Book excerpt: Risking Trust Michael Taylor is cooler than ice under pressure. As CEO of a private security company, his job means protecting those at risk. Clients pay top dollar for his team of special operatives to deal with threats. But now Michael’s the one in trouble—he’s the prime suspect in his ex-wife’s murder. To prove his innocence, Michael needs not just a few good men, but one smart woman. If she agrees to forgive him… Twelve years ago, Michael walked away from Roxann Thorgesson and never looked back. Now he’s standing in her office, accused of a heinous crime, the vulnerability in his eyes barely masking something else. Desire. The shock—and her body’s own traitorous response—shakes Roxann to the core. Still, she can’t let lust cloud her professional judgment, no matter how tempting. Michael needs her…or, rather, her newspaper to clear his name. Roxann wants to refuse, but journalistic instinct tells her there’s more to this case. Sex. Secrets. A dark and dirty cover-up leading all the way to city hall. And as the investigation brings Michael and Roxann closer together, revealing the truth threatens to rip them apart. Man Law Security consultant Vic Andrews fears nothing. Except emotional entanglements. He lives on the edge and by his own rules. Never mess with your best friend’s sister, for one. Especially when that sister is sweet and sexy goddess Gina Delgado. Vic is strictly a “no strings attached” kind of guy, and a young widow with three kids is guaranteed to tie his heart in all sorts of knots. Too bad other parts of his anatomy aren’t as easily deterred. Gina is no stranger to men like Vic. Men in love with their dangerous professions. Her firefighter husband may have been a hero, but his bravery is little comfort to Gina now. She refuses to face that kind of loss ever again. Still, a girl has needs. And Vic, with his military-hardened body and tender touch, is just the thing she needs to fulfill them. As long as they can keep things casual. But getting involved with Vic puts Gina at the risk of more than heartbreak. When Vic becomes the target of a terrorist seeking revenge, no one around him is safe. With Gina and her family in a madman’s sights, Vic will break all the rules to keep her close…and keep them all alive. Negotiating Point Gavin Sheppard can talk his way out of any situation. It’s what makes him Taylor Security’s top hostage negotiator. But he’s never had a case this complicated, or with so much at stake. The victim? His boss’s pregnant wife. The CEO won’t risk his family by calling the cops, so Gavin’s on his own. He’ll take all the help he can get, even from the agency's smart, sexy tech expert. Janet Fink codes and hacks better than the big boys. Still, as the lone woman on a team driven by testosterone, she knows nothing ruins careers faster than getting personal. And she’s already been too close to Gavin for comfort. Their last team-up ended in a mind-blowing kiss. One that can never happen again…and that she can’t forget. As the kidnappers’ demands grow, so does the heat between Gavin and Janet. They must put their skills to the test—and push aside their feelings—for a chance at success in a dangerous rescue.