Bait Read online

  Cover Copy

  There are good guys, and then there are highly trained good guys—the kind who make the world a safer, sexier place…

  Former military and ex-FBI agent Ethan Worth is searching for a new way to serve and protect. On a break in Beaufort, North Carolina, he just may have found it. It starts with saving a tipsy damsel in distress from a shady troublemaker. But it ends with the surprisingly sober beauty outraged by his rescue. That’s all Ethan needs for his expert instincts to kick into high gear…

  Riley Reynolds is back in Beaufort for one reason only: to find her missing best friend, Hanna. If that means using herself as bait for the kind of guy who’d prey on a vulnerable young woman, so be it. She doesn’t need a rugged knight in shining armor like Ethan distracting her, and she doesn’t want his help. But it turns out she needs it. And together, as the heat between them rises, so does the danger. Until both their lives are on the line…

  Also by Samantha Keith

  The Dangerous Distractions Series

  Abducted

  Bait

  Exposed

  Table of Contents

  Cover Copy

  Also by Samantha Keith

  Acknowledgments

  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

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Epilogue

  Teaser Chapter

  About the Author

  Bait

  Samantha Keith

  LYRICAL PRESS

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  www.kensingtonbooks.com

  To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

  LYRICAL PRESS BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  119 West 40th Street

  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2018 by Samantha Keith

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  All Kensington titles, imprints, and distributed lines are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotion, premiums, fund-raising, educational, or institutional use.

  Special book excerpts or customized printings can also be created to fit specific needs. For details, write or phone the office of the Kensington Sales Manager: Kensington Publishing Corp., 119 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018. Attn. Sales Department. Phone: 1-800-221-2647.

  Lyrical Press and Lyrical Press logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

  First Electronic Edition: November 2018

  eISBN-13: 978-1-5161-0671-4

  eISBN-10: 1-5161-0671-7

  First Print Edition: November 2018

  ISBN-13: 978-15161-0674-5

  ISBN-10: 1-5161-0674-1

  Printed in the United States of America

  Acknowledgments

  I’d like to dedicate this book to my amazing family. To my husband Jesse, for always being supportive. I love taking some of your qualities—even the annoying ones—and applying them to my heroes. For my daughters Skylar and Isla. Writing is something so very personal and gratifying for me, but I think I will always struggle with “mom-guilt” for taking time away from you guys. But it brings me so much joy that I hope you will one day realize I’m a better mother and overall human being because of it. I’d also like to thank my parents, especially my mom, for their continued support.

  Danielle, thank you for your friendship. I love that we share this passion and all of our random, sometimes late night, ideas that we bounce off of each other. I can’t wait for the day we decide to co-write something together!

  Thank you to my agent Liz, and to my editor Selena. I’m so fortunate to have such great people in my corner helping me make my work as strong as it can be.

  Lastly, thank you to my readers! I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you chose to read Bait. I hope it exceeds your expectations.

  With love,

  Samantha Keith

  Chapter 1

  Lord Jesus, it was her. She hadn’t seen him yet, thank god.

  Ethan pulled his baseball cap low over his eyes and rounded his shoulders over his glass of rum and Coke.

  He kept his head low, but his eyes trained on her. Riley wore denim cut-off shorts and a white lace crop top that revealed her flat, lightly tanned stomach. The man beside her passed her another shot. She tossed it back expertly. Ethan slid his thumb over the cool glass in his hand. That’s two now, and before the shots she’d been sipping on a brightly colored cocktail. That was a lot of alcohol for someone her size.

  She passed the man her empty shot glass. He slid an arm around her back, inching closer to her. For a flicker of an instant, her face changed. Her eyes grew small and her jaw tensed. A shaky smile returned when he touched her chin and turned her face toward him. Her fingers toyed with a long tendril of her hair that fell in soft waves around her breasts.

  The man tucked her hair over her shoulder and whispered something in her ear. She bit her lip.

  Shit.

  Ethan tightened his hand on the sweating glass. She didn’t know the dude. All he had to go by was instinct and his experience on reading people. One thing was for sure, the asshole was all over her. If he was her boyfriend, he wouldn’t be trying so damn hard.

  Dammit, he shouldn’t care. She wasn’t his problem. Since he’d moved in next door to her a couple weeks ago, she’d been friendly but completely disinterested in his attempts at small talk. Not that he’d done anything but be polite to her.

  Riley had a wall of ice behind her green eyes and tight smile. No one was getting beyond that guard…except the douchebag that kept touching her.

  The man trailed a finger over Riley’s collarbone, his face tucked closely to her ear. Her cheeks turned a ripe shade of pink. She ducked her chin away from his face, but the man brought his hand to her jaw and turned it sharply toward him. The planes of the dude’s face turned hard and his fingertips held her face inches from his. Even at this distance, Ethan could see that he dug his grip too deep, making her soft skin pucker around his fingertips. His hold demanded her obedience.

  Who the hell did this guy think he was handling a woman like that? And more importantly, why was she standing for it?

  He lowered his hand to her bicep and rotated her body into him. With Riley’s back to Ethan, he watched as the predator smoothed his hands over her ass. She grabbed his wrists, shifting his hands to rest on her hips.

  The guy put them right back on the rump of her shorts.

  An iron fist of disgust gripped Ethan’s lungs. The prick was insistent and downright rough. His instincts went to war. Getting involved wouldn’t do him any good, but something wasn’t right.

  “Mind if I have a seat?” A tall woman in a tight red dress blocked his view. He lifted
his eyes to her face and then dragged them away. On any other night, he’d be game. Hell, he’d be more than game. But tonight, he couldn’t take his eyes off the blonde across the room.

  “I’m waiting for someone, but you’re welcome to have a seat.” Manners forced the words from his mouth. He shifted his gaze around her full, sexy hips to locate the woman across the bar. His disinterest didn’t sway the woman in red. She pulled out a chair and sat. Her legs crossed and uncrossed.

  “You’ve been waiting an awful long time.” She rested her chin on her palm. Warm, olive eyes met his. God, she was beautiful. Her lips were full and painted in a warm neutral tone, her dark hair curled around her exposed cleavage.

  Every male hormone in his body screamed at him for not taking an interest. But he couldn’t. Not when his sixth sense was on high alert. He couldn’t pretend that he didn’t have any clue as to what the slimy bastard was planning on doing with Riley. He forced his attention to the woman in front of him. “I’m sorry, I’m distracted tonight and not in the mood for conversation.”

  A slow smile crept over her face. “I’m not in the mood for conversation either.”

  Jesus, she was direct. He liked direct, he liked women who knew what they wanted and took it. Sex in particular. He was here on vacation to clear his head and figure out his next steps and he wanted to enjoy it. And that meant sex. Lots of it. Of course, this would happen tonight, when he wouldn’t be able to act. Because of Riley. Just his luck.

  The waitress stepped up to his visitor, and propped a tray on her hip. “What can I get you?”

  “I’ll have a mojito, please.”

  Now he was buying her a drink? How in the hell had that happened? He craned his neck around the two women. A new couple stood in the same spot where Riley and the asshole had stood only seconds before.

  “And for you?”

  He waved his glass at her. “Rum and Coke.”

  His eyes scanned the crowd. The waitress took the empty glass and sidled around the table. He leaned in his seat, not caring if he was being inconspicuous or not. Women gyrated on the dance floor, the thumping of the bass vibrated through the soles of his shoes, racking up his pulse.

  The top of Riley’s blond head passed through a gap in the throng of bodies. The man she’d been with had his fingers circled around her elbow, leading her to the exit.

  Ethan leapt to his feet, opened his wallet, and slapped some bills on the table. “Have a good night.” He moved his way through the crowd, keeping his eyes on his target. The woman he’d left behind scoffed and made a rude remark.

  He didn’t care.

  People loitered near the exit. Without slowing down, he parted the crowd. The warm night air hit him in the face. The late July humidity made his shirt cling to his chest when he stepped outside.

  His eyes zeroed in on them. They were halfway across the parking lot. The dude’s hand curled possessively around her elbow as he dragged her across the gravel. Much too quick for Riley’s staggered footsteps. She didn’t appear to be putting up a fight, but with the drunken wobble of her legs, that didn’t reassure him. Distaste swirled over Ethan’s tongue.

  Don’t overreact. This is none of your business.

  It wasn’t his business, but goddammit, he couldn’t stand around and let her leave with the douchebag. The reasonable part of his brain that still worked shouted at him to remain cool. He had to give him the benefit of the doubt. For all he knew the guy was going to put her in a cab. He wouldn’t step in unless it appeared otherwise. Any man that took an intoxicated woman home from the bar had only one thing in mind. She threw her head back and cackled, her steps wavered, and she slouched against the man’s side.

  The guy’s hand extended in the air. A soft beep-beep sounded through the night, and the headlights of his red Ford Mustang flashed. Every muscle in Ethan’s body tensed.

  Like hell.

  She laughed again at something he’d said. Her cowboy-booted toe caught the gravel and she pitched forward. She landed on her hands and knees, and then rolled to sit on her ass, her giggles erupting through the night. She was plastered.

  His feet crunched over the gravel as he approached. The man slid his hands under her arms and hauled her to her feet.

  “I want smum more alcohol.” The thundering of blood through his skull drowned out the soft slurs of her voice.

  “Come on girl, I have tequila at my house.”

  “Let her go.” Ethan’s voice boomed through the wall of humidity. The screeching cicadas around them silenced before beginning their symphony again. His movements didn’t slow. The man lifted his bent head, the salacious smile evaporated from his face. He took a step back. He was of medium-build, but next to Ethan, he lacked size and mass.

  Riley reeled to face him. Her eyes widened on his face. “What are you doing here?”

  Fire shot from her green eyes, enough to sear him to the spot. Huh. Two minutes ago, she’d been drunk and on her ass. Now she didn’t slur a single syllable. There was no way she’d sobered up that quickly. What the hell was she trying to pull?

  Ethan stopped inches from her. “Hello to you too, Riley.”

  “Do you know him?” the man’s voice wavered, his eyes racked over Ethan.

  Riley’s gaze never left his. “No, I don’t.” She turned, but Ethan stopped her. The skin above her elbow was smooth beneath the rough pads of his fingers. When the prick reached for her, Ethan stepped between them. With his back to him, Ethan’s senses sparked. The muscles in his back bunched anticipating an attack. His training still deeply ingrained in his psyche.

  “You’re drunk, and I’m not letting you leave with this douchebag, all right? I’ll call you a cab.”

  Her brow snapped down. She was so short next to him, her eyes were level with his sternum. She yanked her arm out of his grasp. “I’m fine. Mind your own business.”

  She stepped around him. “Come on, Ryan.” Her eyes burned into Ethan’s. “Let’s go.”

  The man snickered and welcomed her to his extended arm. “See ya later, bro.”

  He should back away. He should let her do whatever the hell she wanted.

  He cracked his knuckles. Not happening. In one swoop, he caught the man’s shirt collar and yanked him backward. Ryan stumbled and flopped across the loose stones on his ass. Ethan stepped over top of him, his hand fisted at the throat of his shirt.

  “Let him go, you maniac.” Riley shrieked behind him. She pulled on the back of his shirt with the strength of a squirrel. He ignored her.

  “You want to tell me what the hell you’re doing getting a young woman plastered and taking her home?” Ethan gave him a shake when he didn’t answer. The man’s hat flew off revealing dark, close-cropped hair.

  “She came on to me, man,” he wailed. “I didn’t know she was with anyone.”

  Riley swatted at him. Ethan’s grip tightened. He shifted his eyes to her. She had come onto him? Ethan shook his head. He may not know her well, but he was a damn good judge of character. It didn’t ring true.

  “I don’t believe you. But even if that’s true, you should know better. If I ever catch you feeding shots to a young woman and trying to take her home, Ryan,” he emphasized his name for good measure. “I’ll break every bone in your face, understood?”

  Sweat broke out on Ryan’s brow. He nodded. Ethan stood and Riley dropped to her knee next to Ryan.

  “Don’t listen to him. We’re not together, honest.” She whipped her head over her shoulder and glared at him. “Go away.”

  Ethan’s head pounded. What in the hell was the matter with her? Did she not know what this idiot had in mind? Ryan rose to his feet and brushed off his pants.

  “I have to go.”

  Riley’s hands fell away from him. He skulked the rest of the way to his Mustang and got in. His tires screeched as he peeled out of the lot.

 
She reeled on him. “You idiot. I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but you need to mind your own goddamn business.” The tip of her index finger stabbed into his pec muscle. He brushed her hand away, annoyance gnawed at him.

  He rested his hand on the back of his neck. The tension had turned into an angry ache. He worked his jaw.

  “Are you kidding me right now? Are you completely unaware what that guy was planning to do once he got you back to his house?”

  “This is insane.” Her voice raised an octave. “I barely even know you.” Her arms waved in the air between them. “And for the record, I didn’t ask for your help.”

  “You fell on your ass for god’s sake.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Didn’t anyone teach you what happens to young women in bars? I feel like you need some education on the subject.”

  Her eyes sharpened on him. A deep blush stained her cheeks. If smoke could billow from her ears, it would have.

  “I’m not stupid,” she hissed. “And if you come near me again, I will punch your lights out. Got it?”

  A laugh bubbled in his throat. He couldn’t stop it and didn’t try to. He was easily two times her size. Not to mention her fist could fit in his palm. She seethed. Her foot stomped in the dirt, kicking up a small cloud of dust. A growl gurgled from her throat before she spun on her heel.

  Her hair fanned out behind her as she stormed away.

  The laughter gone from his voice, he jogged after her. “Riley, come on. Let me give you a ride home, you’re drunk.”

  She whirled around so fast he had to catch himself from barrelling into her. This close he could see the rise and fall of her chest. Her breasts overflowed the top of her skimpy shirt. Her sweet-smelling perfume permeated the air around them.

  “Are you deaf? Or are you really that stupid?” She flung her hair over her shoulder and rested her hands on her hips to stare him down.

  His temper crackled in his ears. “You’re calling me stupid?” He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “I can’t believe I have to spell this out. That guy was going to rape you, Riley. I just saved you.”