Dangerous Attraction Romantic Suspense Boxed Set Read Online Free PDF Page B

deal.
    “Tom was one of my chiefs when I was in the Teams,” he told her. “We worked together and he can vouch for me personally. Titanium’s background checks are extensive, like all the other security companies checks are supposed to be. They go back ten years, digging through our pasts, service records, living records. Every company I’ve ever worked for has checked me out with my former officers, guys I’ve served with, my neighbors, even my high school teachers.
    “These companies often work for the government, so they thoroughly vet all of us because we need certain security clearances to do our jobs. Right now on this detail you’ve got me, a former Special Forces master sergeant, a former Marine Scout/Sniper, and an ex Force Recon member. That’s a hell of a lot of experience and firepower at your back, which hopefully we won’t wind up using. And we’re all legit, or Tom would never have hired us in the first place.”
    “Okay.” Her smile wasn’t all that convincing.
    They needed to move past this roadblock, fast. “What more can I do to put you at ease about this?”
    Her expression tightened at his brusque tone, a hint of anger sparking in her eyes for the first time. “Look, I said I was sorry, and I am. I truly didn’t mean to insult you or your service record. I just wanted to be sure you were telling me the truth.”
    “Understood, and I gave it to you, along with ways to check up on me if you want.” He had no doubt she’d do so the moment she got back up to her room, and more power to her. “Whatever misgivings you have about me, rest assured I’m more than qualified to keep you alive for the next six days. I’ve conducted dozens of high risk missions, most of those as a SEAL platoon team leader, and I’ve never lost a Principal yet. I’ll get you into that mountain village where the school is, and at the end of the week I’ll put you safely on the plane back to the States. That’s all you really need to know about me.”
    He swore she hid a flinch at his curt words. “Okay.” At least her nod was decisive this time, as if she was starting to come around to the idea of him leading the detail. “So being that we’re going to be spending a lot of time together over the next few days…can we maybe erase this conversation and start over?” The right corner of her mouth tilted up, her eyes holding a hopeful look as she offered a hand and raised her eyebrows. “Truce?”
    Well, damned if that verbal olive branch didn’t instantly take the edge off his bad mood. “Yeah, truce.” He clasped her hand again, noting how cold her soft skin was. Despite the brave face, she was a hell of a lot more nervous about being here than she let on. Hunter filed that info away for later. He’d do what he could to make her feel secure for the rest of her stay in Pakistan.
    Ignoring the slight tingle her touch had ignited in his palm, he released her and stepped back. She was a job, for chrissake, not a potential lay. “Your first meeting’s tomorrow afternoon, correct?”
    “That’s right.”
    At least she seemed pleased that he’d already memorized part of her itinerary. “You got the rest of your schedule ready for me?”
    “It’s up in my room.”
    “I’ll come up and get it in the morning.” That would give her enough time to unwind and call Tom, give him a turn in the hot seat if she wanted to go over Hunter’s background before they saw each other again.
    As if she’d read his mind, a spark of chagrined humor lit her eyes. “I don’t need to call him. I believe you.”
    “You’ll feel better if you talk to him.” They both would. And anything that made her feel more confident in his abilities would make his job easier, so her talking to Tom was a win-win.
    Her lips twitched in a tiny grin, and it made her look impish. Like a voluptuous pixie with that riot of dark curls cascading down the back of her neck. In her heels the top of her head barely reached his chin. And