Special Forces Seduction. C.J. Miller

for him, drawing him close. His arousal pressed at the apex of her thighs. She ignored that and focused on his lips. His perfectly kissable, sexy lips. When their mouths touched, a hundred sparks lit in the air around them. His lips were soft and pliant. Unhurried and seductive, his tongue danced with hers. Heat smoldered inside her and she wished she knew how to cool it.

      They had fantastic chemistry, and getting naked with him held a great deal of appeal. But that appeal was lost when she thought of the last several months. How lonely she had been in Bearcreek and how the time alone had affected her. Time to think was good, except when it brought to light unsettling questions. Her extensive traveling over the last decade had prevented her from being close with anyone, from forging close relationships or letting anyone inside. She wanted those things, and Finn wasn’t the man who could give them to her.

      A tear slipped from her eye. Finn pulled away, questions in his eyes, and then wiped at the tear with his thumb.

      “I won’t hound you to tell me what this is about. I know spies keep secrets close to the vest. But I’m here if you want to talk. I don’t need to say anything. I can listen.”

      Hyde wanted to confess everything and bare her soul to him. But making herself vulnerable scared her. She kept her mouth shut.

       Chapter 3

      Hyde clasped Victoria’s hands before she climbed into the limo with Thomas. “Promise me you’ll be careful,” Hyde said.

      Victoria laughed and looked over her shoulder. “I will be fine. This will be the first vacation I’ve had in years. Don’t worry so much.”

      Hyde shouldn’t worry, but Victoria had never traveled outside Montana and now she was flying halfway around the world with her new husband. Hyde’s paranoia pinged. She had learned to be suspicious of everyone. That suspicion was misplaced with Thomas. He was a good man and could be trusted.

      Lydia was standing close by with Thea. Thea was sleeping in her arms, likely tired from the night before. Lydia had dark circles under her eyes, her clothes were wrinkled and her hair knotted in a messy bun.

      As Hyde waved goodbye to her sister and Thomas, Finn strolled toward her. He had skipped the family brunch, choosing instead to sleep for two more hours. No details had been mentioned about his last mission, and Hyde hadn’t reviewed the details for their upcoming one.

      “Ready to leave?” Finn asked.

      Hyde had assembled a bag that morning. She hadn’t forgotten how to slip undercover and pack the essentials quickly. “Yes.” Speaking the word held weight and evoked sadness. Leaving her family was harder than she’d anticipated. Staying away had been easier, jumping from one assignment to the next. Reconnecting had touched her more deeply than she’d expected.

      She had felt a shift between her and Finn, as well. They were embarking on a mission together. Their career and relationship were colliding.

      Hyde’s father approached and Hyde braced for impact. She didn’t want to lie to her family, but she didn’t have a good, clear way to explain Finn’s sudden presence in Bearcreek or why she was leaving.

      “Alexandra, are you coming by for dinner tonight? The caterer dropped off the leftover food from the wedding. There’s plenty for everyone. Even for your friend.” Her father gestured at Finn.

      No chance of avoiding an introduction. Hyde pointed to Finn. “Dad, this is Finn. We used to work together.” Not a lie and didn’t give away anything about the past.

      Her father extended his hand. “Nice to meet you. Are you in town on business?”

      Finn opened his mouth to answer.

      Hyde jumped in. “Finn needs me to go with him on another job.”

      Her father stiffened and annoyance crossed his face. “Why? I thought you quit that job and were planning to stick around for a while. We’ve liked having you.”

      Finn looked from her to her father, his gaze assessing. Her stomach was coiled with tension. She didn’t want her father to get the wrong idea about them. Having had a happy, forty-year-long marriage, her father wanted his three daughters to have the same. Hyde suspected he worried more about Lydia’s happiness since she was under so much stress, but Hyde concerned him.

      “I did quit. This is one last job. It requires my expertise. Big client and it’s important.”

      Her father appeared resolved. He indicated behind him. “Make sure you say goodbye to your mother. This time, call from the road so we know you’re safe. I don’t like this. I think you’ll get pulled back in by him.” Her father looked at Finn. “I thought my daughter might have been involved in a relationship and that kept her away. She came home, quiet and lost and I figured she had her heart broken. You show up and it pretty much confirms it.”

      “Dad, Finn didn’t—”

      “Come on, Alexandra. I wasn’t born yesterday. I have eyes and I have father instincts.” Her dad looked at Finn up and down. “You’re the type she’d go after.”

      Guilt ballooned inside her. How could she reassure her father that wasn’t the case? She wasn’t leaving Bearcreek to chase after a relationship with Finn. This was about taking Reed Barnett down and helping Lydia. “It’s just work.”

      “It’s never just work,” her dad said.

      Hyde looked away from her father, sure she would spill the entire truth if she met his gaze. “I’ll be fine, Dad. I’ll be home soon.”

      Her dad wrapped her in a hug. “Don’t stay away too long.”

      Hyde left Bearcreek with a heavy heart, but hopeful about the mission. She was doing this for the right reasons and for her family. Making Lydia happy would make this worth it. Being a spy for the last ten years, Hyde had learned to bury her emotions and when it came to Finn, she would do just that.

      * * *

      If she weren’t working an op, Hyde would have enjoyed Reed Barnett’s remote, private island, one of the nicest islands she had visited in the last ten years. Accessible only by private transportation via air or sea, it was the perfect getaway for two people who were harried, stressed and in need of some rest and relaxation.

      What waited for them on the island was none of those things. The West Company had briefed them on the operation, and Hyde was in the zone. The sooner she could nail Barnett and bring down his enterprise, the sooner she could return home. Her father’s words had stuck with her. He had seen something between her and Finn. Her feelings for Finn had delved deeper than she had realized if they were apparent to others. Keeping those in check would be part of the mission.

      She had promised her parents she would call. She’d have to remember to do that and make sure she had a safe way to communicate without dragging them into this operation. Barnett was crafty. He could trace phone calls to and from his island. He could have her and Finn under surveillance. Hyde was prepared for anything.

      The sea surrounding the island was crystal blue, the sky was dotted with white clouds and the weather warm without being humid. The island was ringed by white sandy beaches, blending into a picturesque foliage of palm, casuarina and prince wood trees. Nestled among the greenery at the tallest point on the island was Barnett’s compound, the light tan of the walls and red of the roof gleaming in the sun.

      Barnett was the king of his own private island. Though the island was officially part of a nearby chain, Barnett maintained its independence by paying off the authorities. On this island, Barnett was the law.

      Barnett was staying on the island and cooling his heels. The heat needed to die down after his last big score. The sale and transfer of thousands of pounds of cocaine into Miami, Florida, had netted Reed Barnett millions. If he chose to set foot in the United States, the government would arrest him and try to make charges stick. Barnett let others take the fall for his crimes and he was slippery, sliding