Covert Seduction Read online

  Covert Seduction

  By Callie Croix

  Navy SEAL Reid Galvin is back from hell and eager to find comfort in Becca Anderson’s arms. He knows he hurt her when he cut contact during his deployment, so when his call interrupts her date with another man, he has only himself to blame. But he can’t forget what she means to him—or the sexy email she sent him—and he won’t miss this chance to claim her as his own.

  It’s been weeks since Becca heard from the man she thought she was involved with. So when Reid wants to take up where they left off as if nothing happened, she refuses. Then he rescues her from a first date gone very wrong, and she realizes she’s not quite ready to let him go.

  Reid and Becca have a lot to talk about, but since she’s not listening, he’s going to have to regain her trust another way—by bringing her most erotic fantasies to life. Making her surrender to pleasure just might be his most important mission.

  53,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  In the world of publishing, January is an intimidating month. Mostly because we’re thinking about 2013 long before we want to be. In fact, conversations about 2014 have long since started. How’s that for intimidating? January is also intimidating because we’re expected to set goals and promise great things for the year ahead. That, Carina Press can handle.

  This year, our goal is not only to continue to provide readers with excellent editorial, but also to add a new category of New Adult to our romance line, in order to increase the number of mystery, science-fiction and fantasy titles we publish; to publish returning authors with connected books; and to grow our romance subgenres such as historical romance, GLBT, romantic suspense and erotic romance. You can look forward to all of that happening in 2013!

  In January, we start the year by finishing up Shannon Stacey’s second Kowalski family trilogy with the highly anticipated story of Josh and Katie’s romance, All He Ever Dreamed. If you haven’t read Shannon’s books, you can check out the original Kowalski trilogy for only $4.99 per novel. We also enter 2013 with the paperback release of Fiona Lowe’s 2012 RITA® award-winning contemporary romance, Boomerang Bride.

  Other contemporary romance authors joining Shannon in January include Rachael Johns, kicking off a new contemporary series set in Hollywood with Stand-In Star, and Liz Flaherty with Jar of Dreams. Liz’s debut romance, One More Summer, was described by reviewers as “compelling and addictive” and “one incredible story.”

  On the other end of the romance spectrum are several paranormal, urban fantasy and steampunk romance releases this month. Coleen Kwan returns with the sequel to her fun steampunk romance Asher’s Invention. Asher’s Dilemma brings you the continued romance of Asher and Minerva in a clockwork world.

  Two other continuing series return with fantastic installments. Claws Bared by Sheryl Nantus is the next story in her Blood of the Pride series. And Sandy James offers up The Impetuous Amazon, the second book in the Alliance of the Amazons series. Meanwhile, a new paranormal trilogy begins with Stacy Gail’s Nobody’s Angel, which brings us a tale of Nephilim and sassy heroines. Look for the second book, Savage Angel, in February.

  Cathy Pegau takes us into space with her newest science-fiction romance, Caught in Amber, while Eleri Stone takes us to a world steeped in fantasy and wrapped with pleasure in Threads of Desire, her erotic fantasy romance. Keeping us in the here and now, with more erotic sexy-times, is Callie Croix’s newest erotic contemporary romance, Covert Seduction.

  We’re pleased to welcome mystery author Wendy Roberts to Carina Press with her newest mystery, Grounds to Kill. We’re also pleased that Julie Moffett has chosen to reissue her Scottish historical romance, The Thorn & the Thistle, with us in January.

  Last, to start off 2013, I’m excited to introduce you to our two debut authors. JL Merrow offers up a compelling tale of love through the ages with the male/male historical time travel Trick of Time. Romantic suspense author Ana Barrons will blow away fans of suspense and romance with her debut novel, Wrongfully Accused. Please join me in giving these two authors a warm welcome to Carina Press (by buying their books, of course!).

  I hope you’ll join me for another excellent year of books at Carina Press. Our 2013 schedule is shaping up to be full of books our team loves and can’t wait to get into readers’ hands, including a new trilogy from Fiona Lowe; a compulsively readable new adult romance, Rush Me, from debut author Alison Parr; the last two parts of Jax Garren’s dark Beauty and the Beast retelling; more contemporary romance novels from up-and-coming author Christi Barth; the kick­off of a thrilling urban fantasy series from debut author Steve Vera; more erotic romance compliments of Lynda Aicher; a series of erotic Love Letters from a collection of authors; noir historical mystery Die on Your Feet by debut author S.G. Wong; and another installment of Marie Force’s romantic suspense series.

  This is only a small portion of the amazing books we have coming up in 2013, so please look for these and more from the awesomely talented Carina Press authors.

  We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to [email protected]. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  www.carinapress.com

  www.twitter.com/carinapress

  www.facebook.com/carinapress

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Navy Petty Officer First Class Reid Galvin hopped off the idling Black Hawk with three of his teammates and trudged across Bagram’s baking tarmac to the cinderblock building that loomed before him. The intense August sun beat down on his shoulders, but it did nothing to melt the ice inside him.

  Shoving open the door with one arm, he didn’t look back at the others as they unloaded the body bags from the Chinook. Twenty-four of them. Five more bodies and other remains were still being recovered from the mangled wreckage at the crash site.

  He’d done his job for the moment—secured the crash site and helped with the recovery effort. All of the victims had been in pieces, burned so badly they were beyond recognition. Each body part would have to be examined forensically to identify the charred remains in the bags.

  In some ways, that was the hardest part to take. Knowing the family members would have to wait for the gruesome identifications to be completed before funeral arrangements could be made stateside. This loss was a huge blow to the SPECOPS community. To the U.S. military as a whole, and its role in the War on Terror. And though they’d been hit the hardest, the SEAL community didn’t have time to mourn its fallen brothers.

  He’d nearly been one of them. He’d originally been slated to be on that mission in Wardak province the day that Chinook had been shot down. Instead he’d been reassigned at the last moment with a few of his teammates. Fate had a goddamn twisted sense of humor sometimes.

  Compared to the arid heat outside, the interior of the building was chilly from the air conditioning, bathed in a bluish glow from the fluorescent lighting. Reid rubbed a weary hand over his face. He hadn’t slept in almost three days. Had barely eaten.

  Beside him, one
of his teammates started taking off his gear and stowing it in his locker, his movements rife with frustration. “Tonight can’t get here fast enough.”

  “Tell me about it.” Once night fell they’d be on the hunt for the ones responsible for the crash. In the darkness they’d be in their element, finally doing something about avenging their fallen brothers. Hell, they’d all go out again right now in spite of their exhaustion if their commander hadn’t ordered them to get some rack time.

  Reid dropped his ruck and took care of his M-4 before peeling off his dirty BDUs that stank of jet fuel and scorched metal. He couldn’t get the stench of burned flesh out of his nostrils. The short, hot shower awaiting him wouldn’t help much either. All the soap in the world wouldn’t take that smell away completely.

  The smell of two dozen SEALs’ blood spilled into the Afghan soil.

  Tired to the bone, Reid stripped and stepped into the shower, only to find the spray was lukewarm at its hottest setting. He scrubbed himself down with the strong soap before toweling off and pulling a fresh T-shirt and cammies on. Behind some of the others he walked the length of the hall to their temporary barracks and crawled onto his cot as someone hit the lights. After a few minutes the sound of slow breathing and the occasional soft snore of one of his teammates filled the dark, quiet room.

  Despite the fatigue pulling at his heavy eyelids, sleep wouldn’t come. The need for action hummed in his veins, the sense of raw frustration and impatience demanding he do something. People were working on the situation right now, he reminded himself. His brothers’ deaths would not go unanswered.

  When he finally closed his eyes, it wasn’t his fellow SEALs’ faces he saw. It was Becca’s.

  Becca’s bright blue eyes crinkling at the corners as she laughed at something he said, the sunlight glinting off the highlights in her deep brown hair. Becca’s slow, satisfied smile as she gazed up at him from the rumpled sheets, her delicate hands stroking leisurely across his naked back.

  She was the image he focused on to chase the anger and bitterness away. The single ray of sunshine from back home that reminded him exactly why he was fighting over here. He and the other SPECOPS forces formed the tip of the spear in this war. They didn’t fear dying, only that their deaths wouldn’t be meaningful.

  And now there was something else he feared as well. He’d fucked up before leaving home and now he wasn’t sure how to fix it.

  Opening his eyes in the dimness, his gaze fell on his phone, placed atop his footlocker. It’d been almost two weeks since he’d last spoken to her. She’d probably be worried, especially since he hadn’t responded to her last email. It was early morning back home on the East Coast. She’d get up for work any time now, might even be awake already. He thought briefly about texting her then changed his mind.

  That extremely revealing email she’d sent him a few weeks back had crystallized what he felt for her, but the Chinook crash had changed both his world and their relationship forever. If he called or texted, she’d ask questions he wouldn’t—couldn’t—answer right now. Questions he might never have the answers for. Right now, all he wanted was vengeance and there wasn’t room for anything else. He didn’t want her to know this dark part of him. And he didn’t know what to say to her now anyway. Idle conversation was way beyond him at the moment. But damn, he wished he’d told her how he felt before he left.

  Forcing his lids shut again, he focused on that image of Becca, soft and sated in that hotel bed the morning before he’d left last time. Gradually his muscles relaxed one by one as he slowed his breathing. He’d allow himself this brief respite from reality because his mind and body needed the rest. Once he woke up, there was only room for the warrior. Letting it take over and staying focused was the only way to survive what would be waiting for him out there in the darkness.

  Alexandria, Virginia

  Late September

  Bleary-eyed from a poor night’s sleep and armed with a tumbler of hot coffee, Becca Andrews shuffled into her cubicle on the fifth floor and started up her computer for the day. Her email program dinged cheerfully, announcing a stack of new messages to go through. Over a hundred of them.

  Taking a bracing sip of coffee, she opened the first one marked “TGIF!” from her co-worker David, reminding her of their “date” tonight to a Cancer Society fundraiser. Stifling a grudging chuckle, she considered how to reply. He was a nice guy, and she had to give him points for how persistent he’d been in asking her out. She’d told him point blank that she was hung up on someone else, yet he still seemed determined to win her over.

  He hadn’t once mentioned the weird encrypted file she’d cracked for him on Monday. As a programmer, she was really more interested in finding out what all those spreadsheets and numbers she’d uncovered meant than going to the fundraiser. But David had warned her to keep it a secret, so talking about it via email at work wasn’t the smartest way to go. Instead, she wrote back that she’d see him at seven o’clock, and made a mental note to talk to him about the file when she saw him.

  “Morning, Becca.”

  She jerked her head around to find Mr. Morales, one of the investment firm’s partners, standing next to her cubicle wall. “Morning.” She fought the urge to close out her email when his gaze strayed to her screen and saw David’s message.

  He frowned slightly, making her wonder if he somehow knew about the file David had sent her.

  After a long moment his brown eyes settled on hers. Was she imagining that speculative glint? “Did you get that project finished up yet?”

  “I did.” She dug through her desk drawer for the flash drive containing the new programs she’d written for some of their operating systems, and held it out.

  Morales waved it away. “Bring it with you to the conference room.”

  Uh… She mentally reviewed her itinerary for the day, came up blank. “Did we have a meeting scheduled?”

  “No, but we’d like you to review the project with us, along with some of your other recent work. You’re not busy now, are you?” It wasn’t really a question. A former Army warrant officer, Mr. Morales didn’t ask, he commanded. And in such a quiet, no-nonsense way that few people dared to say no.

  “Us? You mean, the partners?”

  He nodded. “All five of us.”

  Wow, she hadn’t realized they’d been so interested in this project. Still, for a few seconds, a wave of dread traveled through her. “No, now’s fine.” Even if she’d had no time to prepare and had plenty of urgent, unfinished projects waiting for her attention.

  She couldn’t quite quell the unease expanding in her stomach.

  Stop it. There’s no way they found out about the other file.

  Grabbing her purse and a pad of paper, she followed Mr. Morales across the busy office floor to the elevators. He was still in good shape despite being in his early fifties, with broad shoulders and a flat stomach, and he still exuded an unmistakable air of authority from his time in the military. It reminded her so much of Reid that a pang of sadness and longing went through her before she could stop it. Her mind and heart weren’t ready to let him go yet, even though thinking about him was a guaranteed one-way ticket to Depressionville.

  The elevator door opened, and Becca’s heart lurched when she met the light blue stare fixed on her. She bobbled her purse, dropping her pen and paper with a thwap on the shiny marble floor. “Ms. Vane, hi,” she managed, bending to gather her things, feeling stupid for getting flustered and being so clumsy.

  “Ms. Andrews,” she murmured softly, eyeing her as she hurried into the elevator behind Mr. Morales.

  Becca stood tall and stared straight ahead at the elevator’s electronic display as the doors shut, fighting the urge to fidget. Kimberly Vane was the epitome of cool elegance, always dressed in some designer suit with her chic chin-length blond hair and makeup perfectly done. Her reputation was just as
impeccable. Her father had been a founding partner at the firm, but there was no doubt Kimberly had made it to partner through sheer hard work and dedication at the relatively tender age of thirty-eight. In short, she kicked corporate ass.

  “I understand you’ve been working on some very interesting files recently,” Kimberly said, her pointed tone making Becca’s pulse jump.

  “I have, yes,” she answered calmly, telling herself she was being ridiculous. When David had sworn her to secrecy about the encrypted file, he’d assured her that only the two of them knew about it. She hadn’t done anything wrong by cracking it. Hiding something like that from the rest of the office and the partners wasn’t underhanded exactly, so she had nothing to feel guilty about. For all she knew, its numerical data meant nothing at all. And so there was no reason for her to be nervous about being called to an impromptu meeting with all the partners, was there?

  Tell that to your sweaty palms. Holding her things with one hand, she discreetly wiped her free palm against the side of her charcoal pencil skirt.

  Mr. Morales stared straight ahead as he spoke. “Well, the partners are very interested to see what you’ve come up with for these latest portfolio analysis programs. They’ll make our lives that much easier.”

  “I hope I impress all of you, then.”

  “I’m sure you will,” Ms. Vane answered for him.

  That was the other thing about Kimberly Vane. For all her reputation as demanding taskmaster, when one of her employees did a good job, she was the first to commend them. That didn’t mean she wasn’t intimidating as hell, of course. A reaction Becca was determined to hide.

  The elevator chimed at the eighth floor. Mr. Morales turned sideways and held the door open button while she and Ms. Vane preceded him. On her way past, he caught Becca’s eye and gave her a tiny wink. That tight ball of unease in her gut began to release. Smiling a little, she continued on to the board room, mentally gearing up for her presentation. She could totally handle this.