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The Sergeant's Temptation
Sophia Sasson
Is he protecting her from the enemy…or himself?Sergeant Alessa Parrino is one of the toughest soldiers in her unit. But does she have what it takes to fight her growing attraction to Lieutenant Luke Williams…her CO? If she falls for a superior officer, her career is over. And the Army is all she’s got. Working closely with Luke on a covert mission overseas isn’t helping. His caring, compassion and piercing blue eyes are weakening her resolve by the hour. But this is Alessa's last chance to prove herself and earn the promotion she desperately needs. She can’t let his charms distract her from her goals, no matter how much she longs to let down her guard…
Is he protecting her from the enemy...or himself?
Sergeant Alessa Parrino is one of the toughest soldiers in her unit. But does she have what it takes to fight her growing attraction to Lieutenant Luke Williams, her CO? If she falls for a superior officer, her career is over. And the army is all she’s got. Working closely with Luke on a covert mission overseas isn’t helping. His caring, compassion and piercing blue eyes are weakening her resolve by the hour. But this is Alessa’s last chance to prove herself and earn the promotion she desperately needs. She can’t let his charms distract her from her goals, no matter how much she longs to let down her guard...
A cold dread seeped into Alessa’s bones.
This was how it had started with Aidan. Personal favors that seemed innocuous, part of the job, even. But the mistake she’d made with Aidan was that she’d let him get too close. Forgotten the fact that she was an enlisted soldier and he was a commissioned officer, which meant they couldn’t even be friends. She wouldn’t do that with Luke.
Luke stood and she followed suit, getting ready to salute him the way she would any other superior officer. But he extended his hand and she automatically took it.
“We wear civilian clothes in this unit. No saluting. From now on, we’re colleagues, perhaps even friends.”
She looked into his ocean-blue eyes. I can’t be friends with you. That would be dangerous. Her career couldn’t withstand one more rumor of an improper relationship with a superior officer.
Dear Reader (#u3ef489b5-224b-5df6-b3c9-d6bb9008aabb),
There are no words to describe the extraordinary sacrifice given by those who serve in the armed forces. It’s not just the physical danger they face on our behalf, but the considerable sacrifice of their families and loved ones. This book is about the tough choices service members often face in their personal lives. While workplace romance is mainstream for most people, it is not for military personnel. For good reason, relationships during active duty are off-limits for soldiers, who can face serious consequences for falling in love with the wrong person.
This book is also about the heroines of the military. I know a lot of tough women. As a former paramedic, I appreciate how difficult it can be for a woman in a male-dominated field, and the crushing pressure to constantly prove that you can do the job well. Alessa Parrino is in the impossible situation of choosing between the one thing she’s needed all her life (love) and the only thing she’s ever had (the army).
I hope you enjoy Alessa’s journey; it’s one that many of us face when choosing between what our hearts desire and what our circumstances allow.
To get free book extras, visit my website, sophiasasson.com (http://www.sophiasasson.com). I love hearing from readers, so please find me on Twitter (@SophiaSasson (https://twitter.com/sophiasasson?lang=en)) or Facebook (SophiaSassonAuthor (https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSophiaSasson)) or email me at readers@sophiasasson.com.
Enjoy!
Sophia Sasson
The Sergeant’s Temptation
Sophia Sasson
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
SOPHIA SASSON puts her childhood habit of daydreaming to good use by writing stories she hopes will give you hope and make you laugh, cry and possibly snort tea from your nose. She was born in Bombay, India, and has lived in the Canary Islands, Spain and Toronto, Canada. Currently she calls the madness of Washington, DC, home. She’s the author of the Welcome to Bellhaven and the State of the Union series. She loves to read, travel to exotic locations in the name of research, bake, explore water sports and watch foreign movies. Hearing from readers makes her day. Contact her through sophiasasson.com (http://www.sophiasasson.com).
To those who serve our country in the military. Words cannot express the gratitude we owe you.
Acknowledgments (#u3ef489b5-224b-5df6-b3c9-d6bb9008aabb)
This book, and the entire State of the Union series, would not happen without my awesome editor Claire Caldwell. Thank you for our brainstorming sessions.
A huge thank-you to my husband, who puts up with me disappearing into the writing abyss. And my critique partner, Jayne Evans, who deals with my writing crises.
Most of all, thank you to my readers. Your reviews, emails and letters keep me writing.
Contents
Cover (#uca2f7bba-1a69-5a48-9964-4bec9a4c27c7)
Back Cover Text (#u2d33c424-91d8-571a-9496-860a16bc54f8)
Introduction (#u325c037a-6b2c-5121-8d53-b87ac5decc5f)
Dear Reader (#u5532cb89-ad1d-5666-b09e-5c1e2872822a)
Title Page (#u083725e4-4909-5883-a0f3-a7eec9467de6)
About the Author (#u4ea75212-41b0-5e66-856a-3362ca276b37)
Acknowledgments (#ud6e561c3-96bd-518c-ad9d-ae3ae493e03d)
CHAPTER ONE (#u8c5eff93-450e-5609-a0f1-e5f8c8feec5d)
CHAPTER TWO (#u5d7e9c72-98a2-560d-8674-d07eb7ab0d8d)
CHAPTER THREE (#u5867639e-3053-5616-9f34-3e3908875ed5)
CHAPTER FOUR (#u382b3e61-4c62-5151-860f-e88751f46e50)
CHAPTER FIVE (#uf00ff3c2-c1bb-538e-869e-2b707d1cc010)
CHAPTER SIX (#u10ebbf5c-a9dc-556b-82c2-39c0fd398970)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#uc7352e37-c90c-569e-addd-58571b315227)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINETEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTY (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#u3ef489b5-224b-5df6-b3c9-d6bb9008aabb)
“I’LL TAKE HER.”
Luke Williams couldn’t get his eyes off the petite soldier who was fighting a man more than twice her size. It was better than any mixed martial arts match he’d ever seen on TV. He was standing outside the Plexiglas window of a ten-foot by ten-foot cube that had been designed to train soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. Except Sergeant Alessa Parrino didn’t need any training; she was literally kicking his best man to the floor. This one wasn’t made from the typical army mold.
“Oh, no you won’t, Lieutenant.”
Luke turned to his commanding officer, Colonel Michael McBride. “I thought the last unit member was my call.”
“It is. You’re just not hiring her.”
Luke bit the inside of his cheek, keeping his voice neutral and friendly. “You have a concern, sir?”
The colonel raised his bushy gray eyebrows. “Have you read her file?”
Luke knew why the colonel was asking if Luke really wanted Alessa Parrino for his unit.
“Why did you let her apply and go through the test?”
“So I could check the box that we gave equal opportunity for this unit. You know how it is these days.”
“A woman could be an asset for us.” Luke said evenly. He’d worked with McBride long enough to realize the old man still wasn’t used to the idea that the army was letting women into special ops.
“I don’t see how. You get injured on the field, that hundred-and-thirty-pound girl isn’t gonna carry your two hundred and twenty pounds to safety.”
Luke watched Parrino extend her hand to the fallen soldier to help him up. Bad move. Rodgers was one of his dirtiest fighters; that was why Luke had used him for this exercise. All the other unit members had been handpicked by Luke’s predecessor. Luke wanted the open position to be filled by someone of his choosing, a member who would be loyal to him. He needed someone on the inside to help him with what he planned.
Rodgers took Parrino’s hand and predictably used her weaker position to pull downward while sliding his leg across the floor to kick her legs out from under her. Classic. Can’t believe she fell for it.
“Don’t go easy on her ’cause she’s a girl,” the colonel hooted even though the sparring soldiers couldn’t hear him through the cube.
Luke resisted the urge to make a smart-aleck comment. He was on thin ice as it was. Parrino jumped a millisecond before Rodgers’s leg would have connected and used the downward momentum her rival had created to bend her arm and bring her elbow down on the other soldier’s solar plexus.
Nice!
Both Luke and Colonel McBride flinched at the look of sheer agony on Rodgers’s face.
Luke slapped the Plexiglas wall, opening the door. “All right, Parrino, you’re done.” The last thing he needed was for one of his men to end up in the hospital. The unit was less than a month away from being fully operational. That meant he’d get to take his men and fly to an undisclosed location, far away from Colonel Pain-in-the-Neck, who would stay here at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, kissing up to the Pentagon.
Parrino released her grip on the soldier’s throat and stood. Her eyes still alert for another attack, she walked toward Luke and stepped outside. She stood in front of Luke and the colonel and saluted. Barely five foot four, Parrino had short dark hair pulled neatly into a ponytail, golden-brown eyes and cream-colored skin tinged pink around her cheeks and nose. Her breathing was even and her expression relaxed. A shiny forehead was the only indication that she’d broken a sweat.
“Well done, Parrino.” Luke acknowledged.
She nodded curtly. They stared at her, and to her credit, her face remained impassive, back straight with a stance worthy of a recruitment poster. Luke tilted his head toward his office. “Wait there.” He didn’t offer her water or a chance to go to the bathroom; he needed to see her mettle.
“Rodgers, you’re done. Go get cleaned up.” The man would never live down this exercise. It was the first one he’d lost, but the unit members wouldn’t let him forget the fact that he’d been taken down by a woman half his size.
As soon as Rodgers was out of earshot, the colonel placed a hand on Luke’s shoulder. He wanted more than anything to smack it away. “Williams, I think it’s a bad idea to take the girl. She’s trouble with a capital T.”
“Parrino’s the only qualified candidate I’ve seen.”
“What you talkin’ about? There’s a stack of good soldiers on your desk.”
Luke had gone through all the applications in the folders on his desk and auditioned ten other guys, all of whom Rodgers had wiped out. The colonel knew this; he’d been there for every test. Not that he was micromanaging Luke. No, the colonel was there to “lend support.” Luke was supposed to have the authority to hire whomever he wanted. Technically.
That was the point of this unit, Ethan’s brainchild. Luke’s twin brother had convinced the brass that the only way to deal with their current problem was to create a nimble unit that could operate without the usual hierarchy. Each of the unit members had been hired for a particular skill set and they worked as a team, regardless of their army rank. The whole idea was not to work the usual way, so their moves wouldn’t be predictable. None of the soldiers who had been handpicked by Ethan had known each other, served together or had any commanding officers in common. They were a good group of men. But they were his brother’s men.
“Sir, we need a woman on the team. Men and women are regularly separated in the Sandbox, and I don’t want to be in a situation where we don’t have eyes where we need them.”
“Have you thought about the influence she’ll have on your men, your unit?” He motioned toward Rodgers, who was staring at Parrino through the glass doors of Luke’s office.
Luke raised a brow, though he understood full well where the colonel was going. “Oh, I’ll tell them I told Rodgers to go easy on her so they don’t give him a hard time.” It was a cheeky comment, but the colonel took it at face value.
“That’s not what I mean. Unit cohesion is everything, and given her history, I worry she’ll be a distraction. She has trouble with boundaries.”
Look who’s talking. The only boundaries McBride respected were the ones that suited him.
Luke resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He didn’t have a good grasp on how to manage the colonel. How would Ethan handle this? Now more than ever he wished he’d kept in touch with his twin brother. They’d been inseparable until they graduated West Point. A rift had grown between them after they both began active duty. The last few times they’d spoken, it had been to argue over Luke leaving the army. Ethan had taken command of this unit a year ago, but Luke had hardly paid attention. He’d been too focused on getting out. The news of Ethan’s death four months ago changed everything.
