The second book in The Perfect Gentleman series is a complete couple romance (as was the first book) but with a continuing story arc that appears will run through the whole series. It’s about 6 men, school friends who have remained close for many years even as they’ve gone their separate ways into politics and business and national security. Only, at the start of the first book one of their number, Maddox is dead, and the hunt for the murderer is on. It’s an intricate plot with lots of players, the nuts and bolts of which are covered at the start of book 2 such that you could begin the series here and catch up quickly. But I recommend reading book 1 (Scandal Never Sleeps) as it was also very entertaining.
This story focuses on Connor. He’s the spook, the CIA recruit who’s been undercover for much of his life since finishing school but has maintained strong ties to his friends. One of his friends, Zack, happens to be the president of the United States, and Zack’s childhood nanny appears to be at the center of a human trafficking ring. In trying to track her down, he’s crossed paths with Lara, the daughter of a senator, who publishes a scandal tabloid (appropriately called Capitol Scandals) in Washington. Her stories might seem frivolous but that they are all backed up with truths and Lara writes them to bring causes and injustices to the public’s attention. She too has caught wind of the human trafficking scandal, and its link to the presidency. As well, she believes that the death of the president’s wife a few years earlier, just before his election, was actually part of the plan to get him elected through a sympathy vote. Lara has been getting threats recently from an unknown source, and Connor’s been hired to be her bodyguard, though his true task is to determine what she knows and whether she is going to be a threat to his friend. Connor’s never shied away from doing what’s necessary to further his undercover work, and sleeping with a mark to gain her trust is par for the course. He’s clear with Lara though, that it’s going to be a sex only relationship with no emotional entanglements and just for the duration of his assignment as her bodyguard. There is no doubt they are attracted to each other, and the sex between them is hot and explosive. But when Connor’s lies are revealed, will it ruin any chance of a real relationship with Lara?
I loved this story! After reading the first one which I enjoyed but found a bit overwhelming with all of the characters and plot introduced, I found this story to be a much smoother read, with a compelling romance and a great suspense plot woven throughout. I think the sex scenes in this story are some of the hottest I’ve read for being fairly straightforward (no BDSM, no menage etc) and they were fabulously executed (hats off to the authors for that!). Connor is an intriguing character, a man who keeps his emotions reined in for good reason. He’s built his fortune on his own, having come from a poor family and getting into the exclusive school with a scholarship, where he met the friends that would become like brothers. Working for the CIA after school has shown him the dark side of humanity, and he’s never been in one place long enough to have a committed relationship. In fact, his last relationship almost ended things for him permanently (those damn double agents!) and the list of people he trusts is very limited. When he becomes Lara’s bodyguard, he’s suddenly exposed to a woman who is the opposite of him – friendly, outgoing, soft hearted, and sweet. Not to say she isn’t without a backbone, as she has no problem campaigning for truth and justice via exposes in her tabloid, but she fully believes that Connor is there to protect her and has no instincts not to trust him. Connor quickly comes to realize that he will do anything to keep Lara safe, even if it means lying to her about his motives for being there. I really loved seeing how Lara got to him and made him desperate to think of a way to convince her to stay with him once she found out the truth (because secrets always have a way of coming out).
Solving Maddox’s murder, the involvement of the Russian mafia, the truth behind the death of Zack’s wife – all of these suspenseful plots continue through the story with (sorry!) no resolution yet. They kept the story moving at a swift pace. Connor and Lara do get their happy ending and I enjoyed their romance immensely. This is a sexy, action packed thriller and goes on my best of 2016 list. I’m looking forward to the next installment in the series which will feature a second chance romance at its core while still on the hunt for the killer of one of the Perfect Gentlemen. 5 stars.
“Now that we’ve shared a pleasant evening, you can decide if sex with me is something you really want. I hope you’ve thought about it because if you say yes, we’re going to do this my way and I’m not sure you’re going to like that.”
His way? His way had seemed really nice when he’d thrown her against the wall. Passion had welled up and she hadn’t been thinking about anything but him. It had been simple and he seemed determined to make it complicated. “What’s your way?”
“I’m in charge. I’ll take control and you’ll either say yes or we’ll walk away.”
“That seems harsh.” It was pretty much everything she feared about him. Spencer Connor didn’t seem like a man who understood the meaning of the word compromise. Although he had eaten with her all those days when she wasn’t cooking anything he liked. And he’d given in when she’d pushed him to let her out of the condo earlier in the day. He hadn’t lectured her about how poorly the venture had gone.
“It’s the only way I’ll have a physical relationship with you, and I pulled back to make sure you understand. You were saved by the bell, so to speak. I’m trying to be fair with you. I want you to walk into this clear eyed and with absolutely no romantic notions.
She didn’t like the sound of that. “So what you’re saying is all you’re willing to offer me is a few nights of sex and then you’ll leave me to the next man.”
“I didn’t say that at all.” If it was possible, the room got cold. His eyes turned into stony orbs. “You should understand there won’t be any other men. I won’t tolerate it, Lara. Maybe you believe in modern relationships where two people go to bed whenever they get an itch so they scratch it with whomever seems handy. When it comes to you, you’ll find I’m very old-fashioned. I won’t hesitate to defend what I consider mine. Don’t ever use another man to manipulate me. I will end him. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
He was saying if she got into bed with him, she would belong to him. “What do you really want from me?”
His lips curled up. “Now you’re asking the right questions. This is why I gave us time. I don’t go into anything with a lackadaisical hope-it-works-out attitude. I want things made plain. What do I want from you? I want your warmth and affection. I want your intelligence. I want your loyalty first and foremost. I want you to understand that I’m your lover and you owe me your trust above all others. I want your body. I want to be the man who introduces you to just how sensual you can be, and I want that to mean something to you.”
He hadn’t mentioned a thing about love, but asking for her warmth and affection had done something to her. He was a man who needed it. His admission lacked sentimentality, but Kiki’s words earlier were ringing in her ears. She’s spent years trying to find the perfect mate only to have it fall apart again and again. She’d been looking for someone like her. Connor was her polar opposite. Unlike Niall, Connor was being upfront and honest with her. It wasn’t perfect, but it was real.
“And if the sex meant something to me, what could I expect from you? Besides the whole ‘death to any man who touches me’ thing.”
His head fell back and his deep, almost musical laughter filled the room. When he looked back, warmth filled his gaze. “You’re the only one who can do that to me, Princess.”
“Make you laugh?” Her hands were shaking as she took a drink. Nerves. Anticipation. Just being near him made her both the tiniest bit anxious and thrilled. Connor was completely unknown territory.
“Make me forget a lot of the reasons why I don’t laugh.” He patted his lap. “Come here.”
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