How would you feel if…

Giveaway Alert!

How would it feel if you were being watched, but didn’t know who was watching? If you knew you were being followed, but couldn’t see who was following? If you received anonymous letters? If you crossed continents to escape your past and your mistakes, then discovered those mistakes haven’t been forgotten? If, after years of solitude, you suddenly fell in love but knew you had no right to a love story?

After a scandalous affair with an embezzler, journalist Anne Pierson has come to hide out in backwoods Turkey. If her life has been one of dull routine for the last ten years, at least she’s felt safe — even if this isn’t a safe country, even if the police can’t be trusted, even if the slightest whiff of gossip can turn friends into implacable enemies. And now, a passionate attraction to archaeologist Renaud Townsend threatens to compromise her and everyone she knows.

Important artifacts are being stolen from the archaeological site of Karakuyu, and Renaud Townsend, site director, is determined to discover who is responsible. All the clues point to Anne Pierson’s involvement, yet he can’t believe she’s guilty. But what if he’s wrong? What if he’s letting a one-night stand with a beautiful woman cloud his judgment? And what if both he and Anne are in deadly danger?

Excerpt

The door opened. Anne looked up. And froze. Speak of the wolf and you see his tail.

Renaud Townsend. She stared at his long, tight body, the tousle of sun-bleached hair. Noted again his casual, elegant saunter as he entered. Remarkable. But what was he doing here? What

mad coincidence had brought him to Necmettin’s café? And now that he was here, how

could she avoid him? Get up and go home? Her fingers inched toward her purse strap in

preparation for the getaway, while she lowered her head and pretended to read. But,

despite her desire not to look, she couldn’t help glancing up.

He was watching her.

Their eyes locked. Time became fluid, spilled out into a long, loose eternity.

Until, finally, he was moving again, easing his way toward her, stopping beside her

table, his blue eyes radiating intimacy.

Intimacy she didn’t need. Or want.

“Hello.” His voice was warm, coaxing. Very different from the tone she’d heard this

morning.

Speech temporarily deserted her. His eyes scanned her mouth slowly, and her throat

closed. His gaze was as intimate as a caress.

“I’m happy I’ve run into you again.”

He meant it; she saw that. Did it mean he’d been looking for her? Combing the scruffy

town until he found her? Ridiculous. Why be preoccupied by a woman he’d met only

briefly?

“I want to apologize for my rudeness at the site this morning. I felt guilty all

afternoon.”

She stared at him blankly. Humility was the last thing she’d expected. She fought her

curiosity … and lost the fight. “Guilty?” He didn’t look like the sort of man who’d know

what the word meant. She had him pegged; she knew his type. He was a man who helped

himself to what he wanted and ignored the rest. As easy to read as a fluorescent billboard.

He nodded. “Please, let me explain.”

But he didn’t look quite so sure of himself now. And she felt herself relenting. “You

don’t have to explain anything.”

“Of course I don’t have to.” His lips twitched into a faint smile. “I want to. My

behavior was offensive.”

She forced herself to shrug, as if his explanation didn’t matter to her. She had to

discourage him, because friendliness was the last thing she needed from him. Arrogance

she could deal with; it would be easy keeping him at arm’s length with that. But warmth?

Sympathy? She didn’t think she was strong enough to handle those, not when his very

presence excited her, made her want to open up to him. “Explanations really aren’t

necessary, Mr. Townsend. Please don’t bother—”

“Not Mr. Townsend. Renaud. Just Renaud and Anne, okay?”

How calm, how vibrant his voice was. There wasn’t the slightest trace of the

aggression she’d heard this morning. And first names were too intimate. She wanted to

stop him, say, “I don’t want you in my territory. You spell trouble.” She didn’t want

complications and emotional upheaval. Those would churn up her daily life, turn it into

complete misery.

Yet it was a nice name. Renaud. She tried the weight of it in a part of her mind.

“Yes,” she heard her own traitorous mouth murmur.

He indicated the second chair at Anne’s small table. “Mind if I sit?”

Of course she minded. Or did she have a mind left at all? She shook her head. He’d

traded in the tight T-shirt for a loose, beige shirt that managed to suggest all the tight

muscles it hid. He still wore jeans, though. Tight, worn jeans outlining his thighs. His hair

had been brushed back into a semblance of order, but a few unruly curls invited her

fingers to touch.

“It’s the first time I’ve been on a site in Turkey. I know nothing about local customs; I

don’t speak a word of the language. And having responsibility for the site dropped onto

my shoulders only days ago made me less than pleasant this morning.”

“I wasn’t particularly charming either.” She hadn’t wanted to say that. Oh, why was he

making her say things she’d had no intention of admitting? The last thing she should be

doing was encouraging him, opening the door to easy conversation.

“Call it revenge.”

THE TURKISH AFFAIR

Danger at the ancient Hittite site of Karakuyu

A top notch Washington journalist before a liaison with the wrong man implicated her in scandal, Anne Pierson has been hiding in backwoods Turkey and working as a translator. She’s determined to keep her past a secret, to avoid personal relationships. But after meeting Renaud Townsend, her discrete little world is turned upside down.

Archaeologist Renaud Townsend is troubled by Anne Pierson’s refusal to talk about her past, but instinct tells him he can rely on her. Or is it only desire speaking? A lusty love affair for the duration of the summer dig is a very appealing idea.

When Anne’s bad reputation links her to stolen artefacts and murder, the budding romance with Renaud comes to a halt. If they learn to trust one another, her name can be cleared. But is there still enough
intensity to give love a second chance?

https://www.amazon.com/Turkish-Affair-J-Arlene-Culiner-ebook/dp/B01KGO49XS
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/J.+Arlene+Culiner
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-turkish-affair

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Tuesday, December 13, 2016