Wyatt: A steamy contemporary military romance (Project Arma Book 5) Read online

  WYATT

  Copyright © 2021 Nyssa Kathryn Sitarenos

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be used, stored, or reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for use of brief quotations in book reviews.

  This book is for your personal enjoyment only.

  This book may not be resold or given to other people.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover by Dar Albert at Wicked Smart Designs

  Edited by Kelli Collins

  Proofread by Marla Esposito

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Blurb

  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

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Also by Nyssa Kathryn

  About the Author

  A story that could cost her everything…

  Investigative journalist Quinn Ross isn’t a woman who can just let major news pass her by. So, when she stumbles across a story like no other, she makes it her mission to report it to the masses.

  She doesn’t count on the lengths to which some may go to keep her story from seeing the light of day. When Quinn suddenly finds herself in need of escape, she heads straight for tiny Marble Falls and her brother, Mason.

  When he’s not running his company’s IT department, Wyatt Gray—former SEAL and co-owner of Marble Protection—spends every spare minute searching for those who betrayed him. The ones who turned him and his teammates into something beyond mere mortals. He doesn’t have time for distractions—but that’s exactly what he gets, in the form of his best friend’s sassy, spunky, sexy sister…who’s moved in right across the hall.

  From the moment they meet, Quinn and Wyatt’s chemistry is combustible. But they both have big secrets. Then there’s Mason, who may consider Wyatt a brother, but he might still kill him for lusting after his baby sister.

  But soon, none of that matters. When a killer sets his sights on Quinn, any chance at happiness with Wyatt may end before it’s had a chance to begin.

  Acknowledgments

  Kelli Collins, thank you for being a superstar editor. You always manage to take my work to the next level.

  Thank you to my readers. You guys are amazing. Without you, Wyatt and Quinn would not have gotten their story.

  Chapter 1

  It took a lot to shock Quinn Ross. Her years as a New York Times journalist had exposed her to everything, from the good and the bad to the downright ugly.

  You name it, Quinn had written about it.

  But the words in the email shocked the heck out of her.

  Most people would disregard them as lies. A fabricated story created to get attention, perhaps.

  Quinn wasn’t so sure.

  The woman who had written the email was a scientist. Hell, she was one of the best in her field. She worked at Novac, one of the most reputable pharmaceutical companies in the country.

  The woman was smart. Educated. Her words had to hold some merit, right?

  Men so fast, they’re a blur of movement. So strong, they can bend metal with their hands.

  No. No, no and no. It wasn’t possible. It didn’t even begin to fit into her preconceived notions of reality.

  Quinn scrubbed a hand over her face before leaning back in her chair.

  She was a realist. Human behavior didn’t surprise her because she’d learned that humans were capable of anything. Keyword being human. What Maya Harper described were super-villains. Fictional character who belonged in movies.

  But why would the woman claim that she’d witnessed a man’s neck being snapped with minimal effort if it wasn’t true? That she’d seen a colleague get thrown twenty feet across the room and die on impact?

  This was simply too much information for her sleep-deprived brain to absorb.

  Pushing away from the table, Quinn moved to the kitchen. It was six-thirty in the morning. Far too early to be reading about supermen breaking into pharmaceutical labs. Killing technicians with their super strength.

  It was even more amazing the lone witness to the robbery had been the one to respond to Quinn’s email. No, it was a damn miracle.

  Quinn had emailed all employees on the pharmaceutical company’s website, even though she’d been almost certain no one would respond. Yet, here she was, weeks later, reading an email from Maya.

  Maya hadn’t responded from her company email. Not that it was a surprise. The woman had disappeared shortly after the event.

  Quinn wanted to know how she’d survived when no one else had, and what was taken.

  Only now she was concerned the trauma of the experience had effected the woman’s mental health.

  Quinn needed coffee. Stat. It was what she’d been beelining toward before the ding of an email had stopped her.

  Opening the pantry door, she scanned the contents of the shelves. Rather, Mason’s shelves. Because it was her brother’s apartment, not hers. And she thanked her lucky stars every day that it was vacant for her to stay in, otherwise there was the distinct possibility she would have been homeless.

  After a few seconds of scanning, Quinn stopped and groaned out loud. There was no coffee. None.

  Of course there wasn’t. Because she was supposed to grab some from the store yesterday. She hadn’t.

  Quinn dropped her chin on her chest. “It’s official. The world hates me.”

  Was she such a terrible person that the world needed to keep spiting her?

  The last four weeks had been the month from hell. All stemming from her being fired from a job she excelled at. Fired! She could still barely believe it.

  She’d lived and breathed that job. It had been her entire life.

  And the worst part was, she’d been fired for something so trivial that most people would just get a slap on the wrist.

  It was like one giant nightmare.

  To make matters worse, she’d stayed in New York, hoping she could convince her boss to take her back. Hell, his wife was one of her best friends, it shouldn’t have been hard.

  But he hadn’t taken her back, and no one else had seemed interested in employing her. Because rent in New York was so expensive, all she’d done was eat into her savings.

  Now, here she was, broke, jobless, living in Marble Falls, and out of coffee. Oh, and her one lead on the story that had cost Quinn her job was a lady talking to her about men with powers.

  You’re screwed, Quinn. Screwed and coffee-less.

  Quinn eyed the door. She could run to the store, but this wasn’t New York. Not even close
. Did the stores even open this early in Marble Falls? Maybe a cafe or diner?

  Lifting her phone, Quinn began to search what was open. Then a thought came to her. The day she’d moved into the apartment, she’d met a neighbor from across the hall. An incredibly sexy neighbor whose voice alone had made her stomach do somersaults.

  It was highly likely he had coffee. Most adults had some kind of caffeine dependence, didn’t they?

  And if he didn’t have coffee, well, at least she’d get an eyeful of those beefy biceps and that powerful chest again.

  Smiling to herself, Quinn touched her fingers to her lips. The lips that had been kissed by that god of a creature. Leaving her door open that day had been a stroke of genius. So too had the choice to give the man a kiss on the lips instead of her name.

  The kiss was supposed to be a peck. Boy, had it been more than that. He’d leaned right into her. Touched her. Tasted her.

  Goose bumps rose on Quinn’s arms just thinking about it. Her entire body tingled. It had been the best damn kiss of her life.

  She moved toward the door. Maybe it was time to learn her neighbor’s name.

  Wyatt heard the footsteps before the knock. He didn’t know who stood at his door, but he did know they were female. The light, graceful steps had given them away.

  Most people wouldn’t be able to hear what Wyatt could. He wasn’t most people. He could hear better, move faster, and lift far more than most. But then, that’s what happens when your genetics get permanently altered.

  Moving away from the coffee machine, Wyatt headed toward the door. He had no idea who it could be. Maybe the elderly lady from down the hall?

  When he looked through the peephole, he couldn’t stop the heat that slammed into his gut.

  Quinn Ross. Little sister to Wyatt’s good friend and business partner, Mason Ross. And Wyatt’s new neighbor.

  Not that she realized he knew who she was.

  Pulling the door open, Wyatt gave the woman a smile. Just like the previous time he’d lain eyes on her, awareness tore through his body. Her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall, and her piercing blue eyes warmed at the sight of him.

  “Why hello there, handsome. I have a problem that I’m praying you can help me with. A gigantic, might-be-life-threatening-if-nothing-is-done problem.”

  Wyatt’s body immediately tensed. Was there a threat close by?

  He listened to any and everything in the building. There were many heartbeats. None of them seemed to be coming from inside Quinn’s apartment.

  “Are you okay?” He was a millisecond away from grabbing the woman and pulling her inside his apartment.

  “No. I’m out of coffee.”

  Wyatt’s brows pulled together. “Your life-threatening problem is that you’re out of coffee?”

  She stepped back, feigning shock. “You think it’s not life-threatening? Buddy, if that liquid gold is not hitting my bloodstream in the next hour, I’ll be a puddle of human remains on the ground. Either that, or turn into a homicidal maniac, attacking anyone I see. Do you really want either to come to fruition?”

  Wyatt’s body relaxed. “I have coffee. Would you like to come—”

  Before he had a chance to finish the sentence, Quinn was brushing past him. “Thank the lord! I mean, I hoped you would, but there are some rare human species who don’t seem to need the stuff. I don’t get it myself. Lucky for us both, you’re not one of them. You have now entered friendship status.”

  Wyatt had to focus to keep up with what she was saying. For a woman who had only met him the one time, she sure wasn’t shy.

  “You’re aware it’s not even seven in the morning, right? How desperate could you be?”

  “I am very aware of the time, and my desperation for coffee knows no bounds. I should have had coffee at least half an hour ago.” Quinn stopped when she reached the counter before turning to look at him. Her face was a mixture of relief and gratitude. “And you have a coffee maker. You truly are the man of my dreams.”

  Well, that was fitting, seeing as he hadn’t been able to get the sassy woman out of his mind. “I’ll tell you what. If you give me that name of yours, you can have as much coffee as you like. Seeing as I didn’t get it last time.”

  Even though Wyatt knew her name, for some reason, he didn’t want her to know that yet. Maybe because he was enjoying the anonymity. Maybe because he didn’t want her view of or actions toward him to be swayed by his relationship with her brother.

  A small smile tugged at her lips. “You don’t play fair. Lucky for you, there’s not much I wouldn’t do for caffeine.” Taking a step toward him, she extended her hand. “Quinn Ross. Lover of words. Workaholic. Coffee addict.”

  Seeing as his lips had been on hers the last time they’d been together, they were probably past the handshake stage. But he’d take any excuse to touch the woman.

  Stepping forward, he took her hand in his.

  “Wyatt Gray. Business owner. Also workaholic. Computer nerd.”

  At the first touch of her skin, he wanted more. He wanted to pull her body into his and see if she tasted as good as last time.

  Quinn smiled. “Hm, I see we’re both keeping our cards close to our chests. I like it.”

  When she pulled her hand from his, he turned and headed for the coffee machine. He’d like to think it was to make the coffee but, in reality, it was more to stop from touching her again. She was too damn enticing.

  “How do you take your coffee?”

  “Milk and two sugars.”

  That was a surprise. Wyatt tossed a look at her over his shoulder. “I pegged you for a black coffee woman.”

  She shrugged as she took a seat at his kitchen island. “People have pegged me as many things in my life. They rarely get it right.”

  That was likely because she was a woman who couldn’t be categorized. She sure seemed like a puzzle so far.

  Quinn tilted her head to the side. “What about you? How do you take your coffee?”

  “Milk with a heap of sugar.” Because one teaspoon was never enough. “Like you, I like my beverages sweet.”

  He gave her a wink before turning back to the machine. Wyatt was the only one out of his friends who took his coffee sweet. He couldn’t stand the stuff without sugar. It was far too bitter.

  “Something we have in common.”

  That it was.

  Once both coffees were ready, he placed them on the kitchen counter. Quinn all but jumped on hers. She reminded him of a starved chipmunk. Cute, but if you got in the way of her and her treat, you would lose a limb.

  When she swallowed her first sip, her eyes rolled up into her head, and she moaned. A sweet moan that had him hardening to an uncomfortable degree.

  She was going to be the death of him.

  When she opened her eyes, she looked straight at him. “Okay. I’m going to be honest with you. My plan was to buy a bag of instant coffee today, but I don’t think I can do that anymore. I can’t drink that crap when I know you have this right across the hall.” She leaned forward. “I’m probably going to be back. And when I say probably, I mean I will be back. Every morning.”

  If a good coffee is what it took to get this woman into his home, then he’d be making damn sure nothing happened to his coffee machine.

  “You’re welcome back anytime, Quinn.”

  A slow smile tipped her lips. It made his heart thump.

  She took another sip of her coffee. Again, her eyes rolled back. “Today you found out my name and that I’m a hopeless coffee addict. I wonder what you’ll learn tomorrow.”

  Wyatt had actually learned more than that.

  He’d learned that she had a sensual moan that set his blood pumping. That even though this was only his second conversation with her, he couldn’t see himself getting bored in her company. That he didn’t need to be kissing the woman to feel the electricity of her touch.

  “And what did you learn about me?” Wyatt asked, keeping his thoughts to hims
elf.

  Quinn ran the tip of her tongue over her lips. “That you tap your fingers when you think.”

  Wyatt’s hand stilled. Damn, he hadn’t realized he’d been doing it.

  “That you scan every room and hallway before entering, like you expect something to be there. Which is interesting, seeing as Marble Falls feels so safe. And of course, I learned that you make coffee that is almost better than an orgasm. But then, that might be more due to the machine than you.”

  Wyatt leaned across the counter. “I like to think the man behind the machine can make or break the coffee and the orgasm.”

  One side of her mouth twitched. “I think you might be right.”

  Oh, Wyatt was definitely right.

  He watched her as she sipped more coffee. He felt like he could watch her all day. There was something incredibly enticing about the woman. Something so much deeper than appearance.

  Wyatt took a sip of his own drink. “So, seeing as we’re friends now, tell me what you’re doing in Marble Falls.”

  Something flashed across her face. It was slight. So slight, most would have missed it. Wyatt didn’t. “I’m trying to figure some stuff out, and Marble Falls is as good a town as any to do that.”

  Cryptic. There was more to that story. A lot more. “Anything I can help you with?”

  He hoped she’d say yes. Give him another reason to spend time with her.

  “Nope. I like to work alone.” Quinn finished the last of her coffee before pushing her cup across the island. “Thank you, Wyatt. For turning my not-so-great morning around and convincing me that maybe the world doesn’t hate me quite as much as I thought.”