Special Ops Rendezvous. Karen Anders

and one thing I don’t have.”

      “What’s that?”

      “A complete and utter disregard for human life.”

      She met his tough gaze with her chin up and her eyes hard. She took in the wild gleam of pain in his expression, the muscles and tendons that stood out in his neck, the heavy rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. She suspected most women in her shoes would back off, turn around right now and bolt, trying to get as far away from Sam Winston as was possible. But Olivia wasn’t one of those women. In fact, Sam intrigued her, a devastating combination of warrior and hero.

      “I’ll be careful.”

      He smiled then, but it wasn’t in amusement. “That’s right. Here with me.”

      “I don’t think that’s—”

      “It’s nonnegotiable, Olivia.”

      “Don’t get high-handed with me, Sam. I make my own decisions.”

      He let go of her arm and stepped closer, and she tensed. She tried not to show it, but the man unnerved her. The stabilized world she lived in had suddenly become filled with this irresistible and wholly captivating man who had a very destabilizing effect. She wasn’t sure what to do about that. She wasn’t a shrinking violet, and Sam would have to get used to that. She faced things head-on, too.

      His eyes went hard and flinty, and she had to resist the urge to shiver. He had intimidating down to a science. Gone were the soft eyes and the soft tone. In their place was blue granite and a flat, steely voice that brooked no argument—something she would expect of a man who lived by his wits and honed strength, one who was used to giving out orders. “You’re moving in here with me until this is over. I won’t take no for an answer. We’ve just become roommates.”

      “Giving me ultimatums only makes me want to be contrary,” she returned flatly.

      He did smile then and it relieved the tension in his face. “Why doesn’t that surprise me? I’m not too happy about it, either, Olivia.”

      “Are you using reverse psychology on me?”

      He laughed. “Would that work?” He sobered. His gaze locked on hers, so intent, so focused. So trustworthy and steady. “Okay, then do it for me so I can sleep at night knowing that if you need me, I can be there in a flash.” He said it quietly, but somehow the softer tone wasn’t the least bit comforting. In fact, it only served to unnerve her further.

      She had to take a breath because he made her lungs feel compressed. “Now you’re preying on my emotions, but I’m inclined to let you win this one. Safety in numbers and all that. We’ll make a good team.”

      “I’m not exactly a team player. But you’re not the only one who owes something to your brother.”

      She told herself she was agreeing to stay with him for safety reasons. But that might have been the biggest lie she’d ever told herself. Even though this man stirred her blood, she wasn’t a pushover. But it was clear he was dangerous in so many ways—to her equilibrium and maybe to her very life. She was going to have to be vigilant about both. A cocky loner wasn’t exactly her type. They didn’t usually play nice with others.

      “This Lone Ranger act doesn’t work well within a team.”

      “Would that be Team Owens?”

      She tilted her head. Okay, he was quick on the uptake.

      “I’ll show you to my guest room. The bathroom has an extra toothbrush in it and I can find you something to sleep in.”

      She nodded, her heart fluttering just thinking about being under the same roof as Sam. He headed toward the back of the house and she grabbed her purse and followed him. He opened the door to a modest room with a bathroom.

      “I’ll be right back.”

      He disappeared through the doorway across the hall, and Olivia set her purse on the bed. She would have to go to her apartment and pick up some things tomorrow. She also still had arrangements to handle with her brother’s funeral, which was the day after tomorrow.

      For a moment, the loss of her brother overwhelmed her and she closed her eyes against the sudden stab of pain, her arm banded around her waist.

      “Olivia?”

      She started. She hadn’t heard him come up to her.

      “Are you all right?”

      She nodded. “I was just thinking about John. Were you planning on coming to his funeral?”

      “Yes, I was.”

      “It’s the day after tomorrow.”

      “I know.” He looked sad and guilty all over again.

      She couldn’t even tell him it wasn’t his fault, because she didn’t really know if it was. All she knew was that her brother was dead after hiring her to watch one of his patients. That patient was in some kind of trouble that Olivia couldn’t even fathom. After the attempt on his mother’s life and the involvement of one of his army buddies in the shooting, it was clear it was on a much deadlier and wider scale than she’d ever dealt with.

      She couldn’t imagine what Sam was going through. He looked stressed, but that wasn’t a stretch. He was seeing her brother for therapy. Whether that had to do with his military service, the turmoil in his private life right now, or something else, Olivia couldn’t guess. She was determined to get answers regarding John’s death.

      But she wasn’t going to back off and let her brother or Sam down.

      “Let’s get some sleep,” she said. “We’ll tackle it in the morning when we’re fresher.”

      “Sounds like a good plan.” He held out a camouflage T-shirt that was large enough that it would come to her about midthigh.

      She accepted it and their hands brushed. His were as warm as she remembered his skin had been. There she was again, thinking about him totally naked. When he’d gotten that hard-on, she couldn’t help wondering if it was because she’d been touching him...okay, not in a therapeutic way. She probably was the one who caused it. She couldn’t seem to feel sorry about that. She liked the fact that she turned this man on.

      But it would be smart to keep her distance now that she didn’t have to pretend to date him. They could do away with that altogether. Well, she could pretend, couldn’t she?

      “Good night, Olivia.”

      “Night, Sam.”

      He left and closed the door behind him. She set the shirt on the bed and went into the bathroom, finding the spare toothbrush and toothpaste. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, still pondering Sam’s mental state.

      Once that was done, she stripped down to nothing but her undies and pulled the shirt over her head. The soft cotton settled against her body, and her skin flushed as she thought of this fabric having at one time been against Sam’s hard chest, broad shoulders and thickly muscled back.

      She slipped beneath the covers and wondered how she was going to even get to sleep. So much had happened in just two short days.

      She’d have to watch herself and try to find her professionalism somewhere in all that melting she did around Sam.

      Any way she sliced it, Sam Winston was trouble.

      Chapter 4

      Sam started awake, standing in the middle of his room again. His chest was heaving as if he’d been running. His skin was slick with a cold sweat, his shoulder throbbing. He felt sick with fear, the taste of it like bile in his mouth. He was shaking as if he were freezing, but it was warm in the room. Waves and waves of pain, that’s all he could remember. Unending. When he reached for some remnant of the nightmare, there was nothing there.

      There should have been.

      Plenty.