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Her Seal Protector
Jillian Burns
Subject: Navy SEAL Clay “HoundDog” BellamyMission: Rescue the lush, curvy civilian. And definitely don't give in to temptation!Even in her worst nightmare, Gabby Diaz never imagined a banking conference in Paraguay would end with her being kidnapped and ransomed—before being rescued by a hard-muscled Navy SEAL. Now, despite lingering worries, she's home and safe again…isn't she?Someone has Gabby in their deadly sights, and she needs her hotter-than-hot SEAL's help. But despite Clay Bellamy's guarded Navy demeanour, his hunger for Gabby is hard to control. He tells himself it's just the “hero” thing, that they're worlds apart—until a sizzling kiss flips both their worlds upside down. Now Clay's mission has been compromised in the wickedest way imaginable…
Subject: Navy SEAL Clay “HoundDog” Bellamy
Mission: Rescue the lush, curvy civilian. And definitely don’t give in to temptation!
Even in her worst nightmare, Gabby Diaz never imagined a banking conference in Paraguay would end with her being kidnapped and ransomed—before being rescued by a hard-muscled Navy SEAL. Now, despite lingering worries, she’s home and safe again...isn’t she?
Someone has Gabby in their deadly sights, and she needs her hotter-than-hot SEAL’s help. But despite Clay Bellamy’s guarded Navy demeanor, his hunger for Gabby is hard to control. He tells himself it’s just the “hero” thing, that they’re worlds apart—until a sizzling kiss flips both their worlds upside down. Now Clay’s mission has been compromised in the wickedest way imaginable...
“First, raise your knees and plant your feet wide...”
Obeying Clay’s instructions, Gabby’s thighs touched his butt.
“Now move your left wrist away from your head.” He demonstrated the self-defense move slowly. “See? That throws me off balance because my hand goes out from under me.”
“Oh, cool. Let me try that again.”
Now she was on her back and he was above her. Chest to chest. With only the thin cotton of their shirts between them. His hardness pressed to her softness. Everywhere.
She took a deep breath and licked her lips. His eyes were a whiskey brown. His mouth... She wanted to lift her head and catch it with her own. Just to see if it was as supple as it looked.
She wasn’t expecting till death did them part. But before she returned to reality, at the very least, she wanted a kiss. Mostly to see if kissing him was as amazing as she remembered.
She claimed his lips then. And after a stunned second, he returned her kiss, his mouth moving over hers, nipping, tasting.
Needing him, she clasped his jaw, tangled her fingers in his hair. She was drowning in the feel of his mouth on hers, taking and giving, plundering. She started untucking his shirt and inching it up his back, running her palms over the hot, bare skin...
She refused to lose this moment. She would have him once and for all.
Dear Reader (#uf96c9a96-8683-5140-a685-c47b3bab1219),
When Harlequin asked me for more Uniformly Hot! romances, I knew I wanted to write about Navy SEALs and immediately began researching everything about them. There are a lot of great books about Special Ops and the Navy SEALs in particular. Information concerning actual missions, weapons and tactics, as well as the grueling training. Learning about their everyday lives and challenges was fascinating and definitely inspired my fictional hero, Clay Bellamy.
Unlike many true SEALs, however, Clay is not a family man. His childhood made him a cynic when it comes to love. He’s certainly never known a woman as innocent and kindhearted as Gabriella Diaz. She desperately needs his help and I hope you enjoy their wild, sexy journey to love.
Researching SEALs also led me to the Navy SEAL Foundation, navysealfoundation.org (http://www.navysealfoundation.org). I’ve made a contribution already and will be making more with each royalty check from this book. Consider donating if you can and please visit my website, jillianburns.com (http://www.jillianburns.com), for information on my next book.
Sincerely,
Jillian
Her SEAL Protector
Jillian Burns
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
JILLIAN BURNS fell in love while reading such classics as Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice in her teens and has been reading romance novels ever since. She lives in Texas with her husband of twenty-five years and their three half-grown kids. She likes to think her emotional nature—sometimes referred to as moodiness by those closest to her—has found the perfect outlet in writing stories filled with passion and romance. She believes romance novels have the power to change lives with their message of eternal love and hope.
To Michael Monsoor, hero Navy SEAL who gave his life for his fellow SEALs, and for all US soldiers who put themselves in harm’s way for their country. You are the true heroes.
If you would like to help veterans overcome their challenges, or “Charlie Mike,” please visit missioncontinues.org (http://www.missioncontinues.org).
Acknowledgments (#uf96c9a96-8683-5140-a685-c47b3bab1219)
Thanks to Scott and Brian for generously letting me use your apartment as the inspiration for Gabby’s. And a special thank-you to my sister from another mother, Debrah Huston Coward, for loaning me all your wonderful books about Navy SEALs. I’ll get them back to you soon, I promise!
Once again I couldn’t have produced this without the usual suspects: Pam, Linda, Von and Barb. And thank you to the best editor anyone could wish for.
Contents
Cover (#ub33c9fd3-56d4-577d-9d23-e9ee6d1377b2)
Back Cover Text (#u40de9c18-858b-51f5-861b-f7f3fed24d6b)
Introduction (#u00c5472a-79c5-5a2a-b28d-23f668f5eca0)
Dear Reader
Title Page (#u24bd2e27-1b0b-5d76-beeb-8dc41e9f2e56)
About the Author (#u4ae1979f-ec0a-5acc-b5a8-211505f4a321)
Dedication (#u94219a6b-d1c0-5ec3-a76f-05cf14b47b28)
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
1 (#ulink_6029195c-0b6a-54c8-abd3-887f85994d16)
@nerdybankanalyst
I’m sad conference is over but had amazing time. Still, no place like home #paraguayconference
“EXCUSE ME.” Mr. Van Horton tapped Gabby on the shoulder as she finished her Tweet. “Could you—” he pointed at the bags of luggage sitting beside him “—find a porter, por favor?”
Gabby sighed inwardly. This was the third time in as many days that someone from her own office had mistaken her for a hotel employee. It was understandable, she supposed. Especially now that, with the conference over, everyone was scrambling to check out and get home. And her plain black suit jacket and skirt looked similar to the hotel employees’ uniforms. Mr. Van Horton had probably seen her speaking in Spanish to the hotel manager a moment ago, thanking the woman for the excellent accommodations on behalf of all the New York Corporate Bank Inc. people during their stay in Paraguay.
But most likely her Hispanic heritage caused him to mistake her for a local.
Still, she’d worked at the bank for almost two years. Seeing the executives in the break room, passing them in the hallways. She’d even sat in on a meeting with Mr. Van Horton once.
She should say something. She was going to say something this time. She drew in a deep breath. Squared her shoulders.
But... Mr. Van Horton was the executive vice president. Did it really matter if he didn’t know who she was? Maybe she—
“Do you speak English?” Mr. Van Horton spoke slower and louder. “Find a porter?” He gestured at his luggage again and glanced at the registration desk, then back at her.
The deep breath of determination deflated. “Yes, sir.” Gabby turned toward the concierge’s desk.
“Sir.” James Pender blocked her path. He nodded at the Executive VP and gestured toward Gabby. “You know Gabriella Diaz, our newest credit risk analyst?” James winked at her as Mr. Van Horton’s eyes widened and his mouth opened and shut like the white bass she’d once caught on the Guadalupe River.
“Oh, of course, I’m sorry, Ms. Diaz.” Mr. V recovered with a strained smile. “I didn’t recognize you.”
“We’ve never been introduced.” Gabby could feel her cheeks heat. “I’ll get a porter for you, sir.” Wishing she could disappear, she stepped to the concierge’s desk and arranged to have Mr. V’s luggage taken out to a waiting cab.
Despite being colleagues in the same department, until this moment Gabby hadn’t thought James Pender even knew she existed.
After thanking the hotel manager once again, she rolled her own suitcase out to the hotel drive just as Mr. Van Horton was getting into a cab.
She dabbed at her temples with the back of her hand. February was summertime in South America, but even so, the weather was sweltering. Still, it beat the freezing temps back in New York. She shivered thinking of the dirty snow and slush she’d most likely return to. If only she’d had more time to explore the beautiful city of Asunción.
“Ms. Diaz!” Mr. Van Horton waved her over. “You and James share my cab.”
Gabby glanced over to see James wheeling his suitcase to a stop beside hers. He mugged a “why not?” face and proceeded to load his bag into the cab’s trunk.
“Come on, Ms. Diaz.” Mr. Van Horton waved at her again with a winking smile. “I should get to know my newest credit risk analyst.”
Gabby drew a deep breath. Get to know her? Anxiety set in at being the center of attention. He was probably just feeling guilty about his mistake. But if she declined, he might think she was holding it against him. There was no hope for it. Resigned, she rolled her bag to the trunk. James had taken the front seat, so she slid into the backseat beside Mr. V.
As the cab pulled away from the hotel, Gabby glanced back at the unforgettable mountain vista behind the hotel. Definitely the best perk of her job. Just in the last eighteen months she’d traveled to Los Angeles, Miami and now Paraguay. Of course, that probably had more to do with her bilingual skills than her risk-analysis savvy, but it all helped her career. The raise last month had gone straight to Jorge’s college fund. And once her brother graduated next year, she could start helping Patricia.
“So, how do you feel the conference went, Ms. Diaz?”
Gabby turned her attention inside the cab and found Mr. Van Horton studying her intently. She swallowed and glanced at James, who had half turned from the front seat to face them, smiling encouragingly. She cleared her throat. “The workshop on financial globalization in a nonrisk asset world was very interesting.”
Mr. Van Horton’s eyes narrowed. “I highly doubt that.” Then he grinned. “Tell me you at least saw some of the sights while you were here. Have you ever been out of the country before?”
“No, sir.”
“Now, none of that sirring me. Call me Bob.”
Oh, she couldn’t picture herself calling him Bob. Gabby gave a shy smile.
“How about you?” Mr. Van Horton addressed James, who proceeded to chatter on about the amenities of the hotel, the nightclub he’d been to the night before and a quick rundown of the lectures he’d attended.
The cab screeched to a stop, throwing Gabby against the back of the driver’s seat. An explosion of gunfire roared around her. Shattered glass sprayed over her, and she screeched and covered her head. Before she could comprehend what was happening, a man wrenched her door open and shouted in Spanish for her to get out.
Gabby couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. The bandit reached in, yanked her out of the cab and dragged her toward an old Jeep. Mr. V was pulled out of the other side and shoved beside her. The cabdriver was cowering on the ground next to the car.
The lower halves of the attackers’ faces were covered with bandannas and they all carried big automatic rifles.
James scrambled out on his own and stuck his hands in the air as one of the gunmen poked his rifle in James’s stomach. “Throw out your phones!” the gunman yelled in heavily accented English.
James and Mr. V both fished in their coat pockets and tossed their phones away.
A second gunman found her purse on the cab’s floor, dumped it and smashed her phone with the butt of his rifle.
The bandit closest to Mr. V yelled at them in Spanish to get in the Jeep.
“What are they saying, Ms. Diaz?” Mr. Van Horton whispered to her.
“No hablar!” The gunman jabbed the butt of his rifle into Mr. Van Horton’s stomach and he doubled over.
Gabby bit off a scream.
