One Night Stand: Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knox
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Along Came Trouble (Camelot #2) by Ruthie Knox
Contemporary
Loveswept (March 11, 2013)
Heroine: Ellen Callahan – Mother, Lawyer
Hero: Caleb Clark – Sergeant, Security Business Owner
Setting: Ohio, USA
Review:
Ellen Callahan is furious. There is a paparazzi photographer on her yard, trying to spy on her pop star brother's pregnant ex-lover, Carly. Not only that, but he's stepping on her plants. No matter how much she yells and threatens him, he will not leave. Then, tall, dark, and handsome Caleb Clark shows up. Ellen's knight in shining armor immediately saves her by getting rid of the photographer casually with his stern 'I will kick your ass and enjoy it' voice.
After this interesting meet and greet, Ellen finds out Caleb is the security guard her brother has hired to keep Ellen and Carly safe from the annoying paparazzi. With that said, Caleb begins to explain to her the kind of changes she needs to make in order to secure her home. Caleb is a little bit too domineering for Ellen. And this makes Ellen feel like she's lost control over her life and home. She refuses his help and fires him on the spot.
"What we're going to do now, honey, is negotiate."
But Caleb does not give in that easily. After doing some intense negotiating with Ellen, he convinces her to let him make some changes to her home for better security. However, neither one expected, nor wanted, to fall head over heels in lust with one another. But they do. This leads to a different kind of negotiating - sex but with no strings attached. And a verbal contract is formed.
Ellen - independent, divorcee, single mother, has been burned by her ex-husband. He is not only an alcoholic but a liar and a cheat. He manipulated her, controlled her, used her, and degraded her. So, when she became pregnant with her son, she decided enough was enough. She was not going to raise her son in a toxic home. Ellen then leaves her husband to start over. But Ellen has been damaged mentally. Trust and accepting help from others doesn't come easily. When she left her husband, she wanted nothing more than to get her self-worth and independence back. For the first time in a very long time, her life was hers again.
Caleb is home from Iraq after serving in the military for over a decade. He is an all-around really great guy. He owns a security company, helps his parents out with their apartment complex, is a good friend and brother, and is determined to protect Ellen Callahan from the nosy press. Ellen throws him for a loop. He's never planned for the future but something about this woman makes him think about having a family. Companionship. And, for once in his life, he is determined to claim this sassy, beautiful woman who keeps him on his toes.
"I want to take you out on dates. I want to get to know you better. I want to get to know your son better. I want to make love to you repeatedly, in every position I can think of. And I want to spend the night."
I absolutely adore Caleb. He's oozes charm and sex. Swoon. He's also kind, funny, confident, excellent with his hands (yum), and determined. His determination paid off when he managed to burrow his way into Ellen's heart. It was touch and go at first. She pushed and he pushed right back. I have to give it to Caleb--he put up with a lot of Ellen's crap. The man has the patience of a saint! It definitely took a strong man to handle Ellen's prickly side. But no matter how prickly she came across, as a reader, I could tell it was all a show to cover her insecurities from being in a marriage where she lost all control of her life. She used her independence as a vice to keep people out.
"Oh, man, Caleb could kiss. He could really, really kiss. He could kiss like kissing was the only thing on his agenda, and honestly, if you could kiss like this, why put anything else in the day planner? She'd be happy to lie here kissing Caleb for the next twelve to twenty-four hours."
Ellen and Caleb were fun and sexy together. They have great chemistry, not only in the bedroom but outside. They are both independent, straight-forward, and very stubborn. Which means the flirtatious banter and verbal sparring was extremely funny and very entertaining.
"Take it all off, soldier." Her smile turned sassy. "Make it snappy."
"Yes, ma'am," he answered, and kissed her again.
This story is mostly about Caleb and Ellen, but there is a great subplot woven into the main story. This story is about Ellen's brother, Jamie, and his ex-lover, Carly. They are on the outs after Jamie makes a really idiotic mistake. I really enjoyed this side story. I smiled and laughed and swooned over Jamie. I’m greedy, though. I kind of wish they got their own story separately. And it has nothing to do with Jamie being based off of Justin Timberlake. Nope. Not at all. *wink*
Along Came Trouble is the second book in the Camelot series. You don't have to read the novella, How to Misbehave, first. But, trust me, it's worth reading. I loved it. Miz Knox has a magical way with mixing dirty and wicked sex scenes, charming and quirky characters, and playful banter perfectly. Don't miss out. I'm totally looking forward to the next book in the series, Flirting with Disaster.
Thoughts While Reading:
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