Lara Lacombe - Enticed By The Operative

And wasn’t that the understatement of the year? Logan couldn’t stop his gaze from roaming over her, starting at her wide brown eyes and wandering down to her graceful hands, stopping to linger on everything in between. Olivia was a woman built for civilized pursuits, not the machinations of a ruthless drug cartel.

“No, you aren’t,” he agreed. Seeing her here in his office, looking lost, tugged at something deep inside his chest.

“Would you feel better if I went with you?”

She grabbed his hand, squeezing hard. “I would feel better if you were with me.” Her words made him want to puff out his chest, but he controlled the urge.

“So you’ll do it?” he asked, trying not to sound too eager.

“Yes, I’ll do it.”

“Excellent.” Logan couldn’t stop a grin. Finally, they had a solid chance to bring these guys down! It was the operation of a lifetime, and he would make sure they succeeded.

Or die trying.

* * *

We hope you enjoyed a first look at a brand-new, electrifying series, Doctors in Danger!

www.millsandboon.co.uk

LARA LACOMBEearned a PhD in microbiology and immunology and worked in several labs across the country before moving into the classroom. Her day job as a college science professor gives her time to pursue her other love—writing fast-paced romantic suspense with smart, nerdy heroines and dangerously attractive heroes. She loves to hear from readers! Find her on the web or contact her at laralacombewriter@gmail.com.

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For Mister, my favorite traveling companion.

Contents

Cover

Introduction “You do this all the time. But me?” She shook her head. “I’m not built for this.” And wasn’t that the understatement of the year? Logan couldn’t stop his gaze from roaming over her, starting at her wide brown eyes and wandering down to her graceful hands, stopping to linger on everything in between. Olivia was a woman built for civilized pursuits, not the machinations of a ruthless drug cartel. “No, you aren’t,” he agreed. Seeing her here in his office, looking lost, tugged at something deep inside his chest. “Would you feel better if I went with you?” She grabbed his hand, squeezing hard. “I would feel better if you were with me.” Her words made him want to puff out his chest, but he controlled the urge. “So you’ll do it?” he asked, trying not to sound too eager. “Yes, I’ll do it.” “Excellent.” Logan couldn’t stop a grin. Finally, they had a solid chance to bring these guys down! It was the operation of a lifetime, and he would make sure they succeeded. Or die trying. * * * We hope you enjoyed a first look at a brand-new, electrifying series, Doctors in Danger!

Title Page Enticed by the Operative Lara Lacombe www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author LARA LACOMBE earned a PhD in microbiology and immunology and worked in several labs across the country before moving into the classroom. Her day job as a college science professor gives her time to pursue her other love—writing fast-paced romantic suspense with smart, nerdy heroines and dangerously attractive heroes. She loves to hear from readers! Find her on the web or contact her at laralacombewriter@gmail.com .

Dedication For Mister, my favorite traveling companion.

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

Extract

Copyright

Chapter 1

“Is it time for our next girls’ weekend yet?”

Olivia Sandoval couldn’t help but laugh at the plaintive note in her friend Avery’s voice. “That bad, huh?”

“I’m just ready for a break.”

Olivia moved the phone to her other ear and used her free hand to massage a kink in her neck. Avery and Mallory had been her best friends since they’d met in medical school ten years ago, and they’d all shared an apartment. They had managed to live together during their residencies, and then one by one, they had each moved away to take jobs—Avery Thatcher to Atlanta for her job at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mallory Watkins to Los Angeles to work with a cruise ship company, and Olivia to Washington, DC, where she practiced plastic surgery. They had wildly different careers, but they were still close and made it a point to get together twice a year to catch up. Olivia looked forward to their biannual trips all year, and she knew Avery and Mallory felt the same way.

“I hear you. I bet Mallory is, too.”

“Are you kidding me? She’s a doctor on a cruise ship, for crying out loud! Her whole life is a vacation.”

“Jealous, much?”

“Yes.” Avery didn’t bother to deny it, which made Olivia smile.

“You get to travel for your job,” she pointed out.

“Yeah, but not to any fun locations. I’m leaving tomorrow for a small town in Kansas. Apparently there’s some kind of respiratory thing going on there.”

“Kansas is nice,” Olivia pointed out. “Lots of friendly people.”

“But no ocean view,” Avery grumbled.

“Well, no. But there’s more to life than salt water.”

“Says the woman going to Colombia in a few weeks.”

“Hey, I’d love for you to join me. We could always use another pair of hands down there.”

“I wish I could go,” Avery said wistfully. “But I’m not a surgeon like you. I’ve spent too many years holed up in my office at the CDC—my clinical skills aren’t what they used to be. I wouldn’t be much help for you.”

“You’d be surprised,” Olivia replied. “If you remember how to do a physical, you’re halfway there. The need for basic medical care is so great, anything is better than nothing. Just think about it,” she added. “Colombia is beautiful, and it would be a great experience for you.”

Avery was silent for a moment. “I’ll sleep on it,” she said, a note of interest in her voice. “Maybe I could finagle the time off.”

A spark of excitement flared to life in Olivia’s stomach. Having one of her best friends come on her annual charity trip would be wonderful. It would be great to spend the time with Avery, and more important, having another clinician on site would really increase the number of patients they could treat during their stay. She opened her mouth to tell Avery as much when the intercom on her desk buzzed to life.

“Dr. Sandoval? Your next patient is here.”

“And that’s my cue,” Avery spoke into her ear. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Sounds good. Have a safe trip.”

Olivia hung up and pressed the button on her desk. “Thanks, Carrie. Please send him in.”