C.J. Miller - Delta Force Desire

Incognito was hunting the three lead scientists, and they wouldn’t stop. The United States had connected the dead bodies to the secret military project, and they’d called in the West Company to assist. Details were closely guarded, and every item was need-to-know.

Connor West, owner of the West Company, had deployed other specialists to retrieve the remaining members of the project, beyond the three leads. Some were deep in hiding. Griffin had been assigned the task to locate and bring in Kit Walker. He had studied her file, but she was more than a techie with a PhD and a love of computers. He had expected her to be smart, but he hadn’t expected her spunk or the red minidress and sky-high bedroom heels.

Dress and shoes aside, she wasn’t his type. Since his wife had died, he went for women who had looks over brains and were more submissive than bold. Griffin enjoyed the company of women, and he liked for them to play along with his desires. Being in control in the bedroom was a turn-on for him. Nothing wrong with that if the woman was willing. He was lucky that plenty were. He wasn’t lonely for company when he wanted it. Given what he did for a living, he wasn’t looking for long-term. He’d had that with Beth, and though it had been amazing, he wouldn’t find it twice in one lifetime.

Griffin dialed Connor on his secure line. While he spoke, Kit rubbed her arms and looked around. Was she thinking of running? He would catch her. If he had to bring her in wounded, it was better than bringing her in dead. She wouldn’t get far on her injured foot. He’d bandaged it, but any pressure and it would resume bleeding.

She shivered again, and he removed the sweatshirt from his motorcycle trunk and tossed it to her. She smiled at him gratefully and pulled it over her dress. The shirt was long on her, falling below the hemline of her dress. He was momentarily fixated on her pair of slim, toned legs.

Her legs weren’t her best feature, though. Her best feature was her eyes. He could get lost in their depths. He could see so much going on behind them. He liked that. He liked it a lot.

“Get her to the safe house. I’ll send a computer as soon as I can,” Connor said.

“Right. A computer.” Connor’s wife Kate, also known as Shade, had reasoned that Kit would be more comfortable and possibly of use to them in the immediate future with a computer in her hands.

Kit drew the hood of his sweatshirt up, and Griffin smiled. It worked on her. She had a sexy nerd look, her hair wild around her shoulders and her lips twisted in annoyance.

He wrapped up his call and disconnected. “Ready?” he asked her.

She glared at him from under the hood. “If I run, you’d have to chase me.”

“That’s right.”

“But you don’t want to hurt me.”

He didn’t want to hurt her. But if he had to tackle her, he would. “I will do what I need to bring you in.”

Chapter 2 Contents Cover Introduction It was on the tip of his tongue to tell Connor about his attraction to Kit. Griffin could keep it in check. He wasn’t a slave to his hormones. Too much was at stake for him to give in to his feelings. Instead, he made the point that mattered most. “My wife died because I couldn’t protect her. What makes you think I can keep Kit safe?” “This situation is nothing like what happened with Beth. What could you have done differently? No one blames you for Beth’s death except you.” At the mention of his wife’s name, disgust for himself and anger at her killer renewed. “I ask myself that every day.” “The answer eludes you because there is no answer. You couldn’t have done anything. What happened with Beth was a terrible atrocity, but protecting Kit will be different. You will be at her side around the clock. She is your sole mission.” Griffin didn’t care for his body’s response to hearing that. As a red-blooded man, he wanted to be close to Kit. As an operative, he wasn’t qualified to protect her. * * * If you’re on Twitter, tell us what you think of Harlequin Romantic Suspense! #harlequinromsuspense Dear Reader Title Page Delta Force Desire C.J. Miller www.millsandboon.co.uk About the Author C.J. MILLER loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted through her website, cj-miller.com . She lives in Maryland with her husband and three children. C.J. believes in first loves, second chances and happily-ever-after. Dedication To Noelle, for the light, love and joy you bring to our lives each day. Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Extract Copyright

She was going to run. Her muscles clenched. Her history with the Locker hadn’t indicated that she’d had deception training. In his line of work, Griffin expected liars. Kit was a refreshing change of pace.

Kit made it two steps before he caught her and pushed her against the brick wall of a nearby building. He exercised control as he held her wrists in his. He wasn’t looking to break her arms.

“You’re hurting me.” He loosened his grip. She pulled her arm free and punched him in the face.

It barely registered. He’d been struck harder—much harder—before. Tonight, even. “We need to work on your self-defense skills.”

Her mouth trembled. Her eyes welled with tears. Was she going to cry? He shouldn’t care if she did.

“Let me go, brute.”

Brute? He had been called a lot of names, but never that. “Will you run?” he asked.

She shook her head. “I know you’ll catch me. But I won’t stop trying to get away from you.”

“You won’t have to deal with me for much longer. After I drop you off, you’re someone else’s headache.” Maybe someone else could get through to her that she was in danger and needed protecting.

They walked back to his motorcycle, and she kicked it over. He looked at her in surprise. “Don’t like the bike?”

“Look at me. How do you think I feel right now?”

“I have no idea how you feel.” Angry, clearly. He righted the bike.

She folded her arms over her chest. “So that part of you is broken. You kill people and you manhandle me. You don’t care how I feel.”

“I am not paid to care how you feel. I am paid to keep you safe. How is your foot?”

“It hurts.”

“I’ll help you onto the seat,” he said. He lifted her in his arms.

“Everyone can see up my dress,” she said, squirming in his arms, trying to tug it and the sweatshirt down.

“There’s no one here,” he said.

“I’m never wearing a dress again,” she said.

He liked her determination and gave her credit for attempting to flee. “You look good in it.”

“It’s a designer dress,” she said.

“Whatever it is, it’s nice.”

“My sister bought it for me,” she said.

“You may have to explain why it’s damaged,” he said.

She rolled her eyes. “Please. She couldn’t care less. She has a closet full of dresses, and this one is four sizes too big for her.”

Her sister was supermodel Marissa Walker. Marissa had been on the cover of some sports magazines in a swimsuit and had traveled the world. Rare for two sisters to have such extraordinarily different talents.

“Are you thinking about sleeping with my sister now?” Kit asked.

He hadn’t been. “Are you thinking about me sleeping with your sister?”

“Don’t be gross.”

Not much about Marissa Walker was gross, but imagining a sibling with a lover was. “You brought it up.”

“I’m trying to figure you out,” she said. She touched the side of his face and then his ear, running her finger down the curve of it.

He turned his head. “Stop that.”

“You’re bruised, and your ear is bleeding,” she said.