Publisher: Harelquin
Date of publication: June 2015
Stanton Rourke lives life on the edge. The steely mercenary
is dangerous in every way…especially to Clarisse Carrington’s heart. She and
Rourke were playmates as children, but she’s not the innocent girl he once
knew. When tragedy robbed Clarisse of her entire family, her life was changed
forever. Besides, she’s a grown woman now, and there are secrets that hold her
back from succumbing to her pursuer. As she struggles to keep her distance,
sparks as hot as a Texas summer fly between them. But danger is following
Clarisse, leaving her no choice but to rely on Rourke, even as the old wounds
lying dormant between them flare up again…
“Palmer…is the queen of desperado quests for justice and
true love.” -Publishers Weekly
“The popular Palmer has penned another winning novel, a
perfect blend of romance and suspense.”–Booklist on Lawman
“Diana Palmer is a mesmerizing storyteller who captures the
essence of what a romance should be.”–Affaire de Coeur
Excerpt:
He took the invitation back to bed with him, scanning
it once more. Tat would be in Medina. He put the invitation on the bedside
table and stretched out, his hands behind his head, his body arching softly as
it relived the exquisite memory of Tat half-naked in his arms, so many years
ago, moaning as he touched her soft breasts and made the pretty pink nipples
go hard as little rocks.
The memories aroused him and he
moaned. Tat in his arms again. He could
hold her, kiss her, touch her, have her. He shuddered. It would take time and
patience, much patience, but he had a reason to live now. It was the first time
in years that he felt happy.
Not that she was going to welcome him with open arms.
And there was the matter of her lovers, and there had to have been many.
But that didn’t matter, he told himself firmly, as
long as he was her last lover. He’d bring her here, to the game park. They
could live together…
No. His expression was grim. Despite her diversions,
Tat was still religious. She would never consent to live with him unless he
made a commitment. A real one.
He got up from the bed and went to the wall safe. He
opened it and took out a small gray box. He opened it. His hand touched the
ring with tenderness. It had belonged to his mother. It was a square-cut
emerald, surrounded by small diamonds, in a yellow gold setting. Tat loved
yellow gold. It was all she wore.
He closed the case, relocked the safe and tucked the
ring into the pocket of a suit in the closet. He would take it with him. Tat
wasn’t getting away this time, he promised himself. He was going to do whatever
it took to get her back into his life.
He lay back down and turned out the lights. For the
first time in years, he slept through the night.
Three days later, K.C. came into the living room,
where Rourke was making airline reservations on a laptop computer.
“You’re going to Barrera, then?” K.C. asked.
Rourke grinned. “You’d better believe it,” he
chuckled. “I’ve got my mother’s engagement ring packed. This time, Tat’s not
getting away.”
K.C. sighed and smiled
tenderly. “I can’t think of any woman in the world I’d rather have for a
daughter-in-law, Stanton.”
Something in the way he said it caught Rourke’s
attention. He finished the ticket purchase, printed out the ticket and turned
toward the other man.
“Something up?” he asked.
K.C. moved closer. He was looking at the younger man
with pride. He smiled. “I knew all along. But the doctor just phoned.”
Rourke’s heart skipped. “And…?”
K.C. looked proud, embarrassed, happy. “You really are
my son.”
“Damn!” Rourke started laughing. The joy in his eyes
matched the happiness in his father’s.
K.C. just stared at him for a minute. Then he jerked
the other man into his arms and hugged him. Rourke hugged him back.
“I’m sorry…about the way it happened,” K.C. said
heavily, drawing back. “But not about the result.” He searched Rourke’s face.
“My son.” He bit down on a surge of emotion. “I’ve got a son.”
Rourke was fighting the same emotion. He managed a
smile. “Ya.”
K.C. put a hand on Rourke’s shoulder. “Listen, it’s
your decision. I’ll do whatever you want. I was your legal guardian when you
were underage. But I would like to formally adopt you. I would like you to have
my name.”
Rourke thought about the man who’d been his father,
who’d raised him. Bill Rourke had loved him, although he must have certainly
thought that Rourke didn’t favor him. Bill had been dark-haired and dark-eyed.
The man he’d called his real father had been good to him, even if there hadn’t
been the sort of easy affection he’d always felt for K.C.
“It was just a thought,” K.C.
said, hesitating now.
Purchase Links
About Diana Palmer
An icon in western romance,
Diana Palmer has been writing with Harlequin since 1980 and has published over
180 titles, with over 61 million books sold! When not writing, Susan’s hobbies
are gardening, knitting, crocheting, astronomy, archaeology and animals. She
also has dogs, cats, birds and lizards.
EXCERPT TOUR for Untamed by
Diana Palmer:
Monday, June 22nd: Book
Mama Blog
Tuesday, June 23rd: A
Chick Who Reads
Wednesday, June 24th: Broken
Teepee
Thursday, June 25th: Urban
Girl Reader
Friday, June 26th: Book Reviews
& More by Kathy
Monday, June 29th: Read
Love Blog
Tuesday, June 30th: Bibliotica
Wednesday, July 1st: The
Sassy Bookster
Thursday, July 2nd: Bibliophilia,
Please
Friday, July 3rd: Books
and Spoons
Tuesday, July 7th: Let
Them Read Books
Thursday, July 9th: Romance
Novels for the Beach
Friday, July 10th: Raven
Haired Girl
Monday, July 13th: A
Night’s Dream of Books
TBD: One Curvy Blogger
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