When Delta Force tech specialist Noah "Cipher" Reyes needs deep cover, the Valentine's charity auction looks perfect. Glamour on the surface. A terrorist deal underneath. To sell the role, he needs a girlfriend and the only person he trusts is Harper Quinn, his best friend's off-limits little sister and the one woman who's always tested his control.
Harper plans events for a living. She's rebuilt her business, step by careful step, after heartbreak she doesn't discuss. Pretending to be Noah's devoted partner should be easy: choreographed touches, shared suites, smiles timed to camera flashes. But practice turns personal. Their hands linger. The scent of roses and chilled champagne fills the air. What they buried years ago doesn't stay buried.
As the weekend tightens, encrypted threats stack up and the act stops feeling like an act. Noah's focus slips as he shields Harper from a world that eats mistakes. Harper sees the cost of his work in the dark circles under his eyes, the way he checks exits before breathing.
When danger closes in, Noah has to decide who he protects and how much truth he can afford.
When the cover drops, what does he choose to keep?
***
Part of the interconnected standalone Delta Valentine Force series each book delivers a complete, sizzling happily-ever-after with no cliffhangers.
Delta Valentine Force throws elite Delta Force operators into their most personal assignment yet. Love.
Across five standalone stories, battle-tested warriors collide with women who don't flinch. Valentine's Day turns volatile cartel compounds, glittering galas, crowded festivals slick with melted chocolate, auction rooms humming with money and risk. The air smells like cordite and roses. Control gets harder to keep.
Each mission brings bullets and secrets, tight escapes and closer quarters. One woman cuts through each operator's discipline, testing decisions made under pressure. Protecting her becomes personal. So does wanting her. Promises are murmured between radio checks. Gifts turn tactical. Desire complicates every call.
Survival has always been the goal. This time, surrender might be the cost.
When the mission ends, what's worth holding onto?
