Passion ignites after office hours in this installment of the ICE: Black Ops Defenders miniseries
Bullets whizzed past as Ryan Reitano and Avery Meadows escaped into the night. How could Ryan have suspected Avery of being the mole inside ICE? It was true she was no ordinary secretary. The way she used her wits and her lethal stiletto heels against the gunmen pursuing them astonished the jaded agent. And that killer body heâd somehow never noticed beforeâ¦
Too bad there wasnât time to explore the possibilities. With Chiaraâs men hot on their trail, capturing the mercenary was more than just a mission for Ryan. He had his own reasons for wanting the criminal dead. But with his surprisingâand utterly enchantingânew partner, perhaps thereâd be a chance for romance laterâ¦if they survived.
âHold onâare we in some sort of danger?â
Looking into Averyâs wide eyes, Ryan let a wry chuckle escape his throat. He removed her hands from his lapels and held her wrists. âRight now I canât decide if youâre honestly that clueless or if youâre the worldâs best liar.â
She jerked away from his grip as if heâd burned her. Another twinge of regret jolted through him. He forced himself to remember it was a good sign, that feeling. It meant he had at least a shred of humanity left in him, which was saying something after all heâd seen and done in his life.
âI donât understand,â she said. âI thought you were conducting routine surveillance tonight, nothing dangerous. Otherwise, the whole team wouldâve been here toââ
In time with the pounding bass from the ballroom, a booming shot rang out nearby. A second shot followed before he could react, lodging in the wall behind Avery. She shrieked.
Ryan pushed her ahead of him down the stairs as he retrieved his S&W .45. âChange of plans. How fast can you run?â
Dear Reader,
I love secret-agent movies and books, always have. From the larger-than-life action scenes and exotic locations to the even more spectacular heroes (hello, James Bond). Secret Agent Secretary features a Bond-worthy hero in ICE agent Ryan Reitano, who is ICE office secretary Avery Meadowsâs tall, dark and drool-worthy office crushâ¦and the only man who can keep her alive after she inadvertently plows into the middle of Ryanâs covert op to catch an international criminal mastermind.
Like me, Avery Meadows loves all things secret agent, but she takes her devotion a step further. Okay, several steps further. Itâs the reason she became an ICE agency secretary and why her cats are namedâ¦well, youâll have to read on to find out what she names her cats. By the end of Avery and Ryanâs story, youâre going to covet your own gadget watch and maybe even consider building your own secret lair. And youâre definitely going to want a smooth operator like Ryan Reitano to blaze into your life and whisk you away for a lifetime of adventure and true love.
Happy reading!
Melissa
MELISSA CUTLER
is a flip-flop-wearing Southern California native living with her husband, two rambunctious kids and two suspicious cats in beautiful San Diego. She divides her time between her dual passions for writing sexy, small-town contemporary romances and edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense. Find out more about Melissa and her books at www.melissacutler.net, or drop her a line at [email protected].
This book is dedicated to my two favorite secretaries:
Joanie, my inspiration for the story,
and my mom, Loutrisha, who taught me that if you want to succeed in life, always be nice to the secretaries.
Chapter 1
The ICE Agency office was decidedly free of gadgets. Avery had known that in advance of accepting the secretarial position six years ago, but in her enthusiasm over the job offer, sheâd overlooked the details that didnât sync up with her lifelong dream to work in national security. Besides, no covert ops agency displayed their gadgets in plain sight. Everyone knew gadgets belonged in the basement.
She still adored her job even though she had yet to stumble upon a secret basement, but she couldâve seriously used a gadget tonight, some sort of mechanical arm or miniature grappling hook or the like. The problem was that she wasnât flexible enough, nor were her fingers long enough, to grasp the zipper of her party dress.
In the office restroom, she spun in a circle, her body torqued at an odd angle, reaching for the zipper that was stuck in the middle of her back. Then it hit her that she was acting more like a dog chasing its tail than a single girl ready to dance her way into the New Year.
After giving up, she marched to her desk and flounced into her chair, chewing the lip gloss off her bottom lip in irritation. She shouldâve taken Kristen up on her offer to primp at her house. Granted, that wouldâve been awkward now that Kristen and Charlie were newlyweds, but at least she wouldâve saved herself from engaging in a wrestling match with the slinky pink dress sheâd spent half her paycheck on.