“If I try to kiss you at midnight, when I’m off shift and you’re officially not a client anymore . . . would you let me?”
Dirty Charmer by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Emma Chase, is LIVE!
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Blurb
Abigail Haddock is stunning, sensible, and some would say . . . stuffy. But it’s not really her fault. She was raised in one of Wessco’s oldest, most affluent, aristocratic families—“stuffy” is their middle name. So is successful. Abby’s working overtime to distinguish herself as a top-notch physician, just as her family legacy demands.
She doesn’t have time for nonsense.
Tommy Sullivan’s all about nonsense.
Sure, he’s an elite bodyguard with lethal skills and co-owner of the renowned, S&S Securities Firm—protector of the wealthy and titled. But he’s also rowdy, fun and thoroughly irresistible.
Tommy knows how to have a good time, and he’s never seen someone more in need of a good time than Abby. The lass needs long, wet, filthy kisses—STAT—and he’s just the man for the job.
It doesn’t take long for a wildly sexy, sinfully satisfying, no-strings attached arrangement to turn into something more. Something sweet and addictive and real. But Tommy and Abby are too royally stubborn to admit it.
Opposites attract, everyone knows that. But can they last—can they love…for forever?
Review
4.5 stars!
Another fantastically fun and beautifully romantic story from Emma Chase! Funny, sexy, heartfelt and wonderfully entertaining (and it’s worth repeating – sexy!), Tommy and Abby’s story stole my heart and had me completely captivated from start to finish.
This is the first book in Emma’s new Bodyguards series. It’s also a spin-off from the Royally series – Tommy was the bodyguard for Prince Nicholas (from book, #1, Royally Screwed, and is the best friend of fellow bodyguard, Logan (from book #3, :Royally Endowed). And while I loved the tie-in, you can easily read this book as a standalone (but do add the Royally books to your TBR, because they are awesome!).
Tommy and Logan have left the royal family’s bodyguard service and have started their own security firm. They are starting to make a name for themselves, are bringing on and training new staff, and they have a good reputation amongst Wessco’s elite. That doesn’t mean that Tommy doesn’t make time to play, because he is all about having a good time. Playful, fun and carefree, he is living the dream.
Shame is for losers – which is why I have none.
Abby Haddock is serious, intelligent, and committed to her goal of becoming a cardiac surgeon. She lives and breathes her work, with little time for anything else as she strives to achieve the high standards set by her aristocratic family of geniuses. When Abby’s family runs into trouble and needs protection, they call S&S Securities, and Tommy assigns himself to guard Abby. They had an encounter in the past which showed with a filthy flirt he is, and left Abby truly shaken by her attraction to him, and now he’s by her side all day, every day, and sparks are flying!
“I don’t mess around with clients.” He makes the sign of the cross. “So for as long as you are one I will be a complete professional. It’s probably for the best that we’re discussing it, so you don’t mistake me not trying to get in your pants as me not wanting to get in your pants.” His eyes slide downward, and his voice dips to a whisper. “I definitely want in.”
This book is SO appropriately named, because Tommy is a dirty charmer! He’s rude, filthy and upfront, and he gives no fucks, but he’s also this gorgeous and flirtatious man who oozes charm. He can see that Abby is stuck in her joyless little world who needs to cut loose for a bit, and he knows he’s just the man to pull her out of it.
I believe God has a plan for all of us, a purpose. And now, more than ever, standing in this dreary flat, watching this stunning girl eat her sad, lonely little meal – I believe God wants me to screw some joy into Abby Haddock’s life.
Lucky for me, the Almighty’s desires coincide with my own.
And I’m more than up to the task.
It’s not an easy sell, but Tommy gets this way and so begins an epically hot, dirty and passionate no-strings attachment where he proceeds to rock Abby’s world in – and out of – the bedroom. Holy damn, it’s steamy, and Abby finds herself relishing every moment of it as she experiences something completely new with Tommy, brightening her dull little world.
“The magic peen is a hell of a drug.”
I laugh. “The magic peen?”
“You’re practically floating on air. Like he jizzed pixie dust all over you.”
I giggle out a groan and cover my eyes with my hands. “Etta. Too much.”
She wiggles her eyebrows.
“And yet not nearly enough.”
But no-strings quickly turns into more as Tommy and Abby find themselves drawn into each other’s lives, and I loved watching things shift and change between them as they open up and grow closer. But can two such opposites really make it work? Their goals and dreams, and even the way they live their lives, are so different. Is what they have found together strong enough to overcome it all? They’ll have to find out, and it’s an emotional ride watching them get there.
This is more than an arrangement. More than convenience or fun or stress relief. More than fantastic, filthy fucking. It’s all of that – but it’s not just that. Not anymore.
I loved this book so much. It’s a great mix of funny, sweet and fun, with a nice amount of emotion as we watch Tommy and Abby figure it all out.
Along the way, we get to meet a whole new cast of fantastic characters (Abby’s best friend had me laughing out loud so many times!), as well as catching up with the Logan and Ellie, and the royal family – yes all of them – which was a real treat.
“Children,” the Queen laments, “always so certain they know everything.”
“True,” Father agrees. “But were we really so different at their age, Your Majesty?”
“Well…” Queen Lenora considers this question.
And then she answers.
“When I was young I was sure I knew everything… but it turns out I was right, so that’s not the same thing at’all.”
The story ends in a great place, with a super satisfying epilogue which closes off Tommy and Abby’s story beautifully! I’m thinking (and hoping) that fellow security specialist, James, will have his story told next, and I’m so excited to read that story! But whatever this series brings, I am here for it!
I loved it! 4.5 stars
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Excerpt
Abby
Me: Are you texting while you’re driving??
Apparently, Tommy and his bodyguard brethren are trained to text without actually having to look at their phones, so they can communicate covertly with the
device in their pocket.
But I’ve explained to him—at length—that that doesn’t matter worth a damn.
I’ve informed him of the overwhelming statistics on the dangers of texting while operating a vehicle and I’ve disclosed my firsthand experiences of seeing the deadly
carnage of such behavior during my emergency room rotations.
And still, after a weighted pause, he replies:
Godly Orgasm Giver : Maybe.
Me: Well, STOP IT!!
For a moment, the screen remains quiet . . . and then those sneaky little dots appear again.
Godly Orgasm Giver: I like it when you get all shouty caps at me—have I ever told you that?
I’m going to revisit the idea of Tommy teaching me how to throw a punch. It would come in handy at moments just like this.
“Is everything all right, Abby?” my mother asks. “You’re all flushed.”
She examines me above her glasses like I’m a bug under a microscope.
“I . . .”
Grogg, the butler, bends down and dips his large, square head towards my grandmother.
“A gentleman is out front, Lady Agatha . . .”
Oh no.
“On a motorbike.”
OH NOOOO.
“Well, send him away.” The Dowager Countess shoos her hand in the air, as countesses do. “We don’t accept solicitations.”
I scramble to my feet. “Actually, he’s here for me.”
I throw my tablet and phone and books into my satchel, to hasten my not-so-great escape.
“Pardon?” my father inquires.
“He?” my grandmother prods.
I swallow hard, rushing out the words. “Yes. He’s a friend. I messaged him for a lift.”
My brother Sterling’s eggs-Benedict-laden fork pauses midair on its way to his mouth.
“I didn’t know you had the sort of friends who rode motorbikes.”
“I didn’t know you had friends,” my sister Athena comments, not in a cruel way, but with sincere surprise.
I shrug, looping the strap of my satchel over my shoulder.
“Yes, well . . . you know . . .”
With that brilliant retort, I turn and walk out of the room.
I head towards the foyer, the heels of my knee-high boots clicking rapidly on the marble floor like a ticking time bomb. I yank open the giant front door and . . . come to an immediate stop on the veranda outside of it.
Because Tommy’s there, down the long gray steps on the front drive, sitting easily astride a shiny contraption of chrome and steel, wearing work boots, snug blue jeans and a black leather jacket—looking so sinfully good it might actually be illegal.
I have to remind myself that I’m angry with him, and when I do, I march straight down the steps. His eyes alight on my boots, skirt and light gray sweater—the ensemble gives off an unintended “naughty schoolteacher” feel—and the corner of Tommy’s wicked mouth hooks up accordingly.
“Hello, sweetheart.”
“Are you mad?!”
He takes a moment to think it over.
“Not the last time I checked.”
“What are you doing here?” I hold out my hands. “And what is this?”
“It’s a motorbike.”
“It’s death on wheels.”
He chuckles. “James loaned it to me for the day. The hills are beautiful this time of year—I thought we’d take a ride together. You wanted stress relief, didn’t you?”
Tommy taps the shiny handlebar. “A ride on this is as stress-relieving as it gets—better than normal-bloke sex.”
I peer at him. Do I want to know?
Apparently I do, because I hear myself asking, “Normal-bloke sex?”
“Yeah.” He winks. “I mean it’s not better than how I do it—obviously. But the way an average bloke has sex—this is definitely better.”
I shake my head, folding my arms. “Do you have any idea how dangerous these things are? The statistics on motorbike fatalities are—”
Tommy covers my mouth with his hand.
His palm is warm, and so is his voice—a thick, sweet, honeyed tone.
“Do you trust me, Abby?”
After a moment, he takes his hand away and I gaze into those deep, dark eyes . . . falling into them so easily it should be frightening.
My answer is simple. True ones always are.
“I do.”
Tommy smiles fully, and my stomach flutters with that lovely swirling sensation.
“Then climb on.”
He places a helmet on my head, buckling the strap under my chin.
“And you might want to do it fast—your granny’s coming.”
I glance over my shoulder to see the whole family gathered outside the front of the door, a spectrum of curious and gob-smacked expressions plastered on their
typically reserved faces. And my grandmother is indeed headed this way, her jeweled necklace jingling as she quickly descends the long slope of stone steps.
“Abigail!”
Her voice is high-pitched and harried—a tone I’ve never heard her use before, and one I’m not keen on exploring now.
“Have to be going!” I lift my hand and give them a thumbs-up. “Talk soon!”
Like a teenager running off with the town bad boy, I hike up my skirt and climb onto the motorbike behind Tommy. He clasps my hands together securely over his
stomach.
“Hold on tight, lass.”
I do just that—squeezing my arms around his solid frame and resting my cheek against the warm leather on his back as he revs the engine to life and we pull away with a roar that vibrates in my bones.
And as strange as it is—or maybe it’s not strange at all—I’ve never felt safer.
About Emma
New York Times bestselling author Emma Chase writes contemporary romance novels known for their clever banter, emotional, and sexy, swoonworthy moments. Her books have been translated into over twenty languages around the world.
Emma lives in New Jersey with her amazing husband, two spirited children, and two adorable, but badly behaved, dogs. She has a long standing love/hate relationship with caffeine.
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