Victoria Dahl - Midnight Assignment

Ringing in the New Year is full of wicked possibilities in this sexy novella from USA TODAY bestselling author Victoria Dahl…

Working over the holidays on a messy bank takeover in the middle of nowhere is bad enough for federal agent Elise Watson, but then she’s partnered with the traitorous Noah James. His highly irritating presence only reminds her of the day he stole her promotion out from under her…and of the drunken, ill-fated night before when she’d all but thrown herself at him. Now she’s determined to get the job done and get out, even if it means pulling all-nighters with the one man who stokes her temper—and melts her insides—like no other…

“Dahl…is fearless in creating quirky, touchingly unique characters whose love affairs are anything but predictable.” — RT Book Reviews

“A fun, feisty and relentlessly sexy adventure.”

—Publishers Weekly on Talk Me Down

“[A] hands-down winner, a sensual story filled with memorable characters.”

—Booklist on Start Me Up

“Dahl has spun a scorching tale about what can happen in the blink of an eye….”

—RT Book Reviews on Start Me Up (4 stars)

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This story is for Jenn, because she gets me.

Cover

Back Cover Text Ringing in the New Year is full of wicked possibilities in this sexy novella from USA TODAY bestselling author Victoria Dahl… Working over the holidays on a messy bank takeover in the middle of nowhere is bad enough for federal agent Elise Watson, but then she’s partnered with the traitorous Noah James. His highly irritating presence only reminds her of the day he stole her promotion out from under her…and of the drunken, ill-fated night before when she’d all but thrown herself at him. Now she’s determined to get the job done and get out, even if it means pulling all-nighters with the one man who stokes her temper—and melts her insides—like no other… “Dahl…is fearless in creating quirky, touchingly unique characters whose love affairs are anything but predictable.” — RT Book Reviews

Praise Praise forNew York Times andUSA TODAY bestselling author Victoria Dahl Praise Title Page Dedication CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE Extract Copyright “A fun, feisty and relentlessly sexy adventure.” —Publishers Weekly on Talk Me Down “[A] hands-down winner, a sensual story filled with memorable characters.” —Booklist on Start Me Up “Dahl has spun a scorching tale about what can happen in the blink of an eye….” —RT Book Reviews on Start Me Up (4 stars)

Title Page Midnight Assignment Victoria Dahl www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dedication This story is for Jenn, because she gets me.

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

Extract

Copyright

“I’M NOT GOING TO LET you screw this up, Noah James, is that clear?”

Noah ignored the question and watched Elise Watson’s sweet little backside as she walked ahead of him. Each of her long strides turned the gray conservative skirt into an intriguingly tight scrap of fabric before it relaxed into boring wool again. Then her next step would stretch it tight for another brief moment, cupping her muscles like a—

Elise stopped so suddenly that he almost crashed into her.

“I said, is that clear?”

By the time she’d spun toward him, Noah had forced his gaze higher, and he managed to meet her eyes with a cool glare. He, after all, hadn’t been the one to screw things up the first time around. Elise had definitely been the one who’d caused that damage. She’d started the kind of trouble for him that had lasted two long years. Trouble that hadn’t ended until he’d stolen the Denver job out from under her nose and gotten the hell out of D.C.

She was still pissed about losing the job, and her anger gave Noah an excuse to smile. “Whatever you say, Elise.”

Her mouth tightened at his insolent tone. Her eyes narrowed. Elise Watson was about to lose her temper, and the agents waiting ahead of them in the hotel lobby were cringing visibly in anticipation. When she lost her temper, heads rolled, and Noah knew she’d be pleased as punch if it was his head bouncing across the faded blue of the hotel carpet.

But hotel carpet it was, and he saw the moment Elise remembered they were in public. She couldn’t scream and cuss and threaten death, or the hotel staff might suspect that they weren’t really there for an emergency corporate meeting for a company called Workfire Industries. They’d already strained belief by holding their fake meeting two days after Christmas. If their supposed CEO started cursing like a sailor, punching Noah in the chest with her finger, suspicions would be raised. So her temper was thwarted. Noah was safe.

Plus, he reminded himself, he was armed. Surely one five-foot-seven-in-heels woman couldn’t hurt him. Physically.

She leaned a little closer, her green eyes ablaze with violence, but before she could speak, someone else called out.

“Hey, Noah James!” Tex Harrison called. He was a forensic computer analyst, and though he looked like a scrawny seventeen-year-old boy trying to grow a beard, he was a genius. A perverted genius. Noah bit back a groan.

“Noah, I heard you got an invite to party with the flight attendant team from your flight. Where are they staying?”

Glaring, he gave a quick shake of his head, but Elise’s eyes slid back to him and caught the movement. “That’s not true,” he said, as if it could possibly matter to her.

She swept him with a scornful look. “The bank closes in five minutes. I want your team in place in four.”

“Don’t worry about my team.”

“I swear to God you missed that flight just to make my life harder.” The frustration on her face softened to compassion for a fleeting moment. “These people are about to have a very bad evening. The least we can do is handle this quickly and smoothly.”

Noah clenched his teeth. “The flight was canceled. I briefed my team at the airport while we waited. If anything goes wrong, it won’t be on our watch.”

“You’d better hope not. Or you’re going to regret the time you put into flirting with flight attendants instead of prepping for the job.” With that, she swung around and stalked out to the tiny lobby.

Noah watched the rest of the team jump at some quiet word from her. She was sharp and exacting and one of the smartest people he’d ever met. She demanded excellence and expected miracles, and everyone on her team knew it.