Carter Security Counter-Espionage Unit Series

Prequel Novella: Guarded

Houston has one rule: never get emotionally involved with the people he protects.

As a seasoned bodyguard, he’s trained to anticipate threats, control every variable, and keep his clients at arm’s length. Ashlynn should be an easy assignment—she’s the daughter of a high-ranking diplomat finishing a simple research trip to complete her degree. In and out. No complications.

Except Ashlynn isn’t what Houston expects.

Smart, determined, and quietly fearless, she refuses to be treated like fragile cargo. And when her “routine” trip starts attracting the wrong kind of attention, Houston realizes the danger isn’t theoretical—it’s closing in fast.

What begins as a straightforward protection detail turns into a race against unseen enemies, buried secrets, and a growing attraction Houston knows could compromise everything. Because the closer he gets to Ashlynn, the harder it becomes to tell where duty ends…and his heart begins.

Keeping her alive is his job.
Walking away once the danger is over may be the hardest mission of his life.

Guarded is a clean romantic suspense novella featuring a protective hero, strangers to more, escalating danger, and a slow-burn romance under pressure.

  • Bodyguard / Protector Hero

  • Forced Proximity

  • Danger Brings Them Together

  • Slow-Burn Attraction

  • Competent Heroine

  • High-Stakes Assignment

  • Forbidden / Professionally Off-Limits

  • Reluctant Protector Falls First

  • Emotional Guardedness → Emotional Intimacy

  • On the Run (light)

 

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Exciting, slow-burn romance with an overarching espionage plot. Love it!

Reviewer

I’ve always loved Gill’s writing style and knack for bringing a scene and characters to life. This book exceeded my expectations!

Reviewer

I have reread this book four times. I really love it. The ending always brings me to tears.

Reviewer

Other Books in the Series

Award-Winning Author

C.D. Gill

C.D. Gill is the award-winning author of suspense/ romantic suspense series. As a midwestern transplant living in the south, she traded the wide-open spaces for more sunshine and warmth year-round. Her insatiable love for travel and exploring new places finds a home in her action-packed, romance-filled fiction.

My Story
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GJQM5QNR
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 25, 2026
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Book .5 of 4 ‏ : ‎ Carter Counter-Espionage Unit
    • Alpha Male Romance
    • Romantic Suspense
    • Espionage
    • Clean & Wholesome
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