Little Girl Gone
by Amanda Stevens
on-sale Dec.28
Harlequin Intrigue
Blurb:
Nothing matters more to her when a child’s life is at stake.
Special agent Thea Lamb returns to her hometown to search for a child whose disappearance echoes a twenty-eight-year-old cold caseโher twin sister’s abduction. Working with her former partner, Jake Stillwell, Thea must overcome the pain, doubt and guilt that have tormented her for years and denied her a meaningful relationship. For both Thea and Jake, the job always came firstโฆuntil now.
IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335489357
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/little-girl-gone-amanda-stevens/1139689805?ean=9781335489357ย
Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335555557_little-girl-gone.html
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Excerpt:
โWhile I was trying to fish the doll out of the pool, someone came from behind and hit me over the head hard enough to daze me. Next thing I know, Iโm caught in a whirlpool several feet below the surface. I lost my flashlight, so I was spun around underwater in complete darkness. No up, no down.โ He paused. โFor a while there, I wasnโt sure how Iโd get out.โ
Thea watched his expression as he spoke. He still seemed shaken from the experience. Sheโd never seen him like that. โI knew something bad must have happened.โ
He summoned a brief smile. โI know what youโre thinking. I even thought so myself at the time. So much for my keen instincts. Someone came up behind me and I never sensed a thing.โ
โThatโs not what Iโm thinking.โ
โNo?โ
โIโm thinking you could have died down there and I would never have known what happened to you.โ
โThea.โ He said her name so softly she might have thought the tender missive was nothing more than a breeze sighing through the treetops.
The sun bearing down on them was hot and relentless, but Thea felt a little shiver go through her. It hit her anew how much sheโd missed that tender glint in his eyes as their gazes locked. How much sheโd missed his husky whispers in the dark. The glide of his hand along her bare skin, the tease of his lips and tongue against her mouth. The way he had held her afterward, as if he never wanted to let her go. But he had let her go and sheโd done nothing to stop him.
She drew a shaky breath. โDonโt ever do that to me again.โ
โGet caught in a whirlpool? Iโll do my best.โ
She scowled at him. โDonโt make light. You know what I mean.โ
โIโm fine, Thea.โ He seemed on the verge of saying something else, but he held back. Maybe he thought she wanted his restraint. She did, didnโt she? They were in a precarious situation. Adrenaline and attraction could be a dangerous combination. Throw in unresolved issues and they were asking for trouble.
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Author Info:
Amanda Stevens is an award-winning author of over fifty novels. Born and raised in the rural south, she now resides in Houston, Texas.
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Romantic Reads and Such 