King’s Ransom by Suzanne Brockmann

In Frisco’s Kid, Tasha was a strong-willed, independent child, temporarily living with her uncle, Alan “Frisco” Francisco, a Navy SEAL with a knee injury that had forced his retirement from the Teams.

Ten years older, but still just a kid himself, Thomas King lived nearby, and was friends with Mia, the woman who would win Alan’s heart, and help raise Tasha.

Years ago, Tasha took one look at Thomas and declared that she would marry him someday…

Thomas wasn’t quite so sure about that…

But now Tasha’s twenty-three and a strong-willed, independent young woman, and Thomas has been a Navy SEAL himself–and a hospital corpsman, focusing on saving lives–for quite a few years.

Tasha’s Uncle Alan asks Thomas for a favor–to keep his niece safe as she goes on vacation with her college boyfriend, who is an actual prince from a small European nation.

Thomas grimly accepts his role as Tasha’s bodyguard so she can meet her boyfriend’s royal family, but then things go horribly, terribly wrong, and he and Tash find themselves alone together, on the run from dangerous men who want her dead…

And Thomas knows only one thing: He will sacrifice everything to keep Tasha safe.