Justine Davis - Operation Power Play

Murder, corruption and a second chance at love…

When his dog, Cutter, leads Brett Dunbar to a dead body during a routine property check, it’s the detective’s hardest case yet. Because the victim was found on Sloan Burke’s land. Now Brett must balance professionalism and attraction—something nearly impossible when the beautiful widow’s determination puts her directly in the line of fire.

Seeing the heroic qualities she valued in her late husband reflected in Brett makes the protective wall around Sloan’s heart crumble. Brett won’t risk another relationship to his dangerous job, and Sloan refuses to have a future with a man constantly in danger. But solving the crime might be easier than letting each other go…

Sloan looked up at him steadily, a world of gentle understanding in her eyes.

Brett was moving before he even realized it. It had been so long since he’d felt the urge, he didn’t recognize it until his mouth was on hers.

He felt her little jump of surprise, and a tiny part of his mind suggested he should stop this before he regretted it. But that cause was lost the moment he felt her lips under his, and turned to ash the moment her mouth softened, the surprise fading.

She was kissing him back. Lighting a fire in him that made the one on the hearth seem no more than a flickering match.

She leaned into him, and a gentle, quiet sound came from her, almost a moan. Need exploded in him, unlike anything he’d felt in longer than he could remember.

It was hot, swift, consuming, and he wanted nothing more than to hit the floor and take this woman here and now.

***

Be sure to check out the rest of the books

in this miniseries—Cutter’s Code: A clever

and mysterious canine helps a group of secret

operatives crack the case.

Dear Reader,

One of the things I love about writing connected books is how various secondary characters take shape and eventually demand to have stories of their own. I especially love it when one I never expected to write a full book about develops into such an appealing character I just have to find out more about them.

In the Cutter’s Code series there is one of those characters. He began simply as a device of sorts, someone I knew this string of suspense stories was going to need: a friendly cop. And the more times this character appeared in the books, the more fascinated with him I became, until I knew he was going to have to have his own story.

That time has finally come. After all the times he has helped the Foxworth family, they now have a chance to repay the favors, and in the process realize that they’ve become his family, as well. Brett Dunbar is one of my favorite secondary characters I’ve ever written, and I’m delighted to give him the heroic woman he deserves. I hope you enjoy their story.

As always, happy reading. And woof!

Justine Davis

Operation Power Play

Justine Davis

www.millsandboon.co.uk

JUSTINE DAVIS lives on Puget Sound in Washington State, watching big ships and the occasional submarine go by and sharing the neighborhood with assorted wildlife, including a pair of bald eagles, deer, a bear or two and a tailless raccoon. In the few hours when she’s not planning, plotting or writing her next book, her favorite things are photography, knitting her way through a huge yarn stash and driving her restored 1967 Corvette roadster—top down, of course.

Connect with Justine at her website, justinedavis.com, at twitter.com/justine_d_davis, or on Facebook at facebook.com/justinedaredavis.

Before you start reading, why not sign up?

Thank you for downloading this Mills & Boon book. If you want to hear about exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions, sign up to our email newsletter today!

SIGN ME UP!

Or simply visit

signup.millsandboon.co.uk

Mills & Boon emails are completely free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send you.

I’m stealing this dedication spot back from my readers for this book. If you read the first Cutter’s Code book, Operation Midnight, you might remember the dedication included a dog named Murphy, who was instrumental in bringing my own sweet girl into our lives. He was also my first grand-pup. We sadly lost Murphy a few weeks ago, and I’m turning this space over to his mom.

A little more than twelve years ago a silly, baby-faced chocolate Lab puppy came into my family’s life. The name Murphy seemed to suit him. Deliciously adorable, he was a goofy, fun-loving Lab puppy, digging up plants in the garden, stealing raw chicken breasts on the kitchen counter and developing an addiction to tennis-ball retrieving. He was gentle and loving around the elderly, and incredibly patient with children. The ultimate host, he ensured you had a good night’s sleep by keeping watch outside your door. Murphy greeted every friend at the door with a welcoming bark and a wagging tail…right before he dropped his ball in your lap to throw for him. A mere ninety-eight pounds, he was the master snuggler of lapdogs. He loved road trips from California to Washington, spending the majority of it standing on the center console while sticking his head out the sunroof. His exhuberance for play was unwavering—at the beach, at the park, at home—ball in mouth, he was ready ALL THE TIME. He provided a daily reminder that unconditional love and happiness can exist. His absence is greatly noticeable in our house, but heaven just got a little brighter because of him.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

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

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter 1

I s this really worth it?

Brett Dunbar was at the stage of his morning run where he always doubted it. The stage when even the beauty of his surroundings as the trail paralleled an inlet of Puget Sound didn’t help.

His new companion was no help either. He’d thought Cutter would be a distraction at least. That the dog might act as dogs do, slowing to sniff everything in sight, thus allowing him to give in to the urging of his body to slow down, enjoy the morning quiet, make this a nice leisurely stroll. But this dog was acting like a demanding trainer, pushing, prodding, running ahead and turning to wait, subtly implying that Dunbar was slacking off.

“Darned dog,” he muttered.

That was what he got for somehow ending up dogsitting while Quinn and Hayley Foxworth were on their honeymoon.

He kept going as he came out of the thick trees and saw the gleam of the water. Sunrise was coming, heralded by the lightening of the sky across the sound. He knew that he was almost past the tough part, that just about here the endorphins would kick in and he’d hit that pace that was perfect, that seemed as though he could keep going forever. But every time, he had to get through this part first, this section where his entire body screamed at him to stop.

People had told him once he hit forty it would get harder. Now, with his forty-second birthday looming, he had to admit the change wasn’t in his pace or his stamina but in the increase in mental discipline it took to keep going. And yet the bottom line never changed. He did this six days a week, rain or shine, for one simple reason. He was a cop, and one day his life could depend on it.