Love Bites and Silk Blog Tour Organisers have given me the privilege to promote and review "Under the Alpha's Protection" written by Doris O'Connor.
Blurb:
Nikita Ashton and Raoul Saint Germain have been friends for five years,
so when Nikita is attacked, there is only one place she can run to—straight
into Raoul's arms.
Raoul is the Alpha of his pack and he is furious that the woman he loves
has been harmed on his territory. Were it not for the fact that Nikita does not
believe in anything even remotely paranormal, his wolf would have claimed her
aeons ago.
Nikita is in need of tender, loving care, not his baser needs that are
threatening to overtake him.
However, when Nikita admits that she knows about his being in the
lifestyle, the Dom in him cannot resist the challenge to make her his
submissive.
Blissfully
happy in their new Dom/sub relationship, everything changes when Nikita is
kidnapped. Can Raoul get to her in time to save her life?
Excerpt:
"We
will have to have a conversation about this warped self-image of yours soon,
but now is not the time or the place. You're a beautiful woman, Nikita, and
anyone saying otherwise will have me to answer to. Now drop the robe and stop
stalling, before I have to drag you to the hospital to get these properly
checked over."
Nikita
tensed at the mention of the hospital, and he chuckled.
"I'm
not going to any damn hospital. You can't make me." She glared at him over
her shoulder, and he quirked an eyebrow at her in that irritatingly superior
way of his that always turned her insides aflutter. She dropped her gaze to his
throat instead and immediately wished she hadn't. This close she could see him
swallow, the movement of his Adam's apple strangely erotic, and her fingers
itched to trace the veins down to the thatch of dark hair she could just about
see in the V of his polo shirt. A shirt that clung to his muscular frame and
only served to outline the bulging biceps, as he raised an arm to brush his
dark hair out of his eyes. He was in need of a haircut, his hair longer than
she had ever seen it, the perfect length to grab hold and…
Nikita
bit her lip and shut her eyes for a second at the wayward direction her
thoughts were taking.
"You
know I hate hospitals. I don't ever want to go back there."
Hospitals
meant death and grief, and she had sworn on her mother's death bed that she
would never set foot in that place again, if she could help it. Unbidden, the
tears fell as they always did when she thought of her mum, her grief still as
fresh and raw as it had been two years ago.
Raoul
made a rough sound in the back of his throat, and then his hands were cupping
her face, his thumbs wiping away her tears.
"I'm
sorry, squirt. That was thoughtless of me," he said.
She
forced her eyes open, and the quiet compassion she saw in his azure gaze made
her cry harder.
"No,
I'm sorry. It's been two years. You'd think I wouldn't go into meltdown mode
every time the hospital is even mentioned. Whoever said time is a great healer
is a blasted liar, and I'm such a goddamn watering pot. Dammit, I'm sorry.
That's the second time today I got you all wet."
Raoul
laughed—a deep belly rumble that trembled through her until she had no choice
but to smile back at him. He always managed to do that to her. One of the many
reasons why she loved him.
Her
heart clenched painfully, as the truth dawned on her. She did love him, and
sometime over the last five years, that love had blossomed and deepened, until
she couldn't imagine her life without him in it. Nikita wanted more, so much
more, but he was her friend and only saw her as the little squirt he always
pulled out of one scrap after the other.
"Don't
you worry about me, squirt. Now drop that robe and hold still while I see to
these."
Nikita
did so, and a tense silence fell between them, only interspersed by their
combined breathing. She winced a few times, as his nimble fingers smeared the
ointment over her wounds, and he murmured his husky apologies. His hot breath
skittered across her slick flesh, and Nikita swallowed her groan.
"What's
in that stuff?" she finally asked to break the tension and to distract
herself from the tingles of awareness his touch created.
"Oh,
this and that. It's an old family recipe. It aids the healing process and
staves off infection. Works better than any of that new fandangled mumbo jumbo
as my grandfather would have said."
She
heard the wistful note in his voice and turned slightly to see his expression.
The action exposed her breasts, and she made a hasty grab for the robe to pull
it up over her front. Again, Raoul's hands on her tightened and then released.
He hastily wrenched his eyes up to her face and sat back on his haunches,
before straightening up. She hadn't realized that he had been kneeling on the
floor behind her, and the thought of this big strong man on his knees for her
made her feel quite light-headed.
Raoul wiped
his hands on the hand towel and then screwed the lid back on the old-fashioned
jam jar that held the family ointment.
"We'll
have to reapply that several times more overnight, for maximum effect, so I'm
afraid you're stuck here with me for the foreseeable future."
"I
don't want to impose on you, if—"
"Don't
be an idiot." He cut off her protest with a wave of his large hand.
"If you think for one minute that I would let you walk out of here, after
what almost happened to you tonight, then you're insane. You're staying right
here with me. You can take the bed, and I'll sleep on the couch."
"You
can't sleep on the couch." The thought of his six foot five frame
sandwiched on this couch was ridiculous. "You're far too big. I'll take
the couch. I can't turf you out of your own bed."
"And
you can't sleep on the couch. Your back needs tender care. It's not up for
discussion. You're on my bed."
He
crossed his arms and clenched his jaw, but Nikita was in no mood to back down
from this. She could be just as stubborn if she had to be.
"Fine,
then you'll sleep in there with me. I'm sure a man with your reputation has a
nice big bed, and I won't take up much room at all." Her voice wavered
slightly as his face grew murderous, but she plowed on regardless. "So
that's sorted then."
"This
is far from sorted." Raoul was growling again, and Nikita thanked the
universe she was still seated, as she very much doubted her legs would have
been able to carry her right now. He bent, putting his hands either side of her
on the back of the couch, until she had to lean backwards to escape him.
"What
reputation, squirt?"
Author Bio:
Glutton for
punishment would be a good description for Doris... at least that's what she
hears on an almost daily basis when people find out that she has a brood of
nine children, ranging from adult to toddler and lives happily in a far too
small house, cluttered with children, pets, dust bunnies, and one very
understanding and supportive husband. Domestic goddess she is not.
There is always
something better to do after all, like working on the latest manuscript and
trying not to scare the locals even more than usual by talking out loud to the
voices in her head. Her characters tend to be pretty insistent to get their
stories told, and you will find Doris burning the midnight oil on a regular
basis. Only time to get any peace and quiet and besides, sleep is for wimps.
She likes to
spin sensual, sassy, and sexy tales involving alpha heroes to die for, and
heroines who give as good as they get. From contemporary to paranormal, BDSM to
F/F, and Ménage, haunting love stories are guaranteed.
I just have to comment. Mother to nine kids. Wow! You are marvellous, Doris!
Stalking Links:
Review of Under the Alpha's Protection:
I was given this book to read in
exchange for an honest review.
Nikita has just been accosted by strange
creatures in the night. For a woman who doesn’t believe in paranormal, she is
rather shaken. Her instincts take her to her friend, Raoul’s home. He’s furious
to see her so hurt and nurses and comforts her. Raoul is a shape-shifter
werewolf. He’s very alpha and very sexy and has loved Nikita for so long. She’s
loved him, too, but both are afraid to admit feelings to their friend. Raoul is
afraid Nikita will push him away if she discovers who he really is.
Sparks begin to fly as he shields her in
his home. They succumb to their love for one another. Raoul isn’t only a
shape-shifter but also a dom. When Nikita submits to his charms, she also
submits very smoothly to his role as dom and her as sub.
Nikita isn’t out of danger yet. A rogue
hybrid werewolf-vampire is after her and wants to destroy her. When he
eventually finds her, Raoul has the hardest fight of his life on his hands. Can
he save her from the worst possible destiny yet? In saving her, will he lose
her love as she discovers who he is?
Wow! All I can say is I was blown away
by this book. I’ve read erotic romance before but to be honest, have never gone
the paranormal route. My fascination with vampire movies stirred my interest in
this book plus my curiosity about the BDSM part as that’s rather new to me,
too. The author has converted me to a new genre.
I so enjoyed the action in the book. She
had me on my toes. Her ability to make us feel the suffering of one of her characters is phenomenal. The sex was hot, fascinating, and heart-touching.
This is a short, impactful read with
tight prose and dialogue and strong visualisation and sense of emotion.
I have to admit I didn’t like all the
swearing in the dialogue and thought there was too much to be necessary but
that minor problem did not put me off the book.
A beautiful romance filled with
suspense, action and intrigue and interspersed with amazing sex scenes. A book
hard to put down.
