Former CIA agent Bailey Jones is trying to forget her one night of passion with mercenary Sean O'Reilly. But that's a little hard to do when she turns on her TV and watches a news report of a bank robbery and funny enough, one of them seems to be Sean. Given their record, Bailey isn't sure who to trust anyone and when Sean's twin brother implicates matters, this is where Elle Kennedy really shines.
In a gripping, tautly-written novel, Elle Kennedy really shows off her writing talent. I've read a lot of Kennedy's books before but I think she has the most to offer when it comes to this series. With a hero like Sean O'Reilly, there's really no question that you'll be falling head over heels for him. Plus there's the added benefit of reading all the action-packed scenes and seeing all those muscles work in and out of the bedroom. Kennedy's heroes in this series are all multi-dimensional and bad-ass but the O'Reillys might just be my favorites.
That being said, one cannot forget about the heroines. If you're a fan already, then you must be aware of how intelligent and strong Kennedy's heroines are. They aren't just lingering behind the action but are present and active in each of the scenes as well. It's really inspiring to see and I love that Kennedy can portray their vulnerabilities without weakening them at the same time.
The Killer Instinct series continues be one of my favorite Romantic Suspense series. In addition to all the great action and stellar characterization, Kennedy doesn't shy away from the sexy either. As a result, it makes for an erotic blend of action, suspense and sex. What more could a reader want?
Former CIA agent Bailey Jones has spent months trying to
forget her night of passion with mercenary Sean Reilly. An
elite and methodical assassin, she has no room in her life
for
a reckless, rule-breaking Irishman, and sheโs vowed to
steer
clear of the tempting bad boy who lured her into his bed
under
false pretenses.
When Sean is implicated in the robbery of a Dublin bank,
Bailey knows something isnโt right. So what if she canโt
trust
him? Thereโs no way Sean would end up on the wrong side of
the
law. In fact, heโs stuck in the middle of a dark and dirty
conspiracy that could put his twin brotherโs life at risk
with
one wrong move. And Baileyโs life too when she agrees to
help.
As the stakes are raised and Bailey finds herself torn
between
two brothers, the fine line between danger and desire is
crossedโฆand itโll take more than a killer instinct to
survive.
EXCERPT
Thwack. Thwack-thwack. Thwack.
Bailey tried to ignore the sounds reverberating on the
other side of the loft, but it was a difficult task. Sean
had been battering that punching bag for the past hour,
fists slamming into leather as Bailey sat on the couch, her
frustration growing by the second. Couch, bed, and punching
bag. Somehow it made sense that those were the main pieces
of furniture in Seanโs loft, because sleeping, fucking, and
fighting were probably the only things Sean Reilly was
interested in. That, and gathering information.
The last thought sent her gaze in the direction of the file
cabinets. She really needed to figure out a way to break
into them. What kind of dirt had Sean unearthed about her?
Thwack. Thwack-thwack.
And why wasnโt OโHare calling back? It had been three hours
since Sean had texted the man, and Bailey was beginning to
get anxious. OโHare had to have seen the news, must know by
now that his men were dead. And he definitely knew that
Sean was alive and in possession of the flash drive. So why
wasnโt he making a move? The man had gone to a lot of
trouble to secure that drive, which told Bailey he was
eager to get his hands on it.
Her gaze traveled back to Sean, and her pulse skipped in
the most aggravating way. Heโd stripped off his shirt,
which left him in those ill-fitting khakis that rode so low
on his hips they were in danger of falling off.
Despite her better judgment, she focused on his chest. His
very bare chest, which was . . . Fine, it was truly
wonderful. Roped muscles and golden skin assaulted her
vision. He didnโt have much body hair, save for a dusting
between his heavy pecs and the dark line leading to his
groin. He was built like a warrior. Tall, broad, and
deadly.
Before Bailey could stop it, the memory of being underneath
that powerful body flashed in her head, and she almost
moaned out loud.
The sex had been good.
No, it had been more than good.
But so what? Sean had lied to her from the word go. Heโd
deceived her. And just because sheโd known he was doing it
didnโt excuse his behavior.
What kind of man pretended to be his twin to get a woman
into bed?
She jerked when his gaze suddenly locked with hers. Heโd
caught her staring, but he didnโt comment. He simply
released another one-two punch that made the black leather
bag sway wildly. God, he looked . . . feral. Bloody
knuckles, handsome face covered by a sheen of sweat, sleek
muscles coiling from every deadly strike of his fists.
โHavenโt you had enough yet?โ Bailey called out, not
bothering to hide how frazzled she was.
He kept on swinging.
โSeriously. Youโre going to fuck up your hands.โ
Breathing hard, he let his arms fall to the sides. He
slanted his head, watching her with an expression that made
her skin break out in shivers. Feral, all right.
She rolled her eyes. โWhat, youโre in adrenaline overload?
You need to hit something this bad? Because youโre going to
hurt yourself if you keep it up.โ
โWhat the hell do you care, luv?โ But her words must have
penetrated that thick skull of his, because he grabbed a
towel from the workout bench behind him and used it to wipe
his sweaty face.
Then he strolled toward her, slow, predatory. Red blotches
stained the white towel in his hands as he wiped his
knuckles on the terry cloth.
โYou got me,โ he told her. โIt is adrenaline, and you know
why? Because I robbed a bloody bank today, Bailey. And when
Iโm feeling this way, thereโre only two activities that
calm me down.โ He shrugged. โFightingโs one of them.โ
โWhatโs the other?โ she asked, then cursed herself for
opening her stupid mouth.
Because his green eyes were gleaming now, smoldering with
sin. โWhat do you think, luv?โ
Several seconds ticked by as their gazes held.
โItโs fucking,โ he drawled. โPure, hard-core fucking.โ
Her breath lodged in her lungs. Seanโs sultry gaze held her
captive, making it impossible to turn away. The man
radiated sexuality. He always had. It heated his eyes and
rippled through his body, and whenever he directed all that
sensual energy her way, her body responded.
โWould you like to help me out with that?โ A mocking note
entered his deep voice. โBecause Iโm more than happy to
stop tearing up my hands and put them to better use.โ
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