Raven's Quest
by Patricia Bates
Genre: Erotic Contemporary
Romance/ Romantic Suspense
After a lifetime of living in the
shadows, can Secret Agent Raven O'Connell step into the light with the Navy
SEAL who holds her heart?
Raven O'Connell is a woman with
secrets. One of the top STAR agents, she's a force to be reckoned with. When
she meets Navy SEAL Zach Richter at her best friend's wedding the sparks fly.
Zach is a man used to danger. A
seasoned soldier, he's grown accustomed to living on the edge. Getting involved
on a permanent basis wasn't something he'd ever considered…until he met Raven.
What started out as a no-strings affair quickly blossomed into more.
But can they have a future when dark
secrets and a dangerous mission pushes them into a life-threatening situation
that will cost one of them more than they ever imagined?
Content Warning: contains violence
and graphic sex
~Excerpt~
"Excuse me, won't you have a
seat? We're about to begin." The smartly dressed man hovering in the
doorway wiped his forehead, a worried look in his eyes. His fingers plucked at
his collar, adjusting it nervously.
"Thank you." Jocylin
smiled. She rested a hand on Raven's arm. "You staying?"
"I don't sit with the
family." Raven met her stare head-on. "I don't think it's right to
sit next to someone whose daughter I couldn't save."
"Then why attend the
funeral?"
"Because I have to."
Stepping by Jocylin, Raven settled next to a tall, ornate plant, her hands
tucked into the pockets of her black slacks. She hated attending these things.
Not because of the death, but because of the sense of failure. But facing the
ones who grieved a lost loved one was a small penance to pay for her sins.
* * * *
The clink of ice cubes against glass
seemed to mock Raven as she shifted, lifting her drink to her lips and sipping
the virgin concoction. It hardly seemed appropriate to be sitting amid the
revelry when she'd spent the better part of her morning mired in the grief and
rage of a family burying a child.
A band occupied the stage, their
lively beat filling the hot room. Men and women in formal wear circulated, the
mingled odors of their perfume and cologne enough to give her a migraine. In
the corner a drunken couple were too busy making out to notice the rest of the
crowd, who seemed oblivious to their antics. Raven sighed. There wasn't a lot
to be said for sitting at a table in a low lit room while her best friend
danced around with her new husband, not when she had important work to do.
Raven stared at the pair, a hint of
envy tickling her nerves. Alex wore a delicate lace gown, her curves
highlighted by the clinging material. The lust in her husband's gaze hot enough
to burn through the fancy dress. Slade looked ready to throw her on the nearest
table, his face taut, filled with hunger as he pulled her against him.
Raven swallowed past the nausea and
glanced over the crowd. A slight smile curled her lips as she appraised those
at the wedding. There was more danger in this room than any where she could
pinpoint at the moment. SEALs, STARs, as well as several other military and law
enforcement agencies, all laughed and joked. The combined firepower in the room
enough to take down a small country. She snorted under her breath. It wasn't
like there was anyone interested in such a feat. At least at the moment.
"Damn." Raven
straightened, her gaze falling on a tall, broad-shouldered man lounging against
the wall. Her fingers clenched around the glass, the faint throb of adrenaline
flaring to life, and she shrugged off the silky shawl she'd wrapped around her
shoulders.
She stood, her body humming as she
appraised him. The neat lines of his uniform hugged his massive frame, the
trousers clinging to his butt. His eyes scanned the room, taking in every
detail, every nuance, but revealed nothing. Legs braced, his arms crossed over
his chest, a glass resting on his bicep, whoever he was, he wasn't the
accountant. Arousal hit, hard, fast, burning through her reserves as she licked
her lips.
Ignoring the tiny voice of reason
screaming at her, she pasted a smile on her face and sashayed toward him, drink
in hand. Her heart throbbed with each step, and her blood heated at the quick
glance he ran over her before looking away.
"You look bored,
handsome." Raven curled her fingers over his arm, brushing against him
with her breasts. Tiny tremors of heat danced along her skin.
He turned his head, his eyes meeting
hers, the rough material of his jacket rustling against the silk of her gown.
"I hate formal events." Low, rich, the baritone rolled over her like
a wave.
She pressed closer and shivered at
the bulge behind the zipper of his pants, a wave of moisture pooling between
her legs.
"Ooh, yes." She moved a
bit closer, her fingers brushing against him. Her pulse skipped at the twitch
of interest behind the placket of his pants. "These things do leave one
with a vague disgust. I'd hoped they'd elope and we wouldn't be tortured with
this public display of affection."
"Disgust isn't the word I'd
use." He reached out to take her drink. She watched him take a sip,
catching the flare of surprise in his eyes, and Raven laughed. "Hmm, so
why are you here drinking juice?"
"I don't like alcohol."
Raven shrugged. "It clouds the mind, slows reflexes."
"True, but I don't think you're
likely to have any difficulty at Alex and Slade's wedding. And if you did,
there's enough combined training in here to…"
"Yeah, I know. Overthrow a
small country." With a quick grin she leaned closer. "But I don't see
any, uh, problem which would need the sort of training we have in abundance.
There are problems…" She brushed her breasts against him as she took her
drink back and set it aside. "Then there are problems. Perhaps I can help
you with one of yours."
"Oh?" He smiled, a slow
curl of his lips as he eyed her, heat flaring with each blatant sweep of his
gaze.
Raven tugged on his tie. "Yes,
sir. Why, it has to be hard on a person to have such a rigid package. Let's see
if I can help out. After all, it's the neighborly thing to do."
~About the Author~
Currently I have over 20 books under
contract under my own name and under my pen name Elise Whyles in multiple genres. My goals this year are simple to
continue putting out stories my readers love, books they can relate to and
characters they can identify with. For the full list of my books please check
out my books page.
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