Covert Desires by Sondrae Bennett (Guest Post)

Please give a warm welcome to romance author, Sondrae Bennett, who is joining us with her latest Alpine Woods Shifter book, Covert Desires! 

What makes a hero sexy? Is it his piercing eyes, corded muscles, and big…hands? Well, those things certainly don’t hurt. But, for me at least, there’s more to it. Sexy isn’t just a word for physical appeal, but encompasses all aspects of a hero’s personality. Does he listen to the heroine? Is he funny? Smart? Maybe he cooks dinner for his ailing grandmother every Saturday. What makes a hero sexy, or a heroine for that matter, is their heart.

In Covert Desires, even though our Hero, Danny is sent to spy on the heroine, he never treats her with anything but respect. He lets his heart guide his actions, trusting them to lead him to the right path. Sure, he’s an alpha male, and handsome, and a great kisser. But it’s the purity of his heart that makes him truly sexy. 

Will desire be enough once all their secrets are revealed?
Still recovering from a traumatic assignment, Amber is wary of the man who shows up at her door with a plate of cookies and a welcoming smile. Instinct warns her he’s not all he seems. Then again, neither is she. Since she was sent to root out the secrets of the town and its people, she might as well accept his invitation to dinner. But when things start to heat up between them, will her loyalty lie with her job, or the man trying to win her heart?
Danny knows Amber is an FBI agent. Tasked by his brothers and the shifter council to keep her from discovering too much, he sets out to seduce her, a perfect cover to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn’t learn about his pack or their society. He hadn’t counted on a blazing attraction at first sight, though. His wolf knows Amber is his mate, and he’ll do anything to keep her safe and happy. But how can he reveal everything he is, and everything he’s been keeping from her, without losing her forever?

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Excerpt: 

Amber put her hands on Danny’s chest as he leaned in and brushed his lips over hers. Pleasure rushed through her, pooling in her belly, but she turned her head to the side, determined to maintain control.

Instead of being deterred, he grazed his lips against her cheek, sliding them toward her ear. A shot of lust spiraled toward her core. She closed her eyes against the rush of sensations.

Everything inside begged her to lean into the embrace. To catch his lips with her own and lose herself in passion.

But in the end it came down to duty. When she’d taken this assignment, she’d sworn to herself and to her boss, that she’d prove the doubters wrong. And if that meant she had to resist temptation, then she’d resist. No matter how much she wished otherwise, or how much she wished to be someone else. To be a woman without the baggage of her job. One who could lean into Danny and take everything he promised.

She gave herself a moment. One small moment to bask in the comfort and pleasure before pushing against his chest. For a second, she thought he wasn’t going to back up, and a flash of fear took her back to another time, when a man had pretended to care for her only to turn against her when he learned she was an agent and responsible for taking down major members of his cartel.

Danny backed away so quickly Amber stumbled against him and almost lost her footing. Hard hands gripped her shoulders as he leaned down and stared directly into her eyes.

“What’s the matter?” he demanded. Concern reflected in the brown depths. Concern for her, she realized with a start. He’d been so in tune to her body and emotions, he’d sensed her mental recoil when she’d flashed back.

She stared at him, amazed at the realization.

“Amber?” Impatience and worry clear in his voice.

“Nothing,” she choked out, coughing against the tightness in her throat. “Nothing’s the matter,” she said with more certainty. “It’s… We’re moving a bit fast for me. I just met you. I need some time to think, is all. It’s been a rough morning.” All true, but she hadn’t included her real reason for pulling away. She could never give in to the pull she felt toward him.

“Are you sure that’s all?” he asked, his hand cupping her cheek while the other moved up and down her arm.

The security he offered felt like a warm blanket surrounding her. She hadn’t expected to find comfort here. Looking up into Danny’s eyes, she knew the concern was genuine. He was beginning to care for her. A pang built in her chest, because when all of this was over, she was going to hurt him.

Amber swallowed against the lump in her throat. After everything that had happened that morning--the nightmare and the attack--the realization that she would hurt this man, who’d not only come to her rescue against a pack of crazed wolves, but had offered her comfort when she’d needed it most, caused tears to well up in her eyes. What she wouldn’t give to be the woman he thought she was.