Abducted: Reconnaissance Team (Texas Rangers: Special Ops Book 1) Read Free

man on her right, then started across the room.  
    Liz smiled and kept her gaze on Larissa as she whispered to Adam, “You get me through this night and there’s a bonus in it for you.” 
    “Is it the bonus we discussed earlier?”
    “Earlier—” She jerked her gaze onto his face. “I told you, I don’t rob the cradle, nor do I mix business with pleasure. Understand?”
    “Yes, ma’am,” he drawled. “No business with pleasure. I’ll be sure to keep them separate.” 
    Liz blinked and wondered whether he had noticed her reaction to him a moment ago. Dammit, she had no one but herself to blame for that. Before she could say more, Larissa reached them and extended her arms.
    “Darling,” she said with the barest hint of a Russian accent. 
    Liz shot Adam a quelling look as Larissa pulled her into a cheek hug.
    * * *
    Ben kept his expression casual. He didn’t typically like surprises, but Liz Monahan as his date and Texas’ most wanted human traffics dealer showing up in El Paso tonight were two surprises he could live with. It looked like he wasn’t going to have to go snooping around the Remmey’s mansion, after all, to discover their connection to Carlos Sanchez. He could go straight to Sanchez. If he could get the man alone.
    Liz slipped her hand through the crook of Ben’s arm. Before he could corner Sanchez, he’d have to slip away from Liz Monahan. He shifted his attention and found himself staring straight down her cleavage. He jerked his gaze up as Larissa said, “So this is the dress we’ve all been waiting to see.” The older woman nodded approval.
    Liz laughed, low and sensual, and Ben’s groin surprised him by giving a hard salute. He hadn’t been this intensely affected when he’d met Laura five years ago. He’d been crazy about her, had even considered marriage. But after two years of dating, he still wasn’t home enough to ask her to marry into an empty house, and she simply fell out of love with him.
    Staying closer to home won’t be a problem with Liz.
    The thought brought him up short. He’d thought about her a lot these last two days, but when had he decided he wanted to spend more time at home with a woman? Liz released his arm and Ben resisted the impulse to grasp her hand and put it back. Tonight was about business—for both of them—and he couldn’t afford to let her get in his way.
    “I doubt you’ve been waiting all season to see a Nina Bruno design,” she said to Larissa.
    “On the contrary,” Larissa replied. “Your lineup last year was impressive. I’ve been watching you, as have others. I’m intrigued by the fact you chose to wear the debut dress yourself. Very bold. The leather top fits you to perfection—or I should say, you fill it out to perfection.”
    Pink tinged Liz’s cheeks. “We use the gifts given us,” she said.  
    “And why not?” Larissa said. She turned to Ben. “And who is this luscious thing?” 
    “Mrs. Remmey, meet Adam Billings,” Liz said. “Adam—” 
    “No introductions are necessary,” he cut in. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Remmey.” 
    Larissa’s eyes lit with pleasure. “Ohh, a charmer.” She stepped closer and curved her fingers around his arm. “I think you’ll be my pet for the evening.”  
    “Pet for the evening?” a female voice said.
    Even as Ben registered the familiar voice, the speaker stepped into view. He froze. The last person he expected to see was Assistant DA Sheila Antonio. He couldn’t allow her to discover that Carlos Sanchez occupied the same room with her.
    Ben snapped from a brain freeze and said, “You’re Sheila Antonio.” He extended a hand. “Adam Billings. I’m a big fan.” 
    Her brows lifted in an expression of polite curiosity. She slid her hand into his and gave a hard squeeze, intended to remind him of their last encounter.
    He felt the curious gazes of Liz and Mrs. Remmey and flashed his most charming grin. “You made big news last year when you