Under Pressure

He can protect anything except his heart

Leese Phelps’s road hasn’t been an easy one, but it’s brought him to the perfect job—working for the elite Body Armor security agency. And what his newest assignment lacks in size, she makes up for in fire and backbone. But being drawn to Catalina Nicholson is a dangerous complication, especially since it could be the very man who hired Leese who’s threatening her.

What Catalina knows could get her killed. But who’d believe the sordid truth about her powerful stepfather? Beyond Leese’s ripped body and brooding gaze is a man of impeccable honor. He’s the last person she expects to trust—and the first who’s ever made her feel safe. And he’s the only one who can help her expose a deadly secret, if they can just stay alive long enough...

Praise for New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster

“Best friends find hunky men and everlasting love in Foster’s latest charmer.... Her no-fail formula is sure to please her fans.”

—Publishers Weekly on Don’t Tempt Me

“Foster brings her signature blend of heat and sweet to her addictive third Ultimate martial arts contemporary.”

—Publishers Weekly on Tough Love (starred review)

“Emotionally spellbinding and wicked hot.”

—New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh on No Limits

“Storytelling at its best! Lori Foster should be on everyone’s auto-buy list.”

—#1 New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon on No Limits

“Foster’s writing satisfies all appetites with plenty of searing sexual tension and page-turning action in this steamy, edgy, and surprisingly tender novel.”

—Publishers Weekly on Getting Rowdy

“Foster hits every note (or power chord) of the true alpha male hero.”

—Publishers Weekly on Bare It All

“A sexy, believable roller coaster of action and romance.”

—Kirkus Reviews on Run the Risk

“Steamy, edgy, and taut.”

—Library Journal on When You Dare

Under Pressure

Lori Foster

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Table of Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Praise

Title Page

Dear Reader

Under Pressure

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Built For Love

Dear Reader

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

Extract

Copyright

Dear Reader,

I’m so excited to introduce Body Armor, my new series, featuring some heroes who might seem familiar, plus a cast of all-new characters I hope you’ll love as much as I do.

Those of you who read Fighting Dirty, the last book in my Ultimate series, will remember Leese Phelps, the MMA contender who’d decided to apply the skills he’d honed in the MMA ring to a brand-new job as a bodyguard. In Under Pressure, Leese has become a key security agent at the Body Armor agency—but he’s about to take on his toughest assignment yet when he’s hired to protect Catalina Nicholson. Because the more time he spends unraveling Cat’s dangerous secrets, the more attracted he finds himself. Now he’s not sure what’s in more imminent danger—Cat’s life or his own heart...

I hope you enjoy Leese and Cat’s romance, plus the bonus novella “Built for Love”—about another tough, honorable hero and the woman who holds her own with him—at the end of the book. And of course, you’re always welcome to reach out to me. I’m active on most social media forums including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Goodreads, and my email address is listed on my website at www.lorifoster.com.

Happy reading!

Under Pressure

Lori Foster

CHAPTER ONE

LEESE PHELPS STOOD in the cold early evening air, his breath frosting in front of him. Lights at the nearby bus station blinked in an annoying mismatched pattern. A cascade of foil Valentine’s Day hearts hung loose, almost touching the ground. Not exactly romantic, but then, he wasn’t in a romantic mood.

Behind him, completely hidden in the shadows, his friend Justice complained, “My balls are freezing.”

Still watching the surrounding area, Leese said, “You should try wearing underwear.”

“The ladies would complain. They like me commando.”

Leese started to smile, until a shadow shifted from the right side of an alley that bisected the station from a cheap hotel. He said, “Shh.”

“This is it?” Justice whispered. “You see her?”

“Quiet.” Leese pressed farther back into the darkness, his gaze alert, his senses zinging.

A woman, small in stature, emerged dragging an enormous suitcase with a broken wheel. As it tried to pull her sideways, she relentlessly forced it through slush and blackened snow. Her narrowed gaze scanned the area with nervous awareness.

Leese didn’t move, but still her attention shot back in his direction. She stared, watchful and wary, until he stepped out.

Trying not to look threatening, Leese propped a shoulder on the brick facade of the vacated building. He glanced at her, then away, as if dismissing her.