Countermeasures

With: Janie Crouch

Congratulations to Tatt3r, the winner in Janie's giveaway. Thank you to all who participated!

A few weeks ago, on New Year’s Day to be exact, our family uprooted from Virginia and moved across the world to Germany. It’s been both exciting and challenging over these past few weeks, learning new ways of doing even the simplest tasks such as grocery shopping, laundry and cooking. And don’t even get me started on the driving.

But despite any challenges, we are growing to love it here, especially because of the all the travel opportunities that are available. Everywhere we go seems to drip with history and culture, some of it dating back thousands of years.

Last weekend we were able to visit Hohenzollern Castle, just 45-minutes from our house.

Within a few hours’ drive are multiple countries: France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Belgium, Poland… And a dozen more with short flights. We plan to see them all (SEE ALL THE COUNTRIES!!) in the three to five years that we’ll be stationed here.

My new 4-book OMEGA SECTOR series that began this month with INFILTRATION and continues in February with COUNTERMEASURES isn’t set internationally, it’s set in the areas I love of Virginia and North Carolina. And perhaps my heart will always be there.

But I can definitely see how living in Europe is going to influence and broaden my scope for where I set upcoming series. I don’t know where those settings will be yet, but I know they will be exciting, so stay tuned!

COUNTERMEASURES

The clock was ticking, the enemy was watching… 

At first it looked like a glorified babysitting job: safeguard a scientist while she created a countermeasure to neutralize a dangerous weapon that had fallen into the wrong hands. But when Dr. Megan Fuller's life was threatened, undercover agent Sawyer Branson knew the enemy was closing in. Sticking by Megan 24/7 wasn't something he took lightly, even if Megan didn't seem to appreciate his constant presence.

For a man used to getting any woman he wanted, Megan was a challenge he was coming to enjoy. Because beneath her boxy lab coat and pinned-back hair lay a brilliant and beautiful warrior. And before long, Sawyer's determination to save the world was matched only by the sudden need to make Megan his.

EXCERPT

Sawyer put the car in Park and all but ripped the keys out of the ignition.

Megan’s bed was possibly the best plan he had heard in his entire life. Sawyer hadn’t wanted to rush things; had recognized that Megan was different from the women he normally dated. She was special. And he was pretty darn sure she didn’t take sex casually.

Which okay, he could admit scared him just a little bit. But heck, everything he felt about Megan scared him. And none of it seemed casual.

Those big brown eyes of hers were looking at him right now, a little in shock at her own words.

“Megan…” There were so many things Sawyer wanted to say. Yes, please, being the primary one. But he also didn’t want her to rush anything. It had been a crazy couple of days. She was tired, had been in an accident, plus what had happened with the unknown intruder in the lab.

Sawyer just wanted Megan to be sure. But couldn’t find the right words to say it exactly.

Then Sawyer saw hesitation—the fear of rejection—steal over her face. “It’s okay, I understand—” she began softly. She thought he didn’t want her.

To hell with that.

Sawyer got out of the car before Megan could finish her sentence. He strode around it quickly and purposefully, keeping eye contact with Megan through the windshield the entire time. He reached down and opened the passenger side door.

Megan was still looking at him with those big brown eyes when Sawyer reached down and unlatched her seat belt. He helped her out the door, then promptly picked her up and set her on the hood of the car. He grasped each of her legs just under the knees and slid her all the way to the edge of the hood, hooking her legs on either side of his hips. He stepped forward so they were completely pressed against each other.

“Get one thing straight in that giant brain of yours—I have wanted you from the moment I first thought you were a receptionist and asked you to get me some coffee.”

Sawyer grasped either side of her face and tilted her chin up with his thumbs. He brought his lips down very gently to hers, savoring the feel of them.

“And I’ve wanted you more every day since.” He punctuated each word with a brief kiss.

Sawyer slanted her head to the side so he could take advantage of her lips, her closeness. To sink into that soft, wet mouth. He could feel Megan melt against him—both of them wanting to get closer than their current location would allow.

“Let’s go inside,” Sawyer said to her softly. Both of their breathing was ragged.

Megan nodded. Sawyer reached back inside the car to get the countermeasure items they’d brought home with them—not wanting to leave that out in an unmanned vehicle. Megan got her purse and took out her house keys.

Her eyes were sparkling; no doubt clouded them now. Sawyer reached up and trailed his finger down her cheek. “You’re beautiful.”

Megan gave a wry grin. “I get lots of compliments, but that’s not the usual one.”

Sawyer tucked his arm around her as they walked up the stairs to her door. “Oh yeah, what’s the usual compliment?”

“Something about my brain. Never about my looks.”

“Well, then, you should consider not hanging around with so many visually impaired people.”

Megan giggled again—a sound Sawyer was coming to love. Serious Dr. Fuller didn’t do enough of it.

Sawyer took her key from her and opened the door, ushering her inside. He closed the door behind them, locking it.

“Saw—Sawyer?”

Sawyer could hear the terror in Megan’s voice. He instantly drew his weapon and spun her around so she was behind him.

Her house had been totally ransacked.

About the Author
Janie Crouch’s debut novel PRIMAL INSTINCT has been nominated for a 2014 RT (Romantic Times) Reviewer’s Choice Award for best Harlequin Intrigue.  Janie lives with her hubby and four kids in Stuttgart, Germany but ihr Deutsch ist nicht sehr gut zur Zeit. She loves travelling, adventure racing, and movies of all kinds.

Check out Janie’s website at www.janiecrouch.com or hang out with her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/janiecrouch. Buy COUNTERMEASURES here: http://bit.ly/OmegaCountermeasures

Giveaway
Janie is giving away a set of the first two Omega Sector books INFILTRATION and COUNTERMEASURES (U.S. readers – print or ebook; International readers – ebook only). Leave a comment for a chance to win: If you could travel anywhere in Europe, where would it be? 

Giveaway ends 11:59pm EST January 22nd. Please supply your email in the post. You may use spaces or full text for security. (ex. jsmith at gmail dot com) If you do not wish to supply your email, or have trouble posting, please email maureen@justromanticsuspense.com with a subject title of JRS GIVEAWAY to be entered in the current giveaway.