Hot Shot (A Hostile Operations Team Novel)(#5) Read Online Free

fresh understanding dawned. “Are you the one who shot those men?”
    The light in his eyes dimmed a little. But then he nodded. “That’s my job.”
    Her heart thudded. He’d shot four men in the blink of an eye. And then two more when that bodyguard had been slapping her around. She should be horrified, and yet…
    “The last two… Were they part of the job too?”
    His gaze was steady. “No.”
    She dropped her eyes from his, unable to look at him for the worry she’d let too much show in her face. Fear, gratitude. Awareness.
    “Thank you.” Her voice was soft, her throat tight.
    “You have to get inside now, Gina. I know it’s not a lot of room, but you’re safe with me.”
    She looked up then, let him see what was in her eyes. She’d never trusted anyone so quickly in her life. But she knew, inherently, that she could trust him. “I know I am.”
    He held his hand out and she took it, her skin sizzling with the contact. They stared at each other for a long minute—and then they went inside and sank onto the sand together.

CHAPTER THREE

    THEY SPENT THE HEAT of the day in the small cave. It went back far enough that they could get out of the sun, but it was narrower at the rear and they had to sit side by side, bodies touching as they watched the ocean swells rolling in. They couldn’t see the beach from where they were since they’d had to climb up a little bit to reach the cave.
    Jack had removed the bush—aka ghillie suit—and sat beside her in a muscle-hugging black T-shirt, military camo pants, and boots. Gina was aware of him in ways she’d rather not be.  
    But he’d wiped the greasepaint from his face with a cloth, and her breath had caught at what was under there. A day’s worth of stubble adorned a face that would have looked good on an action-film poster. His hair was blond, his eyes piercing blue, and the hint of a dimple in his cheek when he smiled was enough to make her heart thump.
    Not that he smiled much. He’d opened up his pack and given her an energy bar and some water, which he’d told her to conserve. They’d sat in companionable silence for a long while, and then she’d dozed, waking when it was broad daylight to discover that she’d fallen asleep against him and that he’d put his arm around her so she would be more comfortable.
    She’d apologized, but he’d shrugged and said it was no big deal. Though she hadn’t intended to, she fell asleep again, and when she woke this time, it was dark. She blinked at her surroundings, but then it all came back to her, and she pushed away once more from the solid mountain that was Jack Hunter.
    “You feeling okay?” he asked.
    Gina sat up and stretched. Her face throbbed where Athenasios’s thug had hit her, and she was a bit sore after hiking through the woods in flip-flops, but she was alive and that was something.
    “I’m okay. A bit stiff.”
    “When the moon sets, we’ll get out of here for a bit. Go for a swim. The saltwater will help.”
    Gina was doubtful, but on the other hand, she’d love to stand up for a while. A shaft of moonlight shone into the cave, and she turned her head this way and that, trying to relieve the stiffness in her neck.
    Jack swore softly, and then she felt his hand on her chin. He was gentle, but she flinched anyway.
    “I won’t hurt you.”
    “I know.” And she did know it, but he’d surprised her.
    “You’re starting to bruise. I’ve got a cold pack.”  
    He turned to his rucksack, and she marveled at all the things he had in there. It wasn’t huge, but it carried an arsenal of supplies, weaponry, and medicine. And condoms. Her eyes widened as he set some of those aside for a moment.  
    “Wow, you really are prepared.”
    He glanced at her over his shoulder. “A bit of everything in here.”
    “Including condoms.”
    He grinned. “They’re for keeping ammo dry. You’d be surprised.”
    “I guess I would.”
    He pulled out a bag that he squeezed and shook. When he