The groom, dressed in a pair of simple khakis and a loose white shirt. His hair, freshly-trimmed and military-short; his jaw, strong and freshly-shaved. The fresh ink of a new tattoo wrapped around his right forearm, letters entwined in a bold design that only a few understood.
The bride's mother, who served as matron-of-honor. The groom's father, who served as best man.
And ten attendants who flanked them, the khaki shorts and relaxed island shirts doing nothing to detract from their sheer masculine perfection—or the sharp edge of danger that even the most casual observer could see.
Guests from the secluded Caribbean resort looked on in curiosity as the couple said their vows under a simple bamboo arch draped in white gauze. A stunning setting sun served as the backdrop, framing the couple in what one guest later called a halo of love.
The applause that greeted their introduction as husband and wife was genuine, spattered with cheers and whistles that drew warning looks from the gathered attendants.
The guests at the resort didn't know who they were. A reclusive billionaire and his new bride? A high-powered Hollywood couple? Secret royalty? Possibly. What else could explain the presence of so many bodyguards? Because the guests were certain that was what the attendants were: bodyguards. What else could they be? Especially when one guest speculated—quietly, of course, for he didn't want to be overheard—that the bulge under one of the attendant's shirts was some kind of weapon.
In the end, it didn't matter who the couple was, not when their love was so evident in the way they watched each other. In the way they touched and the way their heads drew close together when they spoke.
In the way they kissed.
Women sighed when the groom swept the bride off her feet, when he carried her down the beach to the private bungalow perched over the clear blue water. Men stood a little straighter, their shoulders back and chests out, watching the retreating groom with speculation...and maybe with just the tiniest bit of envy.
Nobody thought to bother them, not when the attendants took turns watching the private walkway leading out to the bungalow. And eventually, as the minutes turned to hours, the guests drifted away. Back to the pool or beach. To the bar. To the nightclub on the other side of the small island.
All except one. She stayed where she was, hiding in plain sight, her gaze focused on the man with the sun-streaked hair and eyes the color of liquid amber, with the reassuring smile and the strength to slay dragons.
She waited.
Watching.
Hoping.
~ The End ~
If you enjoyed The Protector: MAC, I hope you'll take a few minutes to leave a review. Even a short one helps other readers discover my books—and it means so much to me! Thank you!
If you missed the beginning of Mac and TR's story, you can pick up it here in Covered By A Kiss, A Cover Six Security novella, available at your favorite digital retailers.
You can also read about their first meet--and learn more about Jon Reigler and his wife, Sammie--in the second-chance romance, Loving Hard, Chesapeake Blades #2 (don't worry--it's a total standalone!)
Want to receive updates on my releases, preorders, and sales? Then follow me on BookBub.
And be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter, Kamps' Korner, for exciting news and sneak peeks! You don’t want to miss it!
Can't wait for the newsletter? Want exclusive content before anyone else? How about fun, games, and giveaways? Then please join me and a great group of readers and fans at Kamps Korner on Facebook.
And be sure to keep reading for more information about the next Cover Six Security book, The Guardian: DARYL, available March 27!
Special Acknowledgement
The idea for the Cover Six Security series came about when I started the Chesapeake Blades series—particularly book 2, Loving Hard. And the more I played around with it, the more it drew me in.
I had the story ideas. Names for the guys on the team. Their backgrounds. I was ready to go, my fingers itching to get the words on paper.
What I didn't have was a name for the security company. Ideas came to me, only to be deleted because...well, frankly, because they stunk. Then I got stuck.
Like many authors, I have a fabulous reader's group on Facebook: Kamps Korner. And that's where I turned to for help. I threw the question (okay, I begged) to the greatest bunch of readers I know—and they totally came through for me!
There were dozens of suggestions, all of them fantastic—which led to another dilemma: how do I pick one? There were a few that really stood out so I did what any smart author would do: I created a poll and let the readers pick...
And Cover Six Security was born.
Thank you to everyone who offered suggestions—there were so many great ones! And special thanks—and my undying gratitude—to Elizabeth Roney and her Marine husband for the wonderful suggestion! It totally fits. And in Elizabeth's words: "He [her Marine husband] said it would be a good pick up line explaining to the ladies what cover your six means!"
And it totally is—as you'll see in several of the upcoming books!
Elizabeth and your Marine husband—this one is for you! Thank you <3!
The Guardian: DARYL
Cover Six Security Book 2
These men never back away from danger—and always fall hard for love in Cover Six Security, an explosive new series from USA Today Bestselling Author Lisa B. Kamps
Daryl "Zeus" Anderson walks the edge of danger. Strong. Dependable. Always in control--except for that one night in a tropical paradise that still haunts him. When an old friend calls in a favor, Daryl answers the call, never expecting to come face-to-face with the woman who damn near shattered his restraint--and his heart.
Kelsey Davis has been running for the last five years: for her safety, for her sanity, for more than just her life. The dangerous game she's been thrust into is nearing an end and she's forced to turn to the man her father swears will guard her with his life--the same man she's already run away from once.
The clock is ticking and Kelsey needs to decide if she can trust her new guardian with more than her heart. Because in this game, there's more at stake than love--and making the wrong decision could cost much more than just their lives.
Don't miss the next sizzling title in the Cover Six Security series, The Guardian: DARYL--releasing March 27, 2019, and available for pre-order now.
LOVING HARD
The Chesapeake Blades #2
Because sometimes love is the hardest game of all…
Sammie Reigler is done with men. At least, with one man in particular: her ex-husband. She fell head-over-heels in love, blindly jumped into marriage—and promptly had her heart broken when her husband served her with divorce papers while he was overseas. She picked up the shattered remnants of her life and took their daughter back home to Baltimore, where she started a new life working as a teacher—and playing hockey for the Chesapeake Blades. Now if only she could ignore the emptiness that haunts her in the middle of the night…
Nobody who knew him would call Jonathan Reigler a coward, but that was exactly what he was. Two years ago, at one of the lowest points in his life, he walked away from the only woman who ever mattered—and lost a piece of his soul in the process. Now it's time to win his family back, and he'll stop at nothing to regain the love and trust of the one woman who means more to him than life itself.
When Sammie makes demands of her own, Jonathan has to decide if he's willing to expose his biggest weakness. Will Sammie be able to forgive him and learn to love the man he's become—or will she walk away, taking his heart with her?
Turn the page for a preview of LOVING HARD, an emotional standalone second-chance romance, now available.
Air, dry and acrid, filled Jonathan Reigler's lungs with each breath he sucked in through his clenched teeth. He tightened his grip on the rifle and looked over the shoulder of the man sitting in front of him.
He couldn't meet his eyes. If he did, the man would see what t
his was costing him.
What the last few months had already cost him.
Loud bursts of gunfire, shattering the silence of the desert.
Screams and cries as bullets ripped into flesh.
Blood, dark and red, saturating the sand beneath his feet.
An outstretched hand, the palms scratched and caked with dirt. Lifeless fingers reaching across the desert floor, stretching toward the switch that would kill them all.
Dark eyes, opened to the searing sun beating above them, the sightless eyes focused on something nobody else could see.
The face, young and unlined, the skin oddly perfect, marred only by the blood seeping from the boy's mouth.
A boy. A fucking kid. No more than ten or eleven. Lifeless.
Because of Jonathan.
The boy wasn't the first one. Far from it. Jonathan feared he wouldn't be the last. But there was something about this body, something about this last mission that—
He sucked in another breath, the sound no more than a hiss in the stuffy air of the closed tent. Ignore it. Ignore the image, ignore the memories.
Forget everything.
Just…forget.
The man across from him finally looked away, his gaze shifting to the papers scattered on the dusty surface of the desk in front of him. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I don't have a choice." He thought he had, all those months ago. Thought he'd be able to separate the two lives he'd been living. The two men he'd become. But he couldn't. Not anymore.
He blinked away the image of wide brown eyes, shining with laughter. Pushed away the ghost-memory of warm hands caressing his body. Made himself forget the soft words whispered with a warm breath against his ear.
I love you, Jon. We'll be waiting for you.
Ignored the pain that ripped through him when the memories shattered what was left of his soul.
Jonathan cleared his throat and repeated the words. "I don't have a choice."
"There's always a choice."
"No, sir. Not in this. Not anymore."
The older man sighed, the sound filled with weariness. He grabbed a pen, scrawled something on the bottom line of a ragged sheet of paper, then held the pen out to Jonathan.
"You don't have to do this, Sergeant. You're still her husband."
Jonathan grabbed the pen, his fingers tightening around it for the briefest second before he scrawled his signature on the paper that would completely sever the man he'd been from the man he'd become.
Her husband?
Maybe. Once upon a time. But not now. Not anymore.
Now, he was a monster.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lisa B. Kamps is a USA Today Bestselling Author who writes steamy romance with real-life characters and relatable stories that evoke deep emotion. She likes her men hard, her bed soft, her coffee strong, her whiskey neat, and her wine chilled...and when it comes to sports, hockey is the only thing that matters!
Lisa currently lives in Maryland with her husband and two sons (who are mostly sorta-kinda out of the house), one very spoiled Border Collie, two cats with major attitude, several head of cattle, and entirely too many chickens to count. When she's not busy writing or chasing animals, she's cheering loudly for her favorite hockey team, the Washington Capitals--or going through withdrawal and waiting for October to roll back around!
Interested in reaching out to Lisa? She'd love to hear from you:
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Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/lisabkamps
Other titles by this author:
COVER SIX SECURITY
Covered By A Kiss, A CSS Novella, Book 0
The Protector: MAC, Book 1
The Guardian: DARYL, Book 2
The Defender: RYDER, Book 3
THE BALTIMORE BANNERS
Crossing the Line, Book 1
Game Over, Book 2
Blue Ribbon Summer, Book 3
Body Check, Book 4
Break Away, Book 5
Playmaker, A Baltimore Banners Intermission Novella
Delay of Game, Book 6
Shoot Out, Book 7
The Baltimore Banners: 1st Period Trilogy
Books 1-3 Boxed set
The Baltimore Banners: 2nd Period Trilogy
Books 4-6 Boxed set
On Thin Ice, Book 8
Coach's Challenge, A Baltimore Banners Intermission Novella
One-Timer, Book 9
Face Off, Book 10
First Shot At Love, A Baltimore Banners Short Story
Game Misconduct, Book 11
Fighting To Score, Book 12
Matching Penalties, Book 13
THE YORK BOMBERS
Playing The Game, Book 1
Playing To Win, Book 2
Playing For Keeps, Book 3
Playing It Up, Book 4
Playing It Safe, Book 5
The York Bombers Boxed Set 1
Books 1-3
Playing For Love, Book 6
Playing His Part, Book 7
THE CHESAPEAKE BLADES
Winning Hard, Book 1
Loving Hard, Book 2
Playing Hard, Book 3
FIREHOUSE FOURTEEN
Once Burned, Book 1
Playing With Fire, Book 2
Breaking Protocol, Book 3
Into the Flames, Book 4
Second Alarm, Book 5
Feel The Burn, Book 6
Coming Soon
STAND-ALONE TITLES
Emeralds and Gold: A Treasury of Irish Short Stories (anthology)
Finding Dr. Right
Time To Heal
Dangerous Passion
Dangerous Heat
Illicit Affair
Coming Soon
The Protector: MAC: A Cover Six Security Novel Page 25
