Heart Of The Eagle

by Lindsay Mckenna

• ISBN13: 9780373198764
• ISBN10: 0373198760
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-06-12
• Publisher: Harlequin

Summary

Dahlia Kincaid had found peace at her Colorado ranch. Yet her heart still yearned to feel truly loved. She never imagined a threat from the past would follow her here--or that it would bring a dangerous, powerful, gloriously masculine male.... The Triple K Ranch was the last place Jim Tremain believed his investigation would lead. And he never expected to find the woman who'd bewitched him years ago...and still had the power to drive him wild. He needed Dahlia to see he wasn't the predator he'd first seemed. Could he ask Dahlia to risk her heart--with everything to lose, but so much to gain?

Excerpts

What the hell!He didn't have time to think, only react. There, coming down the muddied ranch road, was a fully grown golden eagle. The raptor's wings were outstretched, talons bared as he skimmed the earth toward his prey, a zigzagging jackrabbit. Simultaneously, Jim slammed on the brakes of his Blazer and hit the horn. The eagle was so intent on capturing its prey that it had not seen his truck come up and over the crest of the same road. The Blazer slewed sideways. The eagle screamed indignantly, its amber eyes glaring as it barely missed the truck and sailed skyward. Jim eased the Blazer to the side of the road, drew in a deep breath and loosened his grip on the steering wheel. He watched the bird for a few moments, puzzled by its actions. Then, grabbing the pair of binoculars he always carried with him, he eased out of the truck. His scuffed cowboy boots sank into the mud and snow on the road. He glanced at the watch on his wrist; he had a few minutes before he had to make the appointment. Crossing the deeply rutted gravel road, Jim walked to the grassy ledge on the opposite side. He followed the movements of the magnificent golden eagle as it spiraled lazily below the gray clouds that hung like a blanket above the valley. The late April weather was sharp and Jim pulled his sheepskin coat tighter as he halted at the edge of the dropoff that slid into a shallow slope of the valley. Lifting his binoculars, he trained them on the raptor. His mouth pulled into a pursed line as he followed the eagle as it stooped into a deep dive and plummeted into attack position. Expecting that the eagle had found another quarry, Jim followed the dive. Instead, at the last moment, the eagle exploded into a flurry of braking movements with its sevenfoot wing spread, beating countermotions as it slowed down its approach to the outstretched arm of a woman. What the hell!Twice in the span of five minutes he'd been taken by surprise. The eagle had no jesses or leather straps dangling from its yellow legs to evidence that it was domesticated for falconry. Without realizing it, Jim was holding his breath. As the eagle landed, he saw the woman bend her knees to take the bird's weight and velocity. She wore a soft leather gauntlet type of glove that extended from her left hand up to her elbow to protect her from the razorsharp talons of the raptor as it settled on her arm. Jim watched as her entire body absorbed the tremendous impact of the eagle's landing, the woman nearly dropping to a kneeling position so that she didn't lose her precarious balance. Jim felt his heart rate accelerate. Beautiful! My God, they're beautiful together. Part of it was from the primal beauty of the wild eagle. Part was the thrill of watching the slender woman, who reminded him more of a graceful deer, as she slowly stood to her full height. Even the heavy sheepskin coat couldn't hide the grace of her carriage. A deer and an eagle. Natural enemies. Now natural partners. The morning...no, the day, was turning out to be one of incredible surprise, and the rare, intrinsic beauty of the moment simply tore the breath from his tense body. Jim moved his binoculars from the woman and her eagle. There was a black horse standing nearby, ground tied at the far end of the large meadow. Beyond rose the Rocky Mountains, still clothed in snow at the higher elevations. He returned his attention to the woman, hoping that she had turned around by now. His black brows knit as he concentrated on her face. Was it? No, it couldn't be. Dr. Dahlia Gordon was a staunch opponent of falconry. It couldn't be her. And yet, Jim could vividly recall that one moment they had met in the past. Dal Gordon had a haunting, expressive face that was imprinted in his mind. Yes, it was her... A slow smile edged his mouth as he watched her walk with the eagle resting imperiously on her arm. My God, the raptor was huge