Leverage

Leverage
Janie Crouch

He’d been hired to transport precious cargo—and it put a beautiful twist in his solitary lifeFormer operative turned pilot Dylan Branson has one mission: deliver vital codes to Omega Sector before millions of lives are lost. Surprisingly, the codes reside in the photographic memory of Shelby Keelan, a beautiful computer expert who’s so far survived two murder attempts. Used to doing things solo, Dylan will get Shelby to Washington, D.C., then walk away. So he’s stunned to discover she’s as much a loner as he is—and how much that appeals to him. Now, with both their lives in danger after his plane is sabotaged mid-air, Dylan no longer thinks of Shelby as just a job. Or that he’ll be able to let her go once it’s over.

“You hurt me, Dylan. Because what you think you want and what you really want are two different things.”

“I want you,” he whispered, backing her up against the wall. “You are what I think I want and what I really want.”

“But you might change your mind.” Shelby began to look away again.

“I am not going to change my mind.” Dylan brought his hands up on either side of her head, burrowing his fingers in her damp hair. “I hurt you, because I’m so used to pushing everyone away, and I’m sorry. You are what I want. I won’t hurt you again.”

Dylan could see the doubt in Shelby’s eyes, and it killed him. He was afraid she would pull away. But she leaned toward him, putting her lips gently against his.

He kissed her back gently. But then the hunger—the heat—that had sparked between them since the first moment they’d met flared again. And all thought of soft and gentle was left behind.

To my “Shelby”: soul mates come in all different forms, in all different seasons. Thank you for the love you radiate and helping me see the beauty in everything. May the wine of our friendship never run dry.

Leverage

Janie Crouch

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

JANIE CROUCH has loved to read romance her whole life. She cut her teeth on Mills & Boon® romance novels as a pre-teen, then moved on to a passion for romantic suspense as an adult. Janie lives with her husband and four children overseas. Janie enjoys traveling, long-distance running, movie-watching, knitting and adventure/obstacle racing. You can find out more about her at www.janiecrouch.com (http://www.janiecrouch.com).

Contents

Cover (#u45378d76-b475-5f7a-bee6-02e7c1d24fd8)

Introduction (#uff6b3abb-2753-5116-88f4-472850c07110)

Dedication (#ub37b2534-b243-5ea7-973e-b7b5895c18b7)

Title Page (#ueea43475-2624-521d-b446-4542d56b8362)

About the Author (#u4058f176-a3b0-5689-9245-36e2bb811cb8)

Chapter One (#u7c316863-b1b3-5e6f-978a-1663c456a0a6)

Chapter Two (#u39dbc14a-1036-5656-8722-c31fad746a0a)

Chapter Three (#udc2fe5c0-3d2b-517a-96ba-c87262675eed)

Chapter Four (#u1639ad1f-e9b9-561d-ab62-f69555838b4e)

Chapter Five (#u8757dd51-90de-5bd5-91f3-8c7b7a1e305c)

Chapter Six (#u0cc5038e-b5c2-5f5c-9856-5bfbaccb3afa)

Chapter Seven (#u19eab3af-6575-59c3-8621-607653394bee)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-One (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Two (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Three (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Four (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter One (#ulink_bbb59bd3-b547-583e-98a7-d43566bd8c7a)

Sometimes a man just wanted to be left alone.

Dylan Branson didn’t think that was too much to ask. He’d served his country for years, both on American soil and off, and had the scars—both physical and emotional—to show for it. But that was behind him now. Far behind him.