Soraya Lane - Her Soldier Protector

THE SOLDIERS’ HOMECOMING

Brett, Logan and Sam were best friends and three of the finest soldiers in the Australian SAS K9 division. But one day Sam was killed, tearing their friendship group apart and leaving Brett and Logan with memories that would haunt them for ever.

Now, back in Australia, Brett and Logan are adjusting to life outside the army.

But they haven’t counted on two gorgeous, intriguing, captivating women who swan into their lives and present them with challenges they’ve never faced before!

Available in March

THE RETURNING HERO

and

HER SOLDIER PROTECTOR

Available in April

Her Soldier Protector

Soraya Lane

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Writing for Mills & Boon is truly a dream come true for SORAYA LANE. An avid book-reader and writer since her childhood, Soraya describes becoming a published author as ‘the best job in the world', and hopes to be writing heart-warming, emotional romances for many years to come.

Soraya lives with her own real-life hero on a small farm in New Zealand, surrounded by animals and with an office overlooking a field where their horses graze.

For more information about Soraya and her upcoming releases visit her at her website, www.sorayalane.com, her blog, www.sorayalane.blogspot.com, or follow her at www.facebook.com/SorayaLaneAuthor.

As a little girl I begged frequently for a dog of my own.

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As a little girl I begged frequently for a dog of my own.

Thankfully I only had to wait until my seventh birthday before I was gifted an eight-week-old Australian Silky Terrier named Chloe. So this book is dedicated to my amazing parents for giving this dog-loving girl her dream come true!

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

EPILOGUE

EXTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

LOGAN MURDOCH SURVEYED the waiting crowd. After years spent serving overseas, usually in the desert and lugging an eighty-pound pack on his back, he had no intention of complaining even if he had to wait another hour for his superstar client to arrive.

“Stand by for arrival in five minutes.”

He touched his earpiece as the other security expert’s voice came on the line.

“Cleared for arrival in five minutes,” he responded.

Logan moved down the line, checking that all the waiting fans were securely behind the low, temporary fencing. A couple of policemen were on guard, keeping an eye on the large crowd, and he had a security team ready to help if he needed them. He reached down to give his dog a pat, before moving out with one minute to go to wait for the car. Logan had already led his dog around and inside the entire perimeter to check for explosives, and now their primary objective was to get the client safely from the car into the building.

“I have a visual on the car. Stand by for immediate arrival,” he said, before talking to his dog. “Stay at heel,” he commanded.

His dog knew him better than any human possibly could, and the verbal command was just procedure. One look and Ranger would know what he was thinking.

The car pulled up to the curb—jet-black with dark tinted windows—and Logan stepped forward to open the back door. He’d researched his client, knew all there was to know about her in the public domain, but nothing had prepared him for seeing her in the flesh. For the slim, tanned legs that slipped from the car, the beautiful face turned up toward him or the star power she exuded from her small frame. She was gorgeous.

“Ms. Evans,” he said, holding out his hand to assist her. “Please follow me immediately through the front door. Will you be signing autographs today?”

Her eyes—big blue eyes that were as wide as saucers—met his, and she shook her head. Logan might never have met her before, but something told him she was terrified.

“Yes!” someone from inside the car barked. “Candace, you’re signing autographs. Go.”

Logan tightened his hold on her hand as she stepped out, and suddenly they were surrounded by flashes that seemed like bulbs exploding in front of them.

“Easy,” he told Ranger, his grip on the dog’s leash firm. “Let’s go.”

He released her only when she loosened her hold, then he walked with his palm flat against her back, his dog on his other side. If she wanted to stop to talk to fans, then that was her decision, but anything that alerted him to a potential problem? Then he’d be the one calling the shots, never mind what her manager or whoever he was wanted her to do.

“Don’t leave me,” she whispered just loud enough for him to hear, a tremble in her voice.

“I’m right here until you tell me to go,” Logan replied, moving his body closer to hers, realizing his instincts had been right. “I’ve swept every inch of this place, and my dog never makes mistakes.”

Logan watched her nod, before bravely squaring her shoulders and raising her hand in a wave to her fans. The flashes from the paparazzi were still in full swing, and now everyone in the crowd seemed to be screaming out to the woman they’d queued hours to meet. He’d been doubtful that she needed such high-level security, but the worry in her voice told him that maybe it had been justified.

“Candace, over here!” one girl was yelling. “Please, Candace, I love you!”

Logan steered her forward, stopping only when she did. He noticed the slight shake of her hand as she signed multiple autographs, before angling her body toward the building. He took his cue.

“Autographs are over,” he announced, at the same time as the crowd started yelling again.

They walked straight toward the door, stopping for a few more fans just before they disappeared inside.

Logan touched his earpiece. “We’re in the building. Secure the exits.”

As the doors shut behind them, Candace collapsed against the wall, her face drained of color.

“Ms. Evans?” he asked, at her side in a heartbeat.

“I’m fine. It’s just overwhelming,” she muttered, resting her head back against the wall. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to make the walk from the car.”

Logan dropped Ranger’s leash and told him to stay, before crossing the room to fill two glasses of water.

“He won’t hurt me, will he?”

Logan glanced back and saw that his dog was sitting to attention, ears pricked, eyes trained on her. Ranger was looking at her as though curiosity was about to get the better of him.

“Lie down,” he commanded, smiling as Ranger did as he was told. “He’s a big softie and he knows his manners. The worst he’d do is lick you if I let him, and he sure seems to like the look of you.”

Her smile wasn’t convincing, but she did seem to relax. He passed her a glass of water, trying not to look too intently at her bright blue eyes, or the long blond curls that were falling over her breasts. In real life she was beyond stunning—much shorter than he’d have guessed, and tiny, like a doll.