BOONE HOPPED IN HIS pickup truck, heading toward the location Holt had given him to meet Radley. The little spitfire had already headed to the first spot on her own. He shook his head. It figured that she’d be headstrong. No one in this line of work would be happy to remain on the sidelines, staying out of trouble. Even in the hallway, he’d gotten a brief glimpse of her personality—she was holding her own with Holt. While the rest of the team had been meeting with him, she’d been already starting on a job.

His lips quirked.

He could appreciate her wanting to work alone. Didn’t mean he’d mind keeping watch though.

Adrenaline flooded through him. He was actually looking forward to running ops again. He’d gotten a brief taste of it when he assisted an old Army buddy of his. Gray Pierce’s girlfriend had been kidnapped, and Boone had rushed from DC to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor to work with the Shadow Ops Team in rescuing her. Although he’d done it as a favor to an old friend, he’d realized he missed being part of something bigger than himself.

So here he was—heading out on his first official job.

Thirty minutes later, he was pulling up to an old warehouse. It wasn’t in the newer industrial area of Seattle and looked abandoned. Except while some of the other buildings nearby were boarded up, this one wasn’t.

Someone had been recently accessing the space.

He scanned the rooflines out of habit. It would be easy to access the roof and keep sights on this building if needed. He tucked that thought away in the back of his mind. Boone drove around back, deciding to park his pickup truck behind an old dumpster. No point in advertising his presence to anyone coming. Sure, Radley would be here, but she knew to expect him. It was more the terror cell members unexpectedly arriving that he was concerned about.

Climbing out of his vehicle, he frowned at the stack of wooden crates beside the dumpster. They looked rather shoddily put together, and they were empty. There was some broken glass on the ground, but as he peered inside the dumpster, there was nothing inside to indicate anyone had been here recently.

Moving toward the back door of the warehouse, he tried the knob and was shocked to discover that it was unlocked.

Sunlight came in through the lone window off to the right as he moved inside, and he quickly realized the warehouse had been sectioned off. While this area seemed to be a smaller meeting space, he moved through a doorway and flipped on a light switch to see what else was there.

His jaw dropped in surprise.

Wooden boxes were stacked high against the far wall, with large fluorescent lights brightening the area. The big garage door had empty space in front of it for vehicles to pull in and for loading or unloading shipments. He’d half expected the place to be empty given the unlocked door and empty dumpster out back.

Boone pulled out his phone to take several photos from his vantage point. If whatever was inside the wooden boxes was going to explode the second he touched them, at least he’d have sent off a few texts with photographic evidence to his boss first. Then again, how unstable could they be if they were the goods being trucked in and out of here.

He stood in place for a moment, studying them from afar, then slid his phone back into his pocket.

Suddenly, there was a shift in the air behind him.

Glancing over his shoulder to see a gun pointed at his back, Boone stilled.

Five-foot-seven inches of gorgeous female stood mere feet away. Her dark hair was loose, long enough to tease the curve of her full breasts. A black leather jacket over a tight-fitting top led to slim cargo pants that barely hid her curvy hips or trim form. She was practically a figment of his imagination—his idea of the perfect woman, conjured up by only his mind.

Except Radley and the gun aimed directly at him were one-hundred-percent real.

“Don’t move.” Her voice didn’t waver, but Boone’s lips quirked. She was even sexier giving him orders in that sweet, feminine voice. Like he’d really let a woman take control.

He spun around so fast, Radley’s weapon was already sliding across the floor as he pressed her against the door, his hand around her throat.

She didn’t look scared—pissed off was more like it. He shifted to the side as she tried to knee him in the groin, twisted his head out of the way from her incoming punch, then grabbed her wrists with his other hand, restraining her.

She smelled like sunshine and peaches—all feminine and sweet but looking ready to scratch his eyes out if he didn’t have her pinned in place. He could feel her pulse beating beneath his hand around her neck. Her skin was so damn soft that for an instant, he wondered if her skin was that satiny smooth everywhere. Shame he’d never find out.

His voice was a low rumble as he gazed into her green eyes. “You’re feisty, kitten. I’ll give you that.”

“Who are you?” she seethed.

Her lips were plump. Pink. Perfect.

“Never you mind that. First tell me why you’re prowling around the warehouse alone?” The gorgeous brunette before him was clearly Radley, but he didn’t mind messing with her a little. She’d just pointed a damn gun at his back.

“I’m looking for something,” she snapped, fighting to free her wrists from his iron-like grip.

He grinned at her, still holding Radley securely in place, her delicious body pressed up against his own. His gaze dropped to her mouth for a beat before he met her eyes once more, seeing the fire inside them. “Easy now, kitten. I don’t want you to hurt yourself. And as for looking for someone? Looks like you found him.”

RADLEY SPUTTERED AS the man released her, her cheeks flooding with embarrassment. She hadn’t seen his vehicle outside, but this guy was clearly Boone. A fact confirmed when he introduced himself a moment later.

She resisted the urge to shiver as his big hand engulfed hers. His muscled hand was calloused, with veins running across the back, and his pushed-up shirtsleeves revealed strong forearms. This man was big all over—and she’d felt every inch as he’d pinned her to the door. He towered above her now, all beef and brawn, with sexy stubble coating his strong jaw. His warm brown eyes danced with both amusement and concern. He’d known it was her, but evidently, he hadn’t wanted to truly frighten her. Just disarm her in mere seconds.

“Why didn’t you tell me who you were right away?” she asked as she stalked across the room to retrieve her weapon. Boone’s eyes were on her as she bent over and picked it up, and her cheeks flamed even more. He wasn’t exactly ogling her, but he wasn’t hiding his observation or interest either. She’d been too shocked when he’d pinned her to the door to give it much thought at the time, but the man was sexy as sin.

Boone was dark and smoldering, with a deep voice that twisted up her insides. He even smelled good—a masculine, musky scent that was far too appealing. His hard body was nothing but muscles upon muscles, and he had the type of command and authority that made you stand up and take notice.

And he was her new colleague.

“You were aiming a gun at my back,” Boone said, his deep voice rumbling right through her. “Should I have waited for you to shoot first and ask questions later?”

“You were supposed to meet me outside.”

Boone lifted a shoulder, not looking sorry in the least. “And let you have all the fun? You came in here without me,” he pointed out. She bristled, and his lips quirked. “I’m here to make sure you’re safe. That includes clearing the premises.”

“I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Never said you did. That doesn’t mean I won’t offer my protection anyway. You’re a woman here alone.”

“And you’re a chauvinist?” she questioned.

“I’m bigger than you,” he said, his gaze serious. He didn’t move from where he stood across the room, but it almost felt like his dark eyes were pinning her in place. Boone was an intense kind of guy. And despite the fact that his attention was completely on her, she wasn’t frightened. Boone wasn’t like her old colleagues. Despite not even knowing the man, Radley felt safe. Something in her gut instinctively told her she could trust him.

“The boss said you got several threatening texts yesterday,” Boone continued. “There’s no reason not to take some basic precautions.”

Some of her ire dissipated.

“Care to tell me what those were about?” he questioned.

“I’m guessing it was a blast from my past. Whoever sent them was more than happy to let me know they’d been following my every move.”

Boone frowned. “Did they follow you here today?”

“No. It was a rookie mistake for me to not be paying closer attention yesterday. It won’t happen again.” Radley nodded toward the wooden boxes stacked against the far wall, eager to change the subject and start searching the premises. “You know what’s inside those?”

He shook his head. “Negative. I just got here and took a few pictures. I was going to send them to Holt but was held up at gunpoint.”

Radley’s gaze darted back to his, only to find Boone’s lips quirking. He was teasing her. She cleared her throat and walked toward him, trying not to be intimidated by his size. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t see your car outside and assumed I was alone.”

“I parked my truck behind the dumpster,” he told her. “I didn’t want anyone to know I was here. Except I wasn’t paying close enough attention. I didn’t realize you’d walked in until you were pointing your weapon at my back.”

She let out an exasperated huff. “I’m quiet. I didn’t know you were here either until I was right on top of you. Not on top,” she backtracked, but a grin spread across his face anyway. His gaze briefly ran over her body, and Radley felt her cheeks heating once more.

“Once I disarmed you, I didn’t mind the company.” There was that brief flicker of amusement in his eyes again. She’d fought against him as she’d been trained to but still was no match for his larger size. It irritated the hell out of her.

“What’s that frown for?” he asked with a quirk of his lips, not missing a thing.

“I was trained by the agency,” she finally said. “You disarmed me with little effort.”

“I’m former Special Forces, kitten,” he said, looking amused. “All of the guys on Bravo Team are. You might be experienced at doing recon work, gathering intelligence and whatnot, but Holt specifically sent me here for your protection.”

“I’m used to working alone,” she retorted, trying to ignore the way her heart was suddenly pounding. She worked with all sorts of men in the past. Government. Military. Civilians. Sources she met with clandestinely under the dark cover of night. None of them made her body react the way Boone did. He shifted slightly, and her gaze tracked over his broad shoulders and muscled chest. She’d felt him pressed against her, and the way her body responded was alarming. She was a professional. She didn’t date coworkers—not that her last one had taken no for an answer.

Radley resisted the urge to shudder.

Boone wasn’t the type of man that would ever force a woman. She could tell from their brief interaction that he wasn’t arrogant and sleazy the way Schultz had been. Boone radiated confidence and self-assurance, but he was protective, too.

“I worked with a team at the agency,” she continued, “but ever since separating from the government, my sister and I have handled jobs on our own.”

“I usually work alone, too,” Boone said, his intense gaze still on her. “I’m a former sniper. I’d watch my teammates from above, taking out the tangos when necessary. But if we’re assigned to scope out this warehouse together, I’ve got no problem with it. Just let me take point if we run into any trouble. I’m bigger than you,” he said as she opened her mouth to protest. “And regardless of your background, I’m more highly trained when it comes to this. If someone from your past is tracking you, we don’t know if or when they’ll show up.”

“Trust me, if they show up, I’ll have no trouble letting them know my feelings about it.”

“I believe that, kitten,” Boone said with a sexy grin. “Any idea who’s targeting you?”

“I have some ideas, but—” Inexplicably, she shivered. There were multiple times they’d been in country, and the men she’d worked with had hit on her or her female colleagues. She’d trusted them, and one of the men had betrayed her in the worst way possible. Radley steeled herself, meeting Boone’s dark gaze “My former colleague is in jail for drugging and assaulting me. I doubt I’m his only victim, but I’m the one who brought him down. If he wants revenge, I have no doubt that he’d send someone after me.”

A flicker of emotions crossed Boone’s face—disbelief and anger, followed by protectiveness.

“I’ll keep you safe, Radley.”

A tremble ran through her once more, but it had nothing to do with the threatening messages and everything to do with the gruffly handsome man before her. He looked damned pissed on her behalf, which was saying something given that they’d just met. The agency had tried to hide the case—to cover up Schultz’s wrongs. It stung a bit that a man she didn’t even know was more upset on her behalf than colleagues she’d known for years.

A flash of anger washed over her. Damn Schultz for drugging her drink and taking her back to his room—for attacking her when she was vulnerable and helpless. He was far more of an animal than a man, and she hated that the bastard could still be bothering her now from afar. He didn’t deserve even a second of her thoughts, and yet here she was—back on home soil, yet still on guard, always alert. Telling the barest details of her story to a man she hardly knew.

Radley cleared her throat, trying to get her mind back on track. “We’ll watch each other’s backs,” she told him. “Let’s secure the door so we can search the space. The lock is busted—I checked it when I came in. We’ll have to find something to temporarily block the entrance so no one sneaks up on us while we’re in here. Then we’ll search the boxes together.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Boone quipped, but he shot her a wink and strode toward the smaller room and door, shocking the hell out of her. Radley had a feeling that this was probably the only time he’d do exactly what she’d asked.