This week’s featured book is from my buddy up in New York, Cat Johnson. She’s such a doll and one heck of a writer. I’m rather partial to her cowboys. But guess what?! She writes hot military men too.
Exhibit A: SAVED BY A SEAL (Hot SEALs Book 2)
Zane Alexander was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but the rebellious bad boy traded it, along with his share of the family fortune, for a Navy SEAL trident and freedom from his controlling father.
Ten years later, Zane’s teammates are depending on him to secure the startup capital they need to open their security company and he’s gambling on his skills at covert operations to get it. For a million dollars he’ll fake interest in Missy Greenwood, the Senator’s daughter his father wants him to date in exchange for the investment.
When Missy is kidnapped and Zane and his team are sent to Nigeria to rescue her, there’s no more faking when the danger and the emotions turn very real.
EXCERPT
Through the dark lenses of his sunglasses, Zane surveyed the passersby streaming past the outdoor café table where he sat.
The sidewalk was busy, since it was midday. The temperature was moderate for winter, and the sun was warm enough he’d chosen to sit outside to wait.
Would he recognize Missy? Maybe. Probably. He doubted she’d changed all that much in ten years except for the removal of the braces that had been on her teeth last he’d seen her.
He’d arrived early on purpose. He liked to get the lay of the land before going in. Dating was no different than a mission in that way. He leaned back in the café chair to wait, wondering if having coffee would count as a date in his father’s eyes.
If he didn’t get recalled, he should probably take her to dinner, just to be safe. A little insurance against any sneaky shit George might try.
Glancing at the screen of his cell on the table, he confirmed there were no messages. Not from Missy. Not from the guys either since he had already talked to Jon on the drive over to visit briefly with his mother.
Most importantly, there was no message from command. He might just get this required first date out of the way yet. If Missy wasn’t fashionably late, that was,
“Zane.” A voice behind him brought his attention around.
He turned to see her smiling and looking the same and yet very different. “Missy. Hello. It’s good to see you.”
Zane stood and reached out to take her hands in his while he leaned in to kiss her cheek. While doing so he didn’t miss the sophistication and maturity a decade had given her. She looked more like her mother than ever, with her large designer sunglasses and expensive cashmere coat.
But the light, cool breeze that turned her cheeks pink and rustled the blond waves brushing her shoulders made her look like the teenager he’d known from the past. So did the genuine warmth in her smile.
She squeezed his hands and Zane felt the chill in her fingers. “We can go inside to sit if you’d like. It’s too cool out here for you.”
“Actually, if you wouldn’t mind, could we get coffee to go?” she asked. “I kind of wanted to take a walk around the shopping center and see what’s here.”
Zane’s brows rose with surprise. This shopping center? The strip mall filled with discount shops? “Sure. We can definitely grab something to go, if you prefer.”
If Zane wasn’t very aware that just the clothes on Missy’s back cost as much as his military pay for a single pay cycle, Missy’s strange request to check out the stores in the strip mall would have him wondering if the Greenwoods were having money problems.
Then again, maybe Missy was more like him than he’d assumed. Maybe she’d traded her access to the family fortune in exchange for freedom too.
Either way, her request upped the interest factor on a date he’d assumed would bore him to death.
