Uncovering Project Arma

  UNCOVERING PROJECT ARMA

  Copyright © 2020 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 authors imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locals is entirely coincidental.

  Cover by Dar Albert at Wicked Smart Designs

  Formatted by Integrity Formatting

  Edited by Missy Borucki

  Is Project Arma the next step in protecting our armed forces or is it a cover up for something much more deadly?

  Eden Cole lives and breathes his job as a Navy SEAL. When his team participate in a Government funded program, Project Arma, he expects the improved physical performance they promise. What he doesn’t expect is Shylah Kemp, the pretty nurse who captures his attention. As they grow closer, Eden soon starts to suspect she’s hiding something.

  Working at Project Arma is Shylah Kemp’s dream job. Hundreds of miles away from her suffocating family while surrounded by sexy Navy SEALs? Win win. Even better, hunky Eden Cole’s interest in her seems genuine. But her fairy tale is short lived when she accidently eavesdrops a conversation that makes her question Project Arma’s true motives.

  Time is running out for Eden, can Shylah uncover the truth behind the project before it’s too late?

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  I would like to thank my mom for being the first set of eyes on my manuscript and fixing all my silly errors.

  Thank you to Krista, for giving me the confidence to chase my dreams.

  Thank you to my editor, Missy Borucki, for taking my writing to the next level and giving me the confidence boost when I needed it.

  Thank you to my husband, for supporting this crazy dream of mine to become a writer.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Also by Nyssa Kathryn

  About the Author

  CHAPTER ONE

  SHYLAH PLASTERED HER face to the window. She’d come into work early just to watch him train. It had become her weekly obsession. Wednesday morning had fast become a favorite of hers. He trained, right outside medicals window where she worked. Sure, there were seven other well-muscled men there too, but he always stole her attention.

  Shylah had discovered his training routine by accident. She’d been a couple of minutes early for work a few weeks ago and caught the god-like man training. Since then, Shylah had steadily brought forward her arrival time that little bit earlier. She was aware of the stalker-like nature of her actions, but after moving across the country for work only a month ago, she’d had very little excitement in her life.

  Glancing at the clock, she watched as the minute hand clicked closer to ten. That was when Shylah got to see Eden without glass and fifty feet separating them. Working as a nurse, she administered injections to everyone on base. That was all the excuse she needed to touch the six-and-a-half-foot sexy SEAL. She probably looked like a blubbering mess when she saw him but as a nurse, she made sure her hands were steady even if her voice wasn’t. Not that Eden saw her. He looked through her every time.

  Shylah moved a bit closer to the window as Eden finished his training, sweat dripping from his face. Where did they even make men like that?

  The injection, she had been told, was a cocktail of drugs developed by scientists right here on base to help their elite bodies recover faster. That’s what this whole program was designed for. That and to help the SEALs train more effectively and improve performance.

  Shylah scoffed. Looking at Eden, she doubted improvement was even possible. That man was a warrior.

  When she’d received the call that she’d gotten the job at Project Arma, she hadn’t been able to get out of her parents’ home fast enough. Spend each day with sexy SEALs before and after they trained? Yes, please.

  Glancing back out the window, Shylah’s eyes fixated on the ripple of muscles on his massive chest. God, he had to be the sexiest man she had ever seen in her life. What she wouldn’t do to be able to run her hands down his chest just one time.

  Yeah right. Shylah pulled her mind back to reality. Looking down at her average body and mousy brown hair she pushed that thought away. There was no way someone like him would look twice at someone like her. With his sex on a stick body and big gray eyes, women would be throwing themselves at him. She was pretty sure he hadn’t even seen her each time he’d come into medical.

  “What are you doing in here?”

  Shylah startled and spun at the angry words spoken from the direction of the door. Seeing it was the head doctor, Doctor Hoskin, her nerves shot up another notch. Great, this guy hated her. Since she’d started the job, she could never seem to do anything right in his eyes. There was always a reason for him to be annoyed at Shylah.

  “I didn’t… I mean… I have a shift this morning, Doctor.”

  Doctor Hoskin looked at his watch then back at Shylah like she was dirt under his foot. “And what time, pray-tell, would that shift start?”

  “Ten.” Shylah almost whispered the word, knowing his response before he voiced it.

  “Ten?” He spat the word out making Shylah jump. “You don’t start for another twenty minutes. How long have you been here? Who let you in?”

  “I was, ah, given a key when I started working here, and I’ve only been here a couple of minutes.” She hoped they didn’t have any video surveillance because she was pretty sure she’d been in stalker mode for at least a good half hour.

  The doctor’s eyes narrowed but some of the anger seemed to dissipate. “Someone must be in the room with you at all times. Don’t let this happen again.”

  Shylah nodded eagerly, wanting this conversation to be over.

  “Well, if you’re here, you may as well help me set up.” Walking into the room the doctor dropped his bag on the corner table and started taking out the medical supplies.

  Jeez, what had crawled up this man’s butt and died? What boss got angry at an employee for arriving at work early? Guess her days of watching the dreamy SEAL from the window were over.

  Pushing the disappointment to the back of her mind, Shylah took one final glance at Eden before turning. Farewell, my hunky boyfriend dream. Probably best she let it go now anyway, before she got too deep into her fantasy land. With a sigh, Shylah moved to where the doctor was standing next to the medical cabinet. As he started removing vials, Shylah reached to get the syringes.

  “No.” Shylah jumped at his raised voice. What the hell? “You can prepare the patient area.”

  Pulling her brows together, Shylah grudgingly moved across the room.

  Great, now she’d been demoted from nurse to assistant.

  As she cleaned and prepared the area, she found it hard not to feel bitter about the way the doctor had been treating her. She had been a nurse for eight years. Yes, she was only twenty-nine years old, probably a good twenty years his junior. She’d graduated top of her class though and had worked at some of the best hospitals in the country before applying for this job. She’d wanted the job because she’d wanted to learn a
nd immerse herself in a new environment, and Doctor Dickwad over there was going to prevent her from doing that.

  Trying not to shoot daggers into his back, she silently moved around the room cleaning and prepping. Ten minutes later and she was done. Maybe now he would let her do her job.

  Walking up behind him she noticed that he was using unlabeled medical jars. That wasn’t acceptable at any medical facility. Shylah’s brows drew together as she took a step closer.

  “Doctor, are you sure you’ve got the right medication?”

  Jumping, the doctor dropped the vial, clearly unaware that she had been behind him. Spinning around his face was contorted in anger.

  “Look what you made me do, you silly girl.” Shylah took a step back, surprised at the sudden venom in his voice. “Do you know how valuable this stuff is?”

  No. Should she?

  “I’m sorry, I thought you knew I was there. I didn’t realize the recovery medication was that expensive.” The words tumbled out of Shylah’s mouth.

  The doctor took a small step forward. “What were you doing behind me? Watching me?”

  Confused, Shylah took a small step back. “Why would I be watching you? I’m just trying to help.”

  Before she could comprehend what he was doing, the doctor grabbed Shylah’s arm, leaning into her space. “I should have you fired for this.”

  Feeling uncomfortable, Shylah tried to yank her arm back but the doctor’s grip tightened, fingers digging into her skin.

  “I… I’m sorry.”

  The fear inside Shylah started to intensify.

  “What the fuck? Let go of her.”

  Both Shylah and the doctor turned in time to see Eden storming into the room closely followed by his SEAL team. Immediately releasing Shylah’s arm, the doctor stepped back. Breathing a sigh of relief, Shylah rubbed her arm where his fingers had been.

  So, as well as being a dickwad, the doctor was a psychopath. Great.

  Walking up to the doctor, Eden fisted his shirt and leaned in to within an inch of his face.

  “What the fuck? Do you treat all women like that or just the ones that work for you?”

  Shylah’s eyes bulged from her head. Standing there feeling awkward, she was not sure what to do.

  “I asked you a question, doctor.”

  Glancing over at Eden’s team, expecting one of them to step in, she was shocked to see them lounging in the corner. They appeared to have no intention of intervening. Did they look amused?

  “Eden,” the doctor raised his hands in the air in defense. “We were just having a conversation. Shylah caused me to lose some medication. I’m her boss.”

  “You’re her boss, so what? You think that gives you the right to manhandle her?”

  Realizing it was up to her to put a stop to this as the guys at the door were utterly useless, Shylah stepped up to Eden and placed her hand on his forearm. God, it was huge. He was huge. Looking up, way up, Shylah marshalled her courage before she spoke.

  “Eden, it’s okay.”

  Eden looked down at her and she had to stop from swooning. The man was gorgeous, and not the man next door gorgeous. He was the man of your fantasies type gorgeous, and this might have been the first time he really looked at her.

  “Are you okay?”

  His voice was deep and just as sexy as he was.

  Was she okay? Well, she might pass out from the attention he was giving her but other than that she was dandy. “I’m okay, Eden.”

  Eden turned back to the doctor. “Apologize to the lady.”

  The doctor turned to Shylah and looked like he would rather cut off his own hand than apologize. “I’m sorry, nurse.”

  Shylah had to hold back a laugh at how forced that apology was. “That’s okay, doctor.”

  Well, it wasn’t but what could she do? She’d just moved across the country for this job. No way was she quitting.

  Eden gave a nod and let go of the doctor’s shirt. “And if you even think about getting the nurse fired, I will be telling people what happened in this room and you may find yourself out of a job too.”

  Anger was plain to see in the doctor’s eyes, but he wisely remained silent, and simply nodded.

  Smart move, doctor, Eden could have squashed him like a fly if he wanted to.

  Moving over to the chair, Eden took a seat and placed his arm out facing upwards like nothing had happened.

  The doctor moved to get the syringe and placed it in Shylah’s hand. Working with him from this moment forward would be fun, wouldn’t it? She’d thought she’d seen his worst side. How wrong was she. He had now been promoted to senior dickwad in her mind.

  Moving closer to Eden, she started preparing his arm. Turning her head to check that the doctor wasn’t watching, Shylah turned back to Eden and leaned closer.

  “Thank you.” The words were whispered so that they would only reach Eden’s ears.

  CHAPTER TWO

  EDEN LOOKED AT the nurse in front of him. She had freckles scattered across her nose and there were laugh lines around her eyes.

  Had she been his nurse before? If she had, he hadn’t noticed her. Looking at the girl now though, he noticed how cute she was. She had curly ringlets escaping her bun and Eden had a strong urge to tuck them back into place.

  Walking in and seeing the doctor with his hands on her had made Eden see red. What the fuck had he been thinking. He’d always thought the doctor to be a bit cold and distant, but violent too?

  Looking back to the nurse’s face a thought hit Eden. Maybe she was the girl he’d noticed watching them from the window. Each Wednesday morning for the last few weeks he had felt eyes on him. Today he’d looked around and seen a figure in the window watching.

  Seeing her up close, Eden decided that having her eyes on him wasn’t all bad.

  When she’d thanked him, he’d noticed that her voice shook slightly. Was she more shaken up from the confrontation than he thought?

  “Shylah is it?” Her eyes popped up to Eden’s face. She had a deer in the headlights look. “If he ever touches you again, let me or one of my teammates know. Got it?”

  There was a moment of silence where Eden wondered if she was going to respond. Then she seemed to shake herself out of it and gave him a small nod.

  Dropping her gaze to his arm, she broke the eye contact. Eden felt a bolt of disappointment at that. As Shylah’s hand moved over Eden’s arm, her gaze rose slightly and lingered on his chest. Interesting, so the nurse liked to look at him. Eden decided he liked her eyes on him as well.

  “Are you new?” Shylah’s eyes shot back up to his face. She looked shocked and even confused. Was she confused that he was making conversation or that he thought she was new?

  “I started about a month ago.” Her eyes darted back to his arm. “I’ve been doing your recovery injections each Wednesday morning since.”

  What? He’d been this close to the girl every Wednesday and was only just now noticing her? Eden couldn’t believe in all that time she hadn’t captured his attention.

  Her shoulders shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m just the nurse.”

  Anger bubbled inside Eden at her response. What the hell was she trying to say?

  “You know what I mean. You’re the one out there training to save the world. I just hang out in medical and do what I’m told.”

  Eden touched Shylah’s hand and felt a light jump from her. “What you do is no less important than what I do, Shylah. Just different. Both equally important though.” A hint of a smile touched Shylah’s lips. Good. She understood. “Are you living here on base?”

  Shylah shook her head. “No, but I live close by. I’m renting a small place.”

  “So technically we’re neighbors.” Shylah’s cheeks went a rosy shade of pink.

  “Kind of, I guess.”

  Putting her head down, she picked up the syringe and touched his arm. Eden felt a zing of awareness shoot through his body at the feel of her fingers on him. Her soft hands were in complete
contrast to his hardened skin.

  “Sorry if this stings, Eden.”

  He tried not to laugh at her comment. If she knew the things that he had done and been through as a SEAL, she wouldn’t be worried about him receiving a prick to his skin. The injuries he’d incurred during training and missions, and limits he’d had to push himself to, were like no other job. Eden lived for that stuff though.

  Once she was done administering the injection, she turned and tossed the empty syringe in the trash. “All finished.”

  As Shylah turned, Eden noticed that she smelled like peaches.

  Shaking his head, he frowned. What was he doing smelling a nurse he’d just met? Taking a deeper look at her, Eden was again taken by how drawn he was to her. Who cared if he’d just met her? He suddenly realized he didn’t want to leave this room without knowing he was going to see her again before next Wednesday.

  “So, what’s your normal night look like since you’ve been in Texas?”

  Eden had to stop himself from laughing when her eyes looked like they were going to bug out of her head.

  “Um, I guess it’s pretty quiet. I haven’t really found a lot to do here yet.”

  Eden did laugh this time. “Not a lot to do? For a pretty girl like you? How about I show you around the area tonight? There are some pretty cool spots.”

  This time Eden was rewarded with a full-blown blush. “Like a… a date?”

  A smile crossed Eden’s face. “Yeah. Like a date.”

  Rather than returning Eden’s smile though, a confused expression crossed Shylah’s face. “You want to go on a date with me?”

  Her shock threw Eden. Why was she so surprised? Did she not realize how cute she was? Most red-blooded males would be interested in her.

  “Yes, I do.” Eden didn’t mince his words. He wanted Shylah to know exactly where his intentions lay.

  Shylah’s eyes darted around the room as if she was looking for a camera, before zooming back onto Eden.