Circle of Desire

She Knew How To Fight But Not To Love ...As the top assassin at The Circle, a shadowy group of mercenaries, Olivia St. Vincent can hunt down anyone. She's been trained since she was a teenager to kill without feeling, to interact with men without love. But when she's kidnapped by the enigmatic leader of a rival organization, she learns she's been lied to for years. She never worked for the good guys.Collin Ryker believes the sultry woman he's abducted knows more than she's telling about The Circle and its plans for complete domination. Over time, as they work together, Olivia's tenacity and vulnerability captivate him. But if he isn't careful, Collin will fall into the biggest trap of all: caring for a woman who can betray him to his greatest enemy.Review"I loved the honesty in her character and in Ms. Swafford's portrayal of a woman who has been taught to kill and survive using any means necessary." -- Romance Book Forum   "[T]his couple discovers that in their line of work a trip to the bedroom may be just as dangerous as a gunfight." -- RT Bookreviews - 4-1/2 stars (Fantastic. A keeper.)“Exciting and breathtaking. Carla Swafford is an up-and-coming author not to be missed!” (Sherrilyn Kenyon, New York Times bestselling author ) From the AuthorExcerpt used with permissionAs soon as [Collin] walked into the suite, he knew something was wrong. The whirl of an electronic device starting up filled the room and a small green light bounced off the wall and then disappeared. He guessed it was now dancing on his back.      "Olivia, what the hell do you think you're doing?" He raised his hands and slowly turned around.      Feet spread apart, dressed in black with a sporty red trim jacket, she held the sniper rifle they'd recently returned to her and forwarded to the hotel in several containers. He'd been impressed by its microcomputer, perfect for shooting in any kind of weather. Presently she had one eye to the night sight. Damn, the woman was stronger than he gave her credit for as she was holding, elbows out, an eighteen pound rifle and it barely moved.           "You do know from this close of a range my torso would disintegrate into a hundred thousand tiny pieces, spreading blood and me everywhere in the room."      "Like I care," she spit with menace. Her hand trembled and the barrel wobbled.     "Can we talk about whatever has set you off?" He hadn't expected her to become so angry about his turning her down.     She shifted the rifle against her cheek, probably easing up a tight muscle. "I thought this job was too easy. What was the real reason I'm here? Have you worked out some type of trade with Jason?"     Damn! He didn't need this now. The sun was peeking around Camelback Mountain. They needed to get out of there.     "No. You'll have to trust me." He was a crazy fker as all he could think about was how damn good she looked holding that rifle.     "Oh, that makes a world of difference. Not!" She made another adjustment of the pad next to her cheek. "You get me all hot and bothered and then ignore me. You never finish what you start and I can't--" As she crumbled to the ground, Rex caught the rifle.     "Motherfker! What were you thinking? You're going to fk around until she kills you? Bloody hell! There wouldn't be anything left for me to pick up." Rex started breaking down the rifle, slapping each part into the shaking hands of one of his men.     Collin knelt next to Olivia, pressing two fingers to the artery in her neck. His heartbeat matched hers as it continued to speed up.     "What did you shoot her with?" Collin asked as he smoothed her hair out of her face.     "The same as you did before. Twilight." Rex sneered.     "Damn, she's going to be pissed again. We can't keep knocking her out." Collin scooped her into his arms. "Let's go. Thank goodness we've got a private plane back."     "I'm all for dumping her out over Texas." Rex followed leaving the clean up for his crew.     "Now what has Texas ever done to you?"