Training the SECRET (Corrigan & Co #6) (23 page)
Read Training the SECRET (Corrigan & Co #6) Online
Authors: Crystal Perkins
I don’t get any more
words out as Brayden James lets out a growl, and grabs me. He slams
me into the nearest wall as his mouth descends on mine. My body
immediately responds, and my mind shuts down. I know I said I wasn’t
into this mission—or him—but the man
is
one of the hottest on the planet. And I’m a woman who
hasn’t gotten any since I’ve been here. So yeah, I kiss him back.
“I’ve been wanting
to do that for ten years.”
What? “We’ve never
met, so how can that be. You can’t bullshit me with your stupid
lines. I have more than half a brain.”
“It’s not bullshit,
Cat.”
“My name’s not
Cat.”
“In my mind it is.
That’s what I’ve called you ever since I saw you climbing past my
window when I was sixteen. You were wearing a black leather catsuit,
and although your hair was different, I’ve never forgotten your
face. Or what seeing you stirred up inside of me.”
“You-you saw me? I
mean, someone who looked like me?” Shit.
“Oh yeah, and that’s
why I picked you for this. Both so I can finally kiss you, and also
so you can tell me where the jewels are.”
“You got one of your
fantasies, but you can keep dreaming about the other. If I knew
anything about any jewels, I certainly wouldn’t tell you. And since
it’s been ten years, they’d be long gone.”
“I can be very
persuasive,” he says, caressing my breasts over my shirt.
“I’m not some model
or actress who cares that you’re a prince.”
“No, but I think you
do care that I can implicate you in a major jewelry heist.”
“You’ve had ten
years to do that, and you don’t know it was me.”
“I know,” he says,
continuing to drive me a little wild with those caresses. I know I
should pull away, but I can’t. “I told you I’ve been thinking
of you for ten years, and I haven’t forgotten one little thing
about you, or your sweet little body. I just couldn’t find you.
Until now.”
“So what? You’re
going to blackmail me into sex?”
“No. Never,” he
says, stepping away and taking those glorious hands with him. “I
won’t let you quit this assignment, but I’d never force myself on
you. You’re going to come to me willingly, and we both know it. You
were as into that kiss as I was.”
“We’ll just have to
see about that.”
And I’ll also have to
see how I’m going to survive this mission. I had no idea that he
saw me when I was sixteen—all the rooms were dark. Because yes, it
was me. I stole those jewels, not because I wanted to, but because I
had to. Just like I have to stay on this mission. History seems to be
repeating itself when it comes to Brayden James and his family, and
this time I’m going to be a whole hell of a lot more careful.
Especially since it’s only taken one kiss for me to realize that he
could be the one. The
one
,
and falling for him just might be worse than jail.
Thank you for reading this book. It was important to me that I
show how men can be victimized just as much as women. Who better to
illustrate than one of the “toughest” guys I’ve ever written.
Nate went through the war, and has seen more death and destruction
than most people ever will. Yet, it was his past—what he did, and
what was done to him—that damaged him. As strong as he comes across
to the world, he had a darkness inside of him that nearly destroys
him. I hope I was able to portray his depression in a way that was
believable and didn’t make light of what he was going through. If
you or someone you know ever feels that things are too much, and you
can’t go on, please talk to someone. Call a family member, friend,
or the suicide prevention hotline: 1-800-273-8255.
Hugs and love
to all of you!
As always, I have to
thank my girls Dominique and Gabi!
I couldn’t get this
far without Helen Williams, Jesse Gordon, and Ally Murphy! They’re
my great team and are totally awesome!
Thanks to Amy Plum for
organizing a writing retreat in France. It was supposed to be all YA
authors, but she includedme, and I finished this book there.
Also a big thanks to
Celeste Rhodes from the American Library in Paris who let me take
part in the signing with all of the YA authors there.
And thanks again to all
of you readers. I love hearing from you, so please don’t hesitate
to reach out!
If you love my books
and want to join the Friends of the Society private Facebook group,
send me an email or FB message so I can add you!
Author
Crystal Perkins
has always been a big reader, but she never thought she would write
her own book, until she did. She lives in Las Vegas, where you can
find her running author events and selling books at conventions when
she isn’t reading, buying too many Sherlock t-shirts online or
finding a place to put all of her Pop! figurines. A mac and cheese
connoisseur, she travels the country looking for the perfect version,
while attending book conventions and signings as a cover for her
research. The Griffin Brothers series and the Corrigan & Co.
series are international best sellers, and she’s thankful to the
readers who made those things happen!
Find
her here:
