He was her instructor. She was the Senator's daughter. Falling for each other was their most dangerous mission...

Alice King signed up for the elite military training course seeking independence, not a dangerously attractive Navy SEAL instructor like Lieutenant Commander Nelson Ross. She certainly didn't expect a "kidnapping" exercise to feel terrifyingly real, blurring the lines between training and a threat that hits closer to home than she can imagine.

Nelson Ross is bound by duty—orders insist he keep Alice close. But the sparks between them are undeniable, a forbidden attraction simmering beneath the surface of disciplined control. When a shadowy conspiracy targets Alice's powerful father, culminating in a shocking poisoning, Nelson's orders become intensely personal.

Forced into a fragile alliance, Alice and Nelson must unravel a web of political corruption, blackmail, and betrayal where the enemy wears a familiar face. Trust is a luxury they can't afford, yet the magnetic pull between them is impossible to ignore. As danger escalates and secrets unravel, they risk their careers and hearts to survive a threat that aims to destroy everything they hold dear.

Dive into Beyond Duty, the captivating first book in the Guarded Hearts romantic suspense series, where forbidden love meets deadly stakes.