Private Affair

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Private Affair Page 27

by Rebecca York


  “Think again.”

  “What do you want?” Olivia asked.

  “You can take a few days off, but this kidnapping thing is huge. We can use this, baby. Top model abducted. You can sell that story for big bucks, and you can name your price for any job you want.”

  “Can I?”

  “Yeah.”

  She glanced at Max, who was now standing with his breath frozen in his lungs.

  “You had a lot of power over me because you knew how to influence a naive girl. But you don’t have that kind of power over me now. If I come back to New York, it’s on my own terms,” she said.

  Max saw the other guy’s jaw drop. “What do you mean?” Ellison asked.

  “I can see the advantage of using my current notoriety. But I’m not going to work the schedule I’ve been on.”

  “Okay,” Ellison said cautiously. “What would you want?”

  “I’d want to work only two weeks a month. And I’d want at least two months a year when I didn’t work at all.”

  Ellison swallowed. “We could do that.”

  Olivia looked surprised, like she hadn’t expected him to agree, but apparently he could see that getting Olivia Winters on any terms was better than not getting her at all.

  “Let’s talk in a few days,” she said. “I think everybody will understand that I’ve been through a terrible ordeal, and I need some time off.”

  “Yes. Okay. Fine,” he said quickly.

  “I’ll call you late next week,” she said.

  “Sure. That’s fine.” He backed out of the room, and Max shut the door and put on the security chain.

  “You really only want to work two weeks a month?” Max asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Two reasons. I hope. I’d like to be an advocate for rape victims. If that’s okay with you.”

  “You don’t need my permission.”

  “A lot of guys wouldn’t like people to know their wife was raped.”

  “Their wife,” he said.

  She flushed. “Am I getting ahead of myself?

  He felt joy swell inside him. “No. It was what I was hoping when I asked if you wanted to be in a relationship.”

  “I was hoping that, too. When I woke up with Troy in that underground room, I wanted to live—so I could spend the rest of my life with you.”

  He reached for her, hugging her to him. They stayed locked together until she said, “We should have that meeting with Shane and Jack and get it over with.”

  “And after they leave, we can…”

  She gave him a wicked smile, then finished the sentence differently than he’d expected, “Go up to the courthouse and get a marriage license. If we know it’s what we really want.”

  “Love to,” he answered, “But I guess you’ll have to wear a disguise if the hotel is full of reporters like Jerry said.”

  “I’ll just go without makeup, and they won’t know it’s me.”

  “It will take more than that. Maybe a Groucho Marx nose and glasses.”

  She grinned at him, and he grinned back, thinking of the astonishing way his life had turned out. First he’d found good friends he could depend on like no others. And he’d found an amazing woman who wanted to spend her life with him. It was more than he’d ever dared hope for, and he was going to make the most of it.

  Thank you for reading!

  We hope you enjoyed Private Affair by Rebecca York.

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  The book you’ve just finished is Book 3 in the Rockfort Security series. In case you missed them, the first two books in the series are Bad Nights and Betrayed. If you loved Private Affair, check out our mailing list for updates on new releases and access to exclusive content.

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  About the Author

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rebecca York’s writing has been compared to Dick Francis, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Maggie Shayne. Her award-winning books have been translated into twenty-two languages and optioned for film. A recipient of the RWA Centennial Award, she lives in Maryland, near Washington, D.C., which is often the setting of her romantic suspense novels.

  Bad Nights

  Rockfort Security

  by Rebecca York

  New York Times Bestselling Author

  ***

  You only get a second chance…

  Private operative and former Navy SEAL Jack Brandt barely escapes a disastrous undercover assignment, thanks to the most intriguing woman he’s ever met. When his enemies track him to her doorstep, he’ll do anything to protect Morgan from the danger closing in on them both…

  If you stay alive…

  Since her husband’s death, Morgan Rains has only been going through the motions. She didn’t think anything could shock her—until she finds a gorgeous man stumbling naked and injured through the woods behind her house. He’s mysterious, intimidating—and undeniably compelling.

  Thrown together into a pressure cooker of danger and intrigue, Jack and Morgan are finding in each other a reason to live—if they can survive.

  ***

  “Rebecca York’s writing is fast-paced, suspenseful, and loaded with tension.”—Jayne Ann Krentz

  For more Rebecca York, visit:

  www.sourcebooks.com

  Betrayed

  Rockfort Security

  by Rebecca York

  New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

  ***

  To trust

  Rockfort Security operative Shane Gallagher has been brought into S&D Systems to find a security leak. Confidential information has been stolen, and Shane suspects Elena Reyes, a systems analyst with the access and know-how to pull it off. As he finds excuses to get close to her, their attraction is too strong to ignore, but how can Shane trust the very woman he’s investigating?

  Or not to trust

  Elena has spent her life proving herself, but now she’s risking it all: everything she’s worked for, and her growing feelings for Shane. Much as she wants to trust the devastatingly sexy, hard-as-nails investigator, she can’t let herself fall for him…the stakes are too high.

  ***

  “Rebecca York delivers page-turning suspense.” —Nora Roberts

  “Rebecca York’s writing is fast paced, suspenseful, and loaded with tension.” —Jayne Ann Krentz

  For more Rebecca York, visit:

  www.sourcebooks.com

  I Own the Dawn

  The Night Stalkers

  by M. L. Buchman

  ***

  NAME: Archibald Jeffrey Stevenson III

  RANK: First Lieutenant, DAP Hawk copilot

  MISSION: Strategy and execution of special ops maneuvers

  NAME: Kee Smith

  RANK: Sergeant, Night Stalker gunner and sharpshooter

  MISSION: Whatever it takes to get the job done

  You wouldn’t think it could get worse, until it does…

  When a special mission slowly unravels, it is up to Kee and Archie to get their team out of an impossible situation with international implications. With her weaponry knowledge and his strategic thinking, plus the explosive attraction that puts them into exact synchrony, together they might just have a fighting chance…

  ***

  “The first novel in Buchman’s new military suspense series is an action-packed adventure. With a super-stud hero, a strong heroine, and a backdrop of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and the world of the Washington elite, it will grab readers from the first page.” — RT Book Reviews (4 stars)

  For more M.L. Buchman, visit:

  www.sourcebooks.com

  Wait Until Dark

  The Night Stalkers

  by M.L. Buchman

  ***

  NAME: Big John Wallace

  RANK:
Staff Sergeant, chief mechanic and gunner

  MISSION: To serve and protect his crew and country

  NAME: Connie Davis

  RANK: Sergeant, flight engineer, mechanical wizard

  MISSION: To be the best… and survive

  Two crack mechanics, one impossible mission

  Being in the Night Stalkers is Connie Davis’s way of facing her demons head-on, but mountain-strong Big John Wallace is a threat on all fronts. Their passion is explosive but their conflicts are insurmountable. When duty calls them to a mission no one else could survive, they’ll fly into the night together—ready or not.

  ***

  “Filled with action, adventure, and danger… Buchman’s novels will appeal to readers who like romances as well as fans of military fiction.” —Booklist Starred Review of I Own the Dawn

  For more M.L. Buchman, visit:

  www.sourcebooks.com

  Take Over at Midnight

  The Night Stalkers

  by M.L. Buchman

  ***

  NAME: Lola LaRue

  RANK: Chief Warrant Officer 3

  MISSION: Copilot deadly choppers on the world’s most dangerous missions

  NAME: Tim Maloney

  RANK: Sergeant

  MISSION: Man the guns and charm the ladies

  The past doesn’t matter, when their future is doomed

  Nothing sticks to “Crazy” Tim Maloney, until he falls hard for a tall Creole beauty with a haunted past and a penchant for reckless flying. Lola LaRue never thought she’d be susceptible to a man’s desire, but even with Tim igniting her deepest passions, it may be too late now…With the nation under an imminent threat of biological warfare, Tim and Lola are the only ones who can stop the madness—and to do that, they’re going to have to trust each other way beyond their limits…

  ***

  “Quite simply a great read. Once again Buchman takes the military romance to a new standard of excellence.”—Booklist

  For more M.L. Buchman, visit:

  www.sourcebooks.com

  Pure Heat

  The Firehawks

  by M.L. Buchman

  ***

  These daredevil smokejumpers fight more than fires

  The elite fire experts of Mount Hood Aviation fly into places even the CIA can’t penetrate.

  She lives to fight fires

  Carly Thomas could read burn patterns before she knew the alphabet. A third-generation forest fire specialist who lost both her father and her fiancé to the flames, she’s learned to live life like she fights fires: with emotions shut down.

  But he’s lit an inferno she can’t quench

  Former smokejumper Steve “Merks” Mercer can no longer fight fires up close and personal, but he can still use his intimate knowledge of wildland burns as a spotter and drone specialist. Assigned to copilot a Firehawk with Carly, they take to the skies to battle the worst wildfire in decades and discover a terrorist threat hidden deep in the Oregon wilderness−but it’s the heat between them that really sizzles.

  ***

  “A wonderful love story…seamlessly woven in among technical details. Poignant and touching.” —RT Book Reviews Top Pick, 4.5 Stars

  For more M.L. Buchman, visit:

  www.sourcebooks.com

  Light Up the Night

  The Night Stalkers

  by M.L. Buchman

  ***

  NAME: Trisha O’Malley

  RANK: Second Lieutenant and AH-6M “Little Bird” Pilot

  MISSION: Take down Somali pirates, and deny her past

  NAME: William Bruce

  RANK: Navy SEAL Lieutenant

  MISSION: Rescue hostages, and protect his past—against all comers

  They both have something to hide

  When hotshot SOAR helicopter pilot Trisha O’Malley rescues Navy SEAL Bill Bruce from his undercover mission in Somalia, it ignites his fury. Everything about Trisha triggers his mistrust: her elusive past, her wild energy, and her habit of flying past safety’s edge. Even as the heat between them turns into passion’s fire, Bill and Trisha must team up to confront their pasts and survive Somalia’s pirate lords.

  ***

  “The perfect blend of riveting, high-octane military action interspersed with tender, heartfelt moments. With a sigh-worthy scarred hero and a strong Irish redhead heroine, Buchman might just be at the top of the game in terms of relationship development.” —RT Book Reviews

  For more M.L. Buchman, visit:

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  Thrill Ride

  Black Knights Inc.

  by Julie Ann Walker

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

  ***

  He’s gone rogue

  Ex-Navy SEAL Rock Babineaux’s job is to get information, and he’s one of the best in the business. Until something goes horribly wrong and he’s being hunted by his own government. Even his best friends at the covert special-ops organization Black Knights Inc. aren’t sure they can trust him. He thinks he can outrun them all, but his former partner—a curvy bombshell who knows just how to drive him wild—refuses to cut him loose.

  She won’t back down

  Vanessa Cordera hasn’t been the team’s communication specialist very long, but she knows how to read people—no way is Rock guilty of murder. And she’ll go to hell and back to help him prove it. Sure, the sexy Cajun has his secrets, but there’s no one in the world she’d rather have by her side in a tight spot. Which is good, because they’re about to get very tight…

  ***

  “Walker is ready to join the ranks of great romantic suspense writers.” —RT Book Reviews

  For more Black Knights Inc., visit:

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  Born Wild

  Black Knights Inc.

  by Julie Ann Walker

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

  ***

  Tick…Tick…

  “Wild” Bill Reichert knows a thing or two about explosives. The ex-Navy SEAL can practically rig a bomb blindfolded. But there’s no way to diffuse the inevitable fireworks the day Eve Edens walks back into his life, asking for help.

  Boom!

  Eve doesn’t know what to do when the Chicago police won’t believe someone is out to hurt her. The only place to turn is Black Knights Inc.—after all, no one is better at protection that the covert special-ops team. Yet there’s also no one better at getting her all turned on than Bill Reichert. She has a feeling this is one blast from the past that could backfire big-time.

  ***

  “Drama, danger, and sexual tension… Romantic suspense at its best.” —Night Owl Reviews Reviewer Top Pick, 5 Stars

  For more Julie Ann Walker, visit:

  www.sourcebooks.com

  Hell for Leather

  Black Knights Inc.

  by Julie Ann Walker

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

  ***

  Unlimited Drive

  Only a crisis could persuade Delilah Fairchild to abandon her beloved biker bar, let alone ask Black Knights Inc. operator Bryan “Mac” McMillan for help. But her uncle has vanished into thin air, and sexy, surly Mac has the connections to help her find him. What the big, blue-eyed Texan has against her is a mystery…but when the bullets start to fly, Mac becomes her only hope of survival, and her only chance of finding her uncle alive.

  Unstoppable Passion

  Mac knows a thing or two about beautiful women—mainly that they can’t be trusted. Throw in a ticking clock, a deadly terrorist, and some missing nuclear weapons, and a man just might find himself on the wrong end of the gun. But facing down danger with Delilah is one passion-filled thrill ride…

  ***

  “The heat between the hero and heroine is hotter than a firecracker lit on both ends… Readers are in for one hell of ride!” —RT Book Reviews, 4.5 Stars

  For more Julie Ann Walker, visit:

  www.sourcebooks.com

  F
ull Throttle

  Black Knights Inc.

  by Julie Ann Walker

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

  ***

  Steady hands, cool head…

  Carlos “Steady” Soto’s nerves of steel have served him well at the covert government defense firm of Black Knights Inc. But nothing has prepared him for the emotional roller coaster of guarding the woman he once loved and lost.

  Will all he’s got be enough?

  Abby Thompson is content to leave politics and international intrigue to her father—the president of the United States—until she’s taken hostage half a world away, and she fears her father’s policy of not negotiating with terrorists will be her death sentence. There’s one glimmer of hope: the man whose heart she broke, but she can never tell him why…

  As they race through the jungle in a bid for safety, the heat simmering between Steady and Abby could mean a second chance for them—if they make it out alive…

  ***

  Praise for Julie Ann Walker:

  “Drama, danger, and sexual tension… Romantic suspense at its best.” —Night Owl Reviews, 5 Stars, Reviewer Top Pick, Born Wild

  For more Julie Ann Walker, visit:

  www.sourcebooks.com

  Cover Me

  Elite Force

  by Catherine Mann

  ***

  It should have been a simple mission…

  Pararescueman Wade Rocha fast ropes from the back of a helicopter into a blizzard to save a climber stranded on an Aleutian Island, but Sunny Foster insists she can take care of herself just fine…

  But when it comes to passion, nothing is ever simple…

  With the snowstorm kicking into overdrive, Sunny and Wade hunker down in a cave and barely resist the urge to keep each other warm…until they discover the frozen remains of a horrific crime…

  Unable to trust the local police force, Sunny and Wade investigate, while their irresistible passion for each other gets them more and more dangerously entangled…

  ***

  Praise for Catherine Mann:

  “Catherine Mann weaves deep emotion with intense suspense for an all-night read.” —#1 New York Times bestseller Sherrilyn Kenyon

 

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