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Synopsis
In Dangerous to Know—the first in a red-hot brand-new romance series—Dawn Ryder takes readers into a world of dangerous secrets and forbidden passion…
SHE’S TOO GOOD TO BE BAD
A bad-boy member of an elite Special Ops team, Mercer has never been assigned an undercover mission he couldn’t complete. But when his latest job requires him to gain the trust—and get into the bed—of his newest target, the sexy, fiery Colonel’s daughter, he has a whole new challenge ahead of him. All evidence points to her being a traitor to the country he’s sworn to protect, but the crackling desire between them is too strong a feeling to ignore…
HE’S TOO BAD TO RESIST
Zoe has always kept her secrets close to the vest. The only woman in a decorated military family, she’s been taught that to let someone close is to flirt with disaster. But when the dangerously handsome, alpha-strong Mercer comes blazing into her life full-speed, it’s all Zoe can do to resist his wicked seduction. As danger circles closer, Zoe must decide if she can trust him to protect her—but there’s no way he could be bad when he makes her feel this good…
Release date: March 1, 2016
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group
Print pages: 352
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Dangerous to Know
Dawn Ryder
CHAPTER ONE
“Do I need to remind you that your father considers this man a friend?” Colonel Decains asked.
Bram Magnus stared straight back at the colonel. “I’ve grown up with him as an uncle.”
Pain crept into his tone, despite his efforts to remain poised in front of his superior officer.
The colonel leaned back in his chair, but he took an eight-by-ten picture of a downed helicopter with him. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the charred remains of three servicemen.
“That intel was sent through my passcode,” Bram said.
“You were hacked, son,” the colonel said. He frowned at his own use of a familiar term and tossed the picture down. “We’ll have the culprit tracked down soon enough. No one gets off this post unless I clear them.”
“That’s only half the problem,” Bram argued. “I’ve traced the intel to my sister’s house.”
“Which means she might be the buyer.”
Bram tightened his fingers until his knuckles popped. His superior officer didn’t miss it, either. Decains flattened his hand on the desktop.
“I appreciate your feelings, Captain, but we need to maintain our perceptive.” Decains tapped the picture. “Your father’s record and yours are both impressive. I don’t doubt that your sister comes from the same stock, which is why we’re going to do this by the book.”
“Zoe will check out,” Bram said firmly. “It’s got to be Tim. He’s the only other person who has access to my sister’s house.”
“Sure about that?” the colonel asked. “She’s plenty old enough for a boyfriend.”
“Check her out all you want,” Bram stated firmly. “Zoe will stand up to your worst.”
The colonel’s face tightened. “Glad to hear it. Your father is a friend of mine. I’d hate to have to tell him your sister is going to disappear.”
“You won’t have to,” Bram answered. “Zoe is no traitor, and she certainly wants both me and my dad home safely. I could have been on that helo.”
Decains looked back at the picture. “These men deserve justice.”
Bram nodded.
“I’m turning this over to a special branch of intelligence. Completely off the radar. They’ll send in a team to get evidence. They specialize in catching their prey with their hands on the smoking gun. We’ll back off on our leak here and give him a little bait intel to pass along. I’m going to leave your old access code active, no need to let him know we’re on to him. Besides, we can’t be outdone by one of the stateside teams. I want to catch this traitor with his hands on the cheese.”
Bram drew in a stiff breath but didn’t argue. It had to be done the way the colonel was doing it. His insides were knotted and he was half afraid he was going to puke from the knowledge of what his sister was going to endure. But he kept his composure and cut the colonel a salute before making his way out of the man’s office.
He itched to pick up the phone and call his sister.
He couldn’t.
Which pissed him off. Tim had been his father’s buddy longer than Bram had been alive but there was no doubt in Bram’s mind who was responsible. And it pissed him off knowing he couldn’t get his hands locked around Tim’s neck. At least not personally. Still, part of him was enjoying knowing Decains was setting a team on Tim’s ass that was going to tear him apart, bit by bit.
Exactly what a traitor deserved.
* * *
“The Magnus family has a good reputation,” Kagan said.
“They do,” Colonel Decains confirmed. The connection was scratchy, the distance between Afghanistan and the States showing up as background noise. It was the most detailed thing about the moment. The office Kagan sat in was stripped of anything that might be considered personal. The phone he was using was a landline that would be disconnected the moment the operation was finished. “That’s why I’m calling you. Make sure your team does a good job. When it gets to mopping up, there is going to be a full-bird colonel looking mighty close at the details.”
“You know my men are going to see the daughter as a possible suspect,” Kagan advised Decains.
“No way around it,” Decains agreed. “I’ll handle the heat over that point.”
“I’ll be in touch.” Kagan cut the connection.
There was little else to say. He lived in a world of shadows because that’s where he was most effective at catching the scum who did business there. The information was spread out over his desk. He considered it before picking up his phone and selecting a contact to reach out to. Agent Tyler Martin answered on the second ring.
“I have an assignment for you.” Kagan didn’t waste any time.
* * *
Tyler Martin liked his job.
In fact, it was his life.
Which was why he was going to make sure his future was a bright one. One thing about working shadow operations, it left a stink on a man. Once you were in deep, there really was no leaving, so it was best to ensure a long, profitable career. Sometimes, that meant doing some dirty work for powerful people.
Tyler considered the case Kagan had just assigned him. It was a gift really. A perfect little present dropped in front of him. One he’d been waiting for. That was another thing about shadow operations: the hard fact that just when you thought you were safe, fate would circle back around and bite you in the ass. He’d been waiting a long time to get in some payback. But today, that wait was over. Saxon and Vitus Hale were about to get a king-sized serving of it. It was going to be Tyler’s pleasure to dish it out. He’d been waiting for just the right case to take them down. Tyler looked over the details of the information Kagan had sent over and grinned.
It was perfect. Classified intel. Dead servicemen. All the components needed to blacken someone’s name forever. Since the leak was already plugged, there was no reason not to twist the operation to suit his own agenda. All he had to do was find the man on this side before anyone else did.
He didn’t spare a thought for the Magnus family. They had friends for certain but no other family, which made them an even stronger candidate for what he needed. They could be buried. They’d end up with full military honors or branded as traitors. He really didn’t care so long as they were dead and silenced. Tyler had his future to secure and it wasn’t going to come cheap. He’d always known that. But it was his blood or someone else’s, because the men he was negotiating with played for keeps. He couldn’t afford to get picky about the means. The opportunities would be few and far between. His own future had a price tag on it, one he had to pay if he didn’t want to end up dead himself. It was a dog-eat-dog world.
He selected a contact from among his teams and punched it. Time to assign Saxon Hale to the last case of his career.
And life.
Tyler didn’t let his conscience get in the way. Congressman Jeb Ryland might be a whack job of an overprotective father but the man was in the right position to offer Tyler a secure future. So if Jeb wanted the Hale brothers taken out for pissing on his turf, Tyler planned to make it happen. A nice little treason case was the perfect answer. As for the Magnus family, well, it wasn’t personal.
* * *
“Now, he is hot.”
Roni rolled her words and ended up sounding like she was purring. Zoe glanced over to the man in question and wished she hadn’t.
Hot was an understatement.
She’d never known his equal, much less experienced what it must be like to have such a prime animal in her bed. Sensation prickled along her skin instantly, deep, carnal awareness twisting through her belly. The swiftness of the response sent her looking away with a shrug designed to protect her emotions from being spotted.
Roni was a master at sniffing out Zoe’s true feelings. It made her a great friend and major pain in the ass when life decided to deliver a punch to her solar plexus. Which was the perfect definition of a best friend. Zoe nodded, earning a husky chuckle from her pal.
“Lickable,” she agreed.
The guy really was a double shot of whiskey. The kind you wanted to take straight up then slam down the empty glass while you felt the burn smoking your insides.
Mega hot.
She looked down at her drink suspiciously. Maybe the bartender was just doubling up in the hope his bar would get a reputation as a great pickup joint.
“Oh Lord.” Roni jabbed her with an elbow. “What’s the point of hanging out at a bar if we don’t do a little window-shopping?”
“Point taken.”
Zoe lifted her drink and watched the man in question over the salted rim of the glass. He was wrapped in black leather, which made him doubly delectable. The jacket hung open, giving her a glimpse of a T-shirt that hugged a torso defined and tight. Dark hair and eyes gave him a slightly sinful, badass look, and combined with the black leather, he was like dark chocolate.
Premium window-shopping, for sure.
“I’m going to ask him to dance.” Roni slid off her bar stool with a click of her heels. “Wish me luck.”
“He’s not a dance-floor kind of animal.” Zoe wasn’t sure where the justification for her opinion came from, only that she was firmly sure of it. The guy was suited to shadows and thrived there. The only thing capable of scaring him was being predictable. Confidence radiated from him so thickly, it felt like he just might be worthy of the arrogance his stony expression declared.
“He’ll turn you down,” she muttered while setting her glass down. She was no longer interested in numbing her wits. Not when there was such a feast standing near enough to enjoy. Nope, she was going to enjoy the moment. Completely.
Roni fingered the strand of silver beads hanging around her neck. “You might be right; you’re definitely spot-on about the fact that he’s an animal … One I’d like to let play with me, no taming required. He can run wild … anywhere he wants to go.” Roni made a sweeping gesture with one hand up and down her body.
Zoe laughed at her friend. “You’re not normally the ‘toy’ type. Sure your modern woman can handle the hit to your pride? That man isn’t going to let you walk him on a leash.”
“Never let it be said I backed down from a challenge,” she declared in a husky whisper. “Besides, I fully intend to play as good as I get played with.”
“Matching collars, is it?”
Roni made a low sound in the back of her throat. “If I’m lucky.”
With a wink her friend made her way across the worn planks of the barroom floor, drawing stares from the shadowy booths lining the walls of the place with the sultry sway of her hips. It was really a whole-body thing, one that Zoe admired as much as she detested. Her friend’s ability to mesmerize the male population fit nicely with her flirtatious persona but tonight, Roni was focused on the man leaning back against the bar. He’d bought a longneck beer of some sort but had only taken a single sip of it. It sat next to him, forgotten as he scanned the room.
Another prickle of sensation went down Zoe’s back. The beer remained on the bar while those dark eyes landed on every single soul in the place. He looked like he was assessing them, cataloging them; like nothing was more important than sizing up the occupants of the room.
He sure wasn’t interested in the beer.
He reminded her of her brother, every motion controlled and his position selected for the best angle of defense. He was military-trained. No doubt about it, the guy had served time in something more than general ranks, if she was any good at judging body language.
Nosy …
The word floated through her mind, but she shrugged it off. Hell, if she was going to read anyone’s body, his was infinitely top-grade. Besides, she wasn’t up for a quick hookup. The main point of the evening was to ride shotgun for Roni and indulge in girlfriend time.
She wasn’t being nosy. He’d come into the bar, and bars were places to be seen.
Right … Now I’m justifying my spying.
True. But that didn’t make her thinking wrong. Zoe took a slow sip from her drink and peered over the rim of the glass at the subject of her thoughts. Her lips curved as she took another sip.
This guy’s body language said a lot more, too. Her eyes narrowed, the lids feeling heavy as she watched the way his hips worked when he moved. The sight set off something deeply sexual inside her. Heat was spreading gently across her skin and it was just too enjoyable to resist a few more moments of indulgence.
So what if he caught her staring?
It was a bar after all. Everyone in the place was there with sex on their minds. Maybe that was a blunt way to put it, but it was still true. Really, really true. One look at the tight jeans and short skirts was all you needed to confirm that fact. The groups of people crowded around the tables were there to connect with someone else, the drinks in their hands nothing but liquid courage. Even Military Man, animal that he was, had to be looking for companionship in some form. He’d be off on his own if he wasn’t in the mood for company. Loneliness had a way of reducing everyone to pitiful piles of need. Of course a man like him wouldn’t have to work very hard to gain a little company.
I wouldn’t mind being your choice tonight …
Her inner animal wanted loose. She felt her cheeks heat because normally she had better control over her impulses. Knowing that everyone else had the same urges didn’t keep her blush from deepening, either. She felt like he could read her thoughts. He had a demeanor that suggested he was more perceptive than the average guy. Definitely in more control than most. A ripple of sensation moved across her skin and she smiled, enjoying the response because it was so intense. There was something about the guy that just made her want to fling the rule book aside. No worrying about repercussions or anything lurking in his past.
He glanced at her, sending a jolt of awareness down her spine before Roni reached him, angling his head to look down from his six-and-a-half-foot frame. A bare half inch of black hair covered his head, the lights above him shining off the neatly sheared surface.
Yup … military. She’d bet on it. Lust teased her again, so she decided to bask in the glow of the heat. Window-shopping did need to be enjoyed, after all, especially if she wasn’t willing to lay down the price of making a try at touching the merchandise.
Why not? Why let Roni have all the fun?
Her inner voice was becoming more daring by the second, the heat gripping her body and urging her to abandon her common sense.
Yeah, well, impulsive sex came with too many risks for her peace of mind. It was a fun idea to toy with but that was as far as she was going. She needed to stick to her ideals because the leather-clad god across the room wouldn’t be the staying kind.
Oh, but the things I could enjoy while he was around …
Which would be followed by a guilt trip that would cost her too much self-confidence for her comfort. Besides, she wanted more than just hot sex.
Ha! Not at the moment I don’t …
Zoe lifted her margarita and took a long drink, but the fruity taste didn’t mix with the sight of Mr. Untamed Temptation. She set her glass down, craving the hard bite of whiskey.
Yeah, I want hard … that’s for sure.
Roni did her best to get him onto the dance floor. He shook his head and reached for his beer instead. Roni propped one hand on her hip and pouted at him but he only tipped the bottle up, using the beverage like a shield. Roni didn’t give up; she continued to talk to him in a tone that was too low for Zoe to hear over the band.
Zoe reached for the bowl of peanuts sitting on the table and broke one open. She was bored. The music was good but the bar scene just wasn’t her thing. Roni thrived on the fishbowl experience. Her friend was turned out in a miniskirt and loose tank top, looking like she belonged up on the stage. She fit next to the brawn king, looking relaxed as she flirted with him. Another man leaned over and a moment later Roni was on her way to the dance floor with him.
Zoe grinned. Roni began dancing with a flair that made Zoe envious. Her body curved and moved with the skill of a belly dancer, only with a much more modern rhythm. Roni turned around and shot Biker Boy a look that made it clear she was performing for his enjoyment.
“Looks like you’ve been abandoned.”
Zoe got a glimpse of blue eyes and short-cut blond hair before the stool next to her was occupied. The guy set his whiskey tumbler down and considered her.
“I’m a big girl,” she responded while fighting the urge to look back at Mr. Untamed. The guy sitting across from her wasn’t second-class by any means. In fact, he was clean-cut, wearing a buttondown shirt with the collar unbuttoned and the cuffs rolled up.
“I noticed,” he said as he contemplated her. He reached for his whiskey and took a sip but almost as an afterthought, because his blue eyes were fixed on her.
“Saxon.” He offered her his hand across the small pub-style table.
“Zoe.” She was shaking his hand out of reflex.
Mr. Untamed wouldn’t shake my hand.
It was a majorly unfair thought and really bitchy of her but there it was. Gut response. Honest and brutal. Saxon didn’t deserve it but she doubted he needed to be jerked around, either. He was looking for company and she wasn’t interested. Not a bit. All she wanted to do was turn back around and stare at the leather-clad animal stuck in her brain.
Another peanut crackled between her fingertips before Zoe’s cell phone buzzed to rescue her. She didn’t bother to check the caller ID; it was better not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Even if it was a telemarketer, she was taking the call. It beat throwing a pity party.
“Excuse me.” She slid off the bar stool.
“Hello?”
“Hey, sis.”
Zoe pushed the front door open and hurried outside where she could hear her brother’s voice better. “Bram? It’s been bloody forever since you called.”
Her brother snorted on the other end. “Been working. I assume you recall just how often we servicemen get separated from our loved ones while we’re deployed? After all, you grew up with the same active-duty dad I did.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know the drill. How are you?” There were rules when she talked to her brother, “no serious questions allowed” sort of rules. Keep it light and friendly because it just might be the last conversation they had. Guilt could be a razor-sharp bitch.
“How are you?” Her brother’s voice was firm and serious.
Zoe frowned and leaned against the exterior of the bar. “Fine. Why are you asking in that tone of voice? As well as redirecting the conversation?”
There was silence on the other end of the line. Static crackled while she waited for her brother to respond. He finally offered her a dry laugh that drew every muscle she had tight with tension.
“I’m just thinking about you,” he muttered. “Keep your guard up, sis.”
“Why?” The word was out of her mouth before she remembered who she was talking to. “All right, forget I asked that.”
There was a deeper chuckle on the other end of the line, one that almost put her at ease, but not quite.
“You know me a little too well, sis. Keep that intuition sharp and make sure you watch your back. Call me if there’s anything suspicious happening, even something small. Leave a message.”
“Is that all the information I’m getting?” she said, her voice filled with frustration.
“For the moment.” Bram laid down his decision with every bit of arrogance she’d just decided Biker Boy had. “If you don’t notice anything, there is nothing to worry about. Don’t hesitate to call.”
“I won’t,” she groused, far from satisfied with the lack of details.
“That sounds like my brat sister, nosy to the core,” Bram accused her with amusement in his tone, enough to make her throat tighten because it had been too damn long since she’d heard it.
“Got to go.” Bram’s voice had chilled and hardened, tightening her neck muscles once again. “Remember, leave a message. If all I see is a hang-up, it will concern me.”
The line went dead and she worried her lower lip. Her brother was on another continent. If there was some kind of trouble, there wouldn’t be much he could do to help her. But she sure as hell wasn’t going to do anything to distract him while he was crawling around God knew where.
“Bad news?”
She jumped, fumbling the phone, and ended up with it pressed to her cleavage to keep it from falling to the ground. Mr. Untamed was watching her with eyes as black as his hair. This close, the term Biker Boy didn’t fit.
He was all man.
Still a few paces away, he managed to strike her as huge. She wasn’t used to feeling delicate, but the wide expanse of muscle-coated chest sent a shiver down her spine. He put her on edge, for no other reason than she knew he was stronger. It was a primitive idea, one that rose above every bit of faith she had in equal rights. She was staring and he was watching her do it.
“Ah … not really,” she forced out before tearing her gaze off him. He was too distracting.
I mean too tempting …
Behind him, on the other side of the front doors, was a motorcycle. It was coal black but clean enough to pass a white-glove inspection.
“I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t finish your beer. It doesn’t look like you brought a designated driver.”
His lips twitched and she regretted making the joke because the guy was even sexier when he was grinning. Still arrogant but it looked good on him. Just a hint of playfulness.
That could be so much fun …
Crap, she must look desperate. She felt like it sure enough. Her breath was caught in her throat, anticipation sharpening her senses.
“You’re perceptive.” He shrugged, the motion looking impossibly sexy. Behind her loose top, her nipples contracted. His gaze dropped to the hard points and his lips thinned. “I didn’t come for the liquor.”
He closed the gap between them and leaned against the building with one shoulder while watching her. Sensation shot through her, tingling and filling her with an intense awareness of him. She had to fight the urge to allow her gaze to slip down past his six-pack to see what his leather pants offered her to admire.
“Why did you come?” His voice was husky but his gaze sharp. He was still leaning against the building as if he didn’t have a care in the world, but the look in his eyes didn’t match his lazy posture. He was intimidating but it struck her as a challenge. At last she was able to grasp her wilting self-control and master the surge of lust flooding her. She wasn’t going to simper in the face of his brawn.
“I came with a friend, who’s off dancing now. Nosy.”
He studied her, looking like he was gauging just how solid her resolve was. Another jolt of awareness hit her but it annoyed her as much as it thrilled. She would not melt at his feet.
“Maybe I got the impression you wouldn’t mind me being nosy.” His gaze slipped back down her chest to where her nipples still raised the silk of her top. When he made eye contact with her again, heat simmered in those dark orbs.
Maybe … I should just let my impulses rule …
“Yeah, well, maybe I should recall the pepper spray my dad gave me for my twenty-first birthday.” She was poking him with a stick now but at least she sounded confident.
One dark eyebrow rose in response to her threat. “Pepper spray works better when you don’t warn your target.”
“You’ve got a point,” she agreed, trying to sound amused. Unconcerned. It was a lie, though. She was rattled. Her belly queasy with nerves. The guy was setting her on her ear without even trying.
Pathetic. Yet really interesting because it’s never happened before.
He studied her for a long moment. “I’ve always preferred to experience those boundaries instead of just being told where they are.”
What an experience he’d be, too …
She looked past him to the motorcycle, an image of him clasping the mean-looking machine between his thighs surfacing. “I believe you.”
“Does that mean the pepper spray will stay in the bottom of your purse?” he asked in a slow drawl that made her shiver again.
She laughed, the sound husky and full of heat in a way she couldn’t recall feeling in a very long time. There was no buildup, no warning from her better judgment to establish a stronger foundation for trust. There was just need, hot, burning need. She wanted it satisfied. Now. It was the intensity of her reaction to him that made her dig her heels in. A protective instinct rising above the flood of pheromones trying to drown her common sense.
“Nothing personal but we’re strangers.”
His gaze lowered to her chest and came back up. “Why don’t we change that? Let’s go for a ride. As you noticed, I’m still sober, and not interested in dulling my wits.” His eyes narrowed and homed in on her lips. “I’m in the mood for highs that don’t require mind-numbing chemicals.”
Oh hell yes …
Her mouth went dry and her body pulsed with excitement. Lust chiseled away at her resolve, pushing her toward the impulse to do exactly what she wanted without a care for the regrets that might show up at sunrise.
“Ah … I shouldn’t.”
But I sure as hell want to …
His grin was gone, pure intent shinning in his eyes. “Why not? It will be more fun than standing here waiting to drive your friend home. I promise you that.”
And his voice dipped down, loaded with suggestive possibilities. Ones she was all too tempted to entertain.
“Careful,” she warned him. “I don’t desert my friends.”
He lifted his hands in mock surrender. “I can respect a lady who keeps her word.” His voice dipped down again while something flickered in his eyes that looked like victory. “But you’re no baby and neither of us came out tonight because we wanted to drink. I think your friend would understand if you altered your plans. She struck me as confident enough to arrange a cab ride home all by herself.”
“So why not be impulsive?” Her darker side was gaining the upper hand and the words spilled out, part of her longing for any excuse to just give in and indulge. To challenge the boundaries around her and be wild.
“Exactly.”
His tone deepened, becoming something almost too decadent to resist. She gave in to the urge to look down the length of the man teasing her. Below the six-pack, his leather pants outlined a bulge promising her exactly the sort of ride she’d been thinking about.
A deep chuckle pulled her attention back to his face. He reached out and stroked her cheek. She shivered in response, the feeling of his skin against her own nearly explosive.
“Like what you see, baby?” His hand moved to cup her nape, gripping it just enough to send another ripple of need through her. “I do.”
He planted his free hand on the wall next to her head as he maintained his grip on her neck. The lights from the parking lot were blocked out when he leaned over and kissed her.
Oh hell …
She twisted in his embrace, overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment. No kiss had ever affected her so deeply. He followed her, pressing a hard kiss against her mouth. More than a kiss, it was a challenge, but that only drove the heat index up another few notches. It shouldn’t have. She’d never been a fan of overbearing men, but a moan surfaced from her chest as she reached out for him.
No sweet, sedate, agreed-upon kiss had ever set her blood on fire, either.
His chest felt as good as it looked: a feast for her fingertips. She moved closer, kissing him back with the same intensity his mouth was applying to hers. Lust became need, her body begging for less clothing and more skin. He pressed her lips apart, and the tip of his tongue teased her lower lip before slipping inside her mouth.
She shivered, her body alive with a thousand different points of awareness. Her nipples contracted and her clit throbbed with need so intense she pushed him away. She reached up and shoved her hand between their lips to separate them. It was a desperate motion, one driven by the knowledge that she was in way over her head.
“Just … back off a second.” She didn’t recognize her own voice; it was too sultry, too needy to be hers. Mentally toying with being reckless was far different from doing it. Consequences were often 100 percent unforgiving. She needed to think but her brain felt frozen.
“Why?” His hand slid down her neck, across her shoulder, and down her chest until he cupped her breast. He thumbed one hard nipple without hesitation, sending a little jolt of hard pleasure down her core.
Shit!
How in the hell did his touch make her feel so good? She should have taken a swing at his face. Instead she bit back a husky sound of enjoyment. His gaze homed in on her lower lip, victory flickering in his eyes.
“You’re just as interested as I am, baby. Let’s take a ride and feed our appetites. No games, no meaningless chitchat. Blunt … honesty.”
She actually thought about it. The passion smoldering in his eyes was too hot to ignore. He teased her nipple with his thumb, sending a rush of heat through her belly. It was so intensely carnal her hips jerked, moving without any sort of decision. Part of her really wanted to know just how the ride might be with h
“Do I need to remind you that your father considers this man a friend?” Colonel Decains asked.
Bram Magnus stared straight back at the colonel. “I’ve grown up with him as an uncle.”
Pain crept into his tone, despite his efforts to remain poised in front of his superior officer.
The colonel leaned back in his chair, but he took an eight-by-ten picture of a downed helicopter with him. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the charred remains of three servicemen.
“That intel was sent through my passcode,” Bram said.
“You were hacked, son,” the colonel said. He frowned at his own use of a familiar term and tossed the picture down. “We’ll have the culprit tracked down soon enough. No one gets off this post unless I clear them.”
“That’s only half the problem,” Bram argued. “I’ve traced the intel to my sister’s house.”
“Which means she might be the buyer.”
Bram tightened his fingers until his knuckles popped. His superior officer didn’t miss it, either. Decains flattened his hand on the desktop.
“I appreciate your feelings, Captain, but we need to maintain our perceptive.” Decains tapped the picture. “Your father’s record and yours are both impressive. I don’t doubt that your sister comes from the same stock, which is why we’re going to do this by the book.”
“Zoe will check out,” Bram said firmly. “It’s got to be Tim. He’s the only other person who has access to my sister’s house.”
“Sure about that?” the colonel asked. “She’s plenty old enough for a boyfriend.”
“Check her out all you want,” Bram stated firmly. “Zoe will stand up to your worst.”
The colonel’s face tightened. “Glad to hear it. Your father is a friend of mine. I’d hate to have to tell him your sister is going to disappear.”
“You won’t have to,” Bram answered. “Zoe is no traitor, and she certainly wants both me and my dad home safely. I could have been on that helo.”
Decains looked back at the picture. “These men deserve justice.”
Bram nodded.
“I’m turning this over to a special branch of intelligence. Completely off the radar. They’ll send in a team to get evidence. They specialize in catching their prey with their hands on the smoking gun. We’ll back off on our leak here and give him a little bait intel to pass along. I’m going to leave your old access code active, no need to let him know we’re on to him. Besides, we can’t be outdone by one of the stateside teams. I want to catch this traitor with his hands on the cheese.”
Bram drew in a stiff breath but didn’t argue. It had to be done the way the colonel was doing it. His insides were knotted and he was half afraid he was going to puke from the knowledge of what his sister was going to endure. But he kept his composure and cut the colonel a salute before making his way out of the man’s office.
He itched to pick up the phone and call his sister.
He couldn’t.
Which pissed him off. Tim had been his father’s buddy longer than Bram had been alive but there was no doubt in Bram’s mind who was responsible. And it pissed him off knowing he couldn’t get his hands locked around Tim’s neck. At least not personally. Still, part of him was enjoying knowing Decains was setting a team on Tim’s ass that was going to tear him apart, bit by bit.
Exactly what a traitor deserved.
* * *
“The Magnus family has a good reputation,” Kagan said.
“They do,” Colonel Decains confirmed. The connection was scratchy, the distance between Afghanistan and the States showing up as background noise. It was the most detailed thing about the moment. The office Kagan sat in was stripped of anything that might be considered personal. The phone he was using was a landline that would be disconnected the moment the operation was finished. “That’s why I’m calling you. Make sure your team does a good job. When it gets to mopping up, there is going to be a full-bird colonel looking mighty close at the details.”
“You know my men are going to see the daughter as a possible suspect,” Kagan advised Decains.
“No way around it,” Decains agreed. “I’ll handle the heat over that point.”
“I’ll be in touch.” Kagan cut the connection.
There was little else to say. He lived in a world of shadows because that’s where he was most effective at catching the scum who did business there. The information was spread out over his desk. He considered it before picking up his phone and selecting a contact to reach out to. Agent Tyler Martin answered on the second ring.
“I have an assignment for you.” Kagan didn’t waste any time.
* * *
Tyler Martin liked his job.
In fact, it was his life.
Which was why he was going to make sure his future was a bright one. One thing about working shadow operations, it left a stink on a man. Once you were in deep, there really was no leaving, so it was best to ensure a long, profitable career. Sometimes, that meant doing some dirty work for powerful people.
Tyler considered the case Kagan had just assigned him. It was a gift really. A perfect little present dropped in front of him. One he’d been waiting for. That was another thing about shadow operations: the hard fact that just when you thought you were safe, fate would circle back around and bite you in the ass. He’d been waiting a long time to get in some payback. But today, that wait was over. Saxon and Vitus Hale were about to get a king-sized serving of it. It was going to be Tyler’s pleasure to dish it out. He’d been waiting for just the right case to take them down. Tyler looked over the details of the information Kagan had sent over and grinned.
It was perfect. Classified intel. Dead servicemen. All the components needed to blacken someone’s name forever. Since the leak was already plugged, there was no reason not to twist the operation to suit his own agenda. All he had to do was find the man on this side before anyone else did.
He didn’t spare a thought for the Magnus family. They had friends for certain but no other family, which made them an even stronger candidate for what he needed. They could be buried. They’d end up with full military honors or branded as traitors. He really didn’t care so long as they were dead and silenced. Tyler had his future to secure and it wasn’t going to come cheap. He’d always known that. But it was his blood or someone else’s, because the men he was negotiating with played for keeps. He couldn’t afford to get picky about the means. The opportunities would be few and far between. His own future had a price tag on it, one he had to pay if he didn’t want to end up dead himself. It was a dog-eat-dog world.
He selected a contact from among his teams and punched it. Time to assign Saxon Hale to the last case of his career.
And life.
Tyler didn’t let his conscience get in the way. Congressman Jeb Ryland might be a whack job of an overprotective father but the man was in the right position to offer Tyler a secure future. So if Jeb wanted the Hale brothers taken out for pissing on his turf, Tyler planned to make it happen. A nice little treason case was the perfect answer. As for the Magnus family, well, it wasn’t personal.
* * *
“Now, he is hot.”
Roni rolled her words and ended up sounding like she was purring. Zoe glanced over to the man in question and wished she hadn’t.
Hot was an understatement.
She’d never known his equal, much less experienced what it must be like to have such a prime animal in her bed. Sensation prickled along her skin instantly, deep, carnal awareness twisting through her belly. The swiftness of the response sent her looking away with a shrug designed to protect her emotions from being spotted.
Roni was a master at sniffing out Zoe’s true feelings. It made her a great friend and major pain in the ass when life decided to deliver a punch to her solar plexus. Which was the perfect definition of a best friend. Zoe nodded, earning a husky chuckle from her pal.
“Lickable,” she agreed.
The guy really was a double shot of whiskey. The kind you wanted to take straight up then slam down the empty glass while you felt the burn smoking your insides.
Mega hot.
She looked down at her drink suspiciously. Maybe the bartender was just doubling up in the hope his bar would get a reputation as a great pickup joint.
“Oh Lord.” Roni jabbed her with an elbow. “What’s the point of hanging out at a bar if we don’t do a little window-shopping?”
“Point taken.”
Zoe lifted her drink and watched the man in question over the salted rim of the glass. He was wrapped in black leather, which made him doubly delectable. The jacket hung open, giving her a glimpse of a T-shirt that hugged a torso defined and tight. Dark hair and eyes gave him a slightly sinful, badass look, and combined with the black leather, he was like dark chocolate.
Premium window-shopping, for sure.
“I’m going to ask him to dance.” Roni slid off her bar stool with a click of her heels. “Wish me luck.”
“He’s not a dance-floor kind of animal.” Zoe wasn’t sure where the justification for her opinion came from, only that she was firmly sure of it. The guy was suited to shadows and thrived there. The only thing capable of scaring him was being predictable. Confidence radiated from him so thickly, it felt like he just might be worthy of the arrogance his stony expression declared.
“He’ll turn you down,” she muttered while setting her glass down. She was no longer interested in numbing her wits. Not when there was such a feast standing near enough to enjoy. Nope, she was going to enjoy the moment. Completely.
Roni fingered the strand of silver beads hanging around her neck. “You might be right; you’re definitely spot-on about the fact that he’s an animal … One I’d like to let play with me, no taming required. He can run wild … anywhere he wants to go.” Roni made a sweeping gesture with one hand up and down her body.
Zoe laughed at her friend. “You’re not normally the ‘toy’ type. Sure your modern woman can handle the hit to your pride? That man isn’t going to let you walk him on a leash.”
“Never let it be said I backed down from a challenge,” she declared in a husky whisper. “Besides, I fully intend to play as good as I get played with.”
“Matching collars, is it?”
Roni made a low sound in the back of her throat. “If I’m lucky.”
With a wink her friend made her way across the worn planks of the barroom floor, drawing stares from the shadowy booths lining the walls of the place with the sultry sway of her hips. It was really a whole-body thing, one that Zoe admired as much as she detested. Her friend’s ability to mesmerize the male population fit nicely with her flirtatious persona but tonight, Roni was focused on the man leaning back against the bar. He’d bought a longneck beer of some sort but had only taken a single sip of it. It sat next to him, forgotten as he scanned the room.
Another prickle of sensation went down Zoe’s back. The beer remained on the bar while those dark eyes landed on every single soul in the place. He looked like he was assessing them, cataloging them; like nothing was more important than sizing up the occupants of the room.
He sure wasn’t interested in the beer.
He reminded her of her brother, every motion controlled and his position selected for the best angle of defense. He was military-trained. No doubt about it, the guy had served time in something more than general ranks, if she was any good at judging body language.
Nosy …
The word floated through her mind, but she shrugged it off. Hell, if she was going to read anyone’s body, his was infinitely top-grade. Besides, she wasn’t up for a quick hookup. The main point of the evening was to ride shotgun for Roni and indulge in girlfriend time.
She wasn’t being nosy. He’d come into the bar, and bars were places to be seen.
Right … Now I’m justifying my spying.
True. But that didn’t make her thinking wrong. Zoe took a slow sip from her drink and peered over the rim of the glass at the subject of her thoughts. Her lips curved as she took another sip.
This guy’s body language said a lot more, too. Her eyes narrowed, the lids feeling heavy as she watched the way his hips worked when he moved. The sight set off something deeply sexual inside her. Heat was spreading gently across her skin and it was just too enjoyable to resist a few more moments of indulgence.
So what if he caught her staring?
It was a bar after all. Everyone in the place was there with sex on their minds. Maybe that was a blunt way to put it, but it was still true. Really, really true. One look at the tight jeans and short skirts was all you needed to confirm that fact. The groups of people crowded around the tables were there to connect with someone else, the drinks in their hands nothing but liquid courage. Even Military Man, animal that he was, had to be looking for companionship in some form. He’d be off on his own if he wasn’t in the mood for company. Loneliness had a way of reducing everyone to pitiful piles of need. Of course a man like him wouldn’t have to work very hard to gain a little company.
I wouldn’t mind being your choice tonight …
Her inner animal wanted loose. She felt her cheeks heat because normally she had better control over her impulses. Knowing that everyone else had the same urges didn’t keep her blush from deepening, either. She felt like he could read her thoughts. He had a demeanor that suggested he was more perceptive than the average guy. Definitely in more control than most. A ripple of sensation moved across her skin and she smiled, enjoying the response because it was so intense. There was something about the guy that just made her want to fling the rule book aside. No worrying about repercussions or anything lurking in his past.
He glanced at her, sending a jolt of awareness down her spine before Roni reached him, angling his head to look down from his six-and-a-half-foot frame. A bare half inch of black hair covered his head, the lights above him shining off the neatly sheared surface.
Yup … military. She’d bet on it. Lust teased her again, so she decided to bask in the glow of the heat. Window-shopping did need to be enjoyed, after all, especially if she wasn’t willing to lay down the price of making a try at touching the merchandise.
Why not? Why let Roni have all the fun?
Her inner voice was becoming more daring by the second, the heat gripping her body and urging her to abandon her common sense.
Yeah, well, impulsive sex came with too many risks for her peace of mind. It was a fun idea to toy with but that was as far as she was going. She needed to stick to her ideals because the leather-clad god across the room wouldn’t be the staying kind.
Oh, but the things I could enjoy while he was around …
Which would be followed by a guilt trip that would cost her too much self-confidence for her comfort. Besides, she wanted more than just hot sex.
Ha! Not at the moment I don’t …
Zoe lifted her margarita and took a long drink, but the fruity taste didn’t mix with the sight of Mr. Untamed Temptation. She set her glass down, craving the hard bite of whiskey.
Yeah, I want hard … that’s for sure.
Roni did her best to get him onto the dance floor. He shook his head and reached for his beer instead. Roni propped one hand on her hip and pouted at him but he only tipped the bottle up, using the beverage like a shield. Roni didn’t give up; she continued to talk to him in a tone that was too low for Zoe to hear over the band.
Zoe reached for the bowl of peanuts sitting on the table and broke one open. She was bored. The music was good but the bar scene just wasn’t her thing. Roni thrived on the fishbowl experience. Her friend was turned out in a miniskirt and loose tank top, looking like she belonged up on the stage. She fit next to the brawn king, looking relaxed as she flirted with him. Another man leaned over and a moment later Roni was on her way to the dance floor with him.
Zoe grinned. Roni began dancing with a flair that made Zoe envious. Her body curved and moved with the skill of a belly dancer, only with a much more modern rhythm. Roni turned around and shot Biker Boy a look that made it clear she was performing for his enjoyment.
“Looks like you’ve been abandoned.”
Zoe got a glimpse of blue eyes and short-cut blond hair before the stool next to her was occupied. The guy set his whiskey tumbler down and considered her.
“I’m a big girl,” she responded while fighting the urge to look back at Mr. Untamed. The guy sitting across from her wasn’t second-class by any means. In fact, he was clean-cut, wearing a buttondown shirt with the collar unbuttoned and the cuffs rolled up.
“I noticed,” he said as he contemplated her. He reached for his whiskey and took a sip but almost as an afterthought, because his blue eyes were fixed on her.
“Saxon.” He offered her his hand across the small pub-style table.
“Zoe.” She was shaking his hand out of reflex.
Mr. Untamed wouldn’t shake my hand.
It was a majorly unfair thought and really bitchy of her but there it was. Gut response. Honest and brutal. Saxon didn’t deserve it but she doubted he needed to be jerked around, either. He was looking for company and she wasn’t interested. Not a bit. All she wanted to do was turn back around and stare at the leather-clad animal stuck in her brain.
Another peanut crackled between her fingertips before Zoe’s cell phone buzzed to rescue her. She didn’t bother to check the caller ID; it was better not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Even if it was a telemarketer, she was taking the call. It beat throwing a pity party.
“Excuse me.” She slid off the bar stool.
“Hello?”
“Hey, sis.”
Zoe pushed the front door open and hurried outside where she could hear her brother’s voice better. “Bram? It’s been bloody forever since you called.”
Her brother snorted on the other end. “Been working. I assume you recall just how often we servicemen get separated from our loved ones while we’re deployed? After all, you grew up with the same active-duty dad I did.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know the drill. How are you?” There were rules when she talked to her brother, “no serious questions allowed” sort of rules. Keep it light and friendly because it just might be the last conversation they had. Guilt could be a razor-sharp bitch.
“How are you?” Her brother’s voice was firm and serious.
Zoe frowned and leaned against the exterior of the bar. “Fine. Why are you asking in that tone of voice? As well as redirecting the conversation?”
There was silence on the other end of the line. Static crackled while she waited for her brother to respond. He finally offered her a dry laugh that drew every muscle she had tight with tension.
“I’m just thinking about you,” he muttered. “Keep your guard up, sis.”
“Why?” The word was out of her mouth before she remembered who she was talking to. “All right, forget I asked that.”
There was a deeper chuckle on the other end of the line, one that almost put her at ease, but not quite.
“You know me a little too well, sis. Keep that intuition sharp and make sure you watch your back. Call me if there’s anything suspicious happening, even something small. Leave a message.”
“Is that all the information I’m getting?” she said, her voice filled with frustration.
“For the moment.” Bram laid down his decision with every bit of arrogance she’d just decided Biker Boy had. “If you don’t notice anything, there is nothing to worry about. Don’t hesitate to call.”
“I won’t,” she groused, far from satisfied with the lack of details.
“That sounds like my brat sister, nosy to the core,” Bram accused her with amusement in his tone, enough to make her throat tighten because it had been too damn long since she’d heard it.
“Got to go.” Bram’s voice had chilled and hardened, tightening her neck muscles once again. “Remember, leave a message. If all I see is a hang-up, it will concern me.”
The line went dead and she worried her lower lip. Her brother was on another continent. If there was some kind of trouble, there wouldn’t be much he could do to help her. But she sure as hell wasn’t going to do anything to distract him while he was crawling around God knew where.
“Bad news?”
She jumped, fumbling the phone, and ended up with it pressed to her cleavage to keep it from falling to the ground. Mr. Untamed was watching her with eyes as black as his hair. This close, the term Biker Boy didn’t fit.
He was all man.
Still a few paces away, he managed to strike her as huge. She wasn’t used to feeling delicate, but the wide expanse of muscle-coated chest sent a shiver down her spine. He put her on edge, for no other reason than she knew he was stronger. It was a primitive idea, one that rose above every bit of faith she had in equal rights. She was staring and he was watching her do it.
“Ah … not really,” she forced out before tearing her gaze off him. He was too distracting.
I mean too tempting …
Behind him, on the other side of the front doors, was a motorcycle. It was coal black but clean enough to pass a white-glove inspection.
“I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t finish your beer. It doesn’t look like you brought a designated driver.”
His lips twitched and she regretted making the joke because the guy was even sexier when he was grinning. Still arrogant but it looked good on him. Just a hint of playfulness.
That could be so much fun …
Crap, she must look desperate. She felt like it sure enough. Her breath was caught in her throat, anticipation sharpening her senses.
“You’re perceptive.” He shrugged, the motion looking impossibly sexy. Behind her loose top, her nipples contracted. His gaze dropped to the hard points and his lips thinned. “I didn’t come for the liquor.”
He closed the gap between them and leaned against the building with one shoulder while watching her. Sensation shot through her, tingling and filling her with an intense awareness of him. She had to fight the urge to allow her gaze to slip down past his six-pack to see what his leather pants offered her to admire.
“Why did you come?” His voice was husky but his gaze sharp. He was still leaning against the building as if he didn’t have a care in the world, but the look in his eyes didn’t match his lazy posture. He was intimidating but it struck her as a challenge. At last she was able to grasp her wilting self-control and master the surge of lust flooding her. She wasn’t going to simper in the face of his brawn.
“I came with a friend, who’s off dancing now. Nosy.”
He studied her, looking like he was gauging just how solid her resolve was. Another jolt of awareness hit her but it annoyed her as much as it thrilled. She would not melt at his feet.
“Maybe I got the impression you wouldn’t mind me being nosy.” His gaze slipped back down her chest to where her nipples still raised the silk of her top. When he made eye contact with her again, heat simmered in those dark orbs.
Maybe … I should just let my impulses rule …
“Yeah, well, maybe I should recall the pepper spray my dad gave me for my twenty-first birthday.” She was poking him with a stick now but at least she sounded confident.
One dark eyebrow rose in response to her threat. “Pepper spray works better when you don’t warn your target.”
“You’ve got a point,” she agreed, trying to sound amused. Unconcerned. It was a lie, though. She was rattled. Her belly queasy with nerves. The guy was setting her on her ear without even trying.
Pathetic. Yet really interesting because it’s never happened before.
He studied her for a long moment. “I’ve always preferred to experience those boundaries instead of just being told where they are.”
What an experience he’d be, too …
She looked past him to the motorcycle, an image of him clasping the mean-looking machine between his thighs surfacing. “I believe you.”
“Does that mean the pepper spray will stay in the bottom of your purse?” he asked in a slow drawl that made her shiver again.
She laughed, the sound husky and full of heat in a way she couldn’t recall feeling in a very long time. There was no buildup, no warning from her better judgment to establish a stronger foundation for trust. There was just need, hot, burning need. She wanted it satisfied. Now. It was the intensity of her reaction to him that made her dig her heels in. A protective instinct rising above the flood of pheromones trying to drown her common sense.
“Nothing personal but we’re strangers.”
His gaze lowered to her chest and came back up. “Why don’t we change that? Let’s go for a ride. As you noticed, I’m still sober, and not interested in dulling my wits.” His eyes narrowed and homed in on her lips. “I’m in the mood for highs that don’t require mind-numbing chemicals.”
Oh hell yes …
Her mouth went dry and her body pulsed with excitement. Lust chiseled away at her resolve, pushing her toward the impulse to do exactly what she wanted without a care for the regrets that might show up at sunrise.
“Ah … I shouldn’t.”
But I sure as hell want to …
His grin was gone, pure intent shinning in his eyes. “Why not? It will be more fun than standing here waiting to drive your friend home. I promise you that.”
And his voice dipped down, loaded with suggestive possibilities. Ones she was all too tempted to entertain.
“Careful,” she warned him. “I don’t desert my friends.”
He lifted his hands in mock surrender. “I can respect a lady who keeps her word.” His voice dipped down again while something flickered in his eyes that looked like victory. “But you’re no baby and neither of us came out tonight because we wanted to drink. I think your friend would understand if you altered your plans. She struck me as confident enough to arrange a cab ride home all by herself.”
“So why not be impulsive?” Her darker side was gaining the upper hand and the words spilled out, part of her longing for any excuse to just give in and indulge. To challenge the boundaries around her and be wild.
“Exactly.”
His tone deepened, becoming something almost too decadent to resist. She gave in to the urge to look down the length of the man teasing her. Below the six-pack, his leather pants outlined a bulge promising her exactly the sort of ride she’d been thinking about.
A deep chuckle pulled her attention back to his face. He reached out and stroked her cheek. She shivered in response, the feeling of his skin against her own nearly explosive.
“Like what you see, baby?” His hand moved to cup her nape, gripping it just enough to send another ripple of need through her. “I do.”
He planted his free hand on the wall next to her head as he maintained his grip on her neck. The lights from the parking lot were blocked out when he leaned over and kissed her.
Oh hell …
She twisted in his embrace, overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment. No kiss had ever affected her so deeply. He followed her, pressing a hard kiss against her mouth. More than a kiss, it was a challenge, but that only drove the heat index up another few notches. It shouldn’t have. She’d never been a fan of overbearing men, but a moan surfaced from her chest as she reached out for him.
No sweet, sedate, agreed-upon kiss had ever set her blood on fire, either.
His chest felt as good as it looked: a feast for her fingertips. She moved closer, kissing him back with the same intensity his mouth was applying to hers. Lust became need, her body begging for less clothing and more skin. He pressed her lips apart, and the tip of his tongue teased her lower lip before slipping inside her mouth.
She shivered, her body alive with a thousand different points of awareness. Her nipples contracted and her clit throbbed with need so intense she pushed him away. She reached up and shoved her hand between their lips to separate them. It was a desperate motion, one driven by the knowledge that she was in way over her head.
“Just … back off a second.” She didn’t recognize her own voice; it was too sultry, too needy to be hers. Mentally toying with being reckless was far different from doing it. Consequences were often 100 percent unforgiving. She needed to think but her brain felt frozen.
“Why?” His hand slid down her neck, across her shoulder, and down her chest until he cupped her breast. He thumbed one hard nipple without hesitation, sending a little jolt of hard pleasure down her core.
Shit!
How in the hell did his touch make her feel so good? She should have taken a swing at his face. Instead she bit back a husky sound of enjoyment. His gaze homed in on her lower lip, victory flickering in his eyes.
“You’re just as interested as I am, baby. Let’s take a ride and feed our appetites. No games, no meaningless chitchat. Blunt … honesty.”
She actually thought about it. The passion smoldering in his eyes was too hot to ignore. He teased her nipple with his thumb, sending a rush of heat through her belly. It was so intensely carnal her hips jerked, moving without any sort of decision. Part of her really wanted to know just how the ride might be with h
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