BOOK INFO:
She’s got a broken heart... and a fully loaded arsenal.
Ex–army ranger Jim Morgan leads a team of elite mercenaries, but eighteen years ago in Paris, he was part of a black ops unit whose mission was to hunt down a rogue operative. In order to trap the criminal, Jim seduced Noelle, the man’s daughter—a ruthless act that cost him the love of his life and turned her into a mortal enemy. Now he can’t trust her, but he still desires her. He also needs her help....
Older, wiser, and unwilling to play the fool again, Noelle runs a group of highly skilled assassins. And she’s just been offered the hit of the century: Eliminate Jim Morgan. History gives them no reason to trust each other, but with their lives in jeopardy at the hands of a common enemy, the lines between love and hate are soon blurred. Now Noelle and Jim must face the past if they want to have a future—let alone a future together.
Ex–army ranger Jim Morgan leads a team of elite mercenaries, but eighteen years ago in Paris, he was part of a black ops unit whose mission was to hunt down a rogue operative. In order to trap the criminal, Jim seduced Noelle, the man’s daughter—a ruthless act that cost him the love of his life and turned her into a mortal enemy. Now he can’t trust her, but he still desires her. He also needs her help....
Older, wiser, and unwilling to play the fool again, Noelle runs a group of highly skilled assassins. And she’s just been offered the hit of the century: Eliminate Jim Morgan. History gives them no reason to trust each other, but with their lives in jeopardy at the hands of a common enemy, the lines between love and hate are soon blurred. Now Noelle and Jim must face the past if they want to have a future—let alone a future together.
EXCERPT:
His body was magnificent.
Not an ounce of fat on it, just a solid mass of muscle and
raw masculine power. Noelle eyed Jim’s molded biceps and triceps as those
strong arms propelled his body forward. Long legs kicking through the water,
tight buttocks flexing with each commanding stroke.
She hadn’t seen him naked in years, and she was intrigued by
the scars— both old and new— that marred his sleek, tanned skin. She wondered
how he’d gotten each one. A big part of her wished she had been the one who’d
inflicted them on him, but alas, she hadn’t laid a hand on the man since they’d
parted ways in Paris all those years ago.
Her hands suddenly tingled with the urge to alter that. To
pound into his flesh and administer pain, bruises, any kind of mark to serve as
proof that she could cause him damage.
God, he deserved to die for what he’d done to her. So why
did she continue to let him live?
She used to tell herself it was because she
wanted to torment him first, but lately she’d been questioning her motives.
Wondering if maybe the reason she hadn’t killed him was because she simply
didn’t want to see him dead.
But why not, damn it? All she’d ever dreamed of was wiping
him out of existence, out of her life and her thoughts.
And clearly she wasn’t the only one. Someone else wanted Jim
terminated, someone who was willing to pay a small fortune to make it happen,
and instead of acting like the professional she was and getting the job done,
she’d come here to warn him.
To warn him, for
fuck’s sake.
A soft splash recaptured her attention, and she lifted her
head in time to see Jim hop onto the deck. Water dripped from his warrior form,
rivulets gathering between his heavy pecs, running down his rock-hard chest and
clinging to his washboard abs. He was unconcerned with his nudity, unfazed by
the erection jutting from his groin.
His arms rose in a lazy stretch, roped muscles bulging as
his gaze found hers. His cobalt blue eyes gleamed mockingly.
“Say your piece and leave, Noelle.”
She rose from the deck chair with a careless shrug. “Someone
wants you dead. Offered me five million big ones to eliminate you.”
Jim slanted his head. “Who?”
“Not sure. The client is using a middleman.”
“Interesting.” He swiped a towel from the stack on one of
the lounge chairs and wrapped it around his trim hips.
The second his erection was out of sight, Noelle was able to
breathe again. It sickened her that her body was capable of responding to his
aroused state; her heart had actually skipped a beat and her core had ached
with need.
She wasn’t allowed to get turned on by Jim Morgan. It was a
weakness she refused to possess.
“He gave me five days to get the job done,” she added.
“After that, the contract hits the open market— two million bucks for your head
on a silver platter. It’ll be an assassin free-for-all.”
“Thanks for the heads-up,” he said gruffly. “Any idea who
the client might be?”
“No, but I can give you his associate’s information. Gilles
Girard, a lawyer in Paris.” She took a step toward the flagstone path that led
to the terrace. “Happy hunting, Jim.”
“Did you take the job?”
She kept her back to him. “Of course. Turning it down might
have raised a red flag.”
“You planning on following through on it?”
“Nope.”
His husky laughter grated. “Why not?”
“Why do you think? I’ll kill you on my own terms, not under
orders from some anonymous asshole.”
“Right. You’ve still deluded yourself into thinking you’re
actually gonna off me.”
She slowly turned around. The amused glimmer in his eyes
made her want to reach for the pistol at the small of her back and shoot him
right in that mocking mouth of his.
“Right back atcha, baby,” she said softly.
“Oh, I already explained why I haven’t killed you. I’m not
done making you suffer.”
“Whatever you say, Jim.”
She took off walking again, but he came up beside her,
matching her hurried strides.“Where you headed?” he asked.
“What do you care?”
He ignored the question. “Back to Paris?”
“Yes,” she said grudgingly.
“Good. I’ll catch a ride with you, then. Give me twenty
minutes to gather my gear.”
He was on the terrace and marching inside before she could
protest, leaving her standing there in annoyance. Presumptuous ass. She’d
rather slit her wrists than let him board her jet.
So why are you still
here?
The snide voice raised a valid point. Jim couldn’t force her
to give him a ride. All she had to do was walk out of the house, get into her
car, and drive to the airstrip. Without him.
Or, she could put a bullet in his brain and finally be done
with him.
But Noelle chose neither of those options.
Instead, she lit up a cigarette, took a deep drag, and
waited for Jim.
Elle Kennedy is a RITA-nominated author grew up in the
suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University.
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