C.J. Miller - Delta Force Desire

Brute dialed his phone and checked in with someone, presumably at the West Company, and then handed her the phone. “Connor West is the lead of the West Company. He is on the line and available to answer questions.”

Kit took the phone from him, feeling a mix of awe and disbelief. “This is Kit Walker.”

“Is there anything we can get for you?” Connor asked. Behind the strength in his voice, she heard kindness.

She didn’t require much, and she would be home soon. “I want to know if my family is safe. I want to be informed as the situation changes.”

“They are safe and I will let you know if anything changes. I’ve assigned an operative to each of your family members to ensure their safety while we work on this situation,” Connor said.

“What will you tell my family about me?” Kit asked. She didn’t want to put them through any stress.

“We’re discussing our strategy. Your family knows you’re safe. We want your family to be reassured, but we don’t want to alert the men looking for you that you’re alive or give clues to your whereabouts.”

When she had left the Locker project, she had known this was a possibility. She had signed and agreed to so many rules and disclosures and confidentiality statements making it clear that despite her precautions, her future was in jeopardy. She had made an effort to put distance between herself and the Locker, but apparently not enough.

She wrapped up the call. She had no control over the situation. No phone, no computer, no access to the outside world, and she hated it.

She could at least make herself more comfortable. She pointed to the clothes that had been brought for her. “Please turn around so I can change.”

He did as she asked, giving her his back. “Do I have to worry that you’ll attack me?”

“Are you making fun of me?” she asked. How would she attack him?

“Not in the least. I’m trying to understand you.”

“You pretended to like me at my sister’s party,” she said, thinking of how he had approached her. “Were you trying to seduce me?”

“I was trying to convince you to leave the party with me so I could take you somewhere safe.”

It felt great to peel off the dress, but she didn’t want to return the hoodie. It smelled of him and that made her feel safe. She slipped on the military sweat pants and T-shirt. “How did that work out for you?” she asked, adjusting the drawstrings on her pants.

“You’re alive, aren’t you?” he asked.

“That’s one way to look at it,” she said.

“Any day I wake up is a blessing,” Brute said.

An odd statement, but perhaps coming from a West Company operative who had spent hours in dangerous locations, it was his truth. “What exactly do you do for the West Company?” she asked.

“Retrieval specialist,” he replied.

Deciding she could do what she wanted, she pulled on the hoodie. When someone gave her a computer, she would give up the hoodie. Maybe.

“How did they pick you?” she asked.

“Excuse me?”

“How did they know I would find you attractive? Was there an assessment done on me, a written profile?” Having worked for the government, she knew that complex plans were thought through on many levels—psychological, emotional and physical. The government had her profile, and they knew what made her tick. That knowledge made her suspicious of everything they said and did to her. Was Brute playing a role? How much of his behavior was him and how much an act to manipulate her?

“Do you always say what’s on your mind?” he asked.

Kit refused to be cowed. “I’m trying to assess my situation so I can understand how to get out of this.”

“You can’t get out of it unless you want to be taken prisoner by Incognito and then killed,” Brute said.

“Don’t try to scare me,” she said. “I might be weak now, but if I can get my hands on a computer, I will rain missiles down on you.”

He faced her and smiled again. She had to get over that smile. It shouldn’t have rattled her.

“If you rain missiles down on me, then you’ll be raining missiles down on you, because we’re attached at the hip.”

That knowledge surprised her. “I thought you were handing me off at the first opportunity,” she said.

“I’ll release you when I know you are safe,” he said.

His words touched her. “Why does it matter what happens to me?”

Confusion darted across his face. “I swore to do a job. I will do that job.”

She had known him for less than a day and he felt responsible for her. “You have integrity. Do you also have a name you’re willing to share with me?”

“Griffin.”

She hadn’t expected a full name, but at least she could think of him as something other than brute. The longer they were together, the less she thought of him as a bully or a kidnapper. “Wings of an eagle and body of a lion.”

“That’s the one,” he said.

“Is that your name, or is it another ploy to manipulate me psychologically?”

Griffin appeared flabbergasted. “Though it may seem otherwise to you, this was a well-thought-out operation with considerably less time spent analyzing you and more time spent countering the threats against you. I was not selected to seduce you or manipulate you.”

Her cheeks grew hot. “That’s good, because I am not easily seduced.” Most men didn’t try. She didn’t exude sex appeal and confidence the way her sister did.

“That red dress was made for a woman who was looking for sex.”

She blinked at him. Maybe Marissa had been right and that dress had looked good on her. She hadn’t felt sexy in it. “I wasn’t looking for anything. My sister wanted me to wear the dress and it was her birthday, so I indulged her.” But she didn’t want to discuss her insecurities or Marissa’s beauty. “What now?”

Griffin pulled his cot across the door. “We sleep while we can.”

Chapter 3 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

The squeaks of the cot springs gave away that Kit wasn’t asleep. She was tossing and turning.