I’m that guy.
Camilla Landry rustles against me, the silky fabric of her overpriced lingerie slipping along my bruised rib. The porcelain perfection of her skin is even more innocent against the colorful ink dotting my own. It’s demure meets damage, pampered meets punctured.
So, yeah, it’s obvious I’m that guy. Dominic Hughes. Her attempt at rebellion. Her bid to see what the other side of the tracks feel like. I’m okay with being used because, from where I’m sitting, the other side of the tracks have never looked so good.
He’s standing in the doorway, one hand on the sweatpants that hang just below his chiseled hips and the other leans on the frame. The tattoos that mark his flesh are vivid against his bare skin, making the blues of his eyes shine.
He flashes a lopsided smile my way. “Took you long enough.”
“I don’t drive like a bat out of hell,” I laugh, stepping past him. “Did you shower already?”
“Yeah. I smelled like gym floors.”
“As long as you don’t smell like gym whores,” I say, setting the bags on the table in the kitchen.
His laugh is contagious and I feel myself smiling. A set of arms cage me in from behind, grasping the table on both sides of me. My skin breaks out in a shiver as his lips find the sensitive spot behind my ear.
His face buries in the crook of my neck and he takes a long, leisurely breath. “You smell so good.”
“Keep doing that,” I say, relaxing my head onto his chest.
“What?”
“Talking with your mouth against me.”
“You like this?” he asks all breathily so that each word whispers across my skin.
My eyes fall closed as I relish in this moment of nothing but him. “No, I love this.”
“Can I tell you a little secret?”
“As long as you keep talking, you can tell me whatever you want.”
He chuckles, dotting kisses up and down my neck. “I love this too, feeling your body give up the fight of the day and let me take over.” He turns me in his arms so I’m facing him. “I love that you trust me enough to let your shoulders sink out of that perfect posture you walk around with.”
As he reaches up and undoes the elastic in my hair, I watch his features soften. He moves carefully, unwrapping the tie from the twisted mess in my locks, careful not to pull.
“There,” he says, cupping the back of my head through my long tresses, “that’s better.”
“You don’t like my hair up?”
“Not like you had it. You look to lunching-y,” he says, wrinkling his nose.
“Lunching-y?”
“Yes,” he grins.
“You are too cute.”
“You are too fucking sexy.”
Reaching up, I swipe the pad of my thumb over the cut above his eye. He flinches, but just for a second. “What happened?”
“Bond’s right hand.”
“I hate him.”
“So do I,” he snickers.
“Let’s get some ice for it.”
He leans in, his brows tugging together. “Let’s not.” His eyes hood as he takes me in, his tongue darting out and wetting his lips. My knees weaken, my body humming with delight at his reaction.
“I want to take care of you,” I whisper, although that’s really on the backburner now. “Let me baby you.”
Instead, he lifts me up and places me on the table. My stomach clenches as he positions himself between my thighs, my sundress curling at my waist. I ring my legs around him, pulling him so close that the soft cotton of his sweatpants rubs against my opening.
He looks down. “You aren’t wearing panties.”
I cannot tell you how long I’ve been waiting to get Camilla Landry’s book from the lovely and talented Adriana Locke. Wait, yes, I will. I’ve wanted to know what’s been up Cam’s sleeve since her first appearance in SWAY, the first book in the Landry series, and, finally, we’ve got it in SWINK.
Camilla is definitely one of my favorite of Adriana’s female characters to date. She’s smart, sassy, and, when it comes down to it, ready to step out from under the safety of her family umbrella and live for herself. Watching the way that being with Dom allows Cam to blossom into a woman finding her place in the wider world, one that is sure of herself and her ability to make her own way, is truly heartwarming.
Dominic Hughes can more than hold his own with the Landry clan. Showing them that he’s more than a stereotype allows him to widen his own perceptions and horizons as well, and step up to be the man that Cam not only wants, but needs. His strength is in how different he is from anyone that Cam has known before, and his eventual understanding of how special he truly is stole my heart.
I am a sucker for a Romeo and Juliet sort of read, and SWINK definitely has some of that going on. But what is even more satisfying is the real, true emotion, the way that Cam and Dom truly have each other’s best interests at heart. Their road isn’t an easy one, but it’s worth every bump, and I thoroughly enjoyed traveling it with them.
Adriana can’t write a bad book, and SWINK is right up there with her best. The perfect mix of sexy, angsty, and passionate, with plenty of Landry shenanigans thrown in, this 4.5-star read belongs on the TBRs of romance lovers everywhere. This book is truly worth the wait, and I highly recommend it.
USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own.
She resides in the Midwest with her husband, sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather’s nice and there’s always a piece of candy in her pocket.
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