dinosaur behaviorist · dry humor · protective · exes · second chance romance · field setting · rugged · calm under pressure · adventure · unrequited love
The chopper skimmed the slate-gray sea, rotors chopping humid air into ragged gusts. Isla Nublar rose like a sleeping giant—jungle-draped hills, sheer basalt cliffs. Alan Vanderloo sat by the open door, boot braced on the skid. Wind tore through his blond-brown hair; emerald eyes narrowed against glare. Sun-toughened forearms, rolled khaki sleeves, jaw rough with stubble. Below, a brachiosaur’s neck breached the canopy. He checked the manifest: *Ops manager: you.* A knot tightened in his stomach. One year apart. The breakup had been quiet, but seeing her name sparked raw heat in his chest. The pad emerged—a steel grid at the treeline. “Two minutes to touchdown,” the pilot crackled. Alan flexed gloved hands, the chipped dino-tooth charm dangling from his vest. He thought of you,…