LITMIR.BIZ

      Joan Marlow Golan

      Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire

      The Marine & The Debutante

      Maureen Child

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      MAUREEN CHILD

      is a California native who loves to travel. Every chance they get, she and her husband are taking off on another research trip. The author of more than sixty books, Maureen loves a happy ending and still swears that she has the best job in the world. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two children and a golden retriever who has delusions of grandeur.

      Visit her Web site at www.maureenchild.com.

      This book is dedicated to the men and women of the United States Marine Corps. Their courage and devotion to duty allow the rest of us to enjoy the freedom of living in the best country in the world. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

       Semper Fi

      Contents

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      One

      “If I get shot saving some spoiled little rich girl,” Travis Hawks muttered, “finish the job and kill me.”

      “Deal,” J.T. whispered.

      Travis sent the other man a quick look. In the darkness, all he could see of his friend’s face were the whites of his eyes—and his grin. Camouflage paint disguised his features, just like the other two men on the recon team.

      “You agreed to that mighty damn fast,” Travis said with a wry smile as he checked the load in his rifle for the third time.

      “What’re friends for?” he asked. “You’d do the same for me, wouldn’t you?”

      A slight rustle from the bushes had them both spinning around, alert and ready. Deke poked his head through, whispered, “Travis, go get the girl and let’s get the hell outa here.”

      “Right.”

      “Your charges set?”

      “You need to ask?” he asked, already dropping to his belly for the crawl to the squat, stone house just fifty feet from them. Hell, Travis was the best damn explosives man in the Corps and everybody here knew it. Most days, he was even better than Jeff Hunter, the Gunnery Sergeant who led their team, though Travis wasn’t stupid enough to say that out loud. And when it came right down to it, his expertise was probably what had gotten them roped into this mission.

      Which just went to show that pride in your work could get you into all kinds of trouble. But it wasn’t time to think of things like that now. Instead he focused his concentration on the job. Flattening out on the dirt, rifle cradled in his arms, he used his elbows to drag his body across the open ground between the team and their target.

      Voices drifted to him on the still night air. And though he didn’t exactly speak the language, the tone told him the men guarding the woman were relaxed. Good. He hoped they stayed that way.

      Sweat pooled at the base of his neck despite the near-freezing temperature. It got damn cold in the desert at night. His knees and elbows propelled him quickly to the stone house, and as he slowly came to his feet alongside the blacked-out window, he quietly released the breath he’d been holding. So far, so good.

      Just as he’d expected, there were no guards posted on the perimeter. Apparently, these guys felt pretty secure. Bad for them, Travis thought, good for us.

      He lifted the window sash and prayed that the intel they’d received before starting this mission had been completely accurate. If there were guards in the room with her, then all hell was about to break loose. Travis paused for a heartbeat or two, to listen. When he was convinced that it was still safe, he slipped into the darkened room, moving as quietly as combat boots allowed.

      His vision already adjusted to the blackness, Travis had no problem locating the woman. She was lying on her back upon the only piece of furniture in the room—a narrow cot. Her deep, even breathing told him she was asleep. In a few steps he was beside her. Clamping one hand over her mouth to keep her quiet, he waited for her to wake up.

      Instantly she did just that.

      And he almost wished she hadn’t.

      She fought against his hold on her like a tiger coming out of her cage looking for dinner. Arms, legs, teeth joined the fight, and Travis was hard-pressed to contain her. Keeping his hand over her mouth, despite the teeth digging into his palm, he pinned her to the cot beneath his own body and muttered, “U.S. Marines. Knock it off, lady. I’m here to get you out.”

      She stopped fighting just as quickly as she’d started.

      He stared down at the whites of her eyes and watched them narrow dangerously. Then very deliberately she reached for his wrist and yanked his hand from her mouth.

      Finally,

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