Series:
Runaway Ranch (Book 4)
Trained to be enemies…do they dare become lovers?
CIA Agent Alex Creed's mission is to take down a deadly
criminal before Christmas…and only Nick Kane stands in his way. The black ops
agent claims he's after the same target and that working together is the best
plan. Never before has Alex been so attracted to someone he shouldn't trust.
Especially knowing Nick has a bit of a death wish, while Alex envisions a
future together…
Good book that started with a rush and kept me hooked to
the end. Nick is a government black ops operator tracking a fellow operative
who went rogue. He used to work with this operative, and the betrayal he feels
has made the search personal. After following Gray to an art gallery and
planting a tracking device on the man's limo, Nick walks casually away. A few
minutes later, he is attacked by a man who is easily as good, if not better, at
hand-to-hand fighting as he is.
Alex is a CIA agent whose job is to go after operatives
who have gone bad. Gray and his team are suspected of stealing valuable
international artifacts and murdering US military personnel. His first
impression is that Nick is one of Gray's men, and he wants to capture and
question him. He did not expect to encounter someone who could fight him to a
stalemate.
Alex and Nick agreed to a wary truce as they worked out
who each other was and why they had a mutual interest in Gray. These men have
worked in the shadows for so long that neither of them trusts easily. It was
sad and amusing to see how each was constantly looking for signs of betrayal, even
once they figured out they were on the same side. Deciding to work together was
logical, but there was still some struggle for control until they got past
their trust issues.
Matters are complicated by the attraction Nick and Alex
feel for each other. Each tries to ignore it while concentrating on their mission,
but it is always there, simmering under the surface. I enjoyed seeing them get to
know each other and discover their differences and similarities. I found it
interesting that Alex, the "fixer" who has dished out so much death,
has dreams of a peaceful retirement. Nick expects to die in the line of duty
which lends itself to some reckless behavior on his part. I liked Alex's
determination to get Nick to stop seeing himself as expendable.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Nick and Alex
develop. It was fast, helped along by the intensity of their situation. Each
felt protective of the other, which had the potential to create some problems
while they were working. There were some fun parts, such as their differing
views on Christmas. I loved watching Alex try to bring a little Christmas
spirit into Nick's life, from the Christmas tree with its unique decorations to
the snowball fight. Alex's sensitivity is unexpected, given his vocation, and I
enjoyed seeing it come out in his desire to help Nick. Both have some
insecurities regarding relationships, but their love for each other overcomes
them in the end. I loved the ending and their plans for the future.
The suspense of the story kept me turning the pages. The backstory
of Gray and what he did are explained as the story goes on but can be read in
more detail in the previous book in the series (
Her SEAL Bodyguard). The
tension remained steady as Nick and Alex looked for clues about what Gray had
stolen, then planned ways to draw him into a trap. The intensity ramped up when
they found the stolen crate and what was in it (WOW!). I was glued to the pages
as they prepared their trap and set the bait. The final confrontation was a
nail-biter as Nick and Alex were significantly outnumbered.
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