BLACKMAILED BY THE HERO

BLACKMAILED BY THE HERO                  JULIE PARTICKA

The wrong bed. The wrong guy. 

Party planner Vicky Stone is on a post-divorce mission. Not only does she intend to land her dream promotion, she's going to indulge in a night of hot hook-up sex. Preferably with the hunky actor she just met at a work function, no-fraternization rules be damned. Fortunately, his drunken directions included a right that should have been a left, landing her in bed with her brother's extra-hot, extra-off-limits best friend instead of the unemployment line.

And, oh, he feels good. Too good.

Bad boy Dante Palladino's forbidden fantasies are about to come true...until Vicky realizes who she's feeling up. And to find out she risked her job for sex with some loser? Not on his watch. Dante throws down the ultimate, albeit self-serving, blackmail. Vicky will date him-and only him-and her secret will be safe. But Vicky swore never to fall for another guy who could break her heart...and Dante's on course to do just that.

MY REIVIEW:

     This story for once was different in the fact that the woman, Vicky Stone, didn’t want to be saved or taken care of by a knight in shining armor.  It rested on her wanting to do so alone yet almost to solo.  And at a risk to her safety.  Vicky was a totally different than most LA types though.  She could never seem to put it into words but she knew what was guiding her sails after her horrible marriage rustling in a divorce to Brandon her ex.

     You see she was due to get married to him five years ago when she met her brothers best friend Dante (Inferno) Palladino an ex pro wrestler turned actor.  Evan her brother is an actor and that is how they met.  When she met him a few months before her wedding when she had gone to visit her brother.  Dante had been working with him.  They talked for a lot she had been attracted to him and his easy way about him.  Then she left, not thinking anything of it.

     For a couple of weeks she kept running into him sometimes alone and sometimes with Brandon.  That didn’t seem off she just figured she just noticed him more since she would not before.  Especially now knowing he was Evan’s.  Then Evan had told her to keep her distance that Dante is bad news and because you know what they say about wrestlers.  She didn’t but she wasn’t single so she wouldn’t have to worry, she was getting married.  Although she did admit to herself that it was nice to receive the adding attention and have stimulating conversation.

     Now though she’s divorced from Brandon a year but it had been two years since she had sex.  Her friend Jade and she had been besties for a long time and pushed each other to make these milestones so we continue to move on in their lives.  Vicky’s most extreme on for her was to have a one night stand to get back in with both feet into the dating world.  She had three weeks or she would lose.  Vicky really didn’t want to date until she got her live in order and worked in a job where she could support herself.  That way if anything were to ever happen in the next relationship she would have her career to fall back on and not be left with nothing like with Brandon.

     She was now working with Elegant Entertainment a party planning service.  She was starting from the bottom with hopes of moving up one she was off probation.  She wanted no handouts from her mom or brother.  She especially didn’t want special treatment because her brother is a big ticket actor.  Now being at the party she is on a kick thanks to her BFF Jade, to get laid.  She didn’t even care if it was a client. So, when Reed Russell comes on to her and asks her up to his room after the party she said, “Okay.”  He gave her directions and she waited for all the employees and the owner from Elegant to leave the mansion before she goes back into the mansion after driving her card to a dark spot in the parking area.  One minor flaw in the plan.  Reed’s room got changed and she didn’t know it.  When she got into his room it was dark and figured he had fallen asleep but decided to move forward.  You know it was now or never.  She stripped part way down just in case it was only going to be a quickie.  She gets in bed and decides to wake him up with a make massage on his woody she noticed.  She starts slowly handling him but then realized she ended up in a bed with a man with a piercing on his member.

     She stopped for a minute because then she remembered that at the party earlier she ran smack dab into Dante her one that got away.  He was sparing with her like they always did in that fun way but this time it hurt and scared her as in risking her heart was too scary to risk.  Anyway, he had mentioned that he had a member piercing.  When all of a sudden Reed wakes up with a start saying her name.  Then he says I thought you said you weren’t interested she said he was wrong.

     The thought he had of having her and being in her made him roll her over in the bed holding her in his arms above her when he says, “I told you I only showed the piercing to women I really liked.”  She paused her movements and then jerked back pushing him away.  She did it so fast that she rolled off the bed hits the floor with a thud.  Dante turned on the light next to the bed.

     See how these two handle this new discover in their relationship.  Find out how they maneuver a infatuation long held for one another, a want to be with each other but the fear that it brings, and for Vicky finding how to balance taking care of herself with allowing someone else to care for her too. 

     I totally enjoyed this story.  It take you into the mind of a woman who was take advantage of by her ex and was scared by him emotionally.  Coming to terms with the fact that she had let the best man she had ever met get away on here say only to find him again and allowing doubt to guide her.  See how this man who never stopped loving this woman want to change his life basically so his could be worthy of her one day even if it never happened but more importantly to do for a man who had taken on the father figure in his life and helped molded him into a man.   I give this 5 stars. Provided by Netgalley.com

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