DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH
FOUR KINGS SECURITY, BOOK 4
CHARLIE COCHET
M/M ROMANCE
RELEASE DATE: 02.12.19
Cover Art Copyright © 2019 Reese Dante
BLURB
For Ward “King” Kingston the role of protector, forged by fire and tragedy, is one he takes seriously. When King is asked to safeguard the son of a four-star general and friend, he is pulled back into the world of government black ops on a mission that raises painful memories from his past. The moment King meets Leo, amid the chaos of a lockdown at a secret black site, it’s clear he’s never faced a challenge like this—one that will test his unwavering sense of control.
Leopold de Loughrey is a misunderstood genius whose anxiety and insecurities are sent into overdrive when he is forcefully recruited to work on a top-secret project. Terrified of what his role as “invaluable asset” means, Leo’s stress leads to disappearances, arguments, and blowups that threaten the project and Leo’s future. King’s arrival is a calm in the storm for Leo and his frenetic thoughts.
King and Leo couldn’t be more different, yet as they navigate the dangers of a secret multi-agency operation and face unknown threats, their differences could be what saves them. Neither man believes a happily ever after is in the cards, but their hearts might just prove them wrong… if they can survive a deadly betrayal.
“I think I have a protein bar in my bag,” King said, mouthing the words “outside pocket” and pointing to the right side of the bag. Protein bars weren’t really on Leo’s list of enjoyable snacks, but he did as King suggested, unzipping the pocket and removing a large resealable bag with over a dozen protein bars wrapped in cellophane. Were these homemade? With King’s nod of approval, Leo removed one, unwrapped it, and took a bite while King continued to sweep the room, ducking his head inside the now open wardrobe.
“Oh God, this is so good,” Leo said with a moan. Maybe it was his blood sugar. He let out another moan, but a loud thump and growled curse startled him. He leaned over to look at King, who was rubbing his head as he pulled back from the wardrobe.
“You okay?” Leo asked through a mouthful of protein bar.
“Yep. Room’s clear.”
“Did you bump your head?”
“I’m fine,” King grumbled.
“Okay. Thanks for the protein bar. This is amazing. I’ve never tasted anything like it. I don’t normally eat protein bars. They usually taste like dirt or freeze-dried cardboard. Not that I know what freeze-dried cardboard tastes like, but I imagine it’s not all that different from protein bars.” Maybe he should shut up now. Leo took another bite and tasted chocolate, macadamia nuts, a hint of coconut, healthy oaty stuff, and a few other ingredients he couldn’t quite discern, but it was good.
“My sister makes them. She and her husband own a café in St. Augustine Beach.”
“Cool.” Leo sat on the bed, his brows furrowed. “Do you think they’ve bugged my room?”
“It’s possible. I’ll give it a sweep later, but if it’s bugged, we can’t tamper with it in any way, or they’ll know we’re onto them.”
Leo nodded. He guessed he couldn’t complain about having his privacy invaded when he was creating a program that would do just that on a much grander, scarier scale. King moved his bags to the floor and took a seat beside him.
“Want some?” Not feeling very hungry, Leo held out the remaining piece of protein bar. He swallowed hard when King smiled warmly and took it from him before popping it into his mouth. Leo really needed to get ahold of himself. Developing a crush on the sexy soldier was a very bad idea. The guy could knock him out with one punch.
“Do you have a girlfriend? Or, um, boyfriend?”
Wow. And you wonder why you don’t have a boyfriend.
King let out a choking sound before he started to cough violently into his hand, his face turning red.
“Shit.” Leo looked around the room, grabbed the water bottle on the nightstand, twisted the cap off, and handed it to King, his eyes fixed on King’s throat as he gulped down the liquid. Wiping his mouth, King handed the bottle back to Leo, who capped it and returned it to the nightstand. “Sorry.” Because awkward questions weren’t enough, now he was trying to kill the guy.
“No, it’s fine,” King wheezed. He blew out a breath. “There’s no one.”
Well, that didn’t help.
“But if I did have someone,” King said, picking up the pieces of his tablet’s case, a deep frown on his face, “it would be a man. Is that going to be a problem?”
Leo blinked at him. “Why would that be a problem? I’m gay.”
“What? Wait a second.” King turned to face him. “I remember talking to your dad and him saying you had a girlfriend.”
Leo’s brows shot up near his hairline. Well, that was news to him. “When was this?”
“Um, 2002, I think.”
King remembered a conversation he had in 2002? Leo couldn’t remember what he had for breakfast. Oh, wait. Now he remembered.
“Dude, I was nine. Sarah Lieberman invited me to her birthday party and declared I was her boyfriend. The first Spider-Man movie came out in theaters the same day of the party, so unless she was a dude dressed in blue-and-red spandex, I wasn’t interested. Pretty sure she figured as much when she asked me to kiss her and I presented her with my pet tarantula, Spidey. They did not hit it off.”
Charlie Cochet is the international bestselling author of the THIRDS series. Born in Cuba and raised in the US, Charlie enjoys the best of both worlds, from her daily Cuban latte to her passion for classic rock.
Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found devouring a book, releasing her creativity through art, or binge watching a new TV series. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.
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