Heâd come to her rescueâ¦
Max was clearly prepared to fight off whatever might have hurt her in the dark woods. Check off number two on her sexy he-man list. She quickly looked straight into his eyes. âIâm so glad youâre here.â
His face was unreadable. He had a grease smear on his left temple. But his gaze, it gave away his true feelings.
She rose up on her toes and kissed his lips.
He pulled away, his eyes flared in surprise. Then, with a hoarse groan, he swept her up into his arms again and headed double time for the shelter of the airplane. She kissed his neck, behind his ear, along his jaw and finally covered his mouth.
The ferocity of his lips as he took control of the kiss stunned her, but only for a split second. There was a frantic tangling of arms and clothes and mouths as he yanked his parka from his shoulders. She gripped the sides of his face and matched his passion with her own.
Dear Reader,
Iâve always loved to travel. My bucket list of places to see is longer than my arm, and I canât resist watching travel shows. What a job to haveâvisiting gorgeous architecture and historic sites. Thus, my travel-show hostess, Serena, was born. And, though Iâve never been to Alaska, itâs definitely on my list.
Most places in Alaska are only accessible by plane. And only a few commercial airlines fly into the larger cities, so people rely on bush pilots for their travel. Guys like my handsome yet grouchy bush pilot Max.
Add a number of quirky characters, and the town of Barrow, United Statesâ northernmost city, 300 miles above the Arctic Circle, on the edge of the arctic sea, and I had the beginnings of Primal Calling!
I hope Serena and Maxâs romance takes you away to a more primal place, like it did for me. I love to hear from readers. Please write to me and check out the details of upcoming releases at my website, www.jillianburns.com.
Jillian Burns
Primal Calling
Jillian Burns
Jillian Burns has always read romance, and spent her teens immersed in the worlds of Jane Eyre and Elizabeth Bennett. She lives in Texas with her husband of twenty years and their three active kids. Jillian likes to think her emotional natureâsometimes referred to as moodinessâhas found the perfect outlet in writing stories filled with passion and romance. She believes romance novels have the power to change lives with their message of eternal love and hope.
There are so many people without whom this book would never have been possible. First, I wouldnât have had a plot without my wonderful Uncle Lesâpilot extraordinaire, whoâs given me rides in his Cessnas throughout my life and inspired my romance with the concept of the lone bush pilot. His information about flying a prop plane in Alaska, how to make it stall, how to land on a frozen lake and all about the Anchorage airport was invaluable. Thank you also to my brother-in-law, Garyâplane mechanic extraordinaire, who late one night patiently explained all about landing-gear repair. And to Rebecca Lees and Jerry Lees (a real Alaskan bush pilot) and Jenny Bernard for their unwavering aid in answering my questions regarding all things Alaska, especially Barrow. Any mistakes are entirely my own.
As always, huge thanks to my critique partners, Pam and Linda. I donât know how you put up with me.
And to my superlative editor Kathryn, for her encouragement and support.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
âFOR THREE WEEKS weâve followed the intrepid mushers of the Iditarod as they raced their sled dogs over a thousand miles of the most unforgiving yet awe-inspiring terrain on earth. The same perilous journey one brave man and his dogs made to deliver medicine to the sick townspeople of Nome eighty-five years ago.â
Serena turned, following the cameraâs movement to pan the landscape behind her. âNow weâve returned once again to Anchorage, where we say goodbye to the Land of the Midnight Sun, and take with us unforgettable memories of the thrill and danger of the âLast Great Race on Earth,â and of the friendly people of Alaska.
âThis is Serena Sandstone, with no reservations about making reservations. Join us next week when we travel to sunny Buenos Aires. And remember, no matter where you go, you can always Travel in Style!â Serena held her TV-personality smile while the camera lens zoomed out to the spectacular view of the Chugach Mountains.
âAnd cut!â Roberta, her producer, yelled. âOkay, Serena, thatâs a wrap.â Roberta turned and headed back into the Seaside Hotel from the outdoor pavilion. âGod, I canât wait to get back to L.A. Itâs freakinâ cold here!â
Roberta had a gift for stating the obvious. It was the last week of March. It was Alaska.
âCome on, people. Letâs get this equipment loaded. I donât want to miss the one flight out of here tonight,â Roberta called behind her.
Serena took a determined breath and then hurried to catch up to her producer while the camera and sound crew packed their equipment. âRoberta, I wanted to talk to you about that piece I gave you last month.â