Witness
to Passion
Guarding Her Body # 1
Guarding Her Body # 1
By: Naima Simone
Releasing June 16, 2015
Entangled: Ignite
Blurb
Under his protection and in his bed…
For
Fallon Wayland, birthdays are just another reminder of her looming
spinsterhood. This year is shaping up to be no different. Unfairly fired from
her job, dumped by her boyfriend, and oh yes, witnessing the murder of a
high-ranking lieutenant in the local crime family… Yeah, birthdays suck.
Ever
since a disastrous, hot-as-hell kiss years ago, soldier-turned-security
specialist Shane Roarke has avoided his baby sister’s reckless—and
gorgeous—best friend. Yet when her life is threatened after she witnesses a
gang hit, he insists on protecting her…even if she objects.
The
two are forced to hole up in a safe house. Alone. Passion long denied erupts
between them, burning away their inhibitions. But even as layers—and
clothes—are peeled away, danger closes in. Shane and Fallon might finally have
a chance at love…if they survive long enough to see it.
Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/05/witness-to-passion-guarding-her-body-1_14.html
Goodreads
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25538635-witness-to-passionGoodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/153749-guarding-her-body
Author Info
Naima's love of romance was first
stirred by Johanna Lindsey and Linda Howard many years ago. Though her first
attempt at writing a romance novel at 11 never saw the light of day, her love
of romance and writing has endured. Now, she spends her time creating stories
of unique men and women who experience the dizzying heights of passion and the
tender heat of love. She is the wife to Superman - or his non-Kryptonian, less
bullet proof equivalent - and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all
live in perfect, domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.
“Can’t sleep?” Shane asked.
“No,” Fallon murmured. “It’s too quiet.”
He nodded, rising to his feet from the couch. The
dog tags around his neck clacked against one another, drawing her attention to
the wide, naked expanse of his chest. How she managed to sound calm and
unaffected by the sight of all that taut skin should be filed under minor
miracles. Especially since inside her panties she popped, sizzled, and lit up
like a damn Fourth of July fireworks show.
“Here.” He scooped up the television remote from the
fee table and tossed it to her. “Take the couch.” He bent, picked up his pants,
and turned to step into them. “I’ll sleep on the—”
“Jesus Christ.” She caught the remote on autopilot,
the sheet dropping from her numb fingers. Horror poured through her in a thick,
choking deluge. Before her mind could catch up with her body, she was closing
the distance between them. Her hands were reaching for him, gripping his hips
above the low-hanging black band of his boxers and unbuckled, sagging pants.
Her eyes were drinking in the terrible scars marring
his back.
Shane went unnaturally still, and the tensing of his
muscles telegraphed his intention to jerk away. But she tightened her hold,
ignored the fact that she’d violated his unspoken edict regarding her touching
him.
“Please,” she whispered, unable to prevent the pain
and fear from seeping through. Maybe he detected it, detected the desperate
need. Because, though he didn’t relax, instead remaining as rigid as a statue,
he didn’t move away from her.
Didn’t leave her.
Emitting a sound caught somewhere between a whimper
and a sigh, she gently—reverently—traced the gouged-out flesh just below his
waist, the hard, puckered skin surrounding the old wound. Pressing her forehead
to his shoulder blade, she smoothed fingertips over the long, ridged scar
aligning the bottom of his spine. Stroked the raised, shiny mark the size and
shape of a nickel on the back of his upper arm.
Grief for his suffering, panic at the realization of
just how close she’d come to losing him pummeled the breath from her chest,
leaving a hollow, agonizing ache behind. Of course she’d known he’d been hurt;
only a serious injury could’ve kept Shane from returning to the Army he loved.
But four years ago when she’d received that call
from Addy about Shane being shipped home, her friend had told her he’d been
shot. That’s it. She hadn’t detailed the gravity the scars covering his body
conveyed. They’d kept her in the dark. Purposefully.
“You wouldn’t let me come to the hospital,” she
said.
“No,” he stated, voice flat.
“Why?” she demanded softly. He didn’t reply, only
fisted his fingers at his sides. “I would’ve come. If you’d let me, I
would’ve,” she murmured, then bent and brushed her lips over the scar on his
waist.
Jolting as if struck by a bolt of lightning, he
whipped around, a fierce frown darkening his face. “What the hell are you
doing?”This is my first time reading anything by Naima Simone and I loved it! Fallon still had plenty of sass, even after everything she's recently experienced. Good for her for wanting to make her own way in the world, for not wanting to be a pampered socialite like her mother. She hasn't had great birthday memories while growing up, although her most recent birthday was like nothing she's ever experienced. And that's when we get to meet Shane Roarke, the one man Fallon has loved for eight years.
Shane Roarke had to grow up before he had the chance to really enjoy his childhood, so it's no wonder that he seems to serious and stoic, seemingly to the point of being standoffish. He definitely has a great poker face and doesn't let his emotions come up to the surface. So it's no wonder that Fallon has zero inkling on how he truly feels about her. The reader knows how he feels, so I guess that could be interpreted that Ms. Simone did a good job portraying Shane's character.
Overall the story flowed well, although there are parts and characters that are mentioned in this book almost like a highlight, with no way to know if the events/people mentioned already have their own books or not.
ARC provided in exchange for honest review.
Thank you for hosting WITNESS TO PASSION!
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