The Guardian
Taskforce Series
James-York Press
Contemporary Romance, Contemporary Romance: Romantic Suspense
December 20, 2012
ISBN-10: 1938732022
ISBN-13: 9781938732027
Available in: Trade Size (reprint)
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The Guardian
by Marliss Melton
When a highly esteemed prisoner-reintegration program falls under suspicion of being a terrorist training ground, the Taskforce sends Special Agent Jackson Maddox undercover to investigate. Going by the name Abdul, Jackson fits right in, until his cover is threatened by a sexy journalist taking his picture. If his mission weren’t so critical, he wouldn’t mind being the object of her fixation. But when he confronts her, the hot-as-hell bombshell denies everything before slipping through his fingers.
Crime journalist Lena Alexandra isn’t going anywhere. One of the parolees at the program murdered her sister a decade earlier and got away with it. Determined to send the killer back to jail, Lena secures a job at a nearby convenience store and sets about interviewing parolees for a book she’s allegedly writing. Her objective— to use her astute interviewing skills and stunning sex appeal to get the killer to confess. Dangerous plan? Yes, but not even the gorgeous ex-con named Abdul can derail her, not even when she finds out who he really is.
As the summer nights heat up, Jackson’s probe reveals startling evidence that could endanger the nation’s capital. He can’t battle his desire for Lena and subdue a fanatical leader at the same time. And Lena can’t corner her sister’s killer as long as an undercover FBI agent persists in trying to protect her. As peril looms for both of them, Lena and Jackson must learn to trust each other with their secrets . . . and their lives.
Other Books by Marliss Melton
Marliss Melton's Bio
My greatest blessing was to grow up overseas without any television time. Sure, I missed out on The Waltons and Saturday morning cartoons, but how many kids get to ride on the back of an elephant, eat candied ants, visit every museum and chateaux in Paris, or track tigers in northern Thailand? As the youngest of four daughters, I had the example of my brilliant sisters, who read voraciously, and I bypassed Nancy Drew to read every book in the Hardy Boys series. (That was the first indication of my fascination for male heroes). By the sixth grade, I'd discovered Victoria Holt and moved back to the United States . I wrote my first book—a wretched historical novel—when I was thirteen. Two teenage years in Houston, Texas, saw me reading Harlequin® romances and writing several more books.
I've always been an over-achiever, with so many interests it was frustrating to have to choose just one career. I could have been an opera singer—but no. I excelled in language and for many years taught high school English, Spanish, and then Linguistics at the College of William and Mary, my alma mater.
But my first love, writing romance, remained a dream for decades. I wrote throughout my twenties and early thirties, completing more manuscripts, getting really serious with agents and publishers, etc. Danger's Promise (writing as Marliss Moon), a medieval romance, was finally published in 2002, becoming a RITA finalist for Best First Book. Since then, I've written ten books (some waiting to be released) and I've branched into romantic suspense featuring Navy SEALs. (My husband is a Navy veteran, making military romance a natural fit.)
My personal life is frankly hectic. We have children ranging from college students to a first-grader. I think that says it all. But I always find time for my loyal readers, so feel free to introduce yourself to me, as I have to you.