Under Pressure
Authors: Kira Sinclair
Operation Distraction...by any means necessary!
How do you get a hot but aggravating ex-SEAL to relax? Kennedy Duchane arranged for a documentary about Trident diving team’s first big find, the
Chimera
. But it turns out movie-star-handsome former SEAL Asher Reynolds can woo just about everything...except a camera. Fortunately, they’ve found the perfect antianxiety remedy—all that sexual tension they’ve been avoiding!
Sex—especially hungry, intense, no-holds-barred sex—with Kennedy breaks pretty much every rule in the book. Employee? Check. Best friend’s little sister? Check, check. Asher knows he’s in over his head. And now what started as a naughty distraction is quickly turning into something far deeper...something strong enough to sweep even the strongest SEAL out to sea.
“You shouldn’t be doing this...”
Kennedy grinned in response and flicked the button on her shorts open. The sound of her zipper, metal grinding against metal, was loud in Asher’s ears.
“Nope. You can’t touch.”
“What?” he asked in disbelief. The woman was giving him a striptease and expected him to keep his hands to himself?
She was crazy. Or wickedly, wickedly devious.
Or both.
“You get through the rest of these interview questions without hesitating and then you can have your reward.”
How was he supposed to resist with her standing in front of him in nothing but red lace panties and a matching bra?
He was human. He’d been fighting his desire for too long. He couldn’t fight anymore.
“Then you better hurry with those questions before I say to hell with it and give you exactly what you’re asking for...”
Dear Reader,
It’s a little bittersweet to see the end of my SEALs of Fortune series. Over the past year, I’ve enjoyed working with these amazing men and the headstrong women who fall for them, immersing myself in their intense, honorable and sometimes hectic world.
At the core of this series is a family that’s formed not necessarily by blood, but brotherhood, battle and shared values. That is no more evident than in Asher Reynolds’s story. A man used to being left behind, Asher learns that he’s worth choosing, worth wanting and worth respecting. Kennedy Duchane is just the strong-willed woman to teach him that valuable lesson. Beneath their verbal clashes is an attraction neither of them wants to admit. A vulnerability that puts them on edge and forces them to acknowledge that people and situations can’t always be controlled. The question is, can they both let go of their pasts long enough to appreciate what’s right in front of them?
I hope you enjoy
Under Pressure
! If you’ve missed any of the other SEALs of Fortune books, check them out to get a glimpse into Kennedy and Asher’s history, and learn more about the family they’ve formed with Jackson Duchane, Loralei Lancaster, Knox McLemore and Avery Walsh.
I’d love to hear from you at
kirasinclair.com
, or come chat with me on Twitter,
@KiraSinclair
.
Best wishes,
Kira
Kira Sinclair
Under Pressure
Kira Sinclair
writes emotional, passionate contemporary romances. A double winner of the National Readers’ Choice Award, her first foray into writing fiction was for a high school English assignment. Nothing could dampen her enthusiasm...not even being forced to read the love story aloud to the class. Writing about sexy heroes and strong women has always excited her. She lives with her two beautiful daughters in north Alabama. Kira loves to hear from readers at
kirasinclair.com
.
Books by Kira Sinclair
Harlequin Blaze
Bring It On
Take It Down
Rub It In
The Risk-Taker
She’s No Angel
The Devil She Knows
Captivate Me
Testing the Limits
Bring Me to Life
SEALs of Fortune
Under the Surface
In Too Deep
To get the inside scoop on Harlequin Blaze and its talented writers, be sure to check out
BlazeAuthors.com
.
All backlist available in ebook format.
Visit the Author Profile page at
Harlequin.com
for more titles.
My life has been a little crazy over the past year, a roller coaster of experiences and emotions. But there are a handful of people I know I can count on to be there for me when I’m at my weakest. This book is dedicated to Andrea Laurence, Kimberly Lang, Dani Wade and Marilyn Baxter. I often feel like I’m spread thin and you guys get the shaft, but when I hit a wall and feel like I can’t keep going, just knowing you’re close pushes me to do it anyway. Love you!
Contents
Excerpt from
Ignited
by Kimberly Van Meter
(Book One of
A Wrong Bed Christmas
)
1
“
Y
OU
’
RE
MY
ONLY
OPTION
.” Sure, the words might have sounded like a plea for help, but that wasn’t how Kennedy Duchane meant them. At all.
She glared at the man in front of her, ready to use whatever means necessary to compel his cooperation. Despite being a foot shorter and roughly a hundred pounds lighter, she wasn’t opposed to dropping Asher Reynolds to his knees if that became necessary.
She had an older brother who also happened to be a former navy SEAL—he’d taught her plenty over the years.
Asher’s mouth formed a lazy smile. “Aww, cupcake, we both know that isn’t true. I’m sure the devil would be happy to fix whatever’s got your panties in a twist if you just ask nicely.”
Kennedy blinked. As far as she was concerned, Asher Reynolds
was
the devil, but she had no intention of asking him for anything, nicely or otherwise. She was demanding. He might be her boss—or one of them—but not even that was going to save him from doing what she needed this time.
Florida sunshine poured through the window at Asher’s back, gilding him in a way that was frustrating and enticing all at once. She could practically feel it warming her skin and wished she were on one of their beautiful Jacksonville beaches right now instead of in this office arguing—again—with the frustrating man.
But wishing wasn’t going to take care of the problem. Taking a deep breath, Kennedy marched the rest of the way into his office. As always, he was sprawled out, wireless keyboard in his lap, feet propped up on the corner of his desk. She had no idea how he accomplished anything. But he did.
Kennedy had to give him that, even if it did burn a little. He was brilliant at business. And, given a different set of circumstances, she would have loved to learn from him.
Knocking his black motorcycle boots off the desk, Kennedy relished the way Asher’s body rocked back in the chair as his feet connected with the floor.
“Seriously, you know you’re going to have to do this, right?”
He frowned up at her out of those moss-green eyes that had the ability to make her feel like a butterfly pinned to a board.
Plopping her butt on to the desk corner she’d just cleared, Kennedy crossed her arms over her chest and settled in. This was one fight she would not lose.
“We leave for the Bahamas tomorrow whether you like it or not.”
“Since when do you issue orders, baby girl? I’m pretty sure I’m still the one signing your paycheck.”
“Wrong, Jackson signs the paychecks, but even if you did, you’re still going. I need you on this documentary.” The words grated a little coming out of her throat, but they were true. She did need him. Desperately.
Several months ago, her brother, Jackson, had discovered a sunken Civil War ship lost for more than one hundred and fifty years. The company Jackson, Asher and Knox owned together, Trident Diving and Salvage, now had exclusive recovery rights. If the rumors of gold in the ship were true, it would put an end to their financial worries for good. In the meantime, she hoped the documentary about Trident’s discovery and salvaging of the
Chimera
would keep them in the media spotlight and bring in new clients.
“I don’t think so,” Asher drawled, his Southern accent smooth as aged whiskey. “Get one of the other guys to do it. Someone who’s actually spent time on the salvage team. Ryan, Juan, Drake.”
She was already shaking her head before he’d even gotten one name past his lips. “No, no and no. I promised the production company Jackson. I’ve already had to do some fancy footwork in order for them to accept you. Luckily, your face is rather appealing and makes up for your smart mouth.”
“Aw, shucks. You’re gonna make me blush.”
“Shut it,” Kennedy growled, knocking the pointed toe of her shoe against his shin. The tap wasn’t hard enough to even leave a mark, let alone a bruise. But she couldn’t quite suppress the small, petty spurt of satisfaction when he winced.
“I’m telling dad.” Asher mock whined.
“Go right ahead. I’m pretty sure he loves me more.”
Asher let out a huff, the first sign that he was really taking her seriously. “Jackson can leave Loralei in charge for a couple weeks.”
“You know we can’t spare either of them right now.”
It was bad timing. There was no doubt. But Kennedy couldn’t muster the energy to regret Jackson and Loralei’s newest discovery, several clustered artifacts found at the bottom of the Mediterranean. They were all salivating over the possibility that this new find could indicate a lost ancient city. Since they’d been challenged for their rights to the
Chimera
, they were taking no chances with their latest score. They had to keep it quiet until the paperwork was in place. And Jackson needed to stay at the site to protect their claim.
“What about Knox?”
Kennedy sighed, allowing herself one brief moment of disappointment before she pushed it away. Working with Knox would have been a breeze. And come with the added bonus of Avery Walsh, a nautical archeologist with years of experience.
Goddamn the flu.
“It’s you, Asher. Don’t make me call Jackson and Knox.”
As far as she could tell, they were the only people in the world who could compel Asher to do anything. Now that she thought about it, in the two years she’d known him, Kennedy had never heard him speak of any other friends or family. Trident appeared to be his entire life. The man didn’t even have a pet.