His brows lifted in surprise. "Egads."

"Quite shocking, is it not?"

He considered the matter for a moment before giving a wry smile.

"Considering we are speaking of the Devilish Dandy it is not so shocking as I might have feared."

She sent him a chiding frown then, was suddenly struck by inspiration.

"You know, Anthony, we shall have to make plans to travel to Italy. Violet will want to have someone she knows at hand when the baby is born. It will also be a wonderful opportunity for Julia to see something of the world."

Although Anthony gave a nod of his head, it was obvious his mind was not on her father, or even traveling to Italy. Instead his hands moved to begin plucking the pins from her curls until they tumbled about her shoulders in a riot of gold.

"Speaking of Julia, has she returned?"

"She arrived as my sisters were leaving," she murmured as her own thoughts became increasingly distracted.

"Good." Bending his head, he planted a series of tender kisses down the line of her jaw.

Rachel shivered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Sir, what are you doing?" she teased in uneven tones.

His hands moved to busy themselves with the ribbons that held her gown together.

"Now that you are no longer fretting over your missing chick, you are free to dwell upon your desperately lonely husband."

She sucked in a sharp breath as his warm hands found the skin of her back.

"I thought you were busy with your project?"

"Oh, I am," he promised in husky tones. "Indeed, I have r-reached a most delicate stage. I am in great need of your expertise."

"As you know, I am always willing to share my expertise," she assured him as she arched closer.

He gave a husky chuckle as he easily swept her off her feet and carried her toward the distant sofa.

"Ah, my minx, I do love you."

"And I love you," she said, gazing deep into the dark eyes. "Forever and ever."

He slowly smiled, his gaze sweeping down to her parted lips.

"Now, about that project . . ."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

ALEXANDRA IVY graduated from Truman University with a degree in theatre before deciding she preferred to bring her characters to life on paper rather than on the stage. She currently lives in Missouri with her extraordinarily patient husband and teenage son. To stay updated on Alexandra's Guardian series or to chat with other readers, please visit her website at www.alexandraivy.com.

Five brave military heroes have survived the hell of a Taliban prison to return home-and take on civilian missions no one else can. They're the men of ARES Security. Highly skilled, intimidating, invincible, and one by one, tested again and again . . .

Lucas St. Clair's prestigious family had a political future neatly planned out for him-one that didn't include his high school sweetheart, Mia Ramon. Under their pressure, Lucas gave her up. But since surviving captivity, he's a changed man-and a crucial member of ARES Security. When he discovers a dead man clutching a picture of Mia that bears a threatening message, his fiercest protective instincts kick in, and he knows he must go to her.

Mia has never forgiven Lucas for breaking her heart, and she's convinced her feelings for him are in the past. But it's soon clear that isn't true for either of them. Now, determined to solve the crime and keep Mia safe, with his ARES buddies backing him up, Lucas will have to reconstruct the murder victim's last days-and follow a lethal trail that leads right back to the fate of the woman he still loves ...

Please turn the page for an exciting sneak peek of

Alexandra Ivy's

KILL WITHOUT SHAME.

coming in January 2017 wherever print and e-books are sold!

PROLOGUE.

The worst part of being held in a Taliban prison was the nightmares. At least as far as Lucas St. Clair was concerned.

No matter many years passed, his nights were still plagued with memories of being trapped in the smothering darkness of the caves. He could smell the stench of unwashed bodies and undiluted fear. He could hear the muffled sounds of men praying for death.

He knew that his parents assumed that his biggest regret was the derailment of his political aspirations. After all, his military career was intended to be the first step in his climb to a position as a diplomat.

From there . . . well, his family was nothing if not ambitious. They'd no doubt seen the White House in his future.

But there were few things that could make a man view his life with the stark clarity of five weeks of brutal torture.

By the time he'd managed to escape the caves, he'd known he was done living his life to please the precious St. Clair clan.

Instead he'd banded together with his friends, Rafe Vargas, a covert ops specialist; Max Grayson, who was trained in forensics; Hauk Lau-rensen, a sniper; and Teagan Moore, a computer wizard, to create ARES Security.

He'd wasted too much of his life.

He intended to leave the past behind and concentrate on his future.

Of course, there was an old saying about "the best laid plans of mice and men..."

ONE.

The Saloon was the sort of bar that catered to the locals in the quiet Houston neighborhood.

It was small, with lots of polished wood and an open-beam ceiling. On the weekends they invited a jazz band to play quietly on the narrow stage.

Lucas spent most Friday evenings at a table tucked in a back corner. It was unofficially reserved for the five men who ran ARES Security.

They liked the quiet ambiance, the communal agreement that everyone should mind their own fucking business, and the fact that the table was situated so no one could sneak up from behind.

Trained soldiers didn't want surprises.

At the moment, the bar was nearly empty. Not only was it a gray, wet Wednesday evening, but it was the first week of December. Christmas madness was in full swing.

Perfectly normal people were now in crazy mode as they scurried from store to store, battling each other for the latest have-to-have gift. Or attending the endless tour of parties.

Currently Lucas and Teagan shared the bar with a young couple who were seated near the front bay window. Those two were oblivious to everything but each other. Closer to the empty stage there was a table of college girls. Already at the giggly stage of drunk, they were all blatantly checking Lucas out. At least when they weren't gawking at Teagan.

No biggie.

Both men were accustomed to female attention.

Teagan was a large, heavily muscled man with dark caramel skin and golden eyes that he'd inherited from his Polynesian mother. He kept his hair shaved close to his skull, and as usual was dressed in a pair of camo pants and shit-kickers. He had an aggressive vibe that was emphasized by the tight T-shirt that left his arms bare to reveal his numerous tattoos.

Lucas St. Clair, on the other hand, was wearing a thousand-dollar suit that was tailored to perfectly fit his lean body. His glossy black hair was smoothed away from his chiseled face that he'd been told could easily have graced the covers of fashion magazines. As if he gave a shit.

His eyes were so dark they looked black. It wasn't until he was in the sunlight that it became obvious they were a deep indigo blue.

Most assumed that he was the less dangerous of the two men.

They'd be wrong.

But while the girls became increasingly more blatant in their attempts to attract their attention, neither man glanced in their direction.

Teagan, because he already had a flock of women which included super models and two famous actresses.

And Lucas because . . . he grimaced.

To be honest, he wasn't sure why. He only knew that his interest in women hadn't been the same since he'd crawled out of that hell hole in Afghanistan. Not unless he counted the hours he spent brooding on one woman in particular.

The one who got away.

Lucas gave a sharp shake of his head, reaching for his shot of tequila. It slid down his throat like liquid fire, burning away the memories.

Nothing like a twelve-year-old vintage to ease the pain.

Lucas glanced toward his companion's empty glass.

"Another round?" he asked.

"Sure." Teagan waited for Lucas to nod toward the bartender, who was washing glasses at the same time keeping a sharp eye on his few customers. "I assume you're picking up the tab?"

Lucas cocked a brow. "Why do I always have to pick up the tab?"

"You're the one with the trust fund, amigo, not me," Teagan said with a shrug. "The only thing my father ever gave me was a concussion and an intimate knowledge of the Texas penal system."

Lucas snorted. They all knew that Lucas would beg in the streets before he would touch a penny of the St. Clair fortune. Just as they all knew that Teagan had risen above his abusive background and temporary housing in the penitentiary to become a successful businessman. Teagan had not only joined ARES, but he owned a mechanic shop that catered to a high-end clientele who had more money than sense when it came to their precious sports cars.

"I might break out the violins if I didn't know you're making a fortune," Lucas said as the bartender arrived to replace their drinks with a silent efficiency.

"Hardly a fortune." Teagan reached for his beer, heaving a faux sigh. "I have overhead out the ass, not to mention paying my cousins twice what they're worth. A word of warning, amigo, never go into business with your family."

"Too late," Lucas murmured.

As far as he was concerned, the men who crawled out of that Taliban cave with him were his brothers. And the only family that mattered.

"True that." Teagan gave a slow nod, holding up his frosty glass. "To ARES."

Lucas clinked his glass against Teagan's in appreciation for the bond they'd formed.

"To ARES."

Drinking the tequila in one swallow, Lucas set aside his empty glass. There was a brief silence before Teagan at last spoke the words that'd no doubt been on the tip of his tongue since they walked through the door of the bar.

"Are you ever going to get to the point of why you asked me to meet me here?" his friend bluntly demanded.

Lucas leaned back in his chair, arching his brows.

"Couldn't it just be because I enjoy your sparkling personality?"

Teagan snorted. "If I'd known this was a date I would have worn my lucky shirt."

"You need a shirt to get lucky?"