Excerpt: His To Protect by Karen Rock
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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…
Excerpt
Suddenly, warm water rushed across Cassie’s feet and over her ankles. She gasped and stepped closer to shore then stopped when Mark’s arm came around her. He turned her toward him. Her hands landed on his lean waist, her fingers grazing his contracting stomach muscles beneath the crisp cotton of his T-shirt.
“I didn’t think the water came up this far.”
“The tide’s rising.” His voice was thick, distracted, as heat flared in his eyes.
“Oh,” she mumbled, her mouth dry, her body warm.
He reached out and stroked her hair, his gaze full of promise and something more. “Are you sure you want to keep going?”
She understood what he was asking her. Appreciated that he’d given her some time to think. To be certain about the attraction and where it was headed.
But even with the fresh air to clear her thoughts, she still wanted him. Still craved the chance to feel all that warm male strength around her before she embarked on the most dangerous adventure of her life.
“Absolutely.” She slid her hand up his abdomen, teasing the hard ridges that moved and shifted beneath her touch. His chest rose sharply when her fingers rested on his pecs. Exhilaration forked through her.
“Cassie,” he groaned, stepping closer so that her feet brushed his in the shifting sand.
She rose on her toes and cupped her hands around the base of his neck, pulling his mouth to hers.
Bodies fusing at the same moment as their lips, nerve endings fired faster than the incoming tide. Hip to hip, breast to chest, her body curved into his, molding around all that hard, hot muscle. Pleasure tingled along her nerve endings, making her wriggle closer and sigh into his kiss.
She felt a low groan vibrate through his chest, but she didn’t hear it, the rush of waves drowning out everything else. Her breath caught at the back of her throat, her senses heightened. Every facet of the kiss imprinted itself on her consciousness, burrowing into her memory as if it would never leave.
He placed his hands on either side of her temples and kissed her gently, easing back ever so slightly. He traced her lips slowly with his tongue, then sucked on her lower lip in a way that made tension coil between her thighs. She wanted him. Wanted this.
About the Author
Award-winning author Karen Rock is both sweet and spicy—at least when it comes to her writing! The author of both YA and adult contemporary books writes red-hot novels for Harlequin Blaze and small-town romances for Harlequin Heartwarming. A strong believer in Happily-Ever-After, Karen loves creating unforgettable stories that leave her readers with a smile.
She enjoys returning to her teaching roots when speaking at regional and national writing conferences and interacting with other writers. She has a Master of Fine Arts in English and has continued to learn and grow professionally through her work with YA co-author, fellow romance author, friend and sister-in-law, Joanne Rock.
When she’s not writing, Karen is an avid reader who’s typically immersed in three different books at a time, all in different genres. She also loves cooking her grandmother’s Italian recipes, baking, Christmas (no need to specify—she loves every bit of it), and having the Adirondack Park wilderness as her backyard, where she lives with her husband, daughter, dog and cat who keep her life interesting and complete..
