by Mandy Harbin
WWCAD? That had been her internal mantra whenever she felt at a crossroads. What would Christiane Amanpour do? The woman inspired her. She was the reason Caitlin wanted to go into journalism. Within a month of leaving home, Caitlin had landed the job of a lifetime as a correspondent with a major twenty-four-hour news station in Atlanta. She’d paid her dues covering stories on the war, even had been sent on location to the Middle East multiple times, though not right in the action. Always on the outskirts of any real danger, tucked neatly within the press corp.
When Caitlin’s gaze landed on a group of tough-looking men entering the room, she quickly dropped it to her notebook as heat tinged the tips of her ears.
One of those guys was Hunter Anderson. There had been a time in her life, whenever he walked into a room, she’d swear her heart was going to jump right out of her chest. She’d had it bad for him growing up and should laugh now over her awkward adolescence and silly crush. If only she could tell her fourteen-year-old self that one day Hunter would be in the same room as her and not be the one making her heart pound like crazy. She was certain if she could actually go back in time and tell herself this, her mini-me would totally ignore her. Caitlin had spent an embarrassing amount of time in her bedroom listening to love songs on her iPod while staring at his picture in the yearbook…and that was when she hadn’t gotten to spend the night with her best friend and Hunter’s sister, Heather, sleeping under the same roof as him.
Oh how times had changed. She wasn’t a little girl pining for a boy. The sight of Hunter did nothing to her anymore. Her racing heart and sweaty palms were because of the man standing next to him.
Axle.
Axle Landry. She knew there was no avoiding him today. Hell, he was the reason she was even here. Her starving gaze wouldn’t be denied either, breaking her mental command not to stare at the man who’d stolen her heart in the desert. God, he still looked perfect, even though he walked with a cane now. His arms rippled as he leaned slightly into it as he moved. She remembered just how strong he was when he lifted her in the heat of passion just a few months ago, and she’d bet her life his battle injury wouldn’t slow him down for a second. She had firsthand knowledge just how determined that man could be when he set his sights on something he wanted.
Several people in the crowd near him came over, shook his hand, and clapped him on the back, probably thanking him for his service to our country. She forced herself to look away, to look back down at her notepad. Where’s my pen? Oh, the irony. She glanced around the floor beside her to check if it had fallen once she’d been seated. It wasn’t there, and she huffed as she grabbed her bag to dig for a new one. She’d bought a new box of them when she’d gotten back to the States and had made a point to shove several in all of her cases and in her car, determined to never need to borrow another pen ever again. Instinctively, she looked up, knowing her hand would land on one without much effort.
As if he was her beacon, she looked to Axle. And froze.
He stared right at her.
Caitlin swallowed, locked in his hot gaze, instantly taken back to their time in the desert. She couldn’t look away now even if she wanted to, and she didn’t. She’d missed him so much since the last day she saw him…the day everything went to shit, and they’d been ripped apart by circumstance.
He took a step, then another, slowly making his way to the stage without breaking eye contact just yet. She wanted to run to him and help him walk, but she knew beyond any doubt he’d hate her even more if she offered him any assistance. He was a strong man.
He was a proud man.
And now, he was a disabled man. A former SEAL injured in the prime of his life. The career he carefully nurtured for so many years completely obliterated.
All because of her.
She should look away, make this easier on him, but she couldn’t. Not yet. Because she knew once this ceremony was over, that would be it. All hope would be lost.
She would never see Axle Landry again.
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Hey, y’all!
Thank you for reading my book. :) If you enjoyed it, I’d be very grateful for a review. If you didn’t like it, then share that, too... as long as your review is honest, that’s all that matters.
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Mandy
Also by Mandy Harbin
The Bang Shift Series
Brody
Hunter
Blade
Shelby
Paranormal Romance
Surrounded by Woods
Surrounded by Pleasure
Surrounded by Temptation
Surrounded by Secrets
Young Adult written as M.W. Muse
Goddess Legacy
Goddess Secret
Goddess Sacrifice
Goddess Revenge
Goddess Bared
Goddess Bound
About the Author
Mandy Harbin is a USA Today Bestselling author who loves creating stories that explore the complexities of everyday relationships…with some kissing thrown in. She is a Superstar Award recipient, Reader’s Crown and Passionate Plume finalist, and has achieved Night Owl Reviews Top Pick distinction many times. She also writes young adult romance as M.W. Muse because teens like kissing, too.
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