Desert Heat — D'Ann Lindun

Mallory James doesn't trust men. How could she when her own father abandoned her twenty-two years ago? Now, when she receives a phone call from a man claiming to have found the body of her father in the Arizona desert, Mallory has no way to find out the truth. For closure, she flies to Phoenix to claim the body.

Mike Malone has more trouble than he knows how to cope with. An environmental group, the Salt River Protection League, has gotten an injunction that prevents his guest ranch from operating. Tired of the battle, his longtime girlfriend has left him, and his friends - all depending on him for their livelihood - are getting desperate. The last thing he needs is the body of desert rat, Skeeter James, in one of his vacant cabins. And Mike really doesn't need a beautiful woman taking his mind off business.

The minute Mallory reaches the deserted guest ranch things seem odd. Mike's friends aren't welcoming, and one in particular, Diana, seems to want Mallory gone. A vial of gold and half a treasure map are the only legacy Skeeter leaves. Before she can have the burial, Mallory is lured into the desert, bucked off a horse sabotaged by a thorn under his saddle blanket and stalked. Although she is falling for Mike, she can't love a man she can't trust. At first, Mike is skeptical of Mallory's claims, but as incidents begin to pile up, he is forced to admit someone is trying to hurt her. But how can they stop what they don't understand?

"Sensuality Level": Sensual