Pick Your Poison (11 page)

“A+
First You Run
is filled with heart-stopping suspense and a scorching hot romance which will keep you on the edge of your seat until you turn the last page. I wonder, if I ask very nicely, if Ms. St. Claire will send a bullet catcher my way!”

-Simply Romance Reviews

From the pages of
First You Run
...

“Miranda,” Fletch said softly, taking both her hands this time, “let’s get out of here.”

He felt her pulse jump under his fingertips. “No more sushi and small talk?”

“You’re leaving tomorrow morning. Do you really want to spend one more minute with a table between us?”

He watched her chest rise and fall with a slow, unsteady breath. “Where are we going?”

“If you have to ask, maybe we’re not going there after all.”

She wet her lips, inhaled, and gave him a long, direct gaze. “I’ve never slept with a stranger.”

He stood, placed a few twenties on the table, and then helped her out of the chair. “Then let’s keep talking, so won’t be strangers anymore.”

He wrapped his arm around her to guide her to the door, pulling her into his flank, and settling his hand over a slender, but nicely curved, hip.

“Is it my turn to ask questions, now?” she asked.

“Absolutely. What would you like to know about me?”

She gave him a sly, flirtatious smile. “Anything I should know before we walk out of this restaurant together.”

“Fair enough. Let’s see… I’m a former member of the Tasmanian Special Ops police, the best kicker on my rugby team, a stellar bodyguard, an exemplary employee, a trustworthy mate, a half-decent surfer, a lousy cook…” He pushed open the restaurant door, walked her around the corner and pressed her against the brick wall. “And a helluva good kisser.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Then You Hide
—Bullet Catcher Wade Cordell

Special ops sharpshooter Wade Cordell thinks the job to hunt down a woman on vacation in the Caribbean and bring her home will be the cushiest assignment he’s ever taken for the Bullet Catchers. But one look at Vanessa Porter and everything easy turns into hard and wild and extremely dangerous as they team up to outsmart a vicious killer.

What the critics say...

“If you love a suspenseful tale that will leave you guessing and hot characters with enough heat to set fire to everything they touch, then you will not want to miss this book!”

-Fallen Angels
Reviews

“With a sizzling romance, and a fast-paced, pulse-pounding mystery, readers will find themselves swept away to a sultry Caribbean island where both danger and love await.
Then You Hide
is the perfect summer read. Don’t miss it!”

-Kwips&Kritiques

From the pages of
Then You Hide
...

Vanessa Porter was not his type.

Not that Wade didn’t appreciate a tall, sexy blonde as much as the next male, especially when her black tank top and white shorts hugged some sweet curves. But something about her irritated him—even from fifty feet away with clusters of tourists separating them across St. Kitts’s main port.

The horn-rimmed glasses? A power play. The speed of her trajectory? That screamed Yankee to him. The little left-right sway in her backside that grabbed the eye of every man she passed? He despised women who drew attention to themselves. Her generous breasts were more than the requisite handful, her hair needed a six-inch trim and something to keep it from flying all over the place, and those thighs? They didn’t quite touch at the top, as if there was room for… someone else in there.

She was plenty womanly, all right, but not
feminine
. He liked a sweet, tender peach, all squeezably soft and fresh. Vanessa Porter was no peach.

She was a tart.

Wade followed her, easily matching her speed and agility, but marveling at it.

She navigated packs of tourists on the promenade, sidestepping street vendors who waved their wares, heading straight into the crowded streets and clogged sidewalks of Basseterre. Carrying only a huge handbag, her flip-flops snapping on the pavement, she moved like a heat-seeking missile with no camera or guidebook in sight. She was on a mission all right, and it wasn’t to sightsee in the capital of St. Kitts.

But whatever she had on her agenda, Wade was about to change it.

---------------------------------------------------------

Now You Die
—Bullet Catcher Lucy Sharpe

In order for lone wolf investigator Jack Culver to prove that one of the highest legal authorities in the country is a stone cold killer, he must join forces with his ex-lover Bullet Catcher owner Lucy Sharpe, the woman who haunts his dreams. But when Lucy and Jack set out to see justice served, they don’t just break some rules they shatter them, and risk everything... including their hearts.

What the critics say...

“The damaged relationship between these powerful protagonists gets a second chance through St. Claire's expert handling. Top-notch suspense!”

-Romantic Times

“Nothing short of spectacular, fast paced, constantly mounting tension.”

-Kwips&Kritiques

From the pages of
Now You Die
...

The hand clamped over Lucy’s face so hard she bucked backward, instantly raising her weapon, only to have it knocked right out of her hands and thud to the ground. She whipped her elbow around, aiming for the throat, but her attacker ducked at exactly the right instant.

She coiled to throw a kick, but he twirled her effortlessly and slammed her flat against the wall, pushing a shocked breath from her lungs.

Then he got right into her face, spearmint-tinged breath warming her mouth, and firm, confident hands pinning her against the wall. “Leaving so soon, Ms. Sharpe?”

“You bastard.”

“I love you, too.”

Jack Culver was six-two and a hundred eighty pounds of solid attitude, but she could have fought him. “I have ten different moves that could fold you in half.”

“You’ve got more than ten, sweetheart.” He laughed softly. “You fold me in half by standing still.”

Of course he’d turn it into a sexual tease. “If you don’t get your damn hands off me, Jack, I’m going kick you so hard your eyes will pop out and you’ll limp right through tomorrow’s meeting.”

His expression was pure evil, white teeth gleaming, sinful eyes mocking. He took that same wide stance he’d had at the shooting range, offering her direct access to his crotch. The move brushed his hips against her satin sleep pants, the contact branding her.

“Go ahead. Gimme your best knee.”

Her body betrayed her with a white-hot crackle of response, the heat of him so close he infiltrated the smell of pine and woods, mixing it with his own earthy scent.

“You are seriously pushing your luck, Culver.”

His eyes narrowed and he pinned her, locking his chest against hers, his hips dangerously close. “Actually, I’m pushing you against the wall. Like it?”

“Unless you want me to break something you value, let me go.”

“It’s so damn hard…” He paused, dropped his gaze to her mouth, and leaned in an inch, as if he might show her exactly how hard it was. “To get your attention around this place.”

“That’s because I’m working. I have a company to run, and you’re interrupting the sleep I need to do that.” She pressed against the building, determined not to give into the impulse to do just the opposite.

Just once. Here in the dark, alone. Just one time so she could feel the hot steel of him.

Again.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Hunt Her Down
—Bullet Catcher Dan Gallagher

When a deadly drug lord is released from prison, Bullet Catcher Dan Gallagher knows that his former lover’s life is in danger. Despite the fact that Maggie Varcek thinks Dan was killed in a drug bust, he must blow that old cover and ignore new passions to protect her… and the son he didn’t know he had.

What the critics say...

“
Hunt Her Down
blends the creepy factor, the mystery and the puzzle of good suspense, the romantic tension and emotional tauntness of romance, and action and danger to create a believable balance. That balance is required and St. Claire nails it. It’s funny and sharp, it’s scary and tense, it’s romantic and sizzlingly sexual.”

-Sarah Wendell, SmartBitchesTrashyBooks.com

“The latest Bullet Catchers book by the creative Roxanne St. Claire has perilous threats at every turn and sky-high sexual tension ready to ignite with the slightest spark of responsive awareness.”

-Single Title Reviews

From the pages of
Hunt Her Down
...

He dropped his elbows on the table and folded his arms, a move that just emphasized the power and size of his shoulders, and leaned closer. Maggie got a whiff of peppermint and spice, a dose of raw sex appeal, and a chance to see that no, he hadn’t shaved.

“Mrs. Smith,” he said, “are you married?”

His question was direct, simple, and delivered with a baritone that made her wonder if his chest rumbled when he spoke.

“Not anymore.” She met him halfway across the table. “Are you?”

“Not even close.”

“Well, now that we got that little detail out of the way, how about we finally introduce ourselves?” She held out her hand, ready for the first touch, bracing for the electricity she just knew was going to zing up her arm. “I’m—”

“I know who you are,” he said. He didn’t shake her hand. Instead, his strong, blunt fingertips plucked at one of the silver bangles on her wrist. “You make noise when you walk, you know that?”

She just stared at him, mesmerized and utterly unable to look away.

“I’ve been hearing you jingle in my sleep.”

Oh boy. He was good. “What’s it sound like?”

“Trouble.”

She laughed. “I’m no trouble at all. Everyone calls me Lena, and I’m the owner of this fine establishment and jingler of your dreams. What’s your name?”

“Dan.”

“Just Dan?”

“For now, just Dan.”

“How about for later?”

“That assumes there is a later. I don’t want to be presumptuous.”

She crossed her arms and matched his position, shoulder-to-shoulder, face-to-face, as into the game as he was. “Go ahead and presume.”

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Make Her Pay
—Bullet Catcher Constantine Xenakis

When reformed thief Con Xenakis is hired by the Bullet Catchers to infiltrate a treasure hunting ship and catch the crewmember who’s plundering the gems, he zeroes in on Lizzie Dare the first night on board. She might be a thief, but she has good reasons and before long, Lizzie and Con have to work together even when their adventure on the high seas turns passionate and treacherous.

What the critics say...

“Fans of the sensational Bullet Catchers series already know that Roxanne St. Claire delivers unforgettable heat along with non-stop action. In
Make Her Pay
she keeps us guessing ‘whodunnit,’ yet there’s never any doubt that Con and Lizzie will end up, well, as thick as thieves. Take a deep breath before you dive in, because once you start reading, you won’t want to come up for air until you reach the end.”

-LifetimeTV.com

“Roxanne St. Claire gives ample evidence in book after book why she’s a stand-out in the genre. With a hero and heroine willing to bend, fold, and mutilate the rules for a just cause, this story is quite the adventure. With action and passion aplenty, readers won’t want to miss this wild ride.”

-Romantic Times Book Review

From the pages of
Make Her Pay
...

Lizzie gasped as the shower water hit her, honey-gold eyes flying open in a flash of horror as she held her hands up to stave off the shock.

“You know my name?” she sputtered, backing up.

Con didn’t answer, but slid the nozzle to his left, targeting that shapely little bicep she’d splattered when she damn near blinded him with acid. “Does your skin burn, anywhere at all?”

She shook her head, a mop of shoulder length blond curls already dampening from splashed water. “You?” she asked.

As if she cared, the treacherous little thief. “No, but like I said, that stuff can sneak up on you.”

“Kind of like you did,” she shot back. “What were you doing in there anyway?”

A
pretty,
treacherous little thief. “I heard you go in.”

“There’s no way,” she said under her breath.

“There’s a way,” he assured her. No matter how silent she thought she’d been, Con could hear. He’d heard her breathe when she passed his bunk. He’d heard the key in the lock. And she, of course, never heard him follow the trail of sounds to the thief.

Could it be this easy? Could he have found his target in less than three hours after he climbed on board?

“Other arm, Lizzie.”

Cunning eyes narrowed, forming a delicate crease that pointed straight to a pixie nose and a heart-shaped face that looked far too innocent and appealing to be a criminal. Looks could be so deceiving.

Hesitantly, she stretched out her arm for washing. “How do you know my name?”

“I was given a list of crew members when I signed on.”

“There are four women on this boat.”

“And only one is five-four and a hundred and ten pounds.” A hundred and ten well-distributed, nicely proportioned, sweet little pounds of
thief
. “It’s a shame I have to turn you in tomorrow morning.”