CHAPTER1
It’s a great idea. A terrific idea. He’ll jump on it right away.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that.
Rebecca “Beck” Morrissey kept repeating those lines to herself as she drove up the driveway of Hank Patterson’s ranch to the big ranch house that also housed the offices of Brotherhood Protectors. She had a proposal for him that was unique and had endless possibilities. Hank had built a great organization with Brotherhood Protectors, and she was sure this would only enhance it.
She recalled when Hank had left his SEAL brothers to deal with trouble at his ranch in Montana. He’d told her he never realized what would evolve from that. First SEALs then other Special Forces became part of a still-growing group that dealt with trouble better than anyone.
Now, Hank had two very successful setups going already: the original Brotherhood Protectors based in Montana and the offshoot in Fool’s Gold, Colorado. Former Green Berets, who had left the service and Fort Carson on a bitter note, had formed the basis for Team Trojan within the Colorado division of Hank’s Brotherhood Protectors, and it was working very well. But apparently the number of extreme bad guys was growing because the entire organization was constantly busy.
And they all thrived on doing the kind of work they’d trained for but without the politics involved.
Beck and her four friends whom she pitched this idea to wanted the same thing. They were all hoping Hank would say yes to her proposal. They had all been friends for a long time and had been involved in government agency dark ops or secret projects, so they brought a lot of experience with them. But, like her, they were ready for something new. Something where they had fewer restrictions and could choose their cases. When Beck reached out to them with her idea, they had responded with enthusiasm.
Hank will see the benefit of it.
She kept repeating it to herself as she parked her car, walked up to the house, and rang the bell.
“You made it.” Hank grinned as he opened the door. “Good. How the hell are you?” He engulfed her in a big bear hug.
“I’m terrific.” She squeezed him back. “And getting better.”
“Well, I sure am damn glad to see you. And anxious to hear about this hot idea you have.”
“Which I hope you will think is as exciting as I do.”
“I’m open to suggestion,” he told her. “Come on down to the offices. I’ve got one of the Brotherhood Protectors down there who knows you. Thought we could use his input.”
She wondered who the hell that could be. She knew a few of the men, but she didn’t think she knew any of them who might be on board with her suggestion well enough.
She followed Hank down the stairs to the offices that took up the entire basement of the ranch house.
And stopped.
Dead still.
When she saw the man lounging against one of the desks, for one brief moment she thought her heart actually stopped beating.
Holy crap!
She hadn’t seen Roman McClain for four years, and she hated the fact that her body’s reaction to him hadn’t changed a bit. One glance at him and every one of her hormones jumped up and began to dance. Heat sizzled through her, and it took every single ounce of willpower not to let it show.
She wondered what his reaction to her proposal would be because Roman McClain was the last person she’d expected to be a part of this.
Oh, this was so not good.
Roman, on the other hand, looked very comfortable. She wondered how long he’d been a part of BP.
“Hello, Beck.”
His deep voice still resonated through her and lit fires under her hormones.
Damn!
“Hey, Roman.” She cleared her throat. “Long time no see.”
He nodded. “Four years.”
She couldn’t stop staring at him. She thought she’d buried her feelings deep, but it seemed even after all this time, Roman McClain still had an incendiary effect on her.
More than six feet of well-muscled masculinity, the jawline beard he still wore accented the high cheekbones and lips that delivered scorching kisses. Kisses she still remembered after four years. Deep-blue eyes studied her from beneath thick black lashes the same ebony as his hair and beard. She remembered running her fingers through that thick hair. Feeling the scratch of his beard on her thighs. His—
Stop it! Get your act together.