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Subject: Lt. Commander Mark Sampson
Mission: Keep his eyes on the skies...despite one sexy distraction!
There are things a man can never undo. For Coast Guard search and rescue pilot Mark Sampson, it was the agonizing decision that cost him a teammate—and his faith in himself. But an unbelievably sexy blonde on a secluded beach may help him forget...if only for a night.
Cassie Rowe needed a distraction—and, boy, did she get one! How was she to know the brooding stranger who rocked her world was the pilot who’d left her brother to die? And now they’re on the same mission. She should hate him. But she can’t fight the storm of desire threatening to pull them under...
“I can’t let you on my aircraft,” Mark said.
“Stop trying to control me. I won’t be meek Cassie again.”
He wanted her to be bold, too. How could he argue against that?
Bending his head, he found the beat of her pulse and he brushed his lips against it. “What if we forget everything else for tonight and just...”
Her lips curled into a sexy, sassy smile, then she shouted a challenge and took off. Her long hair flew behind her as she raced down to the water, and excitement surged and he sprinted after her.
Just before she reached the water, he grabbed her waist and swung her around. Their laughter rang out, then faded when he turned her in his arms and lowered her slowly along the length of his body, feeling every luscious inch of her.
He placed his hands around her face and pulled it gently to him. “You’re not meek,” he whispered against her mouth.
“What am I, then?”
“Mine,” he groaned, and his mouth captured hers. He didn’t know if he could protect her from the storm tomorrow, but he could shelter her tonight, comfort her the only way he knew how...
Everyone has dealt with loss. Sometimes we face it head-on. Other times, it’s so far down, we deny ourselves the chance to ever fully heal. But generally when we’re forced to deal with our regrets—and we always are—the path to understanding, acceptance and forgiveness isn’t as unpassable as we expect. When someone truly loves us, they open our hearts and help us to let go of a dark past to embrace a brighter future. Suddenly we see that we have so much to live for, starting with the person who wouldn’t give up on us, who believed, even when we didn’t, that we were worthy of happiness and love. Together.
As you can imagine, that road isn’t an easy one to travel for LCDR Mark Sampson and Cassie Rowe, RN. The grieving nurse and the tortured USCG pilot she blames for her brother’s loss can’t resist their combustible passion during their hurricane mission. But will they find the closure and healing they need in each other’s arms and make it through the storm at last?
I hope you enjoy His to Protect. Be sure to look for my next Uniformly Hot! novel, book two in my USCG No Defenses series, At His Command, in spring 2017. I’d love to hear from you at karenrock.com. or come chat with me on Twitter, @KarenRock5 or Facebook, at Facebook.com/karenrockwrites.
Best wishes,
Karen
His to Protect
Karen Rock
KAREN ROCK is an award-winning young adult and adult contemporary author. She holds a master’s degree in English and worked as an ELA instructor before becoming a full-time author. Most recently, her Harlequin Heartwarming novels have won the 2015 National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award and the 2015 Booksellers’ Best Award. When she’s not writing, Karen loves scouring estate sales, cooking and hiking. She lives in the Adirondack Mountain region with her husband, daughter and Cavalier King Charles spaniels. Visit her at karenrock.com.
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This book is dedicated to the top emergency-response unit in the world, the USCG Air and Sea Rescue personnel. They routinely put the lives of others before their own, applying intense physical and mental training to challenging real-world situations where there’s often no margin for error. These brave men and women embody the courage of America’s Coast Guard, readily going into harm’s way to complete their rescue missions in some of the most extreme environments imaginable.
Our world is a safer place because of their selflessness, dedication and bravery. They personify the Coast Guard’s motto, Semper Paratus, “Always Prepared.” I’m deeply grateful for their sacrifice and inspired by their service. Special thanks to CDR Bill Friday, USCG Jayhawk pilot and trainer, who gave me incredible insight and provided intimate details into the rigors of this challenging profession.
Contents
Chapter 5
Chapter 6