Exile never felt so good... Tom’s a trained sniper, not a babysitter. He kills rogue immortals for a living, but after releasing classified information to a friend, he’s banished to a remote location with the CRF’s most prized asset. Can two tortured souls find solace and love in one another? Secrets unfold as Tom forms a forbidden relationship with his new charge. The immortal woman evokes memories and feelings long forgotten, and forces him to question everything he’s ever known. Sacrifices must be made. A rash decision sends them both running for their lives as enemies vie for their heads. Some bonds are meant to be broken... RWA Golden Quill 2018 Paranormal Romance Finalist * * * “Okay, straddle me again.” This woman is trying to kill me, Tom thought. The first few days of training were a breeze because they kept the touching to a minimum. He taught Amelia the weak points on the shin, how to properly form a punch, and general self-defense basics. Today, they graduated to full-body contact. Why am I doing this to myself? he wondered, not for the first time, as he straddled Amelia’s hips. This had gone beyond a death wish and firmly into torture territory. What had started as a fun way to pass the time had escalated to a risky activity that required too much skin-on-skin contact. “Hold me down like you mean it,” Amelia chided when he gently placed his hands on her shoulders. “No going easy on me.” How about you go easy on me, then? “If I use all my strength, you won’t be able to push me off.” Her brow puckered. “Then what’s the point?” What’s the point, indeed...? “To teach you how to escape in a normal situation. I’m the opposite of a normal opponent.” “Then take this collar off so we can play fair.” Nice try. “Make your move, sweetheart.” He purposely used the nickname she loathed to get her moving, and it worked. She slid her right arm between them, hooked her leg over his ankle, then rotated her body in an attempt to roll him off of her. The mediocre defense maneuver might shift an aggressor with the right angle and force, but he knew how to roll with it. Literally. He rotated with her and used the momentum to carry them in a full circle so her back hit the ground again. Her resulting growl went straight to his groin. All right, maybe that was a bad idea. But it was oh-so-fun. “Something wrong, sweetheart?” he asked, feigning innocence. Blue fire glared up at him. “I would like to shoot you now.” The threat was so unexpected and said with such venom that he couldn’t help but laugh. “I’d love to see you try.”