Love in Suspense exclusive excerpt: 'Beyond Limits' by Laura Griffin

The Tracers series by Paste BN and New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin is one of the most revered in romantic suspense. The series follows an elite group of professionals who help solve the unsolvable. Mystery, romance, action and sexiness, the series encapsulates it all to deliver non-stop thrills. The next much-awaited installment is Beyond Limits, and it's coming Jan. 27. This is Elizabeth and Derek's story, two characters we met in Scorched. Sparks flew from the beginning, and now we get their story (which can be read as a stand-alone) in this newest release.

I'm so excited to be able to share with you a never-before-seen excerpt from Beyond Limits!

Synopsis (courtesy of Pocket Books):

An FBI agent and a Navy SEAL race against time in New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin's newest Tracers novel. "Griffin delivers the goods!" (Publishers Weekly)

FBI agent Elizabeth LeBlanc is still caught in the aftermath of her last big case when she runs into the one man from her past who is sure to rock her equilibrium even more. Navy SEAL Derek Vaughn is back home from a harrowing rescue mission in which he found evidence of a secret terror cell on US soil. Elizabeth knows he'll do anything to unravel the plot—including seducing her for information. And despite the risks involved, she's tempted to let him. Together with the forensics experts at the Delphi Center, Derek and Elizabeth are closing in on the truth, but it may not be fast enough to avert a devastating attack…

Following in the bestselling tradition of the Tracers series, including Exposed, Scorched, and Twisted, Beyond Limits pulls out all the stops with Griffin's most gripping thriller yet.

Excerpt:

Elizabeth's phone chimed, and she froze. Would it be him?

Of course it would. Derek was nothing if not persistent and there was no way he'd let her sneak out of town without a conversation. She crossed the room to the dresser, where her phone was charging. Lauren's number on the screen brought a mix of disappointment and relief.

"Where are you?" Lauren asked.

"San Diego."

"What's in San Diego?"

"Long story."

"Hmm...and the plot thickens. So, how come you never told me you knew the legendary Gordon Moore?" Lauren asked.

"It's no big deal."

"You're on a first-name basis with the FBI's assistant director of counterterrorism," Lauren said. "That, my cupcake, is a big deal."

"It's not like a promotion or anything," Elizabeth told her. "It's a temporary assignment."

"Well, do a kick-ass job, and maybe it won't be. Just don't forget the little people, okay?"

A knock at the door had Elizabeth spinning around. She crossed the room with a flutter in her stomach and peered through the peephole. For a moment, she just stared. Square jaw, erect posture, ridiculously muscled body. In her memories, she'd made him less impressive, more average-looking. But of course, that was wishful thinking. There was nothing average about this man, and he was standing outside her hotel room, refusing to go away.

He looked directly at the peephole and her heart skittered. He knew she was gawking. She pulled open the door and her heart did another little dance. She'd forgotten his eyes, too—whiskey brown with gold flecks. The look in them now was pure determination.

God help her, he'd come here on a mission.

"Listen, Lauren, I have to go."

"See? It's already happening," Lauren quipped. "Catch you later."

Elizabeth closed the door and tossed the phone onto the bed.

He wore a plain black T-shirt over faded jeans and scuffed brown cowboy boots that brought a fresh wave of memories. She lifted her gaze. His dark, longer-than-regulation-length hair curled at the nape of his neck, and his beard had to be going on day two.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi."

"How'd you know where I was?"

"Asked around." His gaze scanned the room and then settled back on her. He propped his shoulder against the wall. "What's it been, a year?"

"Almost."

"You don't call, you don't write." A smile curved at the corner of his mouth. "How the hell you been, Liz?"

The smile was teasing, but his tone was serious. He was taking her to task for pointedly ignoring the messages he'd left for her back in December.

"It's been a busy year. I was assigned to a major case..." She let the thought trail off. He didn't really want to hear about it, and she definitely didn't want to tell him. "How are you?"

Dumb question—the man had just lost a close friend. But he shrugged it off.

"Pretty hungry. We just finished a training op. Thought I'd stop by, see if you wanted to grab dinner."

"Actually, I just ate."

He eyed the PowerBar wrapper on the desk and lifted a brow. "Okay, how 'bout a drink, then?"

Temptation pulled at her. He probably thought she was being stuck-up, but that wasn't it at all.

The truth was, he terrified her.

Derek Vaughn was smart, and confident, and impossibly attractive to women who liked their men a little rough around the edges. But he knew it, too. And she couldn't stand the thought of becoming one of his forgettable women. It was high on her list of Reasons Not to Go There.

Another reason was she had a case to work—possibly the most important case of her career.

And a muscle-bound SEAL with a sexy gleam in his eye was sure to be a huge distraction. Elizabeth felt incredibly lucky to have been picked for this assignment and the last thing she wanted to do was slip up.

"Come on." He stepped closer. "Lemme take you out."

—

Beyond Limits is available now for pre-order.

About Laura Griffin

New York Times and Paste BN bestselling author Laura Griffin started her career in journalism before venturing into the world of romantic suspense. She is a two-time RITA Award winner (for the books Scorched and Whisper of Warning) as well as the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award (for Untraceable). Laura lives in Austin, where she is working on her next book. Visit her website at www.lauragriffin.com.

Vilma Gonzalez is a blogger, reader, marketer, wife and mom. She has an insatiable appetite for happily ever afters and a deep love of the written word. You can find more about her and read full book reviews at Vilma's Book Blog. Please e-mail Vilma at loveinsuspense@gmail.com about content related to this column. Due to the volume of mail, e-mails may not be answered personally, but all will be read.