Redeeming Her SEAL (ASSIGNMENT: Caribbean Nights Book 9) Read Free Page A

was the right plan. For now.
    “Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist asked pleasantly.
    “He doesn’t.” Audra’s voice sliced through the air from behind him. “But it’s okay.”
    Charlie’s blood heated instantly despite the certainty that he’d been braced for this.
    He turned. Audra stood just inside the glass door, not one red hair out of place and a frozen smile on her face. The dress she wore covered everything, but that didn’t matter when he knew exactly what that angular body underneath looked like. Gorgeous. Miles of creamy legs. A slick, delicious center that he could instantly taste. Flashes of her breasts heaving as she came stormed through his mind at the same moment a swirl of emotions he couldn’t sort fast enough clutched his lungs.
    Dear God. He’d have sworn he’d ordered all of this in his head, at least well enough to be in her presence. But he hadn’t realized how much the sight of her would hurt deep down where he couldn’t touch the ache. Why did the memories have to be so sharp? It had been two years since the last time he’d seen her in person.
    “Follow me to my office,” she said and swept past him in a cloud of perfume he didn’t recognize, which tripped a landmine he hadn’t expected.
    Given to her by her boyfriend? If things had gone as he’d have preferred, he’d be privy to every last detail of her life, and instead, they were virtual strangers. Who’d spent two glorious weeks together exploring each other’s souls as they learned each other’s bodies.
    Had that meant nothing to her? Her expression still hadn’t shifted from the frozen half smile, as if she’d stumbled over a slightly crazy relative she had to be nice to but didn’t really like.
    He waited to respond until they’d entered the elevator and the doors slid closed. “I’m not a trained dolphin.”
    That was the best he could do? Moron . But being this close to her without having the right to touch her, without having the right to demand answers for why Anderson , of all people—surely this was the definition of madness.
    “No one said you were.” Monotone. Her gaze never drifted from the smudge on the shiny panel in front of her. “Would it have made this easier if I’d said please?”
    “No,” he fairly growled and cursed himself for admitting that much. And for letting her get to him when she was so obviously unaffected by the bristly vibe between them that was so palpable it was nearly a third presence in the elevator.
    He’d ended things between them. Didn’t she want to know why? Didn’t she care what had prompted his crappy breakup text message? She’d been the one to suggest that he go back to Iraq for his final tour with no promises between them, and eight months later Abu Al-Khaseeb had happened, forever altering him. He’d pounced on that out, figuring she’d at least understand. Figuring it would give her an opportunity to move on with the least amount of baggage from his inability to come home whole.
    Didn’t matter. He had a mess with his company to fix, and that had to stay forefront. The secrets in his black box would stay there where they belonged.
    Her office was small but clearly functional. Papers covered her desk, and a corded phone peeked out from the mess. Three sets of snorkeling equipment lay in a haphazard heap in the lone visitor’s chair. His fingers itched to organize the chaos. “Housekeeper’s day off?”
    Audra shut the door with a click. “What do you want, Charlie?”
    Apparently they were going to jump right into it with no hi, how-are-yous . He turned to face her since she hadn’t bothered to come into the room. “Where should I start?”
    Calmly, she stared him down, hands trapped behind her back against the door. “We don’t have to do this. I’m not helping Jared develop Ilhota Rosa into a resort.”
    “I’m aware. What I want to know is why not? Seems like the woman screwing Anderson would have every reason to stay in his