For readers of Laura Griffin, a tense romantic suspense set in small-town Arizona where a woman in hiding and a former Marine must outrun the danger closing in.

Some love is lost in the fire; some love is forged with flame.

Blooms from the ocotillo cactus make Javelina, Arizona, look like paradise, but Claire Wilson is all too aware of the barbs hidden beneath its beauty. Recently placed in the witness protection program as a cashier at the local market, she looks forward to seeing one man, Armando Vega, whose rugged beard and chiseled muscles could be on display on aisle three. Claire resists the building attraction between her and Vega.

Emotional attachments aren’t an option for her if she wants to return home to her life in New Jersey. When her cover is blown, Claire must stay one step ahead of the people who want her dead. Unsure of whether the demons of her former life have found her, or if a new threat lurks in Claire’s recent history, she begs Vega to become her bodyguard.

Medically retired from the Marines, Vega is too busy drowning his mental scars in whisky to babysit Claire, even though he’s fascinated with her strength and determination to survive. But then Vega’s best friend is framed for murder, and the mystery surrounding Claire Wilson is the key to solving the crime. Once his heart becomes involved, Vega stops at nothing to keep Claire alive.