Skin Deep (I-Team After Hours) [Kindle Edition]

Pamela Clare (Author)

Book Description

A 47,000-word I-Team After Hours novella featuring characters from author Pamela Clare's popular I-Team series. The download also includes the I-Team short "Marc & Julian Make a Beer Run."

Broken on the inside



Megan Hunter has worked hard to get back on her feet, leaving the nightmare of her teenage years behind. The last thing she wants or needs in her life is a man. But when she is attacked by someone from her past, a scarred stranger intervenes, saving her life and that of her little girl. Looks can be deceiving, for despite the man's rough appearance, she feels safe with him. And for the first time in her life, she knows the stirrings of desire.



Broken on the outside



Nathaniel West paid a high price serving with the Marines in Afghanistan. He returned to his family's ranch in the Colorado mountains to heal--and be alone. Disfigured as he is, he has put all thoughts of sex and romance aside. But something about Megan brings him back to life, heats his blood, makes him feel like a man again. As danger pursues her, and the truth about her past is revealed, he vows to protect her -- and to heal her wounded spirit. 

But confronting the past is never easy -- especially when it's carrying a gun. Megan will have to learn to trust Nate to survive and to claim a passion that is much more than ... Skin Deep.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

This 47,000-word novella takes place chronologically after Breaking Point. It features Megan (Rawlings) Hunter as the heroine. Readers will remember her as Marc Hunter's little sister from Unlawful Contact.


This is my first I-Team After Hours novella. The "I-Team After Hours" stories have that name to distinguish them from regular full-length I-Team novels. They don't necessarily take place in the newsroom or involve I-Team members, but rather focus on some of the secondary characters readers have come to love. After all, everyone deserves a happily ever after, right?


Included in the back of Skin Deep is the I-Team short, "Marc & Julian Make a Beer Run," which started out as a kind of joke in the I-Team group on Facebook. The short story is a fun little adventure involving primarily the heroes from the I-Team series.

About the Author

Colorado author Pamela Clare began her writing career as a columnist and investigative reporter and eventually became the first woman editor-in-chief of two different newspapers. Along the way, she and her team won numerous state and national honors, including the National Journalism Award for Public Service. In 2011, Clare was awarded the Keeper of the Flame Lifetime Achievement Award. A single mother with two sons, she writes historical romance and contemporary romantic suspense at the foot of the beautiful Rocky Mountains.

Product Details

• File Size: 314 KB
• Print Length: 205 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0983875944
• Publisher: Pamela Clare (May 15, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0083V22YK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,722 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great I-Team After Hours Novella May 16, 2012

By Ruth

Format:Kindle Edition

Skin Deep is a story that all of us die-hard I-Team fans have been waiting for!

Megan Hunter, Marc Hunter's baby sister, has been working hard to put her life back together after the horrific ordeal she went through years ago, and just as things are falling into place, when things are finally looking up, she gets a very unwelcome, very dangerous visitor from her past.

Nate West, a local rancher, has just delivered several cases of beef to a community shelter and as he's leaving he spots Megan, that sweet, beautiful woman he's noticed volunteering at the shelter... and she's in trouble! Being the kind of man he is, Nate steps in to kick ass and it turns out to be one of the best decisions he's ever made.

Wow, I really enjoyed this short story! Megan is all grown up, taking care of herself, moving on and not allowing herself to remain a victim. She has such strength, such compassion... I simply adore the woman she has become!

And Nate. *sigh* Nate West, a new character to the series, is all kinds of wonderful. A strong, hard working, honorable man... Nate is everything I love in a hero. He brings with him some emotional and physical scars, and this makes him all the more appealing. Apart they are wonderful, but when Nate and Megan come together they are perfect! And seeing sweet, adorable little Emily, Megan's daughter, was such a treat!

Skin Deep is a sweet, sexy story that gives our Megan the happily ever after she is so deserving of and adds another hot, alpha male to the cast of I-Team heroes!!

And if that's not enough, the extra little story at the end, Marc & Julian Make a Beer Run, is laugh out loud funny and an awesome revisit with my favorite team of RS heroes!!!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Even a hero needs saving sometimes. Touching and beautiful May 17, 2012

By Michelle (MsRomanticReads)

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

We met Megan in Unlawful Contact (I-Team Series, Book 3), Marc's little sister. Her circumstances were so tragic and heart-wrenching that it was a joy to see her get her own story and to see how she's doing now. She is finally surrounded by family and trying to move on from the horrors of her past. Being around men still scares her, and she thinks she'll never experience what her brother has - love, companionship, a family. In her words, who would want to be with a woman who doesn't want and can't enjoy being touched, kissed or even having sex?

When she's attacked and her daughter Emily's life is threatened, she's saved at the last minute by Nate West. She feels safe around him, and inexplicably she feels something stir to life inside her whenever he's around. He senses the sadness and fear inside her and decides to extend an olive branch towards her and invites her and Emily to visit his horse ranch whenever they want. When there's a renewed threat to her and Emily, she doesn't think twice about it and takes Nate up on his offer. Aside from feeling comfortable in his presence, he seems trustworthy. He's a former Marine, a war hero, and most importantly, he's not a cop.

Former Marine, Nate West returned home a changed man. Not only did he get severely burned in an IED attack that left half of his face and body badly scarred, but while he was recovering from his injuries, his then fiance broke things off with him, claiming she couldn't handle it. Disillusioned with women and a love life, he's become a recluse. What woman would want to look at much less touch a scarred monster like him? Mostly he works on his father's ranch breeding and training horses. He notices a pretty volunteer, Megan, during one of his visits to the homeless shelter while making a food delivery. She's the first woman in a long time who has offered him a kind smile and no hint of revulsion. When she's attacked in the parking lot, he doesn't hesitate to jump in. After the ordeal he can't seem to get her out of his mind. Having her wallet gives him the perfect excuse to see her again. Before long he's extending her an invitation to visit his ranch, and in one of her most desperate moments she calls him and accepts. What they discover is something neither of them ever expected to find again - acceptance and love.

I LOVED this story. I'm still a snotty mess because of how touching and beautifully written this novella was. Pamela Clare writes wonderful heroines - they're compassionate, driven, loyal, courageous and tough. Megan, despite or maybe because of her horrible past, was no exception. Even though she's still weary of men, I couldn't help but admire her quiet compassion and acceptance of Nate, scars and all. Then when she began to slowly let him in, she did it with determination, not willing to let her fears dig their heels into her life. Finding out what could be was more tempting then never knowing.

Nate .... sigh ... where do I begin with Nate? He was just as wonderful as the rest of the I-Team males, but with a little extra something. He may have felt unlovable and unattractive, but he never let it get out of hand when Megan tried to show him that she could see beyond the physical imperfections. That was such a beautiful moment between them. He was the perfect hero, and a wonderful addition to the group.

The best moment of this story was the ending. All the men gathered together, Zack, Jack and Nate in military uniform - be still my heart!

Bonus read - Marc and Julian Make a Beer Run

This little treat was hilarious, especially when the beer run turned into a military operation complete with teams and strategy. Of course all those gorgeous heroes can't go anywhere without trouble finding them ......... or maybe it's the other way around. Anyway, it delivered a deeper insight into the core of them and why they do the things they do.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful story May 16, 2012

By JM Jank

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

All fans of the I-Team have been waiting anxiously for another installement in the series. This novella does not disappoint. Nate, who may now be my favorite I-Team hero is a wounded soul both mentally and physically. His experiences help him connect with Megan and her beautiful little girl Emily in helping her realize she can have Happily Ever After. An incredibly sweet touching story of two people who needed to find eachother. Cute short story at the end is a great bonus. This is a must buy and well worth the price. If you haven't read Pamela Clare's I-Team this will make you want to start!

More About the Author

Colorado author Pamela Clare began her writing career as a columnist and investigative reporter and eventually became the first woman editor-in-chief of two different newspapers. Along the way, she and her team won numerous state and national honors, including the National Journalism Award for Public Service and the Keeper of the Flame Lifetime Achievement Award. A single mother with two college-aged sons, she writes historical romance and contemporary romantic suspense within view of the beautiful Rocky Mountains.