LITMIR.BIZ

      CONTENTS

      CHAPTER ONE

      CHAPTER TWO

      CHAPTER THREE

      CHAPTER FOUR

      CHAPTER FIVE

      CHAPTER SIX

      CHAPTER SEVEN

      CHAPTER EIGHT

      CHAPTER NINE

      CHAPTER TEN

      CHAPTER ONE

      BLAIRE REGAN got out of the rental car and locked the door. She could smell rain in the early-morning air. It wouldn’t be long before it started falling.

      After glancing around the excavation site outside Warwick, New York, she walked over to a couple of college students emerging from one of several dozen trailers.

      “Excuse me? Could you tell me where I might find Dr. Alik Jarman? I was told he’s the consulting geologist on this project.”

      It had taken several days and many costly, long-distance phone calls to various universities to determine his exact whereabouts in this pastoral section of the state.

      Both heads turned at the same time. The look of blatant male admiration was always flattering, but right now she was too frightened and nervous to appreciate their attention. Her legs were shaking so hard it was a miracle she could still stand, let alone walk.

      The blond one smiled. “He’s living in the trailer at the far end.”

      By some miracle she’d arrived at the right place.

      His buddy asked, “Are you one of Dr. Fawson’s students from New York University?” Hope shone brightly from a pair of warm blue eyes.

      Her reason for being here was no one else’s business, but she couldn’t blame them for flirting. It was early October. College classes had barely started. Naturally they’d assumed she’d come to join the other students she could see working in the distance.

      “I’m afraid not. But thank you for your help.”

      “Anytime,” she heard one of them say as she made her way back to the car and drove the long length of packed dirt. One drop, then another spattered her windshield. It wouldn’t be long before the parking area turned into a mud bog.

      The closer she drew to Alik’s temporary home, the faster her pulse raced. She could hear the blood pounding in her ears.

      In the field, Alik’s day always started at dawn. It was possible he was already out on the site. She’d left the Bluebird Inn in Warwick at five-thirty in the morning, hoping to catch him before he began measuring soil properties or mapping water resources.

      During the Introduction to Geology class she’d taken from the fascinating guest lecturer at UCLA in San Diego, California, a year ago, she’d learned he did a myriad of scientific disciplines in his study of the earth. But those all-too-short talks before and after class hadn’t been enough for Blaire. She’d fallen deeply in love with the ruggedly attractive Easterner after he’d taken her home from school because she was sick.

      Apparently the brief drive to her house hadn’t satisfied his needs, either. Once she’d recovered, he’d suggested they have dinner overlooking the ocean. From that point on they couldn’t bear to be separated from each other. After a short courtship filled with romantic late-night walks along the surf, they set the date for their wedding and he flew her to New York City to meet his family.

      That was when the horror story started. She’d had no choice but to break off their engagement. In truth, Blaire had never imagined she would see him again, especially if she allowed herself to think back to the awful blackness of that period.

      But something unimaginable had come up, something she needed to talk to him about, otherwise she would never be able to live with herself.

      Her mouth went dry as she got out of the car and found the strength to walk through the steady rain to the door of his trailer where she saw a poster mounted. No doubt he’d been forced to make a list of his business hours so the latest group of female students wouldn’t lie in wait for him the way they’d done in San Diego.

      Was he already involved with one of them?

      Stop it, Blaire.

      She didn’t dare start thinking about what he’d been doing for the last ten and half months, let alone the women he’d been dating. Otherwise pain would consume her alive.

      According to the poster, he was available for consultation between four and five in the afternoon, Monday through Friday, unless he was out of town.

      Quickly, before she lost her courage and disappeared in the opposite direction, she lifted her hand and knocked on the door. She waited for a minute and knocked again. When there was no answer, she debated what to do, then tried turning the handle. To her surprise, it gave. She leaned her head inside and called out to him.

      He wasn’t there.

      After flying all the way from the West Coast to see him, she intended to talk to him no matter how long it took. Wondering how much her body could take in anticipation of this meeting, she considered waiting for him in her car. But the place where she’d had to park would prevent her from spotting him if he returned.

      She vacillated for a moment, then decided to wait for him inside his trailer. He had to come back at some point. If the rain kept up, maybe it would be sooner.

      During their courtship, Alik had intimated that when he worked at a site, any trailer would do since he only required the bare necessities. Viewing the drab

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