First Strike by Pamela Clare

AUTHOR’S NOTE
     
    Let me warn you right now— First Strike ends with a cliffhanger. It’s the erotic prequel for Striking Distance (I-Team #6), which will be available on Nov. 5, 2013—hopefully not too long of a wait. Here’s the story of how this came to be.
    Striking Distance was one of the most challenging books I’ve ever written. By the time I was done, I had easily two pages of discarded text for every page I submitted to my editor. Sometimes that’s how it goes.
    Among those discarded pages was the first prologue I’d written. It introduced readers to Laura Nilsson, a broadcast journalist, and Javier Corbray, an active-duty Navy SEAL, and told the story of how they met. When I was many pages into that prologue, I realized I had a big problem. For starters, it was much too long. Also, I would have to have two prologues for the story to start where I wanted it to start. Together, the two prologues would span a period of four years. No novel should start with twenty pages of prologue. So, I reluctantly cut the initial prologue, only referring to the events as backstory in Striking Distance .
    Sometimes writers have to make tough choices.
    After finishing Striking Distance in June 2013, I went back through the material I had cut from the story, looking for fun “extras” to post on my blog, and I rediscovered how very much I had liked the story’s first, original prologue. I decided to take those pages and transform them into a prequel, telling not just the highlights of the weekend when Laura and Javier meet, but the whole story. I knew that diehard I-Team readers would want to know about the magical weekend that binds Laura and Javier together, and I thought it would give me a chance to do something I hadn’t done before—ratchet up the sensuality and write an erotic short story.
    And that’s what you’re about to read—an erotic novella about the weekend Laura and Javier meet. I’ve taken the original prologue and expanded it, turning up the heat and allowing myself to play with language that doesn’t usually make it into my books. I hope you’ll enjoy the result.
    As I mentioned, Dear Reader, this story ends with a cliffhanger. You won’t find a “happily ever after” here. I know people sometimes find cliffhangers irritating. Yes, I have seen those “I hate cliffhanger” Facebook memes. But, given the fact that this is a prequel, there really wasn’t any way around that.
    Fortunately, First Strike is being released a couple of weeks prior to Striking Distance , so the wait won’t be long. Also, given that the final prologue to Striking Distance is available on my website at this very moment, you will be able to alleviate the cliffhanger stress by simply going to my website and reading what happens next.
    Also, you can choose to read this after Striking Distance , in which case it will likely feel especially poignant to you. Yes, I know, that’s like asking a woman to save that piece of chocolate for later when she wants to eat it now . It’s just an idea.
    Okay, fine. Forget I said that.
    Regardless of when you read First Strike —before or after Striking Distance —I hope you enjoy the story of these two people who meet and enjoy a wild weekend of “no strings” sex that becomes the foundation for redemption and enduring love.
    Happy reading!
     
    Pamela Clare
    September 17, 2013

 
    CHAPTER ONE
     
     
    Dubai City, Dubai
    United Arab Emirates
    July 14, 2009
     
    Javier Corbray walked into the ICON Bar in the Radisson Blu Hotel, his gaze traveling over the dim interior, taking it all in at once—the upscale décor, the busy wait staff, the near-to-capacity crowd of expats enjoying Happy Hour. It wasn’t his scene. He wasn’t even sure what he was doing in Dubai. He’d be back in the States now if he hadn’t let JG talk him into playing tourist.
    “You’ve got to see Dubai City,” JG had said. “The buildings, the expat nightlife, the luxury cars—that place will blow your