Under His Protection (Protect and Defend 1)

Please enjoy the following excerpts from Karen Erickson’s books.

ON BORROWED SERVICE (Protect and Defend, Book 2)

COMING SUMMER 2012

© 2012 by Karen Erickson

A controversial town hall meeting has turned police officer Caitlin Hanson’s hometown into a national hub. The politicians have taken over, accompanied by the ever present media, but it’s too much for her local force to handle.

Working security detail alongside the Secret Service, Caitlin realizes one of them is awfully familiar. A shame that summer relationship she had with gorgeous Joe Connor had to end so spectacularly bad or else she’d be tempted to give it another go.

She doesn’t count on Agent Connor to be so persistent—or so incredibly sexy. Their passionate bickering soon leads into something else. But with threats being made against those he’s supposed to protect, Joe needs to be on top of his game more than ever…

ON BORROWED SERVICE Excerpt:

“There’s no way I can work with you.” Caitlin started past him but Joe reached out, his strong fingers encircling her arm in an attempt to stop her.

“You don’t have a choice.” His touch was firm yet light enough to give her the false sense that she had the strength to pull away.

She so didn’t. The son of a bitch had such a firm grip on her, no way could she escape. “Let me go.”

“No.” His deep voice sent a ripple of…something down her spine and she fought like hell to ignore it with everything she had. “We need to talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” Lifting her chin, she glared at him.

He glared back. “Are you going to treat me like shit the entire time we have to work together?” Joe drew her closer, so close she could see the golden flecks in his dark blue eyes, could feel the heat from his body radiating toward her. A shiver whispered down her spine at his nearness. “Are you still making me pay for something that happened a long ass time ago?”

“Bastard.” She yanked out of his hold, rubbed her arm where he’d touched her, her skin still tingling from the press of his fingers. “Why would you bring that up?”

“Because you did first.”

“I never said anything about—” She couldn’t bring herself to say it. Hadn’t really thought about it—him—in years but one glimpse of Joseph Connor’s fine face brought all those old memories flooding back.

Both the good ones and the bad ones.

“—about our past,” she finished lamely.

The skepticism in his narrowed eyes was clear. He didn’t believe her whatsoever. “You didn’t have to say anything. Your body language spoke volumes.”

“We were kids. I’m not about to let our teenage-romance-gone-bad effect me.” She shrugged. “I can be civil.”

“Can you, Red?” His voice lowered to a dangerous level, as in dangerously sexy.

“Can you really?”

Caitlin clamped her lips together, silently fuming. No one had called her that in years. No doubt he said it on purpose to provoke, that was his usual style. She refused to let him get to her. “I’m not the same stupid girl you dumped all those years ago.”

“No.” He chuckled. “You are most definitely not.” He let his gaze do a slow perusal of her, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Her skin warmed, as if he’d physically touched her and she knew she should be furious.

But that appreciative glow in his eyes banished the anger clean out of her.

ON BORROWED SERVICE, Book 2 in the Protect and Defend series, coming this summer!

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MELT WITH YOU (Fated, Book 4)

© 2011 by Karen Erickson