Rage, Sex, and Teddy Bears: Review/Excerpt/Giveaway - For Her Protection by Amber A. Bardan

Published May 30th 2014 by Ellora's Cave Publishing Inc.

You shouldn’t mix business with pleasure.

Yet pleasure seems to be the one and only thing on Charlize’s mind the moment Connor steamrolls into her life. Desperate to save her family company, prove she’s more than a pretty face and worthy of being CEO, pleasure is a distraction she can’t afford.

She doesn’t want a bodyguard, especially not one whose caveman heroics kick her libido into hyperdrive. But surrounded by enemies and an attacker on the loose, there’s only one man she can trust with her life.

Connor knows better than to get personal with clients. Yet there couldn’t be anything more personal about his feelings for Charlize. From the moment he clapped eyes on her he wanted nothing more than to throw her over his shoulder and really give her something to scream about. He’ll get his uptight she-cat to unwind, preferably one orgasm at a time.

With Connor in her office, her home, driving her to sweet, merciless distraction, there’s only so long Charlize can resist his sexy, dominant brand of protection.

Connor gave her his caveman glare. “I’m not going anywhere, kitten. Your well-being is my responsibility so you may as well do as you’re told.”

“Do as I’m told?” she spat then picked up a mug from her desk and hurled it at him.

Connor ducked and the mug flew over his head and bounced on the carpet. He rose, rolling up slowly, his gaze taking on the predatory gleam from the first time she’d seen him. Shit. She’d gone too far again. He stalked toward her. Charlize backed away from her desk.

“You’re out of control, Charlize,” he growled, his head lowered, his strides long and smooth.

Her heart spurted frantic energy through her system. He reached her but she didn’t give him a chance to do whatever he planned to do. She slammed her palms against his chest and pushed then darted around him for the door.

She didn’t make it a step. He seized her around the middle and took her down. She hit the ground on her back. Connor shifted over her, scooping her wrists in one clean movement and pressing them above her head. The back of her hands sank into the carpet.

He panted above her, gazing into her face. She twisted against him but her movements only made her breasts brush against the solid wall of his chest. Damn him. Maybe, just maybe if he hadn’t done what he had to her that morning, she might’ve had a chance to resist him.

Charlize stilled and looked at him. A muscle pulled under the skin of his temple. She ran her gaze over his face, the deep blue of his eyes, the strong bridge of his nose, his wide lips.

Lips that drove her crazy with all the arrogant, bossy shit they said. Lips that made her want to run her tongue over them, see if maybe there was a shred of softness in this hard man. She groaned and raised her head, planting her mouth on his.

His stillness dissolved. His mouth opened, capturing her tongue and sucking deeply before pushing his own between her lips. Her body hummed, the neediness tormenting her all day racked her. He moved, his knees nudging hers apart. He settled between her thighs and she wrapped her legs around his hips, arching when his hardness ground against her.

He pressed her hands deeper into the carpet and sank his tongue farther into her mouth, leaving no crevice untasted.

She opened to him—melting—arching—desperate. She squeezed him closer with her legs, needing that hard cock against her.

Then, in one sudden movement, the heat and hardness against her were gone. Connor had leaped off her as if her panties were on fire. Charlize scrambled to her feet, tugging her skirt down, then leaned against her desk for support. Her head swam, words escaped her. She wasn’t sure what just happened. He still looked at her as if he were about to eat her alive. His gaze stalked her, stripping her, penetrating through her skin.

He cornered her against her desk, his eyes darker than she’d ever seen them.

“Let’s get something clear—if losing your shit at me is code for fuck-me-now, just say so. Then the next time you hit me I’ll have my cock buried in you before you can finish the request.”

WELL! Connor was indeed about as alpha and dominant as this reviewer can handle. He pushed the borders, let me tell you. If Charlize hadn't thrown that coffee cup, I might of had to say good bye to For Her Protection, by my girl definitely had some bite to her. She didn't take Connor's bossiness lying down. (Bent over her desk maybe, but not lying down.) Connor was just overwhelmingly male. He was hard, (pun intended) if not impossible to say no to, what with his very graphic descriptions of what he wanted to do and have done to him. It was HOT!!!

But there was more to For Her Protection than just the erotic content. There was romance, yes, Connor made no bones about his emotional involvement. This saved him from being just TOO much. He really loved Charlize and thought he was doing what was best for her. There was also a really good suspense element that surprised me at the end. Ha! Good work on that one, Amber. Amber Bardan complimented these aspects with some truly excellent character development and background stories. I enjoyed knowing why Connor and Charlize behaved and reacted the way they did. It enhanced my experience and connection with the story, exponentially. This is a wonderful example of combining several romantic elements into one memorable story. It was a romantic trifecta and I as the reader claimed the winnings. Job well done, Amber, I look forward to reading your future works.

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After spending years imagining fictional adventures, Amber finally found a way to turn daydreaming into a productive habit. She now spends her days as a graphic designer but her nights writing sizzling tales about heroes with tough exteriors who are warm inside.

She lives with her husband and children in semi-rural Australia, where if she peers outside at the right moment she might just see a kangaroo bounce by.