Dangerous Attraction

by Sidney Bristol

  “Travis, you okay?” Jade tilted her head sideways.

  “The nerves are normal. Take deep breaths, don’t lock your knees, and just look at her.” Ryan twisted his wedding band, a far off look in his eye.

  “Thanks. Excuse me?”

  He didn’t wait for another word, just pushed past the small crowd and into the foyer. The air was warmer out here and sunlight streamed in through the double glass doors. A couple random people milled through the shop at the front of the chapel, but no one paid him any attention.

  Travis could save Bliss the disappointment now and leave. She’d hate him for skipping out, but it might be the best thing for her. He had more baggage than anyone, she just didn’t know it yet. He didn’t know how to be in a healthy relationship. Even what he had with his sister or the guys he worked with wasn’t what he’d call good.

  He pulled his phone out of his pocket and jabbed at Bliss’ contact.

  It didn’t get through a full ring before she answered.

  “Are you planning to leave me at the alter?” Her tone was teasing, light-hearted.

  He blew out a breath.

  “Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked.

  “You’re having second thoughts.”

  “It’s not—no, but, you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”

  “I know we’re both going to have a big reality check. When we wake up from this, yeah, there’s going to be some rough times ahead. I’m not stupid enough to think that love fixes everything, but I’m willing to work at this. If you don’t want to, or if you want to put it off, tell me now before they put this veil thing on because it’s going to hurt. Pretty sure they used a whole can of that Aqua Net stuff on my hair.”

  He chuckled, and his world shifted back into focus.

  “I’ve never...I’m going to need a lot of patience. I’m going to screw up a lot.”

  “And that’s fine. We’ll talk about it. We’ll do better. You’re already doing better. You’re still in the chapel, right?”

  “Foyer. Chapel is too loud. Everyone was staring.”

  A man in a glittering white jumpsuit exited a back office and paused in front of a mirror. Elvis weddings were a much bigger thing than he’d realized. When in Vegas...

  “See, already doing better. So, are we getting married or what?”

  “Yeah. And forget the veil.”

  He hung up the phone and the sick sensation vanished. One more swipe with the handkerchief and he was himself again. This was where he was supposed to be.

  “Mr. Ration, ready to make a bride a wife?” The Elvis impersonator gripped his hand and pumped it.

  “I am.” And he was, damn the nerves and doubts.

  “Good, good. Full room today. We’ll wait for the signal, then go up like we practiced earlier.”

  Travis nodded and checked his phone one last time.

  A text from his sister Emma filled the screen.

  Break a leg, bro! We r watching.

  Everyone was here. Or close enough.

  His blood family, his chosen family, and the people who mattered.

  “That’s us. Come on, let’s get this show on the road.” Elvis slapped his shoulder before leading the way into the chapel.

  Travis kept his gaze straight ahead, all the way to the platform at the front of the room and stood on his mark. Elvis said a few words, people snapped pictures, but none of it really mattered. He bounced his knee, just enough to feel the ring in his pocket and stared at the double doors that now stood closed at the end of the chapel.

  Finally, the music started and Elvis began to sing.

  Travis stopped breathing. The attendees stood as one, turning toward the doors. Elvis hit a higher note, the song lost on Travis, and the doors opened.

  Bliss and her father stood at the end of the red carpet, and he’d never seen anything so beautiful in his life. His future wife. His love. His heart.

  Epilogue.

  Six months later.

  Travis jogged up the porch stairs, keeping on the balls of his feet and avoiding the squeaky board. Bliss wasn’t expecting him home until tomorrow morning. These moments, coming back to the little two-bedroom house they shared, were the best. Second only to the hours of lovemaking that followed. Things weren’t perfect, but they were making the best out of what they had. And it was a hell of a lot more than he’d ever expected.

  He disabled the security through his phone app and let himself in the front door. For a second, he stood on the little rug and listened. Music played softly from the spare-room-turned-office, and over that he could hear her humming.

  There wasn’t an aspect of his life Bliss hadn’t touched. From redecorating the boring house to his taste in food and music, she’d changed him. For the better. His life wasn’t just work anymore. And though the long hours, days, and sometimes weeks apart sucked, he always got to come home to this.

  His home. With his wife.

  Travis tiptoed down the short hall and peered into their office. Or more accurately, Bliss’ office. Yeah, he had a desk in the room, but she was the one who worked there five days a week.

  She sat bent over his desk, her back to the door, pen in hand, signing—something.

  He tapped on the door with his knuckle.

  Surprising her only went so far.

  There were still nightmares and panic attacks on occasion, but those were fewer and farther between.

  Bliss whirled around, mouth open, eyes wide. Her hair was pulled back in a clip, and she wore one of his sweatshirts with leggings and bare feet.

  “Travis!”

  He grinned and crossed the room in two strides, picking her up for a thorough kiss.

  Five days away, forgotten in an instant between her lips.

  “What—? You weren’t supposed to be back until—”

  “Tomorrow, I know. I decided to hop a commercial flight instead of waiting.” The cost of a one-way flight was nothing in comparison to twelve more hours together. Especially when he was facing a lengthy assignment down in the Keys.

  Bliss grinned and he put her down. She kept her gaze on him and pushed the papers behind her.

  “What are you up to?” He reached around her and plucked the top sheet off the stack.

  “No, just—Travis!” She made a wild grab and only got his forearm.

  He wrapped the arm around her and skimmed the letter.

  To the governor of Oklahoma.

  “What is this?” A chill swept over him.

  Was Bliss unhappy? Had he upset her?

  She sighed and snagged the letter from between his fingers.

  “I didn’t want to show you. I didn’t want to get your hopes up,” she said.

  “Why are you asking the governor for a pardon?”

  She leaned against his desk and stared up at him.

  “It’s the job, isn’t it? You still don’t like it.”

  “Its—no. You like what you do. I just—you really want to be a PI.”

  He didn’t bother to nod. They’d had this conversation. That career path was closed to him thanks to his felony record, as were so many other options in life.

  “I talked to a lawyer. He thinks that there’s plenty of evidence and proof that your conviction could be pardoned. So yeah, I was going to send these today, see what might happen. I’ve got letters to both the governor of Oklahoma and the President. Worst case, they said no, you wouldn’t know, and we keep on making the best of what we have.” She reached for his hand, clasping it between hers. “I just want for you to be happy.”

  “Are you happy?”

  Above anything else that mattered was Bliss. No, he didn’t want to work for Aegis forever. He’d die doing this job if he stuck it out until he was too old to dodge bullets, and she didn’t deserve that. Truth be told, he’d never considered a way around his conviction. It hadn’t occurred to him, because good things never happened to him.

  And then there was Bliss.

  She was all the good
he’d never had, rolled into one, sexy package.

  “Are you mad at me?” She pulled his hand, urging him closer.

  He let her pull him between her legs while he paused before answering, rolling her actions around in his head.

  “No,” he replied. “Are you happy?”

  “Yeah.” Her smile spread slowly across her face. “More now that you’re home.”

  He blew out a breath and leaned down to kiss her. She tasted of oranges and tea, which meant they were probably out of food. Oh well, they could order pizza and spend more time in bed anyway.

  “Note to self, next time I get a bright idea I don’t want my super sneaky husband to know about, do it right after he leaves. And before I forget, Emma sent over some wedding stuff. They picked a date.”

  “Later.”

  Travis picked Bliss up, and she wrapped herself around him. There was time to figure out the logistics of a couple trips back to Oklahoma. For now, he needed to show his wife just how good they had it.

  You can stay up to date on the whole Aegis Group team in Dangerous in Training, Dangerous Games, Dangerous Assignment, Dangerous Protector and Dangerous Secrets! Stay tuned for the nest Aegis Group chapter.

  Sign up for the New Release Newsletter at www.SidneyBristol.com to get inside scoops, short stories about your favorite characters and free books.

  Explore the whole Aegis world in these series...

  It all began with the Aegis Group.

  Dangerous Attraction

  Dangerous in Training

  Dangerous Games

  Dangerous Assignment

  Dangerous Protector

  Dangerous Secrets

  More Coming Soon!

  Within Aegis Group, special teams take on special jobs, beginning with the Alpha Team.

  Dangerous in Love

  Dangerous in Action

  Dangerous in Transit

  Dangerous in Motion

  Dangerous in Charge

  Other specialized teams exist under the Aegis Group umbrella, including Lepta Team.

  Dangerously Taken

  Dangerously Involved (2018)

  Dangerously Deceived (2018)

  Dangerously Broken (2019)

  Dangerously Entwined (2019)

  In Dangerous Games it continued with the Gone Geek girls.

  Beauty and the Geek

  Mr. Purr-fect and the Geek

  The Jock and the Geek

  The Gamer and the Geek

  The Adorkable Girl and the Geek

  The Fake Boyfriend and the Geek

  When the Seattle office of Aegis Group opened the Twisted Royals took the stage.

  The Origin Story

  Alpha Prince

  Her Prince

  Bad Boy Prince

  Noble Prince

  Stay tuned for the appearance of the Troy Team and Omega Team.

  For short reads, tune in this December for the Body of Danger novella series kick-off.

  Heart for Danger

  Mind for Danger (2018)

  Soul for Danger (2019)

  The other Smith brother takes us to the Texas SWAT series, a small town suspense series.

  Fighting Redemption

  Stolen Redemption (2018)

  Reckless Redemption (coming soon)

  Hot Redemption (coming soon)

  Rebel Redemption (coming soon)

  Filthy Redemption (coming soon)

  Find out about the BAU’s other cases, starting with:

  Blind: Killer Instincts

  He recognizes the darkness in her. It’s in him, too.

  Detective Jacob Payton knows the clock is ticking down. Someone is about to die, and his best suspect is also his only source of information. He’s known Emma Ration’s story for years—after all, a brutal serial killer left his mark on both their lives when they were still young. Meeting her is another experience altogether. She challenges his control and entices him in ways no other woman has.

  But is she the killer? As the bodies pile up and their passion ignites, Jacob runs the risk of losing his control. Falling for Emma was never in his plan, but now that she’s part of his life he’s not about to give her up. Not even to the FBI on the trail of the very same killer.

  Jacob must figure out if it’s Emma in danger, or himself. If he can’t uncover the identity of the copycat killer, it could be the end for both him and the woman who has fast become the center of his life.

  Dangerous in Training

  Disgraced Navy SEAL Mason Clark knows how to track his prey. He is an expert operative with a history of wrong-place-wrong-time luck. Landing a gig as a vacation bodyguard should have been an easy job—if he wasn't supposed to be protecting ​her​ body.

  Hannah Stevens. His boss's virgin daughter. Their lust is forbidden and a relationship is out of the question—but what happens in Mexico is their secret. Getting lost between the sheets is their one and only goal, until Hannah's friends are brutally kidnapped by a human-trafficking ring. Things quickly spiral out of control when the kidnappers put Hannah in their cross hairs.

  Mason is a man ready to put it all on the line to rescue the woman he loves. Love and honor are put to the test in this new, romantic suspense series by NYT and USA Today bestselling author, Sidney Bristol.

  Warning: Deflowering virgins doesn't come with volume control.

  Dangerous Games

  Ex-Navy SEAL Zain Lloyd is good with his hands and even better with his head. As the chief intelligence officer for the private security firm, Aegis Group, it's his job to tackle problems before they costs his friend's their lives. Which is why R&R time away from the high-stress environment is always a top priority, and a week at ComicCon is just what this closet-geek wants most, until a fateful elevator ride with the woman of his internet fantasies.

  Andrea Clark can't trust anyone, least of all the mysteriously sexy man she meets outside of her trashed hotel room. But Zain might be her only hope of making it through the convention and home alive. He's her very own superhero, made of all the stuff to make her fall fast and hard. With no safety net in place, she can only pray that Zain will catch her when she falls.

  A web of lies and deceit ensnare two lovers. Zain must use more than his brain and quick fingers to put a stop to the doxxing and death threats before a killer emerges from the ranks of Andrea's friends.

  Warning: The geeks do it better.

  Dangerous Assignment

  Veteran Navy SEAL Luke Briar has a solution for every problem, except when his latest job goes sideways. Things were so much simpler when all he had to worry about was how to put a smile on Abigail's face, though nothing he does chases the shadows from her eyes. Now Luke and his lovely new partner must protect a pair of criminals from people trying to kill them.

  Abigail is a lie. Everything about her is false, but keeping the truth from her partner is becoming increasingly difficult. Her mission was simple, kill two internationally wanted criminals and get out. But she wasn't counting on him. Luke. He awakens parts of her she long thought were dead. But people like her don’t get second chances at life, and her betrayal will crush any happiness they might have had. Falling for Luke can't happen.

  When the tables are turned and someone else gets to Abigail's targets before she can, all hell breaks loose. Luke doesn’t know if the woman he’s fallen for is a terrorist or something worse. Explosive desire isn't a license for murder, but he can’t live without her. With the authorities closing in, Luke must decide who to trust—law or love.

  Warning: Explosive chemistry ahead.

  Dangerous Protector

  Retired Navy SEAL Marco Benally knows the cost of right and wrong, and he's willing to pay the price. After his family's home is stolen out from under them by a company covering up their illegal activities, Marco takes matters into his own hands. No cost is too great to reclaim the generational homestead. Even if that means someone else has to take the fall. Or that's what he tells himself until he meets her. The woman with the tight skir
t, tall heels and darkness in her eyes. One night, one lie to get the evidence he needs and then it's over. Or at least that's what he tells himself.

  Fiona Goero survives by following very careful rules. She's lived more of her life in Witness Protection than out of it. As one of the Internet's Most Wanted for helping the FBI put away a group of hackers, she is never safe. She's the traitor. The hacker who turned against her own. For one night she wants to indulge her every desire. To be held. To feel again. What should have been a passionate encounter becomes a snarled mess of lies and spies. Someone close to her is not only using her, they're trying to kill her. Her one-night-stand might be the only thing between her and being six foot under.

  Marco is a man on a mission to set things right before Fiona discovers that not all of the danger can be laid at her enemies' feet. The greatest danger Fiona faces just might be from Marco—the man she's falling for.

  Warning: Stubborn heroes fall the hardest.

  Dangerous Secrets

  Retired Marine Ryan Scott’s drunken playboy lifestyle catches up with him in a sobering way when a woman shows up on his doorstep—claiming to be carrying his baby. Vowing to be the father his child deserves, Ryan welcomes Carson into his home...and heart. A decision he may not live long enough to regret when he discovers she’s embroiled in a dangerous fight for her life.

  Carson Adair is desperate. Her boss is in trouble, on the run from both the FBI and some very deadly clients, putting Carson in the crosshairs. She needs the protection of sexy badass Ryan and his Aegis Group security firm, and she’ll do and say anything to get it. But she never expected to fall for the man, which makes her secret duplicity all the more treacherous.

  When Carson’s biggest lie is revealed, Ryan is devastated...until her abduction forces him to face another truth: Carson’s love could heal even his oldest wounds—if he doesn’t lose her to the enemy first.

  Book List

  Aegis Group

  Dangerous Attraction

  Dangerous in Training

  Dangerous Games

  Dangerous Attraction