Title: Guarded Desires
Series: The Uniform Encounters, Book 4
Author: Morticia Knight
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: Novella (163 Pages)
ISBN: 978-1-78184-972-9
Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing (February 7th, 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
Reviewer: Lisa
Blurb: A sexy young National Guardsman, a snarky bear of a DEA Agent and a vicious Mexican drug cartel. Someone’s going to be sorry.
Special Agent Stephen Morris thought his home life had settled into a pleasantly dull routine. Hanging out in his yard and barbecuing is a typical weekend for the brawny mid-thirties man—and his partner, Rigo, from the DEA office is usually there with his family to keep him company. Being assigned to a main border crossing in Nogales, Arizona, keeps him busy enough at work, so he doesn’t have time to worry about love. However, that doesn’t mean he’s not lonely.
Twenty-two year old PFC Guardsman, Joseph Pirelli, is on an active-duty-for-training mission to help support border patrol and the DEA. The Vasquez drug cartel has become even more vicious than ever—going so far as to target civilians on both sides of the border. Joseph and Stephen are thrown together in a direct conflict with the cartel and a part of Joseph’s dark past is revealed.
Joseph is incredibly attracted to Stephen, even though he doesn’t typically go for older men. He longs to find love, but is still recuperating from an abusive past. The idea of becoming close to a man who could physically harm him brings up fears that may ruin his chances at any kind of relationship with the big teddy bear agent.
Sometimes love shows up when you aren’t looking for it and gives you a chance you shouldn’t ignore. Both men will have the opportunity to wonder what it would be like to lose the other and to decide what they’re willing to risk to be together.
Purchase Link: https://www.totallybound.com/guarded-desires
Review: This is book four in this series and should be read in order however they can be read as a standalone book. This book has it all, excitement, danger, sexy men, military men, DEA agents, drug cartels, death, betrayal, and lots of love. Morticia gives you such wonderful characters that you will fall in love with. This particular story caught my attention from the very start and kept it all the way to the end. It was an amazing read.
Special Agent Stephen Morris thought his home life had settled into a pleasantly dull routine. Hanging out in his yard and barbecuing is a typical weekend for the brawny mid-thirties man—and his partner Rigo from the DEA office is usually there with his family to keep him company. Being assigned to a main border crossing in Nogales, Arizona, keeps him busy enough at work, so he doesn’t have time to worry about love. However, that doesn’t mean he’s not lonely. He is an amazing man with such tenderness and love. One night in one of the bars, he comes across a very gorgeous young man, whom you can tell has been hurt before. He knew that he would have to take it easy with Joseph.
Joseph is a Guardsman, but not for the actual reason one would think. He had been in a relationship with a man when he was younger, but the man was cruel and nasty. He had beaten Joseph and then made him have sex with him. Threatening his family if he ever left, he had no idea what to do till they came to arrest Dorian. He knew then that he never wanted to be that weak again. So he had joined the Guards and got stronger. He had not expected to come across a bear of a man. A man he wanted, but was so scared of. He just had to trust himself and trust Stephen. He knew deep in his heart that this man would not hurt him.
There is a time when each man will see what it feels like to lose one another and what it means to give all they have to protect also. When Joseph is taken hostage, Stephen knew that it was a setup but he would give his life to get the man he loved back.
I loved this story. It was told with the perfect tone to it, there is just a hint of humor but most of the time it is with so much seriousness that you can be right there with them when they are in danger and fighting. There are so many reasons why I think someone should read this, but sometimes you just have to trust. I would recommend this because of the story line itself, two hot and sexy men, military men, law enforcement men, and lots of danger. The sex is pretty hot too. I loved the fact that Joseph did everything he could do to overcome all the pain he had went through and turned it into a gift. A gift that let him move forward to be with the man he loved.