Genre: Erotic
Contemporary Romance/ Romantic Suspense
After a lifetime
of living in the shadows, can Secret Agent Raven O'Connell step into the light
with the Navy SEAL who holds her heart?
Raven
O'Connell is a woman with secrets. One of the top STAR agents, she's a force to
be reckoned with. When she meets Navy SEAL Zach Richter at her best friend's
wedding the sparks fly.
Zach is a
man used to danger. A seasoned soldier, he's grown accustomed to living on the
edge. Getting involved on a permanent basis wasn't something he'd ever
considered…until he met Raven. What started out as a no-strings affair quickly
blossomed into more.
But can
they have a future when dark secrets and a dangerous mission pushes them into a
life-threatening situation that will cost one of them more than they ever
imagined?
Content
Warning: contains violence and graphic sex
~Excerpt~
"Excuse
me, won't you have a seat? We're about to begin." The smartly dressed man
hovering in the doorway wiped his forehead, a worried look in his eyes. His
fingers plucked at his collar, adjusting it nervously.
"Thank
you." Jocylin smiled. She rested a hand on Raven's arm. "You
staying?"
"I
don't sit with the family." Raven met her stare head-on. "I don't
think it's right to sit next to someone whose daughter I couldn't save."
"Then
why attend the funeral?"
"Because
I have to." Stepping by Jocylin, Raven settled next to a tall, ornate
plant, her hands tucked into the pockets of her black slacks. She hated
attending these things. Not because of the death, but because of the sense of
failure. But facing the ones who grieved a lost loved one was a small penance
to pay for her sins.
* * * *
The clink
of ice cubes against glass seemed to mock Raven as she shifted, lifting her
drink to her lips and sipping the virgin concoction. It hardly seemed
appropriate to be sitting amid the revelry when she'd spent the better part of
her morning mired in the grief and rage of a family burying a child.
A band
occupied the stage, their lively beat filling the hot room. Men and women in
formal wear circulated, the mingled odors of their perfume and cologne enough
to give her a migraine. In the corner a drunken couple were too busy making out
to notice the rest of the crowd, who seemed oblivious to their antics. Raven
sighed. There wasn't a lot to be said for sitting at a table in a low lit room
while her best friend danced around with her new husband, not when she had
important work to do.
Raven
stared at the pair, a hint of envy tickling her nerves. Alex wore a delicate
lace gown, her curves highlighted by the clinging material. The lust in her
husband's gaze hot enough to burn through the fancy dress. Slade looked ready
to throw her on the nearest table, his face taut, filled with hunger as he
pulled her against him.
Raven
swallowed past the nausea and glanced over the crowd. A slight smile curled her
lips as she appraised those at the wedding. There was more danger in this room
than any where she could pinpoint at the moment. SEALs, STARs, as well as
several other military and law enforcement agencies, all laughed and joked. The
combined firepower in the room enough to take down a small country. She snorted
under her breath. It wasn't like there was anyone interested in such a feat. At
least at the moment.
"Damn."
Raven straightened, her gaze falling on a tall, broad-shouldered man lounging
against the wall. Her fingers clenched around the glass, the faint throb of
adrenaline flaring to life, and she shrugged off the silky shawl she'd wrapped
around her shoulders.
She stood,
her body humming as she appraised him. The neat lines of his uniform hugged his
massive frame, the trousers clinging to his butt. His eyes scanned the room,
taking in every detail, every nuance, but revealed nothing. Legs braced, his
arms crossed over his chest, a glass resting on his bicep, whoever he was, he
wasn't the accountant. Arousal hit, hard, fast, burning through her reserves as
she licked her lips.
Ignoring
the tiny voice of reason screaming at her, she pasted a smile on her face and
sashayed toward him, drink in hand. Her heart throbbed with each step, and her
blood heated at the quick glance he ran over her before looking away.
"You
look bored, handsome." Raven curled her fingers over his arm, brushing
against him with her breasts. Tiny tremors of heat danced along her skin.
He turned
his head, his eyes meeting hers, the rough material of his jacket rustling
against the silk of her gown. "I hate formal events." Low, rich, the
baritone rolled over her like a wave.
She pressed
closer and shivered at the bulge behind the zipper of his pants, a wave of
moisture pooling between her legs.
"Ooh,
yes." She moved a bit closer, her fingers brushing against him. Her pulse
skipped at the twitch of interest behind the placket of his pants. "These
things do leave one with a vague disgust. I'd hoped they'd elope and we
wouldn't be tortured with this public display of affection."
"Disgust
isn't the word I'd use." He reached out to take her drink. She watched him
take a sip, catching the flare of surprise in his eyes, and Raven laughed.
"Hmm, so why are you here drinking juice?"
"I
don't like alcohol." Raven shrugged. "It clouds the mind, slows
reflexes."
"True,
but I don't think you're likely to have any difficulty at Alex and Slade's wedding.
And if you did, there's enough combined training in here to…"
"Yeah,
I know. Overthrow a small country." With a quick grin she leaned closer.
"But I don't see any, uh, problem which would need the sort of training we
have in abundance. There are problems…" She brushed her breasts against
him as she took her drink back and set it aside. "Then there are problems.
Perhaps I can help you with one of yours."
"Oh?"
He smiled, a slow curl of his lips as he eyed her, heat flaring with each
blatant sweep of his gaze.
Raven
tugged on his tie. "Yes, sir. Why, it has to be hard on a person to have
such a rigid package. Let's see if I can help out. After all, it's the
neighborly thing to do."
Buy
Links: Beachwalk Press
~About
the Author~
Currently
I have over 20 books under contract under my own name and under my pen
name Elise Whyles in multiple genres. My goals this
year are simple to continue putting out stories my readers love, books they can
relate to and characters they can identify with. For the full list of my books
please check out my books page.
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