by Rebecca York
“Love each other.”
“I finally admitted to myself that I loved you when I knew Crispin had taken you.”
“I knew it before that. I knew that I’d only been half-alive for the past year and a half, and then I met you and everything changed. I wanted to live. I wanted a life with you. Starting right now.”
He looked dazed, as though he’d thought she was going to object.
“I assume there’s a bed in this house,” she said, reaching for his hand and leading him toward the front door.
The door wasn’t locked, and they stepped inside. She got only a quick impression of a comfortable living room as they hurried through to the next room which was furnished with a wide bed. She took him down to the horizontal surface with her, where they clung together, rocking in each other’s arms.
She’d held back her emotions the whole time they were planning the scam on Crispin. Then she’d been afraid of what Jack was going to say.
Not now.
She clasped his shoulders, pulling him close, her body pressed to his, sending her blood pounding hotly through her veins.
“I never did thank you for saving my life,” she whispered.
“Leaving you there would have been like my own death,” he answered in a rough voice.
He brought his mouth to hers for a kiss that said everything he hadn’t yet put into words.
When they came up for air, she said, “I think we need to get rid of these clothes.”
They discarded jeans, T-shirts, and underwear quickly, then rolled toward each other again.
She made a small sobbing sound as he clasped her to him, overwhelmed by the feel of his naked body against hers.
He held her for long moments, then reached between them, shaping her breasts in his hands, then playing his fingers over her nipples, bringing them to throbbing points of sensation.
When he took one hard peak into his mouth, drawing on her as he used his thumb and finger on the other side, she cried out with the pleasure of it. And when he stroked his free hand down her body and dipped into the hot, slick folds of her most intimate flesh, she came to a jolting climax.
As she caught her breath, she looked into his grinning face. “That took me by surprise.”
“Me too,” he agreed. “But it was kind of fun.”
He began to kiss and caress her again, and this time she was better able to focus on each thing he did as he aroused her to fever pitch once more.
He dragged in a ragged breath, raising his head so that his eyes could meet hers. “Are you ready for me?”
“More than ready.”
He covered her body with his, and as he sank into her, emotions flooded through her.
He began to move inside her, and she matched his rhythm, her breath coming hard and fast.
Again, climax grabbed her, and she heard him gasp, “I love you” as he joined her.
“I love you so much,” she answered, as she came down from the heights, stroking her hands over his sweat-slick back.
He shifted off of her, and they lay together on the bed, both breathing hard.
“You are so good at that,” she murmured.
“I could say the same thing.”
They lay together for long moments, until he said, “Something I should tell you.”
“Good or bad?”
“Crispin gave Rockfort a down payment on the job of finding out what Trainer was up to. But he obviously had no intention of paying the rest—since he was going to eliminate me and the rest of the Rockfort men.”
She nodded against his shoulder. “That’s behind you now.”
“Yeah, well, I got Trainer’s bank account number from his computer. I transferred the money in it to Rockfort.”
“How much?”
“A million dollars.”
She gasped.
“I think we deserve it, considering what he put us through. The guys and I decided that half of it’s mine.”
She found his hand. “Yes, I think you do.”
He swallowed. “Enough for a down payment on a nice house, with cash to spare, if we can figure out where we’re going to live.”
“Is that a proposal?”
“You don’t want to just live with me?”
“No. I want commitment.”
When he licked his lips, she felt herself tense.
“Is that going too far for you?”
“I thought I could ease into this.”
“Not a chance. I know you’re the man I want.”
“You move fast.”
“When I have to. And I’ve been thinking about where we should live.”
“Oh yeah?”
“At the end of the semester, I’m going to resign from George Mason and go into clinical practice. In Rockville, so we’ll both be close to work.”
“Clinical practice? Even after what you told me about that guy who hanged himself? And—uh—the way our hypnosis session ended?”
“Oh Lord, thank you for reminding me about that. Trainer told me why it happened. Well, he didn’t know the importance of what he was saying.”
“What do you mean?”
“When he had me spread-eagled on that bed, he bragged that you weren’t breathing after the guy hit you on the head in his office. His medic had to revive you.”
He swore under his breath. “Lucky for me he wanted information.”
She moved closer and hugged him tightly. “Lucky for me, too.”
For long moments, neither of them spoke, and then she inclined her head so that she could look at him.
“I’ve changed from the woman who found you outside in the woods. You’ve changed me. I’m a lot more confident of what I can do. And I hope you are too. You got us out of a lot of scrapes, and then you came up with a rescue operation nobody else could have pulled off.”
He nodded tightly, yet there was still a look of doubt on his face.
“What?”
“I’m in a dangerous profession. Your husband was shot and died. What if…”
She pressed her fingers to his lips. “There are no guarantees. I understand that better than most people. What I want with you is to live every day to the fullest.”
“Maybe you can teach me.”
“Glad to.”
And glad that this extraordinary man had stumbled into the woods near her family’s old cottage. He’d had a hard life, but it was going to be a lot better from now on. And so was hers.
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rebecca York’s writing has been compared to Dick Francis, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Maggie Shayne. Her award-winning books have been translated into twenty-two languages and optioned for film. A recipient of the RWA Centennial Award, she lives in Maryland, near Washington, D.C., which is often the setting of her romantic suspense novels.
WATCH FOR THE NEXT IN THIS GRIPPING NEW ROMANTIC SUSPENSE SERIES FROM USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR REBECCA YORK.
Betrayed
Rockfort operative and former Army M. P. investigator Shane Gallagher is working security at S & D Systems, trying to learn who’s stealing vital secrets. Systems analyst Elena Reyes is the one with access to the most sensitive files and Shane is ready to close in—until he begins to understand Elena’s terrible dilemma.
Coming July 2014
from Sourcebooks Casablanca
Rev It Up
Black Knights Inc.
by Julie Ann Walker
He’s the heartbreaker she left behind…
Jake “the Snake” Sommers earned his SEAL codename by striking quickly and quietly—and with lethal force. That’s also how he broke Michelle Carter’s heart. It was the only way to keep her safe—from himself. Four long years later, Jake is determined to get a second chance. But to steal back into Michelle’s loving arms, Jake is going to have to prove he can take things slow. Real slow…
Michelle Carter has never forgiven Jake for being so cliché as to “love her and leave her.” But when he
r brother, head of the Black Knights elite ops agency, pisses off the wrong mobster, she must do the unimaginable: place her life in Jake’s hands. No matter what they call him, this man is far from cold-blooded. And once he’s wrapped around her heart, he’ll never let her go…
Praise for Hell on Wheels:
“Edgy, alpha, and downright HOT, the Black Knights Inc. will steal your breath…and your heart!” —Catherine Mann, USA Today bestselling author
For more Black Knights Inc., visit:
www.sourcebooks.com
In Rides Trouble
Black Knights Inc.
by Julie Ann Walker
Trouble never looked so good…
Rebel with a cause
Becky “Rebel” Reichert never actually goes looking for trouble. It just has a tendency to find her. Like the day Frank Knight showed up her door, wanting to use her motorcycle shop as a cover for his elite special ops team. But Becky prides herself on being able to hang with the big boys—she can weld, drive, and shoot just as well as any of them.
Man with a mission
Munitions, missiles, and mayhem are Frank’s way of life. The last thing the ex-SEAL wants is for one brash blonde to come within fifty feet of anything that goes boom. Yet it’s just his rotten luck when she ends up in a hostage situation at sea. Come hell or high water, he will get her back—whether she says she needs him or not.
Praise for Hell on Wheels:
“Edgy, alpha, and downright HOT, the Black Knights Inc. will steal your breath…and your heart!” —Catherine Mann, USA Today bestselling author
For more Black Knights Inc., visit:
www.sourcebooks.com
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
Thrill Ride
by Julie Ann Walker
He’s gone rogue
Ex-Navy SEAL Rock Babineaux’s job is to get information, and he’s one of the best in the business. Until something goes horribly wrong and he’s being hunted by his own government. Even his best friends at the covert special-ops organization Black Knights Inc. aren’t sure they can trust him. He thinks he can outrun them all, but his former partner—a curvy bombshell who knows just how to drive him wild—refuses to cut him loose.
She won’t back down
Vanessa Cordera hasn’t been the team’s communication specialist very long, but she knows how to read people—no way is Rock guilty of murder. And she’ll go to hell and back to help him prove it. Sure, the sexy Cajun has his secrets, but there’s no one in the world she’d rather have by her side in a tight spot. Which is good, because they’re about to get very tight…
Praise for the Black Knights Inc. series:
“Walker is ready to join the ranks of great romantic suspense writers.”—RT Book Reviews
For more Black Knights Inc., visit:
www.sourcebooks.com
Cover Me
by Catherine Mann
It should have been a simple mission…
Pararescueman Wade Rocha fast ropes from the back of a helicopter into a blizzard to save a climber stranded on an Aleutian Island, but Sunny Foster insists she can take care of herself just fine…
But when it comes to passion, nothing is ever simple…
With the snowstorm kicking into overdrive, Sunny and Wade hunker down in a cave and barely resist the urge to keep each other warm…until they discover the frozen remains of a horrific crime…
Unable to trust the local police force, Sunny and Wade investigate, while their irresistible passion for each other gets them more and more dangerously entangled…
Praise for Catherine Mann:
“Catherine Mann weaves deep emotion with intense suspense for an all-night read.” —#1 New York Times bestseller Sherrilyn Kenyon
For more Catherine Mann, visit:
www.sourcebooks.com
Hot Zone
by Catherine Mann
He’ll take any mission, the riskier the better…
The haunted eyes of pararescueman Hugh Franco should have been her first clue that deep pain roiled beneath the surface. But if Amelia couldn’t see the damage, how could she be expected to know he’d break her heart?
She’ll prove to be his biggest risk yet…
Amelia Bailey’s not the kind of girl who usually needs rescuing…but these are anything but usual circumstances.
Praise for Catherine Mann:
“Nobody writes military romance like Catherine Mann!” —Suzanne Brockmann, New York Times bestselling author of Tall, Dark and Deadly
“A powerful, passionate read not to be missed!” —Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author of When You Dare
For more Catherine Mann, visit:
www.sourcebooks.com
Under Fire
by Catherine Mann
No holds barred, in love or war…
A decorated hero, pararescueman Liam McCabe lives to serve. Six months ago, he and Rachel Flores met in the horrific aftermath of an earthquake in the Bahamas. They were tempted by an explosive attraction, but then they parted ways. Still, Liam has thought about Rachel every day—and night—since.
Now, after ignoring all his phone calls for six months, Rachel has turned up on base with a wild story about a high-ranking military traitor. She claims no one but Liam can help her—and she won’t trust anyone else.
With nothing but her word and the testimony of a discharged military cop to go on, Liam would be insane to risk his career—even his life—to help this woman who left him in the dust.
“Absolutely wonderful, a thrilling ride of ups and downs that will have readers hanging onto the edge of their seats.” —RT Book Reviews Top Pick of the Month, 4 1/2 stars
“Wild rides, pulse-pounding danger, gripping suspense, and simmering, sizzling, spiraling passion.” —Long and Short Reviews
For more Catherine Mann, visit:
www.sourcebooks.com
The Night Is Mine
by M.L. Buchman
NAME: Emily Beale
RANK: Captain
MISSION: Fly undercover to prevent the assassination of the First Lady, posing as her executive pilot
NAME: Mark Henderson, code name Viper
RANK: Major
MISSION: Undercover role of wealthy, ex-mercenary boyfriend to Emily
Their jobs are high risk, high reward:
Protect the lives of the powerful and the elite at all cost. Neither expected that one kiss could distract them from their mission. But as the passion mounts between them, their lives and their hearts will both be risked… and the reward this time may well be worth it.
“An action-packed adventure. With a super-stud hero, a strong heroine, and a backdrop of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and the world of the Washington elite, it will grab readers from the first page.” —RT Book Reviews
For more in The Night Stalkers series, visit:
www.sourcebooks.com
Wait Until Dark
by M.L. Buchman
NAME: Big John Wallace
RANK: Staff Sergeant, chief mechanic and gunner
MISSION: To serve and protect his crew and country
NAME: Connie Davis
RANK: Sergeant, flight engineer, mechanical wizard
MISSION: To be the best… and survive
Two crack mechanics, one impossible mission
Being in the Night Stalkers is Connie Davis’s way of facing her demons head-on, but mountain-strong Big John Wallace is a threat on all fronts. Their passion is explosive but their conflicts are insurmountable. When duty calls them to a mission no one else could survive, they’ll fly into the night together—ready or not.
Praise for M.L. Buchman:
“Filled with action, adventure, and danger… Buchman’s novels will appeal to readers who like romances as well as fans of military fiction.”
—Booklist Starred Review of I Own the Dawn
For more M.L. Buchman, visit:
www.sourcebooks.com
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Rebecca York, Bad Nights