Shameless

Strong-willed, beautiful Camilla Greenley Hutton is trying to get her life in order, anticipating divorce from her ne'er-do-well husband, Keith, who left her for a teenager. Now, however, Keith has become alarmingly physical in his efforts to resume their marriage. Then there's her renewed but unwanted attraction to old flame Reid Sayers, back in their shrinking Louisiana town to take over his late father's lumber mill. Sensitive, CIA-trained Reid, convinced he's too dangerous for love, has long harbored a deep attraction of his own and sets himself up as Cammie's protector. He becomes her no-strings lover, longing for but terrified of a closer role. When word gets out that European interests may buy the mill, possibly damaging the environment but surely saving the town, the two clash on the issue. Butting heads by day and pressing bodies at night, they find their passion drawing them closer even as their suspicions tear them apart. A person who discovers that Cammie may actually own the mill goes missing, a major player turns up dead and escalating doubt threatens the couple's unexpressed love. But as Cammie observes, ``The heart wasn't logical, of course, or particularly bright. . . . It had few principles, less sense.'' Exhaustive sex scenes distract from the solid plotting and truly felt male/female dynamics, but fans of the multimillion-selling Blake ( Arrow to the Heart and some 40 other novels) will be thoroughly pleased. Doubleday Book Club main selection; Literary Guild alternate. (June)