Gideon Monahan is a man dedicated to what he does -- recovering stolen art -- to the exclusion of anything else, including a personal life. There's a reason for that, something that happened in his past that he can't forget.<br><br>Cole Newell is an archaeologist with a problem. He needs to find out who looted a dig he worked the previous summer, after one of the artifacts shows up at his gallery. Cole calls on Gideon to lend his expertise, which, much against his better judgment, Gideon does.<br><br>When one of the looters is murdered, they set out to find answers, with the help of Detective Quint Hawk. In the process, Cole realizes he's attracted to Gideon, even though he's certain the man is straight. After he helps Gideon open up about -- and accept -- his past, can the two men become more than friends? Both Gideon and Cole hope so, once they overcome the myriad problems facing them.

It Takes an Archaeologist

Another sign of my masochism? Another way of punishing myself for Robin’s death? If so, I’m one fucked up man.


“Maybe now’s the time to change that.” He saw an exit off the highway and took it, then pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall. He sat for a moment before taking out his phone.


“Alex,” he said when his assistant answered. “A change of plans. Cancel whatever appointments I have for the next week or so. There’s something more I still have to take care of out here.”


“Dead serious. If someone needs to talk to me personally, give them this number. But it had better be damned important.”


“When isn’t it?” Alex replied with a sigh of frustration. “All right. You’re the boss.”


Gideon chuckled. “I sometimes wonder about that. Thanks for putting up with my…idiosyncrasies.”


“No problem, most of the time. Just keep in touch. Okay?”


Chapter 30