Army MP Janey Foster has been burned before, so when Captain Jake Turner asks her out it’s easy to turn him down. He’s against all her rules. No officers. No one who jumps out of helicopters for a living. No sex on the first date. But when she runs into him at the local hot spot, can she resist?

Jake isn’t about to let her walk away from the best thing that’s ever happened to either of them, but can he convince her they’re perfect for each other or will he have to let her go?

Available now at Cobblestone Press

“Running away?”

Reluctant to face him, she turned around in slow increments, saw him leaning against a lamp post with his arms crossed over his chest, and tried to ignore the way her heart pounded when he looked her over with a possessive gleam in his gaze. He slowly straightened and approached, as if afraid she’d bolt. She was half tempted to, but the feral, dominant look in his eyes froze her in place, and not in a scary way. Her insides quivered, and lust surged through her veins.

“No.” She forced herself to answer, trying to inject a confident tone to her voice but failing miserably. She heard the tremble, the uncertainty in it, and so did he, she was sure. He stopped in front of her and lifted his hand, rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. She swallowed through a dry throat. “I’m not up for a party tonight. I’m just going to go home and crash.”

His nostrils flared, pupils widened. She could have kicked herself…definitely not the right thing to say. Would he take it as an invitation? Was it an invitation?

His hand moved to cup the side of her neck, his fingers stroking soft circles that made her toes curl in anticipation. “Alone?”

“Yes.”

She clenched her jaw, ignoring the breathiness, the invitation in her voice. He leaned in, his mouth connecting to hers in the barest brush, the lightest graze. Longing for more, she titled her head and opened her lips under his. Her tongue darted out to trace the corners of his mouth. He groaned, and the hand on her neck tightened convulsively before he hauled her up hard against him. His other hand pressed against the small of her back, forcing her closer. He ground an impressive erection against her stomach. Ready and raring to go.

She reached up to grip his shoulders, hold him close, and angled her face to intensify the kiss. Her tongue pushed into his mouth, meeting his, and he seemed to snap. He took control, inhaled her, commanded her. She ground her pelvis against his, wished he’d reach for her aching nipples. Abruptly, he broke away and put a few feet between them. She felt the loss like a punch in the gut and took a step toward him, but he shook his head, warning her off.

“Not in the parking lot.”

Horrified, she looked around. She’d been all over him, a stranger, where anyone could see. Hell, she didn’t even know his first name!

“Come on. My truck’s over here. Let’s go home, baby.”

He held his hand out to her. She looked at it as if it were a snake, ready to strike, dismayed at how tempted she was.

“No.” She shook her head to emphasize the point. “I don’t even know your name. I don’t do this kind of thing. And you…” She groped for another excuse. “Jump out of helicopters for living.”

He grinned. “Well, at least we’re past the officer objection. And it’s not really jumping remember? It’s rappelling.”

That mouth did something to her—even when it wasn’t doing anything to her. Could she say no? Did she want to say no?

“And it’s Jake.”

He stepped closer to her, lifting his hand and grazing his knuckles down the side of her face. She wasn’t sure if it was the feather-soft contact or the carnal look in his eyes that made her knees knock, but she knew she wasn’t saying no. She’d never felt an attraction like this before, and she wanted like hell to explore it. She wondered if she was crazy, pretty sure the Army wasn’t currently employing any axe murderers, and took a deep breath.

Unfortunately, that made things worse, lifting her breasts to brush against his chest and pulling his scent deep into her lungs. He smelled so good she did it again, trying to figure out what it was in the mix that was sexy and comforting at the same time. Masculine, musky, a hint of after-shave. She leaned forward, resting her lips on his neck, and swirled her tongue over his skin, wondering if he tasted as good as he smelled. He moaned and gripped her hips, holding her in place while she continued the exploration with her tongue, learning his skin, the taste and feel.

Her fingers curled in his shirt, more to hold herself upright than to keep him close, but when a sudden burst of laughter sounded behind them, she let go and pulled back with a start. Damn it, she’d jumped him again in the parking lot. Instead of letting her go, this time he kept an arm around her waist and led her down the row of parked vehicles. They stopped at the passenger door of a big truck. He turned her to face him, smiling as he studied her, but it didn’t reach his eyes. They were intense, pinched a little around the edges.

He stopped her when she lifted a hand to smooth away the tension, pulling one of her fingers into his mouth and sucking gently. Her chest tightened, her stomach fluttered, and she shifted closer. She wanted him with an intensity that surprised her. Preferably naked. In a bed. She pulled her hand away, arched an eyebrow. “We can’t stay here.”