Her Guarded Hero (Black Dawn Book 5)
Page 23
“Harry, these guys just took down the shooter over near the Swing Bar,” he said as he put his big hand on his co-worker’s shoulder. “Phil said to set them all up with free drinks for the rest of the night. That includes their pretty lady friends.”
Harry looked disgruntled. “There was a problem over here, Tony. One of these ladies took down a man, and I think she used some kind of stun-gun to do it.” He pointed at Riya.
“Is the guy dead? Is he injured? Is he pressing charges? Where is he?” Tony smiled and winked at Riya as he shot out the questions. Gray put his hand around her tiny waist. Tony smiled even broader, as he watched Gray’s less than subtle claim.
“He left,” Harry admitted.
“Then we’re done.” Tony surveyed the women, and saw Griff with Miranda, Dex with Kenna and Gray’s hand on Riya’s waist. Tony then offered his arms to a blonde and to Susan, the bride-to-be. “Let me escort you ladies back to your table. Then I’ll get Trixie to set you up with a round of drinks.”
“So are you going to finally come and sit with us, instead of just watching from the back?” Riya asked as she peered up at Gray from beneath her bangs.
“I’m not sure Miranda and Kenna want their men honing in on their fun,” Gray said.
Riya’s eyes cut over to where Griff and Dex were settling in next to their wives, then looked pointedly back at Gray and grinned.
Dimples, she has dimples.
“Oh, I don’t know,” she teased.
He glanced back at the table. Yep, they were being welcomed, especially Griffin. Then Gray realized it probably wasn’t that often that the young parents had a night out. His eyes narrowed when he saw that Kenna was drinking a glass of water, instead of the margaritas that the rest of the ladies were favoring. He looked over at Dex and saw an even more proprietary gleam in his eye than when he had called off the bouncer.
Well hell. If he had to guess, Kenna was pregnant. It must be pretty recent news if Dex hadn’t told him. Good for them.
“Okay, your point is taken,” he admitted ruefully to Riya.
She grabbed his hand. Her grip was firm, despite the fact that his hand dwarfed hers.
“Come on.” She tugged. She didn’t pull him to the table. Instead, she tugged him toward the dance floor. Gray realized they were playing a sexy ballad.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“You move like a jungle cat.” Her smiled sparkled. “I would love to see what you’re like on the dance floor.”
Jungle cat? Who says that kind of thing?
“If I step on your toes, are you going to stun me?” he questioned.
“You’ll just have to take your chances.”
Her golden eyes flashed up at him. They were framed with the longest black lashes he’d ever seen, and Gray would bet his next paycheck they weren’t false. The woman packed a punch in her low-ride jeans and T-shirt that didn’t quite meet the top. It left a tantalizing swath of warm, honey-colored skin showing. No wonder the guy in the suit had been so enthralled. Hell, half the men in the place had their eyes on her.
“So tell me Riya, how do you know the bride?”
“Susan and Miranda work at TAID. Miranda’s the project manager on the job I’m liaising with from UCSD. It’s all really boring, but Susan and Miranda have made it fun.”
Gray’s radar went up. TAID worked on a lot of military applications. Griff was tightlipped about Miranda’s job, but Gray had a good idea that she worked on some high-level shit, considering the fact she had been known to brief the Pentagon.
But Miranda had to be eight years older than Riya – this girl must be a grad student at the University of California San Diego. She tugged on his hand again, and he allowed her to pull him into the middle of the crowd of people. It wasn’t a hardship.
When Riya reached up to twine her arms around his neck, he had to bend. She was a tiny little thing, but she was lush in all the right places. Gray kept his hands high on her upper back, now that was a hardship.
“Really?” She gave him a wicked grin, then reached back and placed one of his hands down onto the small of her back, where shirt didn’t meet denim.
“What if I didn’t want my hand there?” Gray asked as he moved them around the dance floor.
“You did,” she said blithely.
He raised one blonde eyebrow.
“Didn’t you?” Riya bit her lip.
It was the first time she showed the slightest bit of hesitation. He could play it two ways. In the end, he chose honesty.
“You read me right, Honey,” he said. Then he bent down and whispered in her ear. “I’m just not sure I’m ready for this.”
Get your copy of Her Captivated Hero here.
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author, Caitlyn O'Leary, adores writing Military Romantic Suspense and Paranormal Romance. She started publishing books in 2014. Storytelling has been a tradition in her family for years, and she still holds on to the letters she has received from family members since her childhood.
Caitlyn lives in California with her husband John of sixteen years who often makes guest appearances in her reader group, Caitlyn's Crew. Getting to know so many people within the reader community is almost as much fun as writing each new novel. So join her reader group so she can get to know you, and see if she and John can make it to year seventeen!
You never know what kind of book she'll write next, it all depends on what strikes her fancy. Be sure to keep in touch.
Keep up with Caitlyn O’Leary:
Website: www.caitlynoleary.com
Email: caitlyn@caitlynoleary.com
Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1WIhRup
Also by Caitlyn O’Leary
The Midnight Delta Series
Her Vigilant Seal (Book #1)
Her Loyal Seal (Book #2)
Her Adoring Seal (Book #3)
Seal with a Kiss (Book #4)
Her Daring Seal (Book #5)
Her Fierce Seal (Book #6)
A Seals Vigilant Heart (Book #7)
Her Dominant Seal (Book #8)
Her Relentless Seal (Book #9)
Her Treasured Seal (Book #10)
Black Dawn Series
Her Steadfast Hero (Book #1)
Her Devoted Hero (Book #2)
Her Passionate Hero (Book #3)
Her Wicked Hero (Book #4)
Her Guarded Hero (Book #5)
The Found Series
Revealed (Book #1)
Forsaken (Book #2)
Healed (Book #3)
Shadows Alliance Series
Declan
Fate Harbor Series
Trusting Chance (Book #1)
Protecting Olivia (Book #2)
Claiming Kara (Book #3)
Isabella’s Submission (Book #4)
Cherishing Brianna (Book #5)