What Chris Wants

By Lori Foster

When the going gets tough, the tough turn to Chris Chapey. As the right–hand man to a group of take–no–prisoners mercenaries, Chris can organise a top–secret rescue mission with his eyes closed. But when it comes to his personal life, Chris is the one who needs a little help.

His problem: Matt Houser. Chris can't deny his attraction to Matt, but Matt has no idea what Chris's job really entails and how much it means to him. Matt challenges Chris to change his life–and make a place for him in it. Can Chris risk telling him the truth?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Jan 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781460893395

Lori Foster

Lori Foster is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author with books from a variety of publishers, including Berkley/Jove, Kensington, St. Martin's, Harlequin and Silhouette. Lori has been a recipient of the prestigious RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award for Series Romantic Fantasy, and for Contemporary Romance. For more about Lori, visit her Web site at www.lorifoster.com.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

In one smooth, clean move, Chris Chapey dove into the lake, counting on the cool water and the blazing afternoon sun to lull his turbulent thoughts.

Up the hill, from where they were collected on the deck for another big gathering, he heard the muted conversation of badass men and strong women. Friends he loved. People he admired.

Right now, he felt very apart from them.

His fault, not theirs.

Barely moving his legs to stay afloat, Chris closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the gentle lap of the water. Usually that worked.

Not this time.

He thought back to when he and Dare Macintosh had shared this property alone, Dare in his expansive house up the hill, Chris in his smaller home that sat closer to the lake. Because Dare’s job as a high-level mercenary required ultimate security, Chris’s duties as his right-hand man covered just about everything—from keeping Dare’s records and doing computer work to stocking the fridge and exercising Dare’s beloved dogs. For a very long time, their only visitors had been Dare’s partner, Trace Rivers, and occasionally Trace’s sister, Alani.

Through the years, Dare and Trace had built up contacts in the government, the military and within all the highest-profile businesses. They had friends in high places and better friends in low places. Although they remained based in Kentucky and Ohio, their far-reaching influence allowed them to succeed where local authorities couldn’t.

The success came at a personal cost. Given the top-secret nature of their work, Dare and Trace didn’t trust easily, and because their lives depended on it, they’d guarded their privacy against all intrusions.

But then, while on a mission to save Alani from the human traffickers who’d kidnapped her, Dare had also rescued Molly Alexander. In short order, they’d fallen in love and married. No problem. Chris enjoyed seeing Dare so happy.

Not too long after that, Trace had met Priss Patterson…and married her. By then, Dare and Trace had brought a third man, Jackson Savor, into the organization. Jackson had fallen hard for Trace’s sister, Alani, and they were not only married now, but they also had a beautiful little girl whom everyone adored, most especially Chris.

Having those ladies as regulars at the lake hadn’t prepared anyone for Arizona Storm. She was like a little sister to Jackson, and had been by far the most wounded soul Chris had ever met. Thank God Spencer Lark had proved a reasonable, determined man. He’d not only won Arizona’s heart, but also respect from Trace and Dare and acceptance from Jackson. Even before Spencer had proposed to Arizona, he’d been invited to join the mercenaries’ ranks.

Together they all made up one big happy family of matrimonial bliss.

Disgusted with himself, Chris dunked his head under the water, shoved his hair away from his face and flipped to his back to float.

Low laughter and conversation drifted around him. Dare and Molly loved holding court, inviting everyone to hang out whenever the men weren’t off on another mission. Marriage hadn’t slowed them down; if anything, love made them only more determined to protect others from abuse. They were good at that, at saving innocents, infiltrating situations that others couldn’t, making a difference when the law failed.

Leaving without a trace.

Off to his right, a fat carp jumped out of the water and landed with a splash. Chris barely acknowledged the disturbance.

Someone called down to him, but he pretended not to hear.

Damn it, for a man who didn’t like to stew, lately he’d done an awful lot of it.

In sharp contrast to the chilly water, a hot breeze stirred the air. Chris felt his lax

Reviews for What Chris Wants

[author_andrialarge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It was a cute short story. Love Chris!

[msralways · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't think this was very flattering to tell Chris' story and that was because we didn't get to enjoy the Chris we all know and love so much from previous books. There was no real chemistry between him and Matt, the story was rushed even for a little novella and I just think the author wasn't able to capture Chris' essence here. The good thing about this was to hear more about Alani and Jackson's little baby girl and to see more of the guys with their respective loved ones. Oh, and Arizona was just her funny self as always.

[dearheart_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After reading the other books in this series, I was excited to finally get Chris’ story. As the heart and soul of the enterprise, keeping things running, handling details, gathering information and freeing up others to do what they do best, he’s torn between the love of what he does and wanting what everyone else has; someone to love. And to keep what the enterprise does a secret, he can’t share with Matt exactly what he or the others do. So he doesn’t see how a relationship could work.You’ve got to love both Chris and Matt and it helps that the entire gang is on hand to interfere. After all, Chris, and sometimes Matt, helped all of their relationships. I’m surprised, with the explicit sex scenes this author writes, the she didn’t take the plunge and do one here. Unfortunately, even the kiss lacks the feel of passion as it seems to be told more from a third party view. The price is right for the length of the story. Would have wished for more story and paid the price for it. Have some tissues handy.