When I started writing romance, all my ideas were geared toward the Harlequin and Silhouette contemporary romances. Then one day, my toddler daughter gave me the first line of my first single-title book. A couple of years later, I wrote the first 16 pages. Two years after that, I wrote the book. The heroine was a spy, her soulmate a cursed dragon. There was a lot of fighting and weaponry and alpha-type males and kick-ass females.
When Silhouette Bombshell was announced, I practically gushed glee. I wrote and submitted a few books and partials before Bombshell closed, and by then I was hooked. Every book since has been romantic adventure.
Which is kind of weird, because I used to abhor violence. In college, two of the biggest fights I had with my now-husband were over letting kids watch violent programming and having a gun in the house. My stance on those hasn’t changed in context, but whoa have I changed when it comes to entertainment. I’m not sure if it’s because empowerment often underlies action movies and TV shows, or if there’s something more primally attractive about a strong guy who’s capable of vulnerability wielding a pistol with confidence.
In my current (non-paranormal) romantic adventure, Behind the Scenes, the hero is not an alpha male. He’s actually pretty good at fighting his instincts and letting Kennedy do her job to protect him.
Rogan watched the group striding toward them and weathered a surge of adrenaline. The guy and two women wore nearly identical expressions of determination, and though he’d watched them come in and knew they were with the new security team, they didn’t inspire warm fuzzies. More like fight or flight. The bodyguard who’d been assigned to him for weeks stiffened and stepped forward, putting himself in front of Rogan. He checked his instinctive move to the side to see better. Being protected wasn’t coming easy to him, but he was learning.
The tall brunette in jeans and a leather jacket seemed to be in charge. She held out a hand to Rogan’s bodyguard.
“Kennedy Smyth, SmythShield. This is my team.” She gestured to the group that had fanned out around her. “Anything we need to know?” she asked the bodyguard, who shook his head.
“It’s all in the briefing report.”
“Okay, then. We’ll take it from here. Thanks.” She patted the man on his upper arm, closing in on Rogan and dismissing her predecessor.
Whether it was the patronization, the touching or the dismissal, Rogan wasn’t sure, but the man’s face darkened an instant before he grabbed Kennedy’s arm, swinging her around. Her guy—about half the size of the one he was replacing—crushed Rogan back against the wall, shielding him. Somehow, in that second, his old bodyguard wound up on the floor, Kennedy’s foot on his neck and his arm twisted between her hands. The other female SmythShield operative shielded Bailey, while Bailey’s former bodyguard laughed.
“Nice work,” the guy on the ground said, grudgingly. Kennedy let go and helped him up, and the guy on Rogan eased off so he could at least breathe.
“Just testing,” his former guard said in a clearly insincere apology.
“SmythShield doesn’t need to be tested.”
He shrugged. “Reputation sometimes exceeds ability.” He motioned to Rogan and Bailey. “They’re all yours.”
“Thank you.”
Dismissing him for real this time, Kennedy turned to Rogan and his costar. “Let’s try this again.” She flashed a smile, and gone was the warrior she’d been a moment ago. Rogan was impressed despite himself. He wouldn’t have guessed she had any charm in her, from the way she’d taken control.
“I’m Kennedy. We have a three-person personal detail on you two and M.J., where the threat has been focused. We’ll be doing pretty much what your last personal security did, but we’re probably more intense. Similar rules. You don’t go anywhere without one of us. You don’t enter a room, outside of this building, without one of us checking it first. If you see anything suspicious or of concern, signal us. We’ll be watching. Don’t worry about looking paranoid. You won’t get laughed at. Youwill get scolded for not communicating with us. Got it?”
They nodded, Rogan suppressing an ill-advised grin. Kennedy focused on him. “You have any problems being guarded by a woman?”
“No, ma’am.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You have problems being guarded at all?”
“No. I understand the stakes.” Not that he thought they were that high, but cooperation was the smart approach to take.
She nodded, seeming to believe him. “How about you?”
Bailey squeaked and shook her head. Kennedy nodded again, and introduced the people with her. They split up a moment later, the sturdy-looking Stacy following Bailey to makeup, Clay taking up position next to Rogan.
Rogan watched Kennedy stride toward the catwalk, not realizing how focused his attention was until Clay touched his arm.
“You need to go to makeup?”
“No, I’m done.”
“Okay.” He stood at ease, waiting. Despite his smaller size, Rogan had a feeling Clay was better trained. Something about the loose-but-ready way he held his body, or the way he seemed to take in all the movement around them without getting distracted by it. Or maybe it was just that Rogan got the sense Kennedy Smyth wouldn’t stand for less.
“She married?” he asked before he knew he was going to.
“Nope.”
Rogan waited, but Clay didn’t say more. His gaze went back to where Kennedy now stood talking to a tech and examining some piece of equipment. She wasn’t his type. But damned if he didn’t find himself intrigued.
Behind the Scenes
Carina Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | AudibleYou can learn more about Natalie and her books at her website, eHarlequin, Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook. She blogs with four other obsessed passionate Supernatural fans at Supernatural Sisters, with a number of fantastic romance authors at Everybody Needs a Little Romance, and just to hear herself talk at Indulge Yourself.
She also has a paranormal romantic adventure out now, if that’s a little more your speed:
Under the Moon
Entangled Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
