Cruzie's Book Out Now!

Hi, gang! Guess what? It's finally release day for Cruzie! Exposed is book 6 of the Hostage Rescue Team series and I'm hard at work on book 7 right now. 

Hope you guys love Cruzie and Marisol together. I enjoyed writing this one a lot, especially the villain. Fingers crossed that I catch you off guard with the twists and turns in this one :).

Sometimes the one you were meant to be with…

Marisol Lorenzo landed her dream job as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and is working on the case that could make her career; now she’s determined to put away the most dangerous drug lord in the country. But his incarceration has opened up a lethal turf war among his lieutenants. Their enforcers are out hunting their enemies, and anyone who gets in their way. When one of them sets his sights on Marisol, she turns to a man she grew up with and has wanted for years—a member of the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team. Even though she thinks he’ll break her heart when he leaves town, it’s a risk she’s willing to take.

Has been right in front of you all along.

Special Agent Ethan Cruz is back home in Miami with his team to take down a dangerous fugitive linked to the case Marisol is working on. He’s focused on his job and not looking for a relationship, until she captures his attention so completely that he’s consumed with the need to make her his. Though he knows he should keep his distance, the explosive attraction sizzling between them makes it impossible. He’s always had a soft spot for her but now his feelings are so intense he can’t shut them off. What starts off as desire quickly runs deeper, becoming something more powerful than he’s ever known. And when Marisol winds up in the crosshairs of the most lethal enforcer of all, he’ll put everything on the line to save her.

Buy Links:

Amazon US 

Amazon UK 

Nook 

iBooks 

Kobo 

Google 

Paperback

A few other neat things have also happened recently…

iBooks named me a "rising star in romance" and they're featuring Ignited (Titanium Security Series book 1), which is on sale at all vendors right now for $0.99. 

Cover of Darkness (Suspense Series book 2) is currently on sale for $1.99 at the Kindle store. (*Please note that since the rights to this book are now owned by Amazon, it is only available there, or via the Kindle app on an Apple device.*)

Danger Close (Bagram Special Ops book 4) just won the Write Touch Readers' Award! Congrats to Wade and Erin.

Finally, Hunted is currently a finalist in the Aspen Gold Contest, and it won the Colorado Award of Excellence Contest. Go Bauer and Zoe!!! (You guys know how much I love Bauer. *shiver*)

Rekindled, Titanium Security series #5 also finaled in the contest, but I guess I can't be too sad that it lost to another of my books, right?!

My boys start school again today, and I'm looking forward to getting back into our routine so I can dive back into book 7 of the HRT series, Seized, which will feature Vance and…Cruzie's sister. Yeah, lots of conflict in this one. lol

Happy reading,

Kaylea Cross

Schroder's Story is Here!

Dear reader,

I'm thrilled to announce that the 5th book in the HRT Series is out now! Schroder's one of my favorite HRT heroes, right up there with Bauer, so I hope you guys love him as well. (Well, he is a former PJ, and you guys know how I feel about them!)

Blurb:

When the past and present collide…

Taya Kostas is a survivor. She’s clawed her way back from the hell she was subjected to at the hands of an undercover agent working for the U.S. government. Since then she’s dedicated her life to preventing the same from happening to anyone else. Now her story has come full circle. She’s about to take the stand as the key federal witness in the biggest terrorist case the country has seen in years. But even though the man responsible for her nightmares is behind bars, the evil she escaped is still hunting her. When fate places her safety in the hands of the man who saved her life once before, together they race to stay one step ahead of a lethal enemy.

He’ll risk it all to save her. 

For five years Special Agent Nathan Schroder has been battling his inner demons, but lately it seems like he’s on the verge of losing that fight. Then Taya is suddenly thrust back into his life and in imminent danger, so he steps in to protect her. He’s never forgotten her or the way she held up under fire, and this time he’s not letting her walk away. The terrorists determined to prevent her from testifying will stop at nothing to silence her forever. She might be in official protective custody, but she’s way more than a job to Nate. When the enemy finally strikes and her life hangs in the balance, he’ll do anything to keep her safe.

Buy Links:

Amazon US
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Nook 
Kobo
iBooks
Google
Paperback (coming soon)

Excerpt:

He opened the door wide a few moments later and stepped aside for her to enter. “All clear.”

She passed by him and into the room, her entire body buzzing with awareness as he shut the door behind her. The room was standard, with two queen-size beds and a small bathroom. She barely noticed any of it, too caught up with having over six feet and two-hundred-plus pounds of the sexiest man on earth standing just feet away from her. The skin along her spine buzzed with an almost electric charge, her entire body aching for his touch.

But then doubt suddenly overtook her. Compared to him she was ridiculously inexperienced at this. And she could just imagine how good he’d be in bed. While she was fairly certain he wouldn’t turn her down if she threw herself at him now, she didn’t want to seem pathetic and desperate, either. It was hard not to think about all the other women who called him.

Now or never, Taya. This could be your only shot with him.

She took a deep, bracing breath, and started to turn around. Before she could, two strong hands curled over the muscles at the top of her shoulders and squeezed. Taken by surprise, she smiled and let out a little groan of pleasure as her eyes slid closed. “Oh my God, that’s exactly the spot.”

His deep chuckle ruffled the hair at her nape as his hands kneaded her stiff muscles with firm, toe-curling pressure. “It’s cuz I’ve got magic hands.”

Oh, she had no doubt of that. Just the thought of them stroking over her naked body made her wet.

She turned to look up at him and the expression on his face stole the breath from her lungs. Hungry. Focused. Watching her closely.

Waiting. A hungry panther ready to spring.

Desire shot through her, her pulse thudding in her ears. When he reached up to pull the ball cap off her head and ran his hands through her hair, she couldn’t stop the moan that spilled from her throat.

Those gorgeous, skilled hands that were equally capable of taking a life and saving one tightened in the strands, his gaze locked with hers. A heartbeat later his mouth crashed down on hers.

She’d been waiting for it, even expecting it on some level, but the heated urgency of the kiss took her off guard.

Taya gasped and grabbed hold of his broad shoulders, her fingers sinking into the hard muscle there. That coiled strength beneath her palms had carried her when she’d been too weak to go on, was protecting her even now. The sense of security combined with the feel of his mouth moving over hers, setting her blood on fire.

She pressed against the full length of him, hungry for the feel of that strength wrapped around her. He made a low sound in his throat and drove his tongue into her mouth, sending a velvet shock to the center of her abdomen and between her thighs. Her nipples were hard, achy points against the lace of her bra as they met the hard wall of his chest.

His mouth was hungry over hers, taking complete charge of the kiss until her head spun and she couldn’t breathe. Raw need roared through her, growing stronger with every throb of her heart.

*end excerpt*

Whew! Man, I loved writing about these two together.

In other fun news, both Rekindled (Alex and Grace's story, Titanium Security #5) and Hunted (HRT #3, Bauer--gah, Bauer!--and Zoe) have both finaled in the 2015 Aspen Gold contest. I'm especially tickled about Alex and Grace, since there aren't nearly enough romances out there featuring main characters their age. Love it!

Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't sent out a giant thank you to all of you who purchased the Heroes In Uniform box set. We hit the USA Today bestseller list because of you guys!

Right now I'm hard at work on the next HRT book, Cruz's story. So far he's surprising me with how he's handling his attraction to the heroine. He's uh, not shy about taking matters into his own hands when necessary ;). After that I'll write Vance's story and finally Blackwell's, but I have one or two other surprise projects I'll be working on in the coming months as well that I'm pretty excited about.

Hope you all have a safe and fabulous summer!

Happy reading,
Kaylea

Collateral Damage is Out Now!

Hello again!

I have a few special things to tell you about this time around. First, I'm thrilled to announce the release of the final Bagram Special Ops book. Honor and Liam's story is full of emotional angst and heartbreak, and I was glad to give them another shot at a happy ending together. I hope you'll enjoy their story, as well as seeing the Bagram crew brought together one last time. I'll admit, I'm sad to say goodbye to these guys!

Pride tore them apart…

Warrant Officer Honor Girard made the worst mistake of her life in walking away from the man she promised to marry—and she knows it. An attack on base unexpectedly pushes them together and in the aftermath she realizes she can’t let him go a second time. Only he’s not willing to let her back in. After orders send her back stateside she realizes she’s probably lost him forever. It will take either a miracle to bring them back together—or a life-altering tragedy.

Only forgiveness can bring them back together.

Major Liam Magrath lives his life on the edge, flying dangerous missions with the Army’s elite Night Stalkers. Since losing Honor he’s been totally focused on his career, his missions and the welfare of his crew. Then she’s suddenly thrust back into his life and tells him the last thing he expects to hear: she wants another chance. Losing her once was hard enough—giving her another shot isn’t an option. He’s determined to keep his heart walled off from the only woman he’s ever loved, until a catastrophic terrorist attack on American soil changes everything. Now that he’s finally made up his mind to go after her, however, it may be too late. Liam is determined to fight for her at all costs—but first they’ll have to fight for their lives in a disastrous attack that hits far too close to home.

Buy Links:

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Amazon UK
Amazon CA
Barnes & Noble (Nook)
Kobo
iBooks
Google
Paperback (coming soon)

Excerpt:

Freshly showered and changed into her nightwear, Honor settled on her bunk to read a while. Footsteps outside alerted her that her solitude was about to be interrupted so she set down her e-reader and looked at the plywood door, expecting to see either Ace or their new roomie, Barb, come in.

The door slid open and she stared in shock as Liam walked in instead.

He shut it tight behind him, his green eyes locked on her. Honor stood slowly, aware of her heart pounding in the sudden silence. He looked tired but too sexy for words standing there in his desert camo pants and light tan T-shirt that hugged his muscular chest and upper arms. A slight shadow of stubble covered his jaw.

He raked that intense green gaze over her, taking in the Night Stalkers T-shirt he’d given her when they’d been together. Maybe she’d been stupid to keep it but when she wore it she felt less alone and it helped her remember all the good times when they’d been together.

Liam’s eyes stopped at her breasts, where the font read Death Waits in the Dark above the Night Stalker logo. Her nipples tightened instantly against the soft cotton as heat punched through her.

Crossing her arms over her breasts, she found her voice. “What are you doing here?”

His gaze shifted to hers. “Heard you’re going back stateside soon.”

“Yeah.” And? She felt vulnerable as hell standing there in nothing but his shirt and a pair of sleep shorts. Then realization dawned and she narrowed her eyes. “Did you set this up with Ace?”

Looking totally unapologetic, he nodded.

Honor didn’t understand. “Why?”

“Wanted to see you.”

Arms still clamped across her chest, she cocked her head, refusing to allow herself to feel hopeful. Didn’t matter how much she felt or how much she still wanted him, because she couldn’t have him. “Why’s that?”

He didn’t answer, only stared at her with those hungry green eyes.

Her belly flipped as she imagined them on her bunk, his hard body on top of hers as he pinned her to the bed. Irritated, she scowled at him and raised her chin. She didn’t have time for games. “Seriously, what do you want, Liam?” Why show up here, now, when there was nothing left to say and she was leaving in two days?

Rather than answer, he reached out one hand to snag a chair set against the wall and slid the top of its back beneath the door handle, barricading the door. She tore her gaze from the powerful muscles shifting in his arms and chest to find him watching her with that hot, piercing stare.

His expression was hungry. Predatory.

“Closure,” he rasped out.

*end excerpt*

Second, if you haven't already read my Hostage Rescue Team Series, the first three books (Marked, Targeted and Hunted) are now available in a box set.

Buy Links:

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CA
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iBooks (coming soon)
Google

Next up are two box set collaborations I'm part of. The first is Heroes In Uniform, a set of 11 romantic suspense books by a powerhouse lineup of talented authors I'm excited to be included in. My contribution is Danger Close (Bagram Special Ops #4), and there are two brand new books included in the set. It's up for pre-order right now and will release June 9th.

Buy Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Nook
iBooks
 

And, finally, there are only a few days remaining for you to buy the Fearless anthology, where 100% of the royalties go to the charity VetSports, helping wounded combat veterans.

Buy Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Nook
iBooks
Kobo




 

What am I working on next? Schroder's story--HRT book #5 :). Hope to release it in late summer.

Happy reading, everyone, and thank you so much!

Kaylea

 

Feed Your One-Click Habit and Help A Wounded Veteran!

Hi guys! I've been remiss in promoting a very special project of mine. 

I'm part of a digital box set called Fearless, raising money for wounded combat veterans through a charity called VETSports. 12 romances for $2.99, and EVERY SINGLE PENNY of our royalties goes to the charity. 

And the cover model? He's one of the charity's founders, who lost a lower leg in combat to an IED blast.  

I first saw BT Urruela last year in a documentary about wounded combat vets and his story touched me, one because I love our men and women in uniform, and two, because he was a talented ballplayer and I used to be a fairly decent one myself (kind of). Lo and behold, a few months later I was invited to be a part of this anthology to raise money for his charity and I'm thrilled to be part of this effort!

Isn't it strange how life works sometimes? 

Please help me spread the word to help raise money for our wounded combat veterans involved with VetSports. It's a worthy cause!

Buy links: 

Amazon U.S.: http://tinyurl.com/ns5hcv2

Nook: http://tinyurl.com/oqeuzbr

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/fearless-anthology-12-sizzling-stories 

Look for the final Bagram Special Ops book to release in the middle of April! Collateral Damage is a real emotional roller coaster and I hope you'll love Honor and Liam's story as much as I do. 

Right now I've just begun work on Hostage Rescue Team series book #5, Schroder's story. Let's see what trouble I can cause him!

Happy reading,

Kaylea

Disavowed Is Out Now!

Dear reader,

Happy New Year to you all! I'm thrilled to announce that Disavowed is finally out at all retailers! I think this 4th book of the Hostage Rescue Team Series is the best yet, and I hope you're as excited about DeLuca and the mysterious B as I am :).

B is a total badass (I loved writing about her!) and DeLuca is about to be blindsided. Heh. Love it when that happens to my alpha heroes. 

The government trained her to kill…

Briar Jones has lived most of her life in the shadows, carrying out secret ops to eliminate some of the United States’ most dangerous enemies. She’s devoted her life to serving her country so when a faceless enemy targets her and kills someone close to her, she’ll stop at nothing to bring them down. With her life in danger and critical intel leaked during an off-the-books op, she has no choice but to go on the run with a disturbingly sexy man she barely knows. While in hiding they learn that the agency responsible for turning her into a lethal weapon is now out to destroy her. What they don’t know is why, or who has set her up. As they unravel the mystery Briar must trust this near stranger in order to stay alive and expose whoever is behind the plot. She never expected to lose her heart in the process.

Now it’s coming after her…

Matt DeLuca has survived devastating loss and risen to become commander of the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team. When a top-secret mission goes awry and he’s tasked with protecting Briar, the last thing he anticipates is falling in love with the beautiful and deadly assassin. But now intelligence officers are dying and Briar’s name is at the top of the hit list. With her life at stake they race to end the threat and clear her name, battling the shadowy killers sent to silence her forever.

Buy Links:

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CA
Barnes & Noble (Nook)
iBooks
Paperback
Kobo
(*Note*: some readers have experienced difficulty with the Kobo file, while others have not. I have reached out to Kobo and am waiting to hear back from them about the issue.)

Excerpt:

“B?”

The startled recognition in his voice made Briar lift her head to peer up at him. He pushed back his goggles and put a hand on her shoulder. She stiffened and squinted up at him, then stared in shock. Supervisory Special Agent Matteo DeLuca, commander of the HRT.

Shit. Briar internally groaned as humiliation and anger churned in her gut, mixing with the pain, burning away the awful shakiness. She resisted the urge to look away.

He scowled down at her. “What the hell are you— You took out Ramadi?”

Clenching her jaw, Briar lowered her gaze and rested her cheek against the snow, uncaring of the freezing cold against her skin. If word of her capture got out, her career— hell, life as she knew it—would be over.

The hand on her shoulder tightened. “Who shot you?” he demanded, clearly out of patience with her silent routine.

She didn’t know, so she didn’t answer. She was acutely aware of the seven other men standing around watching and listening while she tried to come up with a way out of this mess. Being caught burned a hell of a lot worse than the bullet wound, and it hurt plenty.

DeLuca hunkered down more, shielding her from the worst of the wind with his body. “I don’t know who sent you but we’re on the same side and I want to help you. So talk to me.”

There was nothing to say. She didn’t answer to him or anyone else waiting down this mountain. Ramadi was dead, and that was all he needed to know until she cleared things with Janaia.

DeLuca pushed out a frustrated sigh and waved one of his men forward. “Schroder, come take a look at her. The rest of you maintain the perimeter. Other shooter’s likely still in the area.” He stood and pulled out what she assumed was a satellite phone. The screen gave off a faint illumination in the darkness.

Good luck getting a call out in these conditions, she thought with a mental snort.

Another man, she assumed Schroder, the team’s medic, came over and squatted beside her. “Your name’s B?”

She flashed him a cold look that only made him grin, his teeth a startling white against the camouflage paint on his skin.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He started pulling things out of his ruck and she heard the snap of latex gloves going on.

Briar closed her eyes against the wind for a moment and braced herself for more pain. She could hear DeLuca moving around close by as the medic began searching her for injuries. She involuntarily hissed through her teeth when Schroder’s hand swept over the wound.

“Anywhere else besides this?” he asked, continuing his assessment.

Gritting her teeth, she gave a terse shake of her head. She’d been lucky. The wound hurt like a bitch but it wasn’t life-threatening or anything. Just enough to slow her down, piss her off and make her miserable. It felt like someone had taken a blowtorch to her skin as Schroder cut through her clothing and exposed the wound.

The low beam of a pen light lit up the darkness as he took a closer look. “That’s a pretty good gash.” He turned to DeLuca, who’d put his phone away. Likely because he couldn’t get reception in this storm, let alone with all the trees around to block the signal. “She’ll need stitches.”

“Put a dressing on it for now. You can do the honors when we get her down to the command center.”

And there it was. They were taking her in.

“Let me go,” she said, surprised at how rough her voice was.

DeLuca looked down at her sharply and shook his head. “Not a chance.”

*end excerpt*

At the moment  I'm working on the 5th and final Bagram Special Ops book, which will feature Honor and Liam. After that, I plan to start Schroder's story for book #5 of the HRT series. 

Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2015 for you and your loved ones.

All the best and happy reading,

Kaylea :)
 

Hunted is Here!!!

I'm so thrilled to announce that Hunted is now live! This third installment of myHostage Rescue Team Series is my favorite so far and I just completely fell in love with the hard-edged, remote Bauer, so I hope you will too.
 

Blurb:

She’s the one woman he can’t have.

Past experience has taught FBI Special Agent Clay Bauer not to trust his judgment when it comes to the opposite sex, yet despite his jaded outlook there’s one woman he can’t get out of his head—and she’s off limits. They’re opposites in every way but Zoe’s gotten deep under his skin and when she’s drawn into a dangerous situation against a faceless enemy he steps in to help protect her. Then she disappears without a trace and the loss leaves him reeling. Now he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back alive.

By the time he realizes what she means to him it could be too late.

Former family lawyer Zoe Renard has been through her own heartbreak but she can’t ignore the magnetic pull between her and Clay. When he comes to New Orleans for a conference, it’s the perfect opportunity for her to see if there might be something real between them. Just as desire ignites into something more powerful than either of them imagined, she’s targeted by a madman bent on revenge. With her life on the line, it’s a race for Clay and his teammates to find her and save her from certain death.

Buy Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CA
Barnes & Noble (Nook) : coming soon
Kobo
iBooks
Paperback

Excerpt:

Decision made, he crossed to the slider and gripped the handle. Zoe’s head jerked up when he began to slide it open. She shut the laptop and set it aside as he stepped out. It only took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, broken by the faint glow of a streetlamp across from her building. Now he heard the quiet sounds of jazz floating from down the block, people talking as they passed by on the sidewalk beneath her balcony.

“Couldn’t sleep, or did I wake you up?” she whispered, scooting aside to make room for him.

Clay lowered himself onto the daybed beside her, momentarily distracted when the hem of the robe rode up her thighs as she bent her legs and tucked her feet beneath her. Can’t sleep because I want to be buried inside you.

“What are you doing working at this time of night?” he asked instead, reaching out to tuck a lock of silky hair behind her ear. His fingers slid through the strands in a caress far gentler than he was feeling at the moment, when all he wanted was to pin her flat on this bed and devour her, inch by inch. Another scene from one of her books popped into his head. The one where the hero had surprised the heroine from behind one night, pinning her down and taking her right there out on the lawn, where anyone might see them.

The balcony wasn’t a lawn, but the scene was hot and gave him ideas. Zoe pinned beneath him on the daybed, naked and wet for him, fighting to stay quiet while he made her come. He was rock hard at the thought.

Zoe stilled at the contact and stared at him questioningly. Thunder rolled faintly in the distance, the air suddenly feeling heavier. “Couldn’t sleep, and I like working in the middle of the night anyway. It’s quiet, the moon’s out and there’s something magical and sensual about sitting out here creating worlds and characters while jazz music floats up from down the street.”

There was something magical and sensual going on here, yeah, but it had nothing to do with the city or its music.

He let his fingertips trail along the side of her face as he lowered his hand. Her skin was so soft, just touching her like that made him hard all over. He caught her quiet indrawn breath, noted the way her nipples hardened against the satiny fabric of the robe and knew she was naked underneath.

Clay looked up into her eyes, saw the pupils expand in the faint lamplight. In the sudden stillness the air around them seemed to crackle with latent energy.

Clay gripped the edge of the quilt she’d spread onto the bed to keep from touching her again. “Tell me no, Zoe.” His voice was deeper than normal, raspy, but he couldn’t control it or the desire streaking through him.

She licked her lips, leaving them shiny in the soft light, making him want to taste those tempting curves. “Why? Because you turned me down earlier?”

He should get a damn medal for that. “Because you’re supposed to be off limits.”

Her chin came up, a defiant expression on her face that only made the desire flare hotter. He loved that she didn’t back down from his direct challenge. He got the feeling Zoe didn’t back down from anything. “Says who?”

“People who care about you.” Tuck, for one, and that should be enough. Clay was sure Celida would have said something to warn her off him too.

Zoe studied him for a moment while the heat built inside him, wanting to be unleashed. “What about you? Do you care about me?” she asked softly.

He did. More than he’d ever expected to. “Yeah.” And even though that meant he should get up and walk away, he couldn’t help but reach out a hand to touch the stubborn point of her chin, rub his thumb lightly across her full lower lip. “And so you need to tell me no, right now, before I do something you might regret later.”

She inched closer, leaning forward at the waist, and the combined lust and anticipation in her gaze made him bite back a groan. Her whisper was seductive as hell. “I’m not going to regret it.”

Clay heard as much as felt his control snap.

*end excerpt*

I can't wait for you to red Zoe and Bauer's story!

Right now I'm hard at work on book #4, Disavowed, which features the HRT commanding officer, Matt DeLuca. I'm hoping for a January release. After that, I'm going to write a story for Honor and Liam, the 5th couple in my Bagram Special Ops Series. I hope you guys are as excited as I am!

Happy reading,
Kaylea 

Get Ready For Hunted

Book 3 in the Hostage Rescue Team series is coming out in just two weeks!!! I hope you're as excited for Bauer's story as I am. I loved writing this one, especially because he's SO intense and pairing him with Zoe was delicious fun. Yum.

Blurb:

She’s the one woman he can’t have.

Past experience has taught FBI Special Agent Clay Bauer not to trust his judgment when it comes to the opposite sex, yet despite his jaded outlook there’s one woman he can’t get out of his head—and she’s off limits. They’re opposites in every way but Zoe’s gotten deep under his skin and when she’s drawn into a dangerous situation against a faceless enemy he steps in to help protect her. Then she disappears without a trace and the loss leaves him reeling. Now he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back alive.

By the time he realizes what she means to him it could be too late.

Former family lawyer Zoe Renard has been through her own heartbreak but she can’t ignore the magnetic pull between her and Clay. When he comes to New Orleans for a conference, it’s the perfect opportunity for her to see if there might be something real between them. Just as desire ignites into something more powerful than either of them imagined, she’s targeted by a madman bent on revenge. With her life on the line, it’s a race for Clay and his teammates to find her and save her from certain death.

Excerpt:

Decision made, he crossed to the slider and gripped the handle. Zoe’s head jerked up when he began to slide it open. She shut the laptop and set it aside as he stepped out. It only took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, broken by the faint glow of a streetlamp across from her building. Now he heard the quiet sounds of jazz floating from down the block, people talking as they passed by on the sidewalk beneath her balcony.

“Couldn’t sleep, or did I wake you up?” she whispered, scooting aside to make room for him.

Clay lowered himself onto the daybed beside her, momentarily distracted when the hem of the robe rode up her thighs as she bent her legs and tucked her feet beneath her. Can’t sleep because I want to be buried inside you.

“What are you doing working at this time of night?” he asked instead, reaching out to tuck a lock of silky hair behind her ear. His fingers slid through the strands in a caress far gentler than he was feeling at the moment, when all he wanted was to pin her flat on this bed and devour her, inch by inch. Another scene from one of her books popped into his head. The one where the hero had surprised the heroine from behind one night, pinning her down and taking her right there out on the lawn, where anyone might see them.

The balcony wasn’t a lawn, but the scene was hot and gave him ideas. Zoe pinned beneath him on the daybed, naked and wet for him, fighting to stay quiet while he made her come. He was rock hard at the thought.

Zoe stilled at the contact and stared at him questioningly. Thunder rolled faintly in the distance, the air suddenly feeling heavier. “Couldn’t sleep, and I like working in the middle of the night anyway. It’s quiet, the moon’s out and there’s something magical and sensual about sitting out here creating worlds and characters while jazz music floats up from down the street.”

There was something magical and sensual going on here, yeah, but it had nothing to do with the city or its music.

He let his fingertips trail along the side of her face as he lowered his hand. Her skin was so soft, just touching her like that made him hard all over. He caught her quiet indrawn breath, noted the way her nipples hardened against the satiny fabric of the robe and knew she was naked underneath.

Clay looked up into her eyes, saw the pupils expand in the faint lamplight. In the sudden stillness the air around them seemed to crackle with latent energy.

Clay gripped the edge of the quilt she’d spread onto the bed to keep from touching her again. “Tell me no, Zoe.” His voice was deeper than normal, raspy, but he couldn’t control it or the desire streaking through him.

She licked her lips, leaving them shiny in the soft light, making him want to taste those tempting curves. “Why? Because you turned me down earlier?”

He should get a fucking medal for that. “Because you’re supposed to be off limits.”

Her chin came up, a defiant expression on her face that only made the desire flare hotter. He loved that she didn’t back down from his direct challenge. He got the feeling Zoe didn’t back down from anything. “Says who?”

“People who care about you.” Tuck, for one, and that should be enough. Clay was sure Celida would have said something to warn her off him too.

Zoe studied him for a moment while the heat built inside him, wanting to be unleashed. “What about you? Do you care about me?” she asked softly.

He did. More than he’d ever expected to. “Yeah.” And even though that meant he should get up and walk away, he couldn’t help but reach out a hand to touch the stubborn point of her chin, rub his thumb lightly across her full lower lip. “And so you need to tell me no, right now, before I do something you might regret later.”

She inched closer, leaning forward at the waist, and the combined lust and anticipation in her gaze made him bite back a groan. Her whisper was seductive as hell. “I’m not going to regret it.”

Clay heard as much as felt his control snap.

*end excerpt*