Emotional second chance romance combined with intense suspense kept me glued to the pages from beginning to end. Dominique and Stanton had a hot and heavy affair going two years earlier. Their attraction was off the charts, but so were their conflicts. Both put in long hours with their work, he with his security company and her as an investigative reporter. Stanton wanted more, and when he proposed marriage, he didn't listen when she said she wasn't ready. Instead, it was marriage or nothing, so she walked away, leaving both of them with broken hearts.

Two years later, Dominique pursues the story of a lifetime. Charlie Hamm, a prisoner she worked with, convinced her that he was innocent and was set up but was murdered in prison before she could help. The evidence against him was processed by the same rogue forensic scientist who manipulated other cases and has since disappeared. Dominique's investigation led her to the witness against Charlie, but before she could interview him, someone attempted to strangle her. The timely arrival of Stanton saved her. She didn't know yet that her father had hired Stanton to be her bodyguard while working on this story.

Though she doesn't like it, Dominique quickly comes to understand that she needs Stanton's protection. She stirred up a hornet's nest as her investigation gets closer to the head of a local drug cartel. Stanton takes his task seriously, but being this close to Dominique plays havoc with his emotions. Getting involved with her again just begs for another broken heart, Dominique wants to believe she's over him, but being together 24/7 shows how wrong she is. Neither expected the difference two years apart made. Stanton still wants to protect her but understands what drives her and supports her. Dominique becomes a little more open to taking reasonable precautions without giving up her independence. As they spend more time together, old feelings rekindle, but neither one says anything, too wary of another broken heart. I liked that each of them looked honestly at their own behavior and saw where they made mistakes. The question was, would they learn from those mistakes? I loved the ending, as roles reversed and Dominique tried to get through to Stanton. His big moment at the end was terrific.

The suspense stayed intense from beginning to end. Dominique's determination to get the truth about Charlie's case put her at odds with both the local drug cartel leader and the Grave Gulch PD. Dominique has not been shy about her opinion of the GGPD's refusal to work with her, nor has she backed off from linking the cartel to her investigation. At the beginning of the book, the attack opened her eyes to the target she placed on herself, which made it a little easier to accept Stanton's help. However, it doesn't stop her from pursuing her story, which keeps her in danger.

Further attacks make it plain that the cartel won't stop until she's dead. I liked seeing Dominique and Chief Colton agree that they're on the same side and exhibit some cooperation. The intensity ramps up when Dominique finally hears from her witness and sets up a meeting. Everyone agrees it's probably a trap but go for it anyway. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Dominique found herself at the mercy of the cartel leader. The resolution was fantastic - I loved how Dominique used what she learned from Stanton.

Some progress was made in the series plot of the rogue forensic scientist Randall Bowe. A little more comes out about what he did and those that were suspicious of his actions. There are also suspicions that there may be a corrupt cop or two on the force. I can't wait to see how this all plays out. ( )