$3.49
Military
Romantic Suspense
As
a general's daughter, Alicia Stone has fought twice as hard for
everything she's earned in the military. A Special Forces consultant
with black belts in three martial arts, she's as strong as her
surname implies. No one dares call her Alicia—no one but Colonel
Robert Maxmillian, head of the Biological Response Team.
With
Alicia at his side, Max must lead the team into northern Iraq to
investigate a virus—or is it a weapon?—killing the area's
population. Charged with guarding his body, she can't help wanting
his hands on her body.
Max would be the perfect fling. But he demands more.
The
heat builds between them, but danger quickly follows. As the two get
closer to the source of the virus, they'll have to risk their future
to outsmart a scientist with nothing to lose.
There are very few
monsters who warrant the fear we have of them. ~ Andre Gide
Chapter
One
“They’re not
going to agree with your plan, Colonel,” Alicia muttered as she
stared at the group of military doctors standing several feet away.
Colonel Robert
Maximillian, head of the US Army Biological Response Team bent closer
to the tiny, curvy Sergeant Alicia Stone and had to clear his throat
before asking, “What makes you say that?”
“Look at their
body language,” she continued in that almost subvocal whisper.
“They’ve closed ranks and you’re on the outside.”
He had to
consciously hold himself still as he studied the group of men.
Military doctors from five different countries. They were positioned
in a tight circle, two with their backs to him, talking quietly. All
of them stood at just a hair under attention. The faces he could see
were set, eyes serious. Understandable. These were dangerous times,
and their mutual enemy could be anyone, even someone in your own
army.
Stone shifted and
her shoulder brushed his arm.
His attraction to
the sergeant was irrational and impossible. He wasn’t a fan of
either.
“They’re having
a simple conversation, Sergeant, nothing more.”
“I’ve been on
the receiving end of that kind of conversation,” Stone said, her
voice filled with enough acid to melt steel. “If they wanted to
include you, they’d have left a space for you to step into, but
they didn’t. They’ve already decided and they know you’re not
going to like their decision.”
“That’s
ridiculous.” He knew every man in the group and had earned their
respect. “They’re professionals and they know I have new
information for them.”
“It isn’t going
to matter. Their minds are made up.” Stone’s voice was so sharp
he stopped to really look at her.
“What happened?”
he asked her.
“It’s not what
happened, but what’s not going to happen that’s the
problem, sir.”
“No.” He waved
away the reference to the meeting they were about to attend. “I
mean, with you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this angry
before.”
“Me, angry?” she
said with wide eyes that did nothing to hide the displeasure on the
rest of her face. “I’m grateful, sir, to be the only
female combat trainer for the Special Forces.” Her tone made it
clear she was anything but grateful.
“Did you break
another officer’s arm?” Four months ago, an asshole who’d
thought he was some kind of martial arts expert had tried to
intimidate Stone during a training session. She’d put him on the
mats twice before he got angry and attacked for real, thinking she
couldn’t handle an actual fight. She’d not only broken his arm,
but two fingers of the opposite hand, as well.
The incident hadn’t
ended there. The officer had accused her of assault, but with so many
witnesses the charges against Stone had been thrown out, and he’d
been charged with assault. Since then, however, at least two other
officers had lodged formal complaints against her.
The old boys’
club, closing ranks.
“Nothing that
would show up on an X-ray.” Her voice sounded bland. Something had
gone very wrong.
If someone hurt her,
he was going to find out and make their life miserable. “Is there
anything I can do to help?”
She jerked, as if
the question startled her. “Don’t argue with me if I tell you to
do something.”
“Arguing with one’s bodyguard would
be stupid. I try not to be an idiot more than twice a day. I reached
my quota an hour ago.”
Author
Biography
Julie Rowe’s first career as a
medical lab technologist in Canada took her to the North West
Territories and northern Alberta, where she still resides. She loves
to include medical details in her romance novels, but admits she’ll
never be able to write about all her medical experiences because,
“Fiction has to be believable”. Julie writes contemporary and
historical medical romance, fun romantic suspense and military
romance. Her most recent titles are the MEN OF ACTION boxed set and
VIRAL JUSTICE book #3 of the Biological Response Team series. You can
find her at www.julieroweauthor.com
, on Twitter @julieroweauthor or at her Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/JulieRoweAuthor
Social
Media Links
Website: www.julieroweauthor.com
Twitter: @julieroweauthor
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JulieRoweAuthor
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