Rhonda Nelson - Harlequin Blaze 255 - The Player

* Never spend the entire night with
a woman

* Never share whats on your plate

* Cut her loose after the third date

After eight years of service in the army
and one mission gone wrong, the friends
of this league are ready to try something
new. Termination of their contracts are
approved under one conditioneach
officer owes his commanding officer a
favour, and when he calls it in, he expects
complete unquestioned obedience.

Nelson spins a page-turning delight
filled with Southern wit, sizzling sexual
tension and a wacky whodunit. The plot is
wonderfully original and peopled with a
host of eclectic characters.
A definite keeper!
Romantic Times BOOKclub on
The Future Widows Club

Dear Reader,

Welcome to my MEN OUT OF UNIFORM trilogy! Theres something inherently sexy about the cut of Dress Blues, something casually attractive about a set of BDUs. Theres honour and courage and the idea of a greater good in every stitch, and those qualities are found in the men who wear them, as well. But if theres anything sexier than a guy in uniform, its a guy out of one, and thats what this series is all about.

Jamie Flanagan, Brian Payne and Guy McCann are heroes to die for. Theyre die-hard bachelors. Theyre bad boys. Theyre Southern gentlemen. Theyre former US Army Rangers. The only way they could be any better would be if they were dipped in chocolateand since these are Mills & Boon Blaze stories, thats always a distinct possibility. I hope you enjoy The Player, and be sure to check out The Specialist coming in October and The Maverick, which will be on sale in November. Ive paired these guys with heroines who are strong enough to tangle with them, but soft enough to smooth out the rough edges. The result is a series of books that have been fun to write, and rewarding as well.

I love to hear from my readers, so be sure to pop by my websitewww.readrhondanelson.com. I blog frequently about the bizarre happenings that make up my everyday life. Sample headings include The Day My Dog Ate a Glue Stick and How I Felled a Possum with a Can of Fruit Cocktail. (See? I told you it was bizarre.)

Happy reading!

Rhonda Nelson

A bestselling author and past RITA Award nominee, Rhonda Nelson writes hot romantic comedy for the Mills & Boon Blaze line. In addition to a writing career, she has a husband, two adorable kids, a black Lab and a beautiful bichon fris. She and her family make their chaotic but happy home in a small town in northern Alabama. Shes secretly always had a thing for men in uniform and wouldnt object to seeing her husband in a set of BDUs.

This book is humbly dedicated to all men and
women past and present who have served, and
are currently serving, in our armed forces, and to
their families who keep the home fires burning.

Fort Benning, GA

WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, sir, thats bullshit.

Colonel Carl Garrett lifted his gaze from the report hed been pretending to study and determinedly squashed the smile that tried to curl the disapproving line of his lips.

Best not to tip his hand.

Instead, he leveled a cool stare at the three men seated on the wrong side of his desk, most particularly at Guy McCann, whod issued the comment. The other two, Majors Brian Payne and Jamie Flanagan, sat stony-faced but, predictably, had a better grasp on their tempers.

Bullshit or not, Lt. Colonel, brawling off-base is an Article 15 and, as Im sure youre aware, puts a flag on your clearance papers. He paused, purposely injected a little more piss and gravel into his voice. Im not sure youre seeing the gravity of the situation.

Not a threat, per se, but a reminder. Hell, he knew perfectly well they understood what was going on. They hadnt been handpicked for Project Chameleona special forces unit so secretive that there was absolutely no evidence of its existence in any military file, computer-generated or otherwisebecause they were stupid. Garrett suppressed a grimace. In fact, they were too damned smart, which had made trying to get them to rethink leaving the Army with the usual methodsre-upping bonuses, flattery, better posts, etcuseless.

Unfortunately guilt had a better grasp on them than any form of greedfeeling responsible for the death of a close friend would do that. Through no wrongdoing on their own part, Project Chameleon had lost one of its own during its last mission, and so far, no amount of lecturing and reviewing what had happened could ease their sense of guilt. Theyd gone in as four and come out as three.

Theyd failed.

Major Paynea name hed understandably taken considerable grief for over the yearsreleased a weary breath. Permission to speak freely, sir?

Granted.

Rutlands an asshole, he said, his voice a barely controlled mixture of irritation and hope. You know that. He snorted. Hell, everyone knows that.

The bastard needed his ass kicked a long time ago, Flanagan chimed in, leaning forward in his seat.

All true, he knew. And he secretly applauded them. StillIf Rutland needed an attitude adjustment, it was not up to the three of you to give it to him.

He mouthed off about Danny, Flanagan said, as though that should explain everything.

And it did.

McCann swallowed and the other two grew quiet at the mention of their late friends name. Silence thick with the weight of grief and regret suddenly expanded in the room, causing a twinge of remorse to prick Garretts resolve.

Major Daniel Levinson had been a good man, a better soldier, and an original member of this units college crew. Each of them had come out of the ROTC program at the University of Alabama. Roll Tide was a frequent cheer amid their set and Bear Bryant was revered with the sort of exaggerated regard worthy of a fallen saint. It wasnt merely footballit was a religion.

Though their military careers had taken them on different paths over the years, theyd remained close. Closer than any band or so-called brotherhood of buddies Garrett had ever known. Hed always admired them for that. Truth be told, hed envied them as well. The military was a boys club, its very nature a breeding ground for camaraderie and lasting friendships. But these Bama boys were different, had shared a special connection that made them more like family than friends.

When Project Chameleon had come along, it had been a no-brainer to reunite the four. Theyd all been at the top of their field, each one of them successful in their own right. Each one of them different enough to offer unique qualities to the unit, making it one of the most balanced and effective special forces teams the Army had ever known.

Though he had a reputation for being a bit of a ladies mana player in todays slang, if Garrett remembered correctlyat a little over six and half feet, Flanagan not only had the brawn but also sported a genius-level IQ which made him the brain of the unit. Honestly, it had surprised him to learn that Flanagan had thrown the first punch in this recent scuffle. Ordinarily he wasnt quite so rash. Though theyd all taken Levinsons death hard, Garrett suspected that Flanagan was having a harder time dealing with the loss than the other two at the moment.

Understandable, of course, given how Danny had died. Still

With nerves of steel and an attention-to-detail which had landed him the nickname The Specialist, Major Brian Paynewho only went by his last namedidnt do anything in half-baked, half-assed measures. He was a man you could count on to not only get the job done, but get it done