Gunship pilot Captain Candace Bradford has worked long and hard to earn her rank and position within the male-dominated world of Air Force Special Operations. She’s not about to let anything or anyone jeopardize that, let alone one sinfully tempting man who seems determined to cause her nothing but trouble. Even if she’s starting to fall for him.

As an elite Combat Controller, Staff Sergeant Ryan Wentworth is used to overcoming adversity in order to complete a mission. Breaking through Candace’s prickly exterior and into her heart is a challenge he can’t let go. But just when he’s begun to gain her trust, they’re thrown together in the field facing an overwhelming enemy force.

Candace and Ryan find themselves on the run, searching the skies for an emergency extraction. But one dangerous enemy has an agenda in mind and he’ll use whatever means necessary to achieve it, including using American forces to do his dirty work.

We met Candace and Ryan in Deadly Descent the first book in this series. Ryan can be most annoying and that seems to come to the forefront in his conversations with Candace. One of the biggest issues is rank, she’s a Captain and he’s a Staff Sergeant. Fraternizing is a definite no-no, but the attraction between these two is off the charts.

Candace battles her emotions when it comes to Ryan, keeping him at arms length is difficult since he’s very determined.

A new tactic for the enemy comes to the fore in this book, an attack on the base. This is when Ryan finally gets through to Candace.

This is a favorite scene.

He was still stewing when the door finally opened and the doctor emerged. Ryan straightened, but the door shut again and Candace didn’t come out. After a minute he got concerned and walked over to push it open. He stopped in the threshold, one hand still on the door. Candace sat on a hard plastic chair with her elbows on her knees and her hands in her disheveled hair. She looked up when he entered, and with one glimpse at her weary face the riot act he’d been prepared to deliver died in his throat. The raw misery in her eyes slashed him.

Ryan stepped inside and shut the door quietly. “Hi.”

She recovered fast, the lines of strain disappearing under a calm mask as she sat up. “Hey.” Was it his imagination, or did she look relieved to see him?

He ran his gaze over her to check for injuries, but other than a few bloody scrapes on her hands and elbows from when he’d tackled her, she seemed unhurt. Physically, anyway. “You okay?”

“Yeah.”

She didn’t look okay, despite the brave front she was putting on. He shifted his weight and stuffed his hands into his pockets. It’d been one hell of a shitty day for everybody so far. “How’s your crew member doing?”

She looked down at the worn beige carpet. “They couldn’t save his foot. Had to amputate halfway down his lower leg.”

Ryan covered a wince. “Sorry to hear that.” After an awkward beat, he crossed the room and sat in the seat beside her. She was obviously upset, but he wasn’t sure what to say and talking to her usually had disastrous results anyway. He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder instead and rubbed gently.

Anyone who came in and had a problem with him touching an officer could go fuck himself. He needed to comfort her. Her muscles were strung tight.

Candace bit her lip and stared at the floor for another moment, and though she didn’t shrug off his hand, he kept waiting for her to speak. He wracked his brain for something to say, but he’d never been good with the touchy-feely stuff and didn’t want to upset her further so he kept his mouth shut. So he kept rubbing her shoulder in what he hoped were soothing little circles, the whole time expecting her to knock his hand away and put distance between them. Instead she shocked the hell out of him by turning her body into him and throwing her arms around his neck.

“Whoa.” He caught her around the waist and immediately leaned closer to wrap her up in a firm hug. In answer she let out a deep sigh and burrowed even harder into him, tightening her arms. Needing comfort so much that she’d let her guard down completely in front of him and anyone else who might walk in. The knowledge made something painful twist in his chest. Ah, hell, Ace. Don’t do this to me.
Cross, Kaylea. Tactical Strike (Bagram Special Ops Series). Carina Press. Kindle Locations (1115-1132). Kindle Edition.

Ryan is one of those assigned to go find and take out the perpetrators. When they end up ambushed he’s the one calling in the airstrikes but they have severely wounded men.

Candace is a pilot on the aircraft called in to retrieve them. Unfortunately the enemy gets lucky, and they all end up stranded, with a storm approaching and more wounded.

Let me warn you now, this book has intense battle scenes the descriptions will put you right in the middle of the firefights. I was holding my breath and doing my share of crying as the two groups fight for survival.

Many tears, lots of action, very emotional and scary, and a love that won’t quit.

5 Contented Purrs for Kaylea!

Kaylea Cross

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense. Her work has won many awards and has been nominated for both the Daphne du Maurier and the National Readers’ Choice Awards. A Registered Massage Therapist by trade, Kaylea is also an avid gardener, artist, Civil War buff, Special Ops aficionado, belly dance enthusiast and former nationally-carded softball pitcher. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and family.