The Protector’s Heart by Leah Ashton

One night with the protector…

Everyone knows Marine Raider Caleb Grey doesn’t take life too seriously. Outside of work, he cares only about having a good time. No ties, no commitments, and zero expectations.
Then one night at a luxury hotel in the Middle East, he meets Lucy Aish. Lucy is smart, studious and intensely dedicated to her career in the Arts.
It’s one night totally out of character for them both, full of heat and an instant, unexpected connection. Suddenly Lucy isn’t acting quite so sensible, and Caleb allows his carefree mask to slip, revealing the complex, damaged man beneath.
But when a bomb turns their paradise into a nightmare, Caleb has no choice but to walk away.
Five years later, Lucy runs her own gallery in San Francisco, and has pushed aside her memories of a brave Marine and a night she’s tried hard to forget. Caleb has moved to Falcon, Colorado as part of the covert, outside-of-the-law Shadow Team and is firmly back behind his commitment and expectation-free façade.
But when Lucy becomes convinced someone is trying to kill her, she has nowhere to turn. Desperate, she races across the country in search of the only man who can make her feel safe: Caleb.
Caleb never thought he’d see Lucy again, but now he’ll do anything to protect her. And as the Shadow Team hunts for those after Lucy, it becomes clear one night in the desert all those years ago isn’t nearly enough. As danger draws closer, Caleb and Lucy will need to risk everything to fall in love…and to survive.