Good combination of romance and suspense. Lori is a deputy sheriff in Pine Bluff, the hometown she returned to after a stint in the army. The oldest of seven, Lori moved out of the family home into the house she inherited from her aunt when she realized she needed some space from her family. She is also a little frustrated at work when the men she trains end up senior to her, even though she's better qualified. When she picks up a terrified young girl late one night, she immediately suspects a new resident.

Samuel Coulter moved to Pine Bluff from Miami and set up a Reptile Refuge, popular with tourists and teenagers. Something about the man doesn't sit right with Lori. She's even more suspicious when one of her sister's friends gets involved with an employee there. However, she has no proof of any wrongdoing and runs afoul of Samuel's lawyer when she tries to get a search warrant.

Big-city lawyer Simon Wingate came to Pine Bluff to help his grandfather with his practice. The timing worked well because Simon was encouraged to take some time off from his Atlanta firm after getting into some trouble there. He's not exactly thrilled to be out in the boonies, so he jumps when Samuel hires him. He quickly regrets his decision.

Lori and Simon get off to a rough start when he objects to her request for a search warrant. Despite her attraction to him, Lori bluntly tars Simon with the same brush as Samuel. I felt bad for Simon, who was just as attracted to Lori but couldn't get her to see past her dislike of Samuel to look at him as himself. Lori refuses to give up trying to get Simon to see his client as dangerous and finds herself spending more time with him. Their interactions span from antagonistic to flirty, with some serious sparks thrown in for good measure. I liked watching their relationship develop despite being on opposite sides of the issue, though it doesn't take long for Lori to get through to Simon. But even if he kicks Samuel to the curb, what about his plans to leave Pine Bluff as soon as possible? Lori's roots run deep in Pine Bluff. I loved the ending. Simon's protectiveness reveals his feelings for Lori. It was sweet to see how he needed to see her safe even though he knew and supported her capabilities. His big moment at the end was terrific.

The suspense of the story kept me hooked from start to finish. Samuel Colter gave me the creeps from the moment he showed up, and I fully understood Lori's point of view. The incidents with the teenage girls put him on Lori's radar, and she wasn't going to let go. Meanwhile, the things that Samuel required of Simon began to grate on him and raise his suspicions. I loved the conversations Simon had with both Lori and the sheriff. I laughed to see them talk about Samuel and their suspicions while adhering to the letter of the law and ethics. Combined with the sheriff receiving a visit from a former coworker at the DEA, the truth about Samuel's activities became evident. I loved both parts of the final confrontation. The scene in Simon's office kept me hooked as Samuel walked right into the trap but required some extra "attention" from Simon before it was all over. The second part had me glued to the pages as Lori got her chance to check out the Reptile Refuge. Intense action made the resolution even more satisfying. ( )