No Strings Attached: A Lexi Carmichael Mystery, Book Eight (27 page)

As Slash walked out of the NSA, he put his sunglasses on. The sun warmed his shoulders and neck, releasing some of the tension he’d stored there for the past few days.

Lexi would be waiting.

She’d be home from work, probably playing Magic Shorn, sitting on the couch with her computer on her lap, hair wound up in a ponytail. Her bare feet would be on the coffee table, a bowl of dry Cheerios, or perhaps an apple, within reaching distance. When he walked in, she’d look up and smile at him.

“Hey, Slash. How was your day?” she’d ask.

He’d set down his briefcase and kiss her on the check, suggesting they cook dinner together. Maybe he’d even try to teach her to make gnocchi...again. While they were cooking, he’d tell her about his promotion. She’d remind him that even though she was new at offering emotional support and understood he couldn’t share classified information she’d be happy to listen when he worried about the latest injection vulnerabilities or insufficient encryption techniques. They’d discuss which was the more important of the two and then make a mental list of actions they’d take if faced with such a crisis.

Later, while lying in bed, they might talk about the upcoming move and their new house. He’d pretend to argue with her about who would get the sink on the left in the master bathroom, then let her win once he figured out which side she really wanted.

Eventually he’d close his eyes, her body warm next to his, strands of her hair soft against his cheek. He’d sleep, really sleep, because somehow life had become more than just a series of problems to fix for someone else. It had become about him. About her.

She centered him...somehow she
always
centered him.

And he loved her for it.

* * * * *

Stay tuned for the next
Lexi Carmichael Mystery series,
No Living Soul
,
coming January 2017

Acknowledgments

A novel is rarely a solitary effort and this book is no exception. Thanks to all of my true-blue tech head family: my nephew, Kyle, who works at Google; his wife, Julia, who works at Yahoo; my brother, Brad, who is brilliant at all things tech and storytelling; my sister, Sandy, who is a great writer and always knows everything about everything (really!); my mom and dad, fantastic editors and Lexi’s first fans; my niece, Katy, who also beta reads for me; my sister-in-law, Beth, who watched Lucas more times than I can count so I could do the writer thing; and Carina Press editor extraordinaire, Alissa Davis, for knowing Lexi and the gang inside and out and always making the BEST freaking suggestions. Love you all! oxoxo

Also available from
Julie
Moffett
and Carina Press
in
the
Lexi
Carmichael
series
Suggested
reading
order

No One Lives Twice
(Book 1)

No One to Trust
(Book 2)

No Money Down
(Book 2.5, novella)

No Place Like Rome
(Book 3)

No Biz Like Showbiz
(Book 4)

No Test for the Wicked
(Book 5)

No Woman Left Behind
(Book 6)

No Room for Error
(Book 7)

No Strings Attached (Book 8)

And stay tuned for the next book in the Lexi Carmichael Mystery series from Julie Moffett,
No Living Soul
(Book 9), coming January 2017.

Also
from
Carina
Press
and
Julie
Moffett

Scottish
Historical
Romance

The Thorn and the Thistle

Her Kilt-Clad Rogue

About the Author

Julie Moffett is a bestselling author and writes in the genres of mystery, historical romance and paranormal romance. She has won numerous awards, including the 2014 Mystery & Mayhem Award for Best YA/New Adult Mystery, the prestigious 2014 HOLT Award for Best Novel with Romantic Elements, a HOLT Merit Award for Best Novel by a Virginia Author, a PRISM Award for Best Romantic Time-Travel and Best of the Best Paranormal Books of 2002 and the 2011 EPIC Award for Best Action/Adventure Novel. She has also garnered additional nominations for the Daphne du Maurier Award, the Colorado Romance Writers’ Award of Excellence and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Her book
A
Double-Edged Blade
was an Amazon #1 bestselling novel.

Julie is a military brat (air force) and has traveled extensively. Her more exciting exploits include attending high school in Okinawa, Japan; backpacking around Europe and Scandinavia for several months; a year-long college graduate study in Warsaw, Poland; and a wonderful trip to Scotland and Ireland, where she fell in love with castles, kilts and brogues.

Julie has a BA in political science and Russian language from Colorado College, an MA in international affairs from The George Washington University in Washington, DC, and an M.Ed from Liberty University. She has worked as a proposal writer, journalist, teacher, librarian and researcher. Julie speaks Russian and Polish and has two sons.

Visit Julie’s website at
www.juliemoffett.com
or follow Julie on social media.

Facebook:
Facebook.com/JulieMoffettAuthor

Twitter:
@JMoffettAuthor

Instagram:
Instagram.com/julie_moffett/

Fall in love with Lexi Carmichael, geek extraordinaire and trouble magnet, in the
Lexi Carmichael Mystery
series!

“
No Woman Left Behind
is first-rate run, combining thrilling cyber suspense, treacherous military maneuvers and a barely-out-of-the-box romance that’s headed for potentially hostile territory, all relayed in the delightfully self-deprecating voice of sweet geek Lexi Carmichael.”
—
USA TODAY
, Must-read romance

The
Lexi Carmichael Mystery
series

NO MONEY DOWN
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, prequel novella)

NO ONE LIVES TWICE
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, book one)

NO ONE TO TRUST
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, book two)

NO PLACE LIKE ROME
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, book three)

NO BIZ LIKE SHOWBIZ
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, book four)

NO TEST FOR THE WICKED
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, book five)

NO WOMAN LEFT BEHIND
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, book six)

NO ROOM FOR ERROR
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, book seven)

NO STRINGS ATTACHED (
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, book eight)

NO LIVING SOUL
(
A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
, book nine)

Who knew hacking could be so dangerous? Come along for the ride and get your geek on!

Order your copies now!

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.

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.

If you think accidental sleuths make the best detectives, you’ll love
The Ladies Smythe & Westin
!

The Ladies Smythe & Westin
series by Lisa Q. Mathews
A clueless twentysomething party girl and a feisty senior form a most unlikely sleuthing duo in Lisa Q. Mathews’s cozy mystery series.

CARDIAC ARREST
(
The Ladies Smythe & Westin
, book one)

PERMANENTLY BOOKED
(
The Ladies Smythe & Westin
, book two)

“CARDIAC ARREST is sweet, sassy, and smart. Senior sleuth Dorothy Westin and impetuous young Summer Smythe make an endearing team in this sparkling debut.”
—Cleo Coyle,
New York Times
bestselling author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries

Connect with us for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers and much more!

Visit
CarinaPress.com
.

Other ways to keep in touch:

Facebook.com/CarinaPress
Twitter.com/CarinaPress
CarinaPress.com/newsletter

Looking for another female sleuth? Meet geek girl Mia Connors in
The Geek Girl Mysteries
series!

The Geek Girl Mysteries
series by Julie Anne Lindsey

Follow
The Geek Girl Mysteries
series as IT Manager Mia Connors swaps her tortoiseshell glasses for a magnifying glass as she seeks to uncover clues to clear her name, help solve cases that stump even the FBI and get a chance for a happily-ever-after.

A GEEK GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER
(
The Geek Girl Mysteries
, book one)

A GEEK GIRL’S GUIDE TO ARSENIC
(
The Geek Girl Mysteries
, book two)

A GEEK GIRL’S GUIDE TO JUSTICE
(
The Geek Girl Mysteries
, book three, October 2016)

“Anyone looking to step further than the usual cozy crime story will enjoy this book, and geek girls won’t need a second invitation when they see a fun title like A GEEK GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER.”
—
Fresh Fiction

Connect with us for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers and much more!

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CarinaPress.com
.

Other ways to keep in touch:

Facebook.com/CarinaPress
Twitter.com/CarinaPress
CarinaPress.com/newsletter

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• Contemporary Romance
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