SEALED in Marriage

SEALED IN MARRIAGE NANCI NOVAK CONTENTS 1. Shank 2. Storm 3. Shank 4. Storm 5. Shank 6. Shank 7. Storm 8. Shank 9. Storm 10. Shank 11. Storm 12. Shank 13. Shank 14. Storm 15. Shank 16. Storm 17. Shank 18. Storm 19. Shank Good deeds Also by Nanci Novak CHAPTER 1 SHANK Oh wow! Would you look at that! A hot little redhead with the cutest ass I’ve ever seen is busy demonstrating how to assemble a new model assault rifle for a prospect. The magazine she’s shoving into place looks really big because her hands are so small. I wonder what those hands would feel like wrapped around my— The salesman who’s been attending to my purchases at the HDS munitions booth slides between me and the redhead, obstructing my view, and interrupting my covert inspection of her magnificent ass. I lower the pair of goggles I had been trying on and focus on the salesman. The name badge dangling from the lanyard around his neck proclaims that he’s Oliver, and he’s a sales consultant in the optical observation section. Like everybody else in the booth, apart from the cute little redhead, he’s wearing a pair of cream Chinos and a sky-blue golf shirt with the company logo for Howell Defense Systems printed on the breast pocket. He continues his pitch with, “These all-light vision goggles are our latest innovation. They allow you to see very clearly in any kind of light because they adjust automatically. Would you like me to show you some add-ons for them as well, sir?” “Yeah, why not?” I follow Oliver to the counter marked Optical Observation and try not to notice the half-eaten lunch in the Styrofoam container that’s stashed behind the counter. The booth is really busy and the poor dude has probably been trying to grab quick chow between serving customers. Oliver knows his stuff and by the time we’re done, I’ve ordered two pairs of all-light vision goggles along with most of the available add-ons, a universal scope mount for automatic weapons, and a digital laser rangefinder. They’ll be shipped to our base in Puerto Rico along with all the other stuff that I’ve ordered since I’ve arrived. I’m at a trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada, to check out the latest defense equipment on the market. Weapons are my thing and I have a huge armory at home, but I’m not here to add to my personal collection. I’m here to buy equipment for TACS, the defense company that I started with five of my ex-SEAL buddies after we left the service. Jelena Belov, our financier, blessed me with a huge budget, and I can really go to town and buy whatever we need. Jelena is a Russian mining heiress who appeared in our lives when one of our team members, Jax, took on a body-guarding job for her a while ago. They ended up as a couple, and that’s how we got our financing in place. Oliver hands me the paperwork for my purchases and I use the credit card Jelena gave me to make the payment. He looks very pleased with himself, and he should be. I’ve just spent a truckload of money, and I’ll probably be back tomorrow to spend more. Spending other people’s money is hard work and I can do with a couple of shots and some chow. The bar near the booth does a great steak burger and it seems like as good a place as any to start my evening. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t mind some female company tonight. I am in Vegas after all, and all I’ve been doing since I got here, is work. I’ll go over and take a look at some guns and chat that little redhead up. She looks like she’ll be good company, and then there’s that cute little ass of hers— I head over to the gun section, but I don’t see her anywhere. Damn! Maybe the dude that she was showing the rifle to had the same plan that I had, and she’s gone off with him. Lucky bastard. She tops all of the women I’ve seen here so far. Too bad I lucked out. She’s really pretty. I shrug. Oh well, I’ll just go have a couple of drinks and take it from there. Navy SEALs have a saying that goes, the only easy day was yesterday, but it looks as if today may not be so bad either. I push my way through the crowd milling around the bar, and what do you know? There she is! I’m sure it’s that little redhead from the arms booth sitting at the bar with her back to me. I’d recognize that ass of hers anywhere, even though I only managed to get a quick look at it back in the booth. It’s the kind of ass a man remembers. An oldish couple is huddling to her left and four sleazy-looking dudes are draped over the stools to her right. They’re definitely not with her. That leaves standing room only, so I can squeeze in on either side of her. I aim for the sleazeballs’ side. I’m almost on target when I notice one of the sleazeballs closest to her hover his hand over her drink when she looks away. What the fuck? I swear he just slipped something into her glass. Two steps later, I’m elbowing my way in between her and the sleazeballs. “‘Scuze me, miss. Mind if I hang here? It seems we’re all out of seats.” I’ve got my most charming smile ready as I tap her on the shoulder. Her head turns my way and she looks me up and down. The color of her eyes reminds me of those little blue flowers that they grow on the sidewalks in Park Slope back in Brooklyn. “Sure. Why not?” Her voice is low and husky and the words come out in a slow drawl. Holy hell, she’s