Nanny (36 page)

He checked the floor with every movement, turning her at the same time so he could make a careful sweep. If the animal was here, it had to be guarded at all cost. Hawk was fully prepared to give his life to guarantee its safety.

Something stabbed him hard in his side, just below his rib. He grunted at the sudden wave of agony, and in a second she shot past him.

She was struggling with the front door when he caught up with her, gripping her mouth and shoving her against the wall. “Where?” he growled.

She didn't answer, fighting him furiously.

“Where is the
animal,
damn it?”

Somehow she had managed to wedge one bare foot in the open door. Down the hall Hawk saw two men approaching. The damned female was going to create a scene, and that was the last thing the government needed.

“Move your foot out of the door,” he said quietly. “Otherwise, I start breaking small bones.”

His arm circled her throat as he pinned her to the wall. The towel fell as she continued to fight wildly, slamming him in the rib with her elbow.

So she'd been briefed on his weak points.

His arm tightened, cutting off her air. Hawk spun her back against the wall, holding her in place with his body while she made angry, muffled threats.

But her foot was still wedged in the door, and the two men were getting closer.

She was bordering on hysteria now, thrashing wildly, and Hawk saw his options dwindling fast.

That left him only one choice.

His fingers feathered along her collarbone, moving fast and expertly. Then they tightened. Three seconds later she stopped fighting him.

Five seconds later she was sliding down the wall, out cold.

“Christina Skye expertly weaves sizzling romance and suspense in this lightning-paced tale of intrigue.”
—Tess Gerritsen, author of
Body Double

“With Christina Skye, it's all about the thrill. . . . And her hot, sexy Navy SEAL is to die for!”
—Carly Phillips,
New York Times
bestselling author

“What a heroine! What a hunk! What an incredibly good book!” —Lori Foster,
New York Times
bestselling author of
The Secret Life of Bryan

The driver eyed her in the mirror. “Haven't seen you before.”

Summer made a noncommittal sound as she rolled down her window and nudged off one black high heel, which was pinching her toes badly.

“You don't look like you're from Hol-ly-wood. Don't sound much like one of those airheads from Washington, D.C., either. Too normal for a damned reporter.” He continued to study her, putting some thought into it. “Odd thing is, I can't say
what
you look like.”

Which is part of the reason I'm so good at my job,
Summer thought. She opened her door and hefted her suitcase, which was full of navy suits and dark shoes just like the ones she was wearing. In her particular line of work, plain and inconspicuous were decisive job assets.

She decided a little gossip wouldn't hurt her assignment. Bending close to the window, she nodded at the driver. “Sharp eyes.”

“So, what are you?”

Summer tucked her briefcase under her arm and smiled. “I'm the new nanny.”

About the Author

Award-winning author Christina Skye lives on the western slope of the McDowell Mountains in Arizona.
CODE NAME: NANNY
is her eighteenth novel. She holds a doctorate in classical Chinese literature and has traveled ten times to the Orient. Her favorite things are desert wildflowers after a spring storm, lightning in the high country, and a good ghost story. Be sure to visit her online at
www.christinaskye.com
.

Also by Christina Skye

Hot Pursuit

My Spy

Going Overboard

2000 Kisses

Come the Dawn

Come the Night

The Black Rose

The Ruby

Available from Dell

CODE NAME: NANNY
A Dell Book / June 2004

Published by
Bantam Dell
A Division of Random House, Inc.
New York, New York

This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved
Copyright © 2004 by Roberta Helmer

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eISBN: 978-0-440-33496-5

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