A betrayal he couldn't forget . . . For Nate Dean, love is a four-letter word. As part of a secret black-ops military unit, he and his brothers were genetically engineered by the government to be ruthless soldiers with an expiration date. They were loyal only to one another . . . until Nate laid eyes on the woman who stole his heart and blew his world apart. Now, years later, his family is still paying the price for his mistake. But as time runs out, there's only one person who can save his family: the very woman Nate swore he'd never trust again.
A love she couldn't deny . . .
The moment Audrey Madison spies Nate across a crowded ballroom, she can barely breathe. He's just as undeniably sexy as she remembers, yet there's an edge to him now that's as irresistible as it is dangerous. When he asks for her help, Audrey can't refuse. But she has secrets of her own--secrets that, if Nate ever discovers them, may cost them both their lives . . .
A love she couldn't deny . . .
The moment Audrey Madison spies Nate across a crowded ballroom, she can barely breathe. He's just as undeniably sexy as she remembers, yet there's an edge to him now that's as irresistible as it is dangerous. When he asks for her help, Audrey can't refuse. But she has secrets of her own--secrets that, if Nate ever discovers them, may cost them both their lives . . .
Buy Links: Amazon B&N BAM IndieBound iBooks
Excerpt
She balked.
“No.” God. She couldn’t dance with him, couldn’t be touched by him.
“Yes.” His
hold slid down to the back of her elbow, and he ushered her toward where the
orchestra was playing “I Will Wait for You” by Michel Legrand. The warmth in
Nate’s touch flared her nerves to life in an erotic need she’d worked hard to
overcome.
“Nate—”
“Shhh.” He tightened his hold and drew her into
an impressive erection.
She gasped,
her face heating, her sex convulsing. Blinking, she glanced up in confusion to
see if he was as affected as she was and stilled at the look in his eyes.
Furious. The
man was truly furious. Even with the contacts masking his eyes, his anger shone
bright.
She tried to
step back and didn’t move. Yeah, she knew she’d hurt him when she’d ended their
relationship, but after nearly five years, he shouldn’t still be so mad. He’d
had freedom for five years, which was a hell of a lot better than she’d had.
She’d had pain and fear and uncertainty. She blinked. “What is wrong with you?”
His
impossibly hard jaw somehow hardened even more. “Oh, we’ll discuss that
shortly.” Threat lived strongly in the calm words. “For now, we’re going to
finish this dance. Then you’ll take the north exit and meet me in my car so we
can talk.”
“If I don’t?”
she asked quietly, wings fluttering through her abdomen.
His hold
tightened imperceptibly. “I know where you live, I know your daily routine in
working for Senator Nash, and I know where you go when you need time alone. You
can’t hide, you can’t outrun me—and you know it.”
The hairs on
the back of her neck rose. “How long have you been watching me?” More
importantly, why hadn’t she noticed?
“A week. Long enough to know the two apes toward
the doorway are following you, too.
What’s up with that?” His
hold tightened just enough to show his strength.
She
shrugged. “They haven’t made a
move, so I’m not worrying about it.”
Not true, and by the narrowing of Nate’s eyes, he could still smell a
lie a mile away. “The commander is
having me followed.”
Nate’s jaw
clenched. “Why?”
“Dunno.” They didn’t have time to discuss
it. “You should go now.”
“No.” He spun
her, easily controlling their movements.
Her leg
hitched, and she stumbled against him.
He frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
None of his damn business, that was. “What do you want to talk about?”
His gaze
narrowed, and he spun her again. She tripped again. Her damn leg didn’t move
that way. She glanced toward the
doorway and the two soldiers watching her. They’d straightened to alert stances. Damn it.
“What’s wrong
with your leg?” Nate asked, brows furrowing.
Oh, they were
so not going into her injuries on the dance floor. “You almost sound like you
care.” She threw his words back at him, gratified when his nostrils flared in
irritation.
His gaze
probed deep, wandering down her neck. He blinked several times, his chest
moving with a harsh intake of breath. “I like your dress,” he rumbled, his
voice a low whisper.
With his
tight hold, she had no doubt the tops of her breasts were visible. “Nathan,
don’t—”
“Don’t what?”
His gaze rose to her lips. A light of a different sort filtered through his
angry eyes. She knew that look. Her body heated and her thighs softened. His
erection jumped against her, and she bit down a groan.
“One kiss,
Audrey.”
Her eyes
widened to let in more light. “No,” she breathed. One of his hands held hers,
the other pressed against her back. Thank goodness. He couldn’t grab her and
kiss her, no matter how appealing the thought. “Bad idea.”
“I know.”
Nate didn’t need hands. His lips met hers so quickly, she never saw him move.
His mouth
covered hers with no hesitancy, no question—as if he had every right to go
deep. His tongue was savage and demanding, holding nothing back and accepting
no evasion. He tasted of loneliness, anger, and lust. Hard, needy, demanding lust.
The men at
the door were watching.
But her body
didn’t care—instantly igniting instead of pushing away. Her heart thundered in her ears, and
she fell into his heat, uncaring of whether or not he caught her. He wrapped
around her, his unyielding body holding her upright. He caressed her with his
tongue, and she met him thrust for thrust, fierce pleasure lighting her on
fire.
She forgot
where they were, who they were, everything but the desperate need he created.
He broke the
kiss, blatant male hunger crossing his face. His breath panted out even as he
moved them in tune with the music.
She softened
against him, allowing him to lead so she didn’t collapse. Her mind whirled, and
she shook her head to regain reality. “Nathan, what do you want?” The question
emerged as a breathless plea she couldn’t mask.
That quickly,
all hints of desire slid from his face. His chin hardened. “Want? I want to
know what happened to the child you were carrying five years ago when you ripped
out my heart. Where’s my baby, Audrey?”
About the author:
New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti has worked as an art curator, Senate aide, lawyer, college professor, and a hearing examiner - only to culminate it all in stories about Alpha males and the women who claim them. She is a member of RWA, has won awards for her works throughout the industry, and has a journalism degree with a poly sci emphasis from Pepperdine University as well as a Juris Doctorate from the University of Idaho.
Growing up amid the glorious backdrops and winter wonderlands of the Pacific Northwest has given Rebecca fantastic scenery and adventures to weave into her stories. She resides in the wild north with her husband, children, and extended family who inspire her every day-or at the very least give her plenty of characters to write about.
GIVEAWAY
No comments:
Post a Comment