Navy Seal Bodyguard

An undercover mission means deadly danger for one Navy SEAL

A brand-new Aegis Security romance

After his career as a SEAL is cut short by injury, Spence Lloyd is thrilled when he gets a top secret assignment. But it’s hardly the death-defying action he’s used to. Instead, Spence must protect a high-ranking admiral’s beautiful daughter. As stubborn as she is alluring, Mia Cade presents a unique challenge to her bodyguard—one that will test his head and his heart...

TAWNY WEBER is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than forty books. She writes sassy, emotional romances with a dash of humor and believes that it all comes down to heroes. In fact, she’s made her career writing about heroes, most notably her popular navy SEALs series. Tawny credits her ex-military alpha husband for inspiration in her writing, and in her life. The recipient of numerous writing accolades, including the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, she has also hit number one on the Amazon and Barnes & Noble bestseller lists. A homeschooling mom, Tawny enjoys scrapbooking, gardening and spending time with her family and dogs in her Northern California home.

Visit Tawny on the web at www.tawnyweber.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Goodreads.

Facebook.com/TawnyWeber.RomanceAuthor

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Also by Tawny Weber

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Navy SEAL to the Rescue

Navy SEAL Bodyguard

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Midnight Special

Naughty Christmas Nights

Uniformly Hot!

A SEAL’s Seduction

A SEAL’s Surrender

A SEAL’s Salvation

A SEAL’s Kiss

A SEAL’s Fantasy

Christmas with a SEAL

A SEAL’s Secret

A SEAL’s Pleasure

A SEAL’s Temptation

A SEAL’s Touch

A SEAL’s Desire

One Night with a SEAL

Team Poseidon

Night Maneuvers

Call to Honor

Call to Engage

Call to Redemption

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Navy SEAL Bodyguard

Tawny Weber

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09405-4

NAVY SEAL BODYGUARD

© 2019 Tawny Weber

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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“I want you.” Mia’s smile was candy-sweet, but the light in her eyes was pure challenge. “Do you want me?”

Spence would rather take a bullet than hurt her, but he knew a trap when he teetered on the edge of one. Truth or lie, either way he’d be in trouble.

The upside? She didn’t wait for his response.

“What do you say? Want to see if we’re any good together?”

The downside? Her words were tempting enough to destroy his resistance.

He stared at that gorgeous face, with her full lips tilted in a bold smile and those fairy eyes glowing. Refusal was on the tip of his tongue, then he looked closer. There was just a hint of nerves lurking there, just beneath the desire.

That vulnerability hit him even harder than the desire, melting the rest of his resistance like fire melted wax.

Where was a sniper when he needed one?

Dear Reader,

Woot! I’m so excited to share the second book in the Aegis Security series with you. Navy SEAL Bodyguard features Spence Lloyd, a SEAL building a new life after leaving the team, and his first assignment: going undercover to protect the daughter of his commanding officer.

And while Spence is skilled at all things under the covers, working undercover means lying to a woman he’s seriously attracted to. This was a fun conflict to write, as was one of the main challenges that Spence and Mia have in common: parental meddling. Aah, parental meddling... Her father, his mother and all those behind-the-scenes attempts to interfere in their adult children’s lives. Not that I have any personal experience with that, of course. I enjoyed combining that family vibe while writing these intense characters. As much fun was weaving in the luxurious locations, the fancy charity events and, one of my personal favorite topics, obsessive planning, along with the twisted turns of suspense and betrayal.

I really hope that you enjoy the story and all of these elements. And after Navy SEAL Bodyguard, I hope that you’ll check out the rest of the Aegis Security series, as well as my other books. I’m looking forward to sharing many more stories with you and can’t wait to hear what you think. Feel free to stop by my website, tawnyweber.com, where you can check out my books, subscribe to my newsletter and enjoy lots of romance-addicting fun.

All my best,

Tawny

In memory of Ismael Ramirez, whose love, support and son I will always treasure.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

About the Publisher

Prologue

“Is everything in place?”

“It will be. I’ve got Mia Cade just where I want her. A few more days at the most and she’ll be our conduit to Senator Penz.”

“Perfect. Penz has no idea what’s going to hit him.”

“And Mia? When you murder the senator? What’ll happen to her?”

“Señorita Cade is our—what’s the term? Fall guy? First we use her to lure in Penz. Then we eliminate her in a simple murder-suicide. Loose ends are tidied, our enemies are dead and we are avenged.”

“Poor Mia won’t know what hit her. It just goes to show that it never pays to be a do-gooder.” Laughter rang through the phone line, cold and vicious.

And just a little insane.

Chapter 1

Mia Cade had two goals in life. One, to put as much distance as possible between herself and the manipulation, irritation and, most of all, interference of her family. Two, to help raise millions of dollars for charity.

She figured both goals were a direct product of her upbringing.

She’d spent her formative years as a Navy brat, her family packing up every couple of years to relocate to a new place in the world. With every move, Mia’s older sister, Megan, threw another fit about leaving her friends, and her younger sister developed some new ailment that ensured their mother’s full attention. Leaving Mia to organize and handle the details of unpacking and getting the family settled in their new home.

Their mother toured them through every new city or country, ensuring that they saw the good and the bad. The rich and the poor. Her purpose was to instill appreciation in her children, along with as much culture as possible.

In London, they’d visited Buckingham Palace, watched Macbeth onstage at the Royal Opera House and organized a Fill Your Boots charity campaign, collecting money on base for the Royal National Lifeboat Institute.

In Shanghai, they’d prayed in the Jade Buddha Temple, toured the Shanghai Museum and spent a few hours a week reading to disabled orphans.

Megan had gotten in trouble for shoplifting in London, had a screaming match with their mother in the Louvre and had tried to run away in Tibet. Marley, on the other hand, developed migraines in Virginia, violent allergies in Tokyo and pneumonia in Alaska. And so it went in Honolulu, Bahrain, Venice and New York. Every new station was a sea of unfamiliar faces, cultural education and charitable works, combined with high drama, hospital visits and Mia desperately trying to organize her life into some semblance of sanity.

By the time she’d finished college, she’d seen enough of the world to know she wanted to stay as far away from travel and her family as possible.

She’d chosen San Francisco.

All the way across the country from them.

Too far away for drop-in visits. Yet no distance was too far from nagging phone calls.

“Mia, you should listen to your sister. She warned you about that girl.”

“Jessica is my roommate and she’s twenty-six, Mother. A year older than me. It’s okay to call us women now.”

“Girl. Woman.” Her mother pshawed. “You’ll always be my baby.”

God help her.

“But that isn’t the point. Your sister’s concerns are the point. I told you, she thinks this Jessica girl is mean and nasty and vindictive. She’s a bad influence, a backstabber and someone who surely has it in for you.”

“Because I was crowned homecoming queen instead of her? Mom, that’s ridiculous.”

“Don’t forget that you were valedictorian, too. Marley said this girl holds grudges. There’s no way she forgot that you swept into that school and knocked her right off the pedestal.”

And off she went, in the style only Anne Cade could. Ranting with half facts, high drama and a heaping helping of guilt. Mia let the words roll over her while she went back to searching for a way to fit an extra fifty seats into a dining room for the upcoming charity ball. She’d managed to squeeze in thirty by the time her mother wound down.

“Look, Jessica is fine. She’s nice. She’s safe. She has a good job. She pays rent, helps with the bills. She’s not luring me into bars or doing drugs. No wild parties, no illicit affairs, no disreputable men.”

And just like that, her mother turned on a dime.

“You could do with meeting some men, Mia. You’re a good-looking girl, smart and fun, and your table manners are exquisite.”

“Can’t forget those table manners.”

“Speaking of, I know the perfect man for you. He’s good-looking, six foot six and very clever with languages. He fixed my computer last week. Remember the trouble I was having with it? It’s so handy to have a man around who can fix things, don’t you think? And didn’t you say you needed a new computer?”

Not enough to want a man to go with it.

“What’s his rank?”

“Petty officer,” her mother replied, biting off the last word in obvious frustration. “Now don’t be silly, Mia. Your bias against military men is ridiculous. Are you going to throw away the opportunity to meet the perfect man just because he serves his country?”

In a heartbeat.

“I don’t have time for dating, Mother,” Mia sidestepped, knowing her perfectly justified arguments always fell on deaf ears. “I’m super busy with work. And speaking of—”

“Fine, fine. If you want to refuse to meet the perfect man, that’s your choice. That’s not why I called, anyway,” her mother said dismissively. “Your uncle will be in town later this month, meeting with donors and attending a climate change event. I can count on you to be a proper hostess, can’t I? Show him around, keep him company?”

Of course she’d take care of her uncle, US Senator Luis Penz, who’d spent as many years in California as she’d been alive, show him around and keep the poor, bored-with-nothing-to-do man company.

A part of her wanted to offer that sarcastic thought aloud. To point out that she was an independent adult, a professional with a good head on her shoulders, solid social skills and a strong sense of responsibility.

But that wouldn’t stop the nagging interference. It’d only irritate her mother into bringing in backups, usually in the form of Mia’s siblings. Or worse, her father.

So she kept her thoughts to herself, settling for a roll of her eyes and an innocuous, “Of course, Mother.”

“As you can see, it’s poor timing for you to have that woman living with you.”

“It’s not like Uncle Luis would stay in my apartment, Mom. There’s not enough room for his suits.” To say nothing of his security detail.

“I don’t want him meeting this woman, Mia. She’s bad news.”

“Because she lost the homecoming crown?”

“No,” her mother snapped. “Because she works for a criminal.”

Mia grimaced. “Actually, she works for a businessman. Santiago Alcosta is totally on the up-and-up, Mom.” Not an idiot, Mia had researched the man as soon as she heard who Jessica worked for. “He’s built his business in real estate, and Alcosta International is above reproach. Sure, he has a few family members who got in trouble, but who doesn’t? Your own sister was arrested last month.”

“A few family members? His father was considered a drug lord. His brother was arrested for smuggling. Mia, your Aunt Phoebe shoplifts cat toys to donate to the local shelters.”

But Alcosta wasn’t his father or brother, Mia wanted to point out. And being a smart businesswoman, she had done her due diligence. Not only had she done a standard background check on the man, she’d asked around. She’d used her resources, she’d checked with other event coordinators, with her social contacts and best of all, she’d grilled her roommate. As the man’s personal assistant, Jessica was a font of information. She’d not only filled Mia in on Alcosta’s preferences and tastes as it applied to possible events, she’d discussed his work habits, his feelings about his criminal relatives and his hopes for helping others.

But Mia knew, just like any protests she made pointing out her own independence and maturity, the words would fall on deaf ears.

So before her mother could launch into one of her lectures on the depth of family roots, Mia changed the subject. “I have to go now. I’ve got a lot of work to do. Why don’t you call Megan? I heard she’s having the twins tested for ADD.”

“ADD?” Anne snapped. “They’re not even a year old yet.”

“I know, right.” And with that, Mia sicced her mother on her sister and ended the call with a grin.

The key to winning a battle, her father always said, was knowing the enemy’s weakness. In her mother’s case, that weakness was a chance to boss people around.

Yet another reason for putting a country between them. A great choice, she decided yet again, resting her elbow on the table to support her chin as she stared out the wide plate-glass window of her apartment at the misty view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

She loved it here—the weather, the people, the variety of things to do and, most of all, the generous altruism of the charitable community. It was an event coordinator’s dream. The Bay Area—and Northern California, in general—was home to some of the wealthiest people in the country, many of whom loved to give back. To their community. To the needy. To research, to civil servants, to causes, and to people and charities.

That’s where Mia came in.

All those years with her family made her especially aware of how much need there was in the world and how impossible it would be for her to fix it all by herself.

So she’d turned her organizational skills, people savvy and gift for smoothing the waters, combined with her bent for out-of-the-box thinking, into a career as a premier freelance event coordinator, serving some of the top international charities in the country.

And she was kicking butt.

Okay, she thought, looking at the files stacked like walls around her laptop, which was sitting on the kitchen table, maybe she wasn’t quite kicking butt yet. But after three years, she was definitely getting closer. Was there any such thing as nudging butt?

But a little more time building her reputation and event portfolio, a few more big clients on retainer, and a handful of successful, high-dollar fund-raisers, and she’d be there, dues paid, success in hand.

Before she could pay those dues, she had to pay the bills. Mia sighed, looking at the tallest stack on her desk. So, so many bills.

Okay. So maybe she was struggling a little financially, but she hadn’t chosen this career to get rich. And sure, she’d had to give up her tiny office and take in a roommate to help make ends meet, but that made her resourceful. And yes, she’d chosen to settle in one of the most expensive cities in the country, but she knew if she could make it here, she could make it anywhere.

So she focused on that.

She had a few other events coming up this month to handle, as well: a local ladies’ club holding a tea party to raise funds for a veterans’ memorial, a high school jamboree focused on building a new football field and an author event raising money for literacy.

She’d just lifted her cell phone to start those calls when it chimed in her hand.

Forever Families, the readout said. Mia’s biggest client to date, and her biggest challenge. Not in terms of her ability to handle things—she knew the organization so well, she could plan its events with her eyes closed—but because the director was incredibly determined to hire. And as appealing as regular hours, reliable paychecks and health care sounded, Mia was determined to make it on her own.

To prove that she could.

But Lorraine Perkins didn’t like to hear the word no.

The wife of one of the biggest real estate developers in the state of California, Lorraine was a social maven and one of the best-connected women Mia had ever met.

“Mia, darling, I’m just checking on the progress of our gala,” Lorraine said in those rounded tones only the wealthy seemed to pull off. “Not that I doubt for a second that you have it all well in hand.”

Of course she didn’t. Four phone calls a day was a sign of absolute faith. Mia silently waited for Lorraine to continue.

“As you know,” and she did know because Lorraine had insisted on mentioning it in each of those four daily calls, “if this weekend’s fund-raising goals are met, there’s a good chance that I’d put you in charge of our Winter Ball.”

The Winter Ball. Mia’s holy grail. A luxurious, complicated, multifaceted event spanning ten days, necessitating clever and innovative fund-raising techniques, savvy organizational skills, and, if rumor was true, the ability to juggle fire, water and ice all at the same time.

She knew this weekend’s event was the last in a series of what were essentially interviews testing her abilities. She knew, too, that Lorraine would rather handle the event in-house than bring in an outside coordinator.

But if Mia impressed her enough, she’d get the contract, she’d continue to freelance and she’d be able to bill herself as one of the top charitable-event coordinators in the country.

Best of all, she’d have done it all on her own.

“We’ll meet that goal,” Mia vowed. “Actually, things will be so amazing that I’ll bet we surpass it.”

“Oh, Mia, you’re such an optimist. But if anyone can do it, I’m starting to think you could.” Before Mia could revel in that compliment, Lorraine’s friendly tone turned pure business. “Now, you got my note about adding another fifty seats to the dinner, yes? Where are you at with that?”

“I’ve already spoken with catering and the location staff. The florist will add two more bouquets to the table,” Mia said, running her finger down her list as she recited check-marked items. “Because we’re losing square footage, the string trio will set up on the balcony just outside the ballroom.”

As she continued to recite her progress, she made a quick mental note to add extra space heaters to that balcony. Even though it was summer, evenings in San Francisco could get chilly.

“Perfect. It sounds as if you have a solid handle on it all. You’re one of the best planners in the Bay Area. And speaking of, I heard a rumor,” Lorraine said, her voice dropping with hushed excitement. “A wonderful, too-good-to-be-true rumor.”

“What’d you hear?” Mia scooted into a more comfy position in her chair and smiled, ready for some fun. She’d discovered the only thing the wealthy loved more than seeing their names written next to the word altruistic and the promise of tax deductions was gossip.

“It’s come to my attention that a certain young lady we both know and love has hidden connections.”

Oh, no. Mia cringed. Lorraine had been nagging her to convince her uncle to one of her events, claiming he’d be a huge draw. But before Mia could think of the right excuse, Lorraine continued in an giddy rush, “International real-estate connections, ones with very deep pockets.”

Mia frowned. It didn’t sound like Lorraine was describing Senator Penz. Thankfully the woman kept dropping those juicy hints.

“This connection is, as I hear it, very distinguished, cosmopolitan and charming. A man who rose above his juicy, scandalous family. In other words, just the kind of guest to add such a delicious panache to my ball.”