LITMIR.BIZ

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      I’ve been visiting a number of national parks lately and enjoying them immensely. Acadia National Park, near Bar Harbor, Maine, has been one of my favorites, so I had to set a story there. But as always, I have invoked poetic license—this time to make sure those who investigate the fictional crime that happens there handle it the way I want them to, not necessarily as real law enforcement folks might operate. But real law enforcement folks might find problems with having Alpha Force members shapeshift in their jurisdiction!

      Those who read my books will expect that this one, too, is dedicated to my husband, Fred, who enjoys travel even more than I do and has fun visiting national parks.

       Chapter 1

       Why do I feel so unnerved?

      It wasn’t as if Staff Sgt. Kristine Norwood hadn’t seen a lot of naked male bodies during her years as a nurse, before she’d become a member of the covert military unit Alpha Force.

      Maybe it was because she had foolishly allowed herself to notice exactly how good-looking and sexy her new but temporary superior officer, Lt. Quinn Parran, was when they’d first been introduced a few days ago.

      They had just reached the test mission’s planned location—a woodsy area at the far end of Ft. Lukman, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Clad in her usual camo uniform and boots, Kristine had hurried in this direction with her heavy backpack over her shoulders. She stopped now and could sense the presence of the man who had kept up with her along the path through the most remote area of the military base where Alpha Force was headquartered.

      She ignored that niggling uneasiness, embarrassment—and something she didn’t even want to think about, lust—as she turned toward him.

      “This the place?” He glanced around at the pin oak trees looming around them.

      “Yes, sir.”

      She caught the sardonic raise of his dark brows over his golden-brown eyes.

      “Stop calling me ‘sir,’” he said. “You called me Quinn when we were introduced at Simon’s wedding.”

      “Yes, sir, but we weren’t on an official exercise then.” And she hadn’t felt so uneasy at the wedding of her regular superior officer, Lt. Grace Andreas, to Quinn’s brother Lt. Simon Parran, who had also just recently joined Alpha Force. Kristine had been maid of honor and Quinn was best man.

      He had undoubtedly been the best-looking man there.

      Grace and Simon were on their honeymoon now, which was why Kristine and Quinn were temporarily assigned to work together.

      He was right, though. She usually called other Alpha Force members by their first names from the time she met them, no matter what their rank. She was friendly enough with Grace and others to joke around with them. But this was different. Way different.

      “You want to play military?” he asked. Hell, they were military, even if he chafed at it. “Here’s my next order, Kristine. Stop considering this an official exercise.”

      Kristine couldn’t help herself. She smiled both at his words and at his exasperated expression. His military haircut hadn’t compelled him to do a great job of shaving, and the hint of dark stubble on his face emphasized the razor-sharpness of his cheekbones. She ignored the sexiness of the look and how it caused her insides to churn and simmer, and responded, “Can’t do that, sir. But I’ll call you Quinn.”

      “But this is only quasi-official.” What, did the guy just love to argue, or was he serious? “It’s a test, both for me and your oh-so-secret military unit. Our military unit.” He’d obviously seen her scowl and was reacting to it. That was a good thing. “We both want to see how I do during my first time using the Alpha Force elixir that my brother Simon has described so glowingly to me. He wants to know, too.”

      Quinn was a new recruit. He had obtained his rank because of what he was, not because of training or achievement. At least not yet. And so far, Kristine’s impression was that he had joined the military not because he wanted to—as she had—but for some very unusual benefits he would not have received otherwise.

      Like this—using the elixir.

      He obviously had some issues with it all, though. She, on the other hand, was perfectly happy following military protocols … most of the time. Tonight, though—well, she would obey orders notwithstanding how uncomfortable she was.

      And that meant acting as Quinn’s aide for this very special session. Mission. Official mission.

      Quinn was taller than his brother, with wide shoulders and a devil-may-care stance he affected even now that he was a soldier. His uniform was similar to hers—much crisper, though. Probably never worn before. It displayed the bars showing he was a commissioned

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