A Question of Honor - Lindsay McKenna (SSE #529 - June 1989)

Series: Love and Glory (Book 1) 

Orders were orders, but battle-weary undercover agent Kit Anderson chafed at seeking refuge from death threats in the house of her new boss, Coast Guard Lieutenant Noah Trayhern. Noah's cold authority masked inner demons to rival her own; his rough kindness sliced through her careful defenses. Suddenly her safe-house was under siege--from the inside!--and the danger was to Kit's heart... 

An oldie but goodie.  This is one of the few LM books I hadn't read until now, and the first of the Trayhern books.  I loved both Kit and Noah.  Kit had been an undercover agent for five years before being assigned to work with Noah's Coast Guard unit to help identify a drug lord.  She is burned out and wants nothing more than to get out of the drug related stuff.  When she meets Noah he is obviously not happy to have a woman working for him.  But she is good at standing up for herself and makes sure he knows she will do her job.  When they find out she has had a contract put out on her, Noah takes her to his home to keep her safe.  She is uncomfortable at first because she is attracted to Noah and doesn't want to give that away.  The more time they spend together the more relaxed they become.  Noah is able to help her deal with the memories and trauma of the last five years.  Noah was sure that Kit had been assigned to him as a way to mess up his career.  His brother is missing in Vietnam and accused of being a traitor.  As a result Noah and his sister are given a very hard time in their careers.  Noah comes to realize that Kit also has things to deal with.  In helping her he finds a greater peace of his own.  When they discover how close they have gotten they also realize that, until this operation is over they won't be able to give in to their love.  I loved the way that Kit and Noah were able to help heal each other.  Even though the book is more than twenty years old it still felt real the entire time I was reading it.  LM has a way of pulling me into every story she writes.