Title: Dark Protector
Author: Celia Aaron
Genre: Romance
Release Date: February 27, 2017
Available on Kindle Unlimited
From the moment I saw her through the window of her flower shop, something other than darkness took root inside me. Charlie shone like a beacon in a world that had long since lost any light. But she was never meant for me, a man that killed without remorse and collected bounties drenched in blood.
I thought staying away would keep her safe, would shield her from me. I was wrong. Danger followed in my wake like death at a slaughter house. I protected her from the threats that circled like black buzzards, kept her safe with kill after kill.
But everything comes with a price, especially second chances for a man like me.
Killing for her was easy. It was living for her that turned out to be the hard part.
Author's Note: This is a full-length romance novel. Explicit violence and hot sex included. HEA, no cheating.
“Look.” He pulled his pistol from its holster, laid it on the dresser, and began unbuttoning his shirt. “I realize this isn’t optimal for either of us. You don’t want to be here.”
I tried not to stare at the gun, but I was already trying to figure out if I could get to it before he could.
“You can’t.” He glanced at the gun then back to me. “I’ll always win.”
“Always?” I edged toward the door to what looked like a bathroom.
He sighed, weariness heavy on his exhale. “Yes. It’s what I do.”
“You kill? Is that what you mean?”
His face hardened, a muscle ticking in his jaw. At that moment, I realized how truly terrifying he could be. Built like a solid wall of muscle, at least six foot five, with a handsome face and eyes that went cold in a heartbeat. I swallowed hard and bumped into the doorframe at my back.
“I’m going to need to patch this.” He jerked his chin toward his shoulder, but kept his eyes on me. “But first, I’m going to take care of your nose and get you cleaned up.”
“First, you need to tell me why I’m even here.” I couldn’t keep the shrill notes from my voice. “Why did Berty take me? Why is this happening?”
He reached behind his head and pulled his shirt off in a singularly masculine move. His abs flexed, and his bare chest looked carved and hardened. Black ink trailed around his arms and met in the center of his chest. “Death before dishonor” was written between his pecs with a flourishing script. His fingers had individual letters on each one. Scars dotted his body—some long gashes with dots on either side from stitches, others that were rounded or jagged. He was a battlefield, his story told with blood and scar tissue.
Celia Aaron is a recovering attorney who loves romance and erotic fiction. Dark to light, angsty to funny, real to fantasy—if it’s hot and strikes her fancy, she writes it. Want a free bestselling book? 
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A night he can’t forget
Five years ago, Nick Markovic found himself consumed by his quest for vengeance. The one time he managed to find peace was in the arms of Hayley Dalton. Being with her was like bathing in sunlight, and he ached to feel that again, but he couldn’t. He gave his oath to Hayley’s cousin Desiree, his partner at McKay-Taggart and Knight, that he’d never let his darkness infect Hayley’s innocent world.
A spark she can’t put out
It was years before that Hayley offered everything she had to Nick. After that one amazing night, all she wanted was to be his forever. Unfortunately, Nick’s reaction was to walk away from her and never look back. The warm and caring man she’d discovered was gone, and after Des’s death, he’d only grown colder. But when Hayley finds herself in mortal danger, she’s forced to seek protection from the man who broke her heart.
A flame that threatens to consume them both
Haunted by the women he failed, Nick can’t allow himself to grow close to Hayley again. Running to stay ahead of the powerful forces that endanger their lives, they travel from the lush Garden in London to the glittering lights of Rio. As the threat against her becomes clearer, he realizes that to keep her safe he must confront the demons from his past, even if it costs him a future with the woman he loves.
Nick went back to staring at the report. “Hayley’s not mine. She was Desiree’s cousin. Now she’s my client.”
Who had been tired the night before and that was why she’d said the things she’d said. This morning she’d seemed much more sensible. After she’d had some sleep and a shower and had straightened herself up, she’d been quiet and seemingly reflective. She was very likely embarrassed by what had been said the night before.
I would get safety from murderers and I would get orgasms. I’m sorry, Nicky, you’re going to tell me how that’s a bad deal for me.
He was going to make sure she understood that his protection wasn’t based on whether or not she slept with him.
Because he wasn’t sleeping with her. He couldn’t hurt her that way again.
“So she was your old lover’s cousin,” Owen mused. “The lover you weren’t exclusive with and who wouldn’t marry you. The pretty girl who looks at you like you’re the sun in the sky is her cousin.”
“She looks at me like she would look at man who can save her.”
“I can save her.” Owen’s eyes lit up, his brows waggling. “Maybe she’ll look at me like that.”
Anger flared through his system. “Don’t you dare. I told you I would take care of her.”
His arms crossed over his big chest and Nick knew he’d been had. “Well, that answers the question with more honesty. You can pretend, but you like the girl. And if you honestly don’t then you need to know that the boys got a good look at her last night. If she’s going to be hanging about, she should be ready for some serious male attention.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The lads talked it over last night and decided there’s no dibs on this one. They all saw her at pretty much the same time. They looked over that dead body and saw her walking in the hall and that was when the fighting started. We all sat down and decided no dibs on her. She’ll get to pick. You should know that Sasha and Jax have decided if she picks either of them, they’re willing to share. I don’t play that way. That’s something I do know about meself. No need for you to be telling me that tale. If there’s going to be some sharing in the bedroom, it’s going to be the traditional kind between a man and a woman and her stacked best friend. That’s what I say.”
“You tell those boys to stay away from her or they will be dealing with me. They will not like to be dealing with me. I will put up with many things from them. They can poke all the corpses they like. They can punch each other. I do not care. They touch Hayley and I will be caring.”
“Wow, now you do sound Russian. A scary Russian. Still, I think if you don’t want the girl, shouldn’t she be allowed to choose? Think about it. It could be fun.”
“Are we talking about the lost boys and their battle for the new chick?” Kayla strode in, her hair in a high ponytail. It bounced as she walked, a testament to her seemingly ever-sunny personality. “I had babysitting duty last night and they kept talking about her even after lights out. Bad boys. I had a plan though. I think we make them compete in a beauty pageant. Hayley gets to judge.”
“I’m judging a beauty pageant?” Hayley followed behind Kay, and both women were followed by Charlotte Taggart and Penelope Knight. It looked like Hayley was rapidly being accepted by the women on his team.
That was not necessarily a good thing. The women on his team could create chaos like no others.
“That sounds like fun,” Charlotte said with a smile. “I think we should require Speedos for the bathing suit competition. No boring board shorts. If Hayley’s picking a lover, she needs to see some booty.”
Hayley stopped, her cheeks going the sweetest color of pink. “Wait. What?”
Penelope put a hand on her arm. “They’re teasing you, dear. Don’t worry about it. The lads will be very polite. Though you should expect some suitors while you’re here. Especially if you come down to the dungeon.”
Now he was the one flushing. “Excuse me?”
Hayley shook her head as she joined him at the table. “It’s nothing. I was just talking to the girls. Did you get the report? Penny said the Dallas office had found something.”
He was all too aware that they weren’t alone. Damon and Ian walked in with Brody Carter and Walter Bennett. The four men settled into chairs as the women joined them. Nick held out a chair for Hayley. He would have to remember that he couldn’t leave her alone for a minute or someone would be whispering in her ear, giving her ideas she shouldn’t have.
Like visiting The Garden on a play night.
It wasn’t happening.
NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog int eh world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.
