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  He grimaced. Groaned. Clenched his jaw.

  “Did I hurt you?” Her voice already eased into a sleepy mew.

  “Nope. You’re fine.” Dang, her settling worked his pain threshold. About a twelve on a pain chart of ten. No matter. Marcy was beside him, and the pain meds would kick in soon. The nurse would have a fit. The doc would call this highly improper. Too bad. Feeling her against him was the best medicine he could imagine.

  “JB?”

  “Yes, sugar.”

  She leaned up on her elbow. “I’ve also decided to scale back on my marriage counseling business. Not entirely, but a little.”

  He bit back a smile. “But you’re so good at it.”

  “True. But I’m going to diversify, as big business would say.” She nestled against his chest.

  He grabbed the rail and gripped. Gripped tighter and tighter till she stilled. He blew a long breath of air. “How?”

  “Huh?”

  “Diversify how?”

  “Oh.” Her body relaxed into her dreams. “First, I’m going to volunteer at the women’s shelter over in the county seat. Second, I’ve decided I need a hobby. You may not have noticed, but sometimes I can be a little intense. So I’ve been studying the horticulture book and have decided to grow things. You know…like tulips and tomatoes and…” Her fingers pressed against his chest. “…babies.”

  Babies? The meds must be kicking in, because everything she said made sense. Babies. Yeah, he could see them with a few kids. They’d need a bigger house.

  “I love you, JB.”

  “I love you, too, sugar.”

  His mind and body eased into a pain free float as she jiggled closer. They were both alive. And even though he’d been hurt worse than ever before, here was Marcy. In his bed. Snuggled against his side. She’d even offered to go with him any place he ever wanted to go.

  He tucked his cheek against her hair and grinned. His risk of a lifetime had paid off.

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  IGNITE

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  Acknowledgements

  To think that I’m an author who gets to share the story of my hero and heroine with you is just a little exciting, so please bear with me as I thank a few of the wonderful people who made this all possible.

  First and foremost, I want to thank my always supportive family who’s been there with me through all the ups and downs, writes and rewrites, wins and losses. Without their encouragement and belief in me, this path would have been harder to follow. You are my bright and shining stars, and I’ll love you forever. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

  Then there’s my fabulous romance critique group (Cosmos With A Twist) who’s not afraid to tell me when my alpha heroes are acting a little too beta. With a special thank you to Michelle Sharp and Linda Gilman who’ve been with me on this book from my first brainstorming session at the lake. You two rock!

  Thank you to my amazing agent, Melissa Jeglinski of The Knight Agency, who is always there when I need her, and sees my goals for the future right along with me. A special thanks and super-much appreciation to my editor Tracy Montoya who pushed me to be the best I could be; with your help I found a level of emotion and writing expertise that was hiding deep inside me. And thank you to the entire Entangled Publishing family including Nina Bruhns, who took a chance on my manuscript, and Terese Ramin, who continues that support.

  Finally, I’d like to acknowledge everyone who has guided me along my writing path including Coffee & Critique, Louella Turner, and Donna Volkenannt; mentors B.J. Daniels and Jeannie Lin; beta readers Kathy, Noelle, and Heather; MORWA members and speakers; and the KOD chapter’s great classes on writing suspense. And I’ll be forever grateful to Nancy Bartholomew who gave a writer’s prompt in a class she taught at Wildacres Writers Workshop that made this story take seed in my mind.

  My husband, the love-of-my-life, said I should quit work and write my novels, so I did. We laughed and hugged and celebrated when I completed my first manuscript a few months before he passed away. He may not have been here in person as I wrote Risk of a Lifetime, but I’m sure he’s read every word of this novel looking over my shoulder. Thanks for believing in me and my dream. I miss you.

  About the Author

  Claudia Shelton thought she wrote mainstream when she began writing, but before long, a critique partner told her she sounded more like romance. Since then, she’s focused on happily-ever- after with a splash of suspense, always featuring Alpha males and the women strong enough to love them. Her advice, always remember that a warm cup of cocoa in the winter or a cool drink by the water in the blazing heat will make your day a little brighter. She is a two-time finalist in the Daphne Du Maurier (Unpublished) awards for excellence in mystery and suspense. Visit Claudia at: http://www.claudiawriting.com/

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