by Em Petrova
“And evenings in…” He skimmed his lips across hers.
“Mmm. We’ll make it work, I think.”
“I don’t think—I know.”
She smiled. “How do you know?”
“Because I love you more than life, and you’re most important to me from now on. And once I make up my mind, there’s no backing off. Can you handle that?”
Her smile widened. “I can take anything you throw at me, Shadow.”
He chuckled. “The name sounds weird coming from you.”
“I kinda like it. But I’ll save it for the bedroom.”
Shaking his head at how incredible this woman was and how his love for her filled him up completely, the laugh rumbling his chest surprised him. “Just don’t add that to your film.”
Sascha tipped her head and issued a cry of happiness to the blue Texas sky.
It wasn’t possible to be happier. People couldn’t hold that much in their bodies. But she was living proof it could happen.
Riding through the meandering countryside with the top down on their convertible rental car, on a road trip to first visit her momma for a few days before heading to see River’s mother and brother, felt surreal after the ordeal she and River had been exposed to.
After taking some months to heal both physically and mentally, she finally got the chance to boast over her brand-new documentary. Her framed degree in the depths of her suitcase waited to be shown off to her mother and anyone else who cared to look.
In the distance, the sun glowed orange as it began to set on the prettiest day she could remember in ages.
“You missed home, didn’t you, baby?” River grasped her hand.
“Yes. But that doesn’t mean I want to move here again.”
“Not even for the warmth and green grass?”
She squeezed his fingers. “They’ve got nothing on my gorgeous, hard, muscled special operative.”
They passed a few businesses, and suddenly River braked hard. When he whipped the car into a U-turn and directed it the other way, she looked at their surroundings. “What are we doing?”
“The sign on that bar said karaoke night’s tonight. I feel like singing some Elvis to my baby. Whattaya say?” His wide, happy grin and the glimmer in his eyes warmed her heart as much as the thought of seeing him on stage crooning to The King.
She bobbed her head in a nod. “Absolutely, yes! Can I get it all on video?”
He cocked a brow at her as he pulled into a parking spot in front of the packed bar. “I’ll let you have your way if you let me have mine.”
She shivered at the deep burn in his tone, picturing heated kisses and rolling in the sheets with the man of her lifelong dreams. “Oh yeahhh. I’ll sign that contract.”
“You’ve got plenty more to sign. I saw all those emails you got requesting rights to show your documentary. Private military schools, universities…even the History Channel. I’m so damn proud of you, Sascha.”
She unbuckled her seatbelt and twitched her hips at him as she slammed the car door. “Let’s see how proud you can make me with an Elvis love song and a margarita.”
“You got it.” He grinned and followed her into the bar, his hand planted on her lower spine.
He’d never stop being her protector.
When he slid his hand down to the upper curve of her buttocks, she thought, He’ll never stop being my lover either.
Epilogue
“Go, go, go, go!”
The instant his captain’s order hit his ear, Gasper slid open the door of the vehicle and leaped out. His boots hit the cement and then soft, spongy ground as they rushed the warehouse. The rustle of gear behind him told him Shadow was on his six.
Christ, he loved these challenges. Lived for them. The pound of adrenaline in his veins was his personal crack, and long ago, he realized he could never retire from duty—he’d rather go out fighting.
They reached the warehouse in seconds.
“Blast the door!” came the next order.
Gasper stood back, and Shadow blasted the lock off. After kicking it inward, shouts sounded from within. The Russian mafia hadn’t been run off US soil for long before they doubled their efforts and tripled their smuggling activities. They wouldn’t come quietly tonight.
His team barreled past him.
“Clear!” Lipton shouted from his left.
Gun locked to his shoulder, Gasper searched two empty rooms before the first shot rang out.
“Got two! They’re sitting on a shit-ton of cocaine!”
The sound of boots pounding through the rooms of the warehouse thudded in Gasper’s ears. Shadow tried a door. When he found it locked, he stepped back this time while Gasper shot the lock out. Sparks flew off the metal, and the door swung in as if guided by a ghostly hand.
There were no windows to lighten the space, and his night vision goggles allowed him to pick out an empty cot along one wall.
“Smell that?” Shadow sniffed.
The stench of acetone cut across Gasper’s senses. He recognized that smell well, since his momma raised him on the wages of a salon worker.
“Acetone and nail polish. Someone’s hiding in here. Or they just vacated.”
“Give it a sweep,” Shadow said.
He rushed forward. The spare space gave no question as to where the person could be hiding, if they were still in here. The bed and a closet were the only two hiding spots. While Shadow took the closet, Gasper dropped to one knee to check under the bed.
“Nothing,” Shadow said.
“Clear.” Nobody was under the bed. So why were his senses prickling so much? He’d been in enough of these situations to listen to what his body was saying to him.
“Let’s go.” Shadow stood waiting for him to move on to the next room.
Shifting to his feet, he scanned the room and turned in a slow circle.
“What are you pickin’ up on?” Shadow asked.
“I got a feeling there’s another hiding place.” Using his flashlight, he sent a beam to each corner of the room. When he spotted a shadow along the floor, he motioned to his teammate.
Using hand signals, they got into position, Shadow prepared to shoot while Gasper whipped up the hidden hatch in the floor. He counted down in his head before yanking it open.
In the narrow depths between cement blocks holding up the warehouse, a small person had squeezed in. His light hit on a head of curls he swore even in his night vision goggles were bright red.
She didn’t raise her head as he flashed his light along the length of her body to her bare toes—the source of the nail polish smell.
He reached into the hole, grabbed her by the upper arm and yanked her out. “Your spa day is over, sweetheart. Time to go.”
Curls bounced on her head as she jerked her head back to pin him in her glare. “Poshel na khuy.”
Shadow issued a snort at the woman’s response of fuck you.
But Gasper wasn’t so amused.
1-CLICK YOUR COPY OF XTREME MEASURES, BOOK 5 OF THE XTREME OPS SERIES
The mafia, a smuggling ring and the wilds of Alaska are no match for Special Operative Elias Gasper. But a brazen redhead might be.
Gasper’s known as the do-it-all guy. From HALO jumps to calming hostages, he’s on it. When he stumbles across a woman in hiding, he meets a new challenge in getting her to talk. While he’s willing to add breaking through her silence to his list of skills, he still needs work on fighting his attraction.
Ruby Ryan is an alias, but doing anything it takes to save herself is real. She’s used to switching sides, so cozying up to a hunky military man proves easy…maybe a little too easy. Not only are his kisses irresistible but he has a way of making her laugh—something she hasn’t done in a long time.
In a twist of events, Gasper’s abilities are tested even more when he must choose between helping his team and saving the strong woman with a hidden sweet side. His motto of ‘quitters never win’ is his driving force, because for this mission, he�
�s going to defend his teammates as well as the woman he’d give his life for.
Sparks fly and the steam rises off the pages of this smoldering military romance. Enemies to lovers, all the action and a few corny jokes are sure to keep you reading well past bedtime!
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Em Petrova
Em Petrova was raised by hippies in the wilds of Pennsylvania but told her parents at the age of four she wanted to be a gypsy when she grew up. She has a soft spot for babies, puppies and 90s Grunge music and believes in Bigfoot and aliens. She started writing at the age of twelve and prides herself on making her characters larger than life and her sex scenes hotter than hot.
She burst into the world of publishing in 2010 after having five beautiful bambinos and figuring they were old enough to get their own snacks while she pounds away at the keys. In her not-so-spare time, she is fur-mommy to a Labradoodle named Daisy Hasselhoff.
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Other Titles by Em Petrova
Xtreme Ops
HITTING XTREMES
TO THE XTREME
XTREME BEHAVIOR
XTREME AFFAIRS
XTREME MEASURES
Alaska Search and Rescue
NORTH OF LOVE
EAST OF FERVOR
WEST OF DESIRE
SOUTH OF HUNGER
West Protection
RESCUED BY THE COWBOY
GUARDED BY THE COWBOY
COWBOY CONSPIRACY THEORY
COWBOY IN THE CROSSHAIRS
PROTECTED BY THE COWBOY
The Guard
HIS TO SHELTER
HIS TO DEFEND
HIS TO PROTECT
Crossroads
BAD IN BOOTS
CONFIDENT IN CHAPS
COCKY IN A COWBOY HAT
SAVAGE IN A STETSON
SHOW-OFF IN SPURS
Dark Falcons MC
DIXON
TANK
PATRIOT
DIESEL
BLADE
Moon Ranch
TOUGH AND TAMED
SCREWED AND SATISFIED
CHISELED AND CHERISHED
Ranger Ops
AT CLOSE RANGE
WITHIN RANGE
POINT BLANK RANGE
RANGE OF MOTION
TARGET IN RANGE
OUT OF RANGE
Knight Ops Series
ALL KNIGHTER
HEAT OF THE KNIGHT
HOT LOUISIANA KNIGHT
AFTER MIDKNIGHT
KNIGHT SHIFT
O’ CHRISTMAS KNIGHT
ANGEL OF THE KNIGHT
6-Pack Cowboys Series
6-PACK RANCHER
6-PACK WRANGLER
Wild West Series
SOMETHING ABOUT A LAWMAN
SOMETHING ABOUT A SHERIFF
SOMETHING ABOUT A BOUNTY HUNTER
SOMETHING ABOUT A MOUNTAIN MAN
Operation Cowboy Series
KICKIN’ UP DUST
SPURS & SURRENDER
The Boot Knockers Ranch Series
PUSHIN’ BUTTONS
BODY LANGUAGE
REINING MEN
ROPIN’ HEARTS
ROPE BURN
COWBOY NOT INCLUDED
CUPID COWBOYS
COWBOY BY CANDLELIGHT
THE BOOT KNOCKER’S BABY
ROPIN’ A ROMEO
Ménage à Trouble Series
WRANGLED UP
UP FOR GRABS
HOOKING UP
ALL WOUND UP
DOUBLED UP novella duet
STIRRED UP
GETTING WARMED UP
Another Shot at Love Series
GRIFFIN
BRANT
AXEL
Rope ‘n Ride Series
BUCK
RYDER
RIDGE
WEST
LANE
WYNONNA
The Dalton Boys
COWBOY CRAZY Hank’s story
COWBOY BARGAIN Cash’s story
COWBOY CRUSHIN’ Witt’s story
COWBOY SECRET Beck’s story
COWBOY RUSH Kade’s Story
COWBOY MISTLETOE a Christmas novella
COWBOY FLIRTATION Ford’s Story
COWBOY TEMPTATION Easton’s Story
COWBOY SURPRISE Justus’s Story
COWGIRL DREAMER Gracie’s Story
COWGIRL MIRACLE Jessamine’s Story
COWGIRL HEART Kezziah’s Story
Single Titles and Boxes
THE DALTON BOYS BOX SET BOOKS 1-5
BOOT KNOCKERS RANCH SERIES BOOKS 1-6 PLUS BONUS
SINFUL HEARTS
JINGLE BOOTS
A COWBOY FOR CHRISTMAS
FULL RIDE
Firehouse 5 Series
ONE FIERY NIGHT
CONTROLLED BURN
SMOLDERING HEARTS
Club Ties Series
LOVE TIES
HEART TIES
MARKED AS HIS
SOUL TIES
ACE’S WILD
Hardworking Heroes Novellas
STRANDED AND STRADDLED
DALLAS NIGHTS
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