His
soft jeans and flannel shirt looked terribly romantic today. His artistic long
fingers, the style of his thick black hair growing over his collar. He was the
perfect picture of a sun-kissed, native artist. The artist that had stolen her
heart.
And at the moment he was so infuriating she thought she might scream.
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