Over the years, Storm North has witnessed two teams of Navy SEALs under his command find true love. He doesnβt expect the same for himself. Heβs too old. Too jaded. Too set in his ways. Until a woman whoβs been right in front of him for years manages to impress Storm in a way very few womenβor menβever have.
Jane Hamilton knows itβs ridiculous to have a crush on the charismatic and handsome admiral. Sheβs the divorced mother of a twenty-six-year-old daughter. Too old for crushes. Too old for a lot of things. Thereβs no chance sheβll ever catch the eye of a man like Storm North.
Until someone delivers a bomb to the base.
As the civilian contractor in charge of the mail room, Jane finds herself in the direct line of fire, enduring a series of events that leads to a budding relationship with the very man sheβs been longing for. She couldnβt be happier, and Storm feels the same.
The only one unhappy, in fact, is the thwarted bomber. Unhappy enough to do something drastic. Now Storm and Jane have to work together to save innocent sailorsβand themselvesβfrom an explosive situation threatening their happily ever after.
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Susan Stoker comes a new story in her SEAL of Protection: Legacy Series.Β SECURING JANE is out Tuesday, but you can read an excerpt now below!
Jane shivered, and Storm mustβve felt it because he squeezed her hips reassuringly.
Then the rear admiral changed the subject. βYour teamβs getting home soon, right?β
βYeah, tomorrow night if everything goes well,β Storm told him.
βI expect you to take at least forty-eight hours off,β Dag said sternly.
Storm opened his mouth to protest, but the rear admiral cut him off. βNo buts. I know youβve got other teams and things to do, but youβve been burning the candle at both ends lately. Take the time off. Sleep. Relax. Read a damn book. I donβt care what you do, but I donβt want to hear youβve been at the office. Understand?β
βYes, Sir,β Storm said.
Dag chuckled. βMost people would be pleased to get time off.β
βI am,β Storm insisted. βThereβs nothing Iβd like better than to spend time with Jane.β
βGood,β Dag said. βI just wish it was under better circumstances.
βAs far as Iβm concerned, thereβs nothing I want to do more than hang out with Jane and make sure whoever is behind this bomb doesnβt get a second chance to cause havoc.β
His words made Jane feel good. She didnβt like keeping him from work, but she loved that he wasnβt upset about taking work off to spend with her.
βItβs not easy dating a sailor,β Dag said, looking at Jane again, βbut I can guarantee that even when Stormβs not with you, heβs probably thinking about you. I know thatβs how I feel about my Brenae. Iβll leave you two then.β
βYouβll let me know if you get any leads on the bomber?β Storm asked, standing up and reaching out to shake Dagβs hand as Jane stood as well.
βOf course,β the rear admiral said. Then he nodded at Storm and Jane and turned and left the office, closing the door behind him as he went.
Storm being Storm, he didnβt hesitate to act. He turned to her and wrapped one arm around her waist, and the other snuck into the hair at her nape. He pulled her into him, and Jane could feel every inch of his hard body against hers. She flushed, wondering if this was even allowedβ¦an officer consorting with a contractor in his office.
But the door was shut, and it was just the two of them.
βTomorrow night is Friday,β he said quietly.
βI know,β Jane said with a small frown.
βApparently Iβve got the weekend off. After my men arrive home and we finish the debrief, Iβm free for forty-eight hours.β
βGood. You need the break,β she said.
βIβd like to spend that time with you,β Storm said. βAs much of it as youβll give me.β
Jane wasnβt sure what he was asking, but she was more than willing to agree. βOkay.β
βJust like that?β he asked.
Jane nodded. βYeah. Iβm not into games. I like you, Storm. I want to spend time with you. Get to know you better. I know itβs not usual for you to have so much time off, so Iβm okay with being greedy and wanting to hoard it all for myself.β
He grinned. βGood. Weβve had two dates,β he reminded her.
βYouβre counting that lunch the other day as a date too?β she asked with a smile.
βAbsolutely. And you told me before we had dinner you donβt kiss on the first date, but what about the third?β
Jane couldnβt help but smile. βI mightβ¦with the right man.β
He smiled back then said, βI didnβt mean to jump the gun earlier. It was instinctive. I saw you, and you were such a bright light in my exhaustion that I acted without thinking and kissed you.β
βYou think that was a kiss?β Jane sassed.
His smile grew.
βIβll have you know, Storm North, that a small peck on the lips isnβt a real kiss in my book. Iβm gonna want a true kiss on our third date,β she told him, feeling braver than sheβd ever felt before. Sheβd wanted this man forever, and sheβd be damned if she acted like a shy ninny and let her heartβs desire slip through her fingers. Sheβd learned over the years that if she wanted something, she had to work her ass off for it.
βNoted,β he said with such a look of desire on his face, it made her want to attack him right then and there. βSo you wonβt mind if I give you another peck, as you called it, before you leave to go back to work? Since that doesnβt count?β
βNo,β Jane told him, holding her breath in anticipation.
He leaned toward her ever so slowly, his gaze not leaving hers. Jane couldnβt keep her eyes open, closing them seconds before his lips touched her forehead. Then he kissed her nose. Then her cheeksβ¦
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