The Ranger's Chance: A Clean Army Ranger Romance Book One

by Bree Livingston

  He’d kissed her nose only because he’d nearly kissed her. Her lips were so, so close. He couldn’t remember a time recently when the desire to kiss a woman had hit him so hard. Only his quick thinking had prevented what would have been a huge mistake, especially given this new information.

  “I tried breaking into Harrison’s computer while she was there yesterday, but she blocked me. Her program is sophisticated and difficult to get past. A few tweaks, and no one will be breaking in. Not that I’d had any luck to begin with, but this will make it almost impossible.”

  “I could have told you she was bright and talented.”

  “Less than a day, and you can tell that?”

  “Unless she’s just putting on a good show, she’s witty and intelligent.” He left off the part about enjoying her company.

  Ryder groaned. “Don’t get attached, Noah.”

  “I’m not. I’m giving you my observations.”

  “Fine, observe, but don’t forget she’s possibly helping that man traffic people. We’ve worked too hard, and we’re too close to mess up.”

  “I’m aware, Ryder. I was undercover in his organization. I want him just as bad as you do.”

  “Just remember that when she’s flashing her cute smiles or batting those lashes. Keep your distance, man.”

  Noah rolled his eyes. “I am.” Not. His distance was growing shorter by the minute, but if Ryder was right, he’d need to be extra cautious.

  “Good. If Harrison gets wind of us closing in, he’ll burn everything.”

  “I know.”

  The man had done it before. Set an entire storage facility on fire. Of course, it was ruled an accident, but his servers were held in the units that just happened to burn. Was it really a coincidence that it happened just before they arrested him? Not hardly.

  “All right. I’ll make contact if I get anything more,” Ryder said.

  Noah ended the call and stood on the sidewalk, trying to get his thoughts in order. He’d instantly liked this woman. From the moment he set her down in the sand, there’d been something about her that spoke to him, but if she was helping Harrison…the conversation was over.

  Stuffing his phone in his pocket, he slapped on a smile and headed back inside. He couldn’t afford to let his personal feelings for her distract him from his assignment.

  “Hey,” he said as he sat. “Sorry about that.”

  Her gaze lifted to his, and her affiliation to Harrison made no impact on how his pulse raced. “Is everything okay?”

  “Oh, yeah. There was an issue, and they just had a few questions. That’s all.”

  “That’s good.”

  They sat quietly a moment while Noah tried to figure out how to keep her close. “You wouldn’t want to go jet skiing with me, would you?”

  Her eyes widened. “I’ve never done that before.”

  “Is it on your list?”

  Mia nodded. “Yeah, it is. I’d love to do that.”

  Noah’s heart pounded. She was so excited, and it seemed so genuine. How could someone working for Harrison, knowing what he did, seem so…innocent?

  “Good, because I wanted to get that in during this trip, and I didn’t want to go by myself.”

  “Do you mind if I go by the hotel and pack a few things? I don’t have a suit on.”

  He shook his head. “No, I don’t mind. I can wait in the lobby for you.”

  “I’d appreciate that. What all will I need?”

  “Suit, sunblock, anything you might take when going to the beach.”

  She grimaced and looked down, her excitement suddenly nosediving. “Yeah, about that. Um, I may have never been in the ocean before.”

  He stared at her, unable to process what she’d said. “What?”

  “There are things in the ocean. Tiny killers, medium-sized killers, thirty-foot sharks. I just…fish pee in it. I’ve tried, and I get so close, and then…I can’t. It’s an irrational fear. I don’t even have a good reason for it.”

  Noah tried to rein in his laughter, but he couldn’t. He roared, and people stared. “Fish pee in it? Really?”

  She shrugged. “I thought maybe I’d be a little braver if you’re there. Plus, the list, ya know?”

  “Did your grandma know you’re afraid?”

  “Yes, it’s why it’s on the list.” She rolled her eyes. “Confront your fear, Mia Marie.”

  “Your middle name is Marie?” He didn’t think that was information Ryder had. If he recalled correctly, he didn’t remember seeing it in the file either.

  Her shoulders sagged. “I swear if you start singing the ‘Mmm-Mmm-Mmm’ song I will hurt you.”

  Noah laughed. His gut said Ryder’s information was off. This bright, beautiful woman couldn’t possibly know who Harrison was or what he did. “Mia, it’s truly been a pleasure meeting you.”

  Groaning, she put her head in her hand. “I need a rock or a hole or something to hide in.”

  He reached across the table and took her hand. “You are so cute.”

  She caught his gaze, a pout on her lips. “I’m not. I’m such a dork.”

  Man, she couldn’t be working for Harrison. She was too likable, too cute, and too funny to be working for him. “Well, then I must really like dorks.”

  A blanket of pink rolled across her cheeks. “Stop being so all-fired charming.” She smiled. “My face is going to catch fire.”

  With a grin, he said, “Are you ready to go?”

  She nodded. “Yeah.”

  He stood and held out his hand. “Let’s go have some fun.”

  Chapter 5

  While Mia grabbed a few things at her hotel, Noah made a few phone calls and found a house with a private beach he could rent for the day. It wasn’t cheap, but people could be stupid, and he didn’t want her being scared by a jerk showing off.

  “I can’t believe you found a private beach where we can jet ski,” Mia said as she set her bag on the dock sitting a few hundred feet from the back of the house. “This is amazing. Are you staying here?”

  He wished. He’d tried to get the place, but it was rented. The only reason he got it for the day was that the couple renting it called the owner, and they’d postponed their trip by a day. “No, just using it for the day. Well, the beach. I told him we wouldn’t need the house.”

  “Wait, did you rent this today?”

  “Yeah, there are a lot of people in the water, and I wanted some privacy.”

  “Well, this sure is nice.” She shimmied out of her shorts and pulled her shirt over her head.

  Noah about fell over. The one-piece suit, different from the one she’d worn in the contest, was modest and mouth-watering all at the same time. Yes, she’d looked great in her swimsuit the night before, but, wow, could the woman fill one out. “That’s, uh, some suit.”

  “It’s old and dowdy.”

  He wasn’t thinking that at all. “No, you look good.”

  She smiled. “You’re just being nice.”

  “No, Mia, you look great.”

  Her cheeks darkened three shades. Man, he liked how she blushed when he gave her compliments. She wasn’t expecting them, and he couldn’t understand why she wasn’t showered with them all the time.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  He pulled his shirt off and jumped off the dock into the water. “Are you ready to learn how to jet ski?” When he looked up, her mouth was hanging open. “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “Uh-huh.” Her voice rose on the last syllable, and she cleared her throat. “Just fine. Uh, don’t you need sunscreen?”

  He felt like an idiot. “Oh yeah. I guess I do.” He pulled himself out of the water, dug out his sunscreen, and began applying it.

  Mia followed suit, getting her arms and legs.

  “This isn’t a pickup line,” he said. “but would you get my back?”

  A funny look crossed her features. “S-sure.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll get yours too.” Geez, he didn’t need to be offe
ring to do that. He was already struggling to keep himself in check. He handed her his sunscreen and turned, bracing himself as he waited for her to apply the cold stuff, but when her hands began to glide over his back, it was warm. It felt good, too, and he closed his eyes as she spread it over his shoulders and worked it down.

  Her hands were soft, and it took his mind in a direction that it didn’t need to go. Like, what other parts were soft. He let out a long breath as the tension ebbed away with each pass of her hands.

  “I take it that feels good?” she asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

  “Yeah, actually, it does.” So much that he didn’t want her to stop.

  She chuckled. “Would you believe I almost became a massage therapist?”

  “Really?”

  “I took a few classes because my grandma’s legs would cramp. She’d wake up in the middle of the night, crying. I wanted to be able to help her.”

  Noah turned. How could a woman that sweet and considerate be involved with Harrison? Something wasn’t right. His gut said Mia Milan was unwittingly involved. And his gut was usually right, even when it had led him to disobey orders from his superior. He and his team may have been dishonorably discharged, but all those people would have died if he hadn’t gone against orders. Yes, his team had been captured, but they’d saved that village.

  “I think it’s your turn.”

  She handed him her sunscreen, spun in place, and pulled her hair to the side. The coconut smell drifted up as he poured some in his hands and warmed it up. Of course she’d pick something like this. It wasn’t enough that he was already having a physical reaction to her. Now he wanted to curl around her and drink in her scent. Add to it the silkiness of her skin, and his objectivity was in the rearview mirror waving bye.

  When he finished, he jumped back in the water and went all the way down. It wasn’t a cold shower, but it was as good as he could get at the moment.

  He broke the surface of the water, raking his hand through his hair to push it out of his eyes. “Are you going to jump in?”

  “Um.” She looked down at him.

  He held out his hand. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”

  Mia chewed her lip as she hesitated and then sat down on the edge, her knees drawn to her chin.

  Noah waded through the water and stood next to her. “It’s okay. You don’t have to.”

  “I feel lame. I’m in Miami on the beach, and I haven’t stepped foot in the water.”

  “Don’t. You shouldn’t feel like you have to do something you’re uncomfortable doing. There’s no pressure here.”

  Her shoulders relaxed, and she smiled. “You’re so sweet.” She held her hands out to him. “Would you help me?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Bracing her hands against his shoulders, he lifted her off the dock, and her arms circled his neck. As the water touched her, she tightened her grip, and her body trembled.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her.

  She shook her head. “No, but I will be.”

  “Do you know how to swim?”

  “Yes,” she said, her breath tickling his skin. “I just prefer pools.”

  With the way her voice was shaking, she was flat-out terrified, and fighting the natural reaction to protect her was overpowering. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  She pulled back slightly, and her eyes locked with his. A hair dryer must have been tossed into the water, because he felt an electrical shock wave rush through him. His lungs felt squeezed. Want and need mixed as her breath mingled with his. It would be nothing to bridge the tiny gap separating her lips from his. The longer he held her, the more difficult it became to breathe.

  With a brush of her lips along his cheek, she said, “I don’t think you will.”

  She’d saved him from making a terrible error. “Are you good?”

  Mia nodded. “I think so.”

  He loosened his hold on her, and she stepped back.

  “I don’t think I can stop shaking long enough to not crash. Do you mind if I just ride on the jet ski with you?” she asked.

  Her hands wrapped around his middle and her body plastered to his back? There was a good possibility he’d crash too. But he wasn’t about to admit that to her. Admitting it to himself was bad enough, given the reason he was with her in the first place. “No, I don’t mind.”

  * * *

  Mia’s irrational fear of the ocean was totally working in her favor. Her arms were wrapped around Noah’s waist, her body glued to his, as the jet ski zipped through the water. His body was sculpted and defined better than anything she could have imagined. She’d nearly swallowed her tongue when he pulled his shirt off.

  Talk about a chiseled body. Holy smokes. She’d known he was built, but seeing it up close…her tongue had stuck to the roof of her mouth. The only thing marring his skin was a tattoo over his heart with the name Isaiah. There was the temptation to ask about it, but they’d just met, and it felt too intimate yet. It didn’t stop her from wondering about the story, though.

  The highlight of the day so far was being given permission to touch his back. Granted, there’d been a task that came with it, but, man, he had a cement wall for a body. She was almost positive he didn’t realize he’d moaned as she massaged the sunscreen in. A little thrill had shimmied through her, knowing she’d been the cause of it.

  Not saying being on the receiving end of his touch wasn’t great. It was, but she liked the way his muscles flexed under her hands. Seriously, God must have personally chiseled him because it wasn’t possible for exercise to make a man this perfect. Certainly none she’d ever seen.

  The jet ski slowed to a stop, and Noah touched her hand. “Have you enjoyed the scenery?”

  Up until that point, she’d been too terrified to open her eyes. She’d thought being with him would help, but no such luck. Every time they hit a bump, her heart climbed further up her throat. “I’ve kinda had my eyes closed.”

  “What?”

  “I’m too scared to look.”

  He twisted on the seat, took her by the waist, and pulled her to the front to face him, holding her against his chest. “Mia, why didn’t you say anything? I’ll take you back right now.”

  She curled into him and peeked out over the ocean. Even with him holding her, the physical response couldn’t be stopped. Blinding fear gripped her as she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. “You were kind enough to invite me, and I didn’t want to keep you from having fun. Plus…never mind.”

  He tipped her chin up with one finger. “Never mind what?”

  It was so embarrassing to admit she’d braved a horrible fish-pee death to spend more time with him. “I was afraid if I said I didn’t want to…that I wouldn’t get to spend time with you.”

  “You didn’t have to do that. I only suggested it because I thought it’d be fun. Wasn’t it on your list?”

  She squirmed. “It sort of is, but I kinda penciled it in when you asked me to come.”

  Either the water spray had rinsed the sunscreen off his face, or he blushed. His lips twitched up at the corners as he smoothed her hair back. “We’ll head back, and then we’ll find something that isn’t as scary. Okay?”

  “But…”

  “No. I like you, and I don’t like seeing you frightened. The fun I’m having isn’t from the sport. It’s from you being with me. If you aren’t having fun, then I’m not either.”

  Her last boyfriend would never have chosen her over something he liked to do. She either had to get on the bus or get left. He hadn’t cared about how she felt about anything. He’d tell her she was being a wuss or a baby or a coward. Jerk. “You’d do that for me?”

  Noah tilted his head. “Just what kind of men have you been dating?”

  “None like you,” she said and then realized she’d said it out loud. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks burned. “I am going to die of embarrassment today. It
’s inevitable.”

  Tipping his head back, he laughed. Then he lowered his gaze to hers, a smirk playing on his lips. “Nah, pink is your color. Besides, I promised I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. I make it a point to keep my promises, even if that means protecting you from yourself.” He winked.

  Oh, stars in the heavens. Give him some glasses, and he’d be Clark Kent. “You did promise that, huh?”

  He set his cheek against hers and whispered, “I did.” Leaning back, he ran his fingers through her hair. “We’ll go back, get cleaned up, and then we’ll find something we both enjoy.”

  “Do I have to get on the back again?”

  “No, just hold on to me.”

  Yeah, like that was a chore. She circled her arms around his neck as one of his arms held her around the waist, and he steered toward the dock. Her heart was thumping as hard as the music in one of the clubs. Whatever time she had left in Miami, Noah owned it. Who knew what else he’d own by the time she left…if she left.

  Chapter 6

  A fter returning the jet skis, Noah offered to take Mia back to the hotel so she could wash the ocean off of her. He’d laughed a little as he said it because he knew her opinion of what that water was made of. They’d exchanged numbers and agreed to meet downstairs around six. Not only did she need to scrub that nasty water off, but she thought it might be good to take a short nap. She was exhausted.

  Smiling as her thoughts drifted to Noah, she wrapped a towel around herself and stepped out of the bathroom. He’d been so considerate to cut his fun short for her. They didn’t even know each other, but he was already putting her ahead of himself. She’d never met a man like that. The losers she’d dated did what they want, and they didn’t care what she thought.

  She walked to the closet and slid the door open, put in the alarm code, and pulled out her laptop. Another good reason to hang out at the hotel for a little while. The encrypted files on Harrison’s hard drive had proven difficult to break into, and she hoped the program she’d written was able to decrypt them.

  A second later, it was booted up, and she sighed as she still hadn’t cracked them. It was so odd. Why did he need her security program if he had files this well-protected? It had never taken this long for her to get into a file.