Ethan Cooke Security and their bodyguard team return to action in Deceiving Bella – book eleven in Cate
Beauman’s Bodyguards of L.A. County
series.
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reviews and a 4.4 rating for the entire series, see why the Bodyguards of L.A. County is a
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series is a stand-alone title. Although reading the books in order is
preferred, it is not necessary. Each
title features brand new primary characters and limited overlapping secondary
characters. Don’t hesitate to jump right
in!
Isabella
Colby has always yearned for normalcy. Now that she’s settled in LA, she
finally has it. Good friends, a pretty home, and her thriving career as the
Palisades’ top skincare specialist are a dream come true. Bella is content until
she meets her hunky new neighbor, but her attraction to the blue-eyed cutie is
the least of her worries when contacting her long-lost father threatens to
destroy her happy life.
Reed
McKinley is more than ready to forget the past. His seven-year stint as an NYPD
detective nearly got him killed. His wounds have healed and he’s starting over
as Ethan Cooke Security’s latest recruit. With sixty-hour workweeks and little
time to himself, the last thing on his mind is a relationship. Then he bumps
into the gorgeous woman next door.
Reed
and Bella become fast friends. Before long, Reed discovers that Bella is
keeping dangerous secrets. Bella may have the answers to decades-old questions
he’s been searching for. Reed will risk it all to uncover the truth, but he
soon realizes that the deeper he digs, the direr the consequences.
The Inspiration Behind Deceiving Bella:
I must admit that one of my most favorite parts of the
writing process is figuring out who my characters are going to be. Typically, I
have vague ideas but as I start the storytelling process, my heroes and
heroines evolve and grow until I can visualize them as living, breathing
people. I always begin with character sketches, giving each central figure in
the story a life that starts with their birth and takes them to the present
day. It’s vital to know who they are and how they tick (the experiences that
make them exactly who they are when my readers meet them). For Deceiving Bella, I thought it would be
fun to share an adventure where the hero and heroine have absolutely nothing in
common (or so it seems). Despite Reed and Bella’s differences, they make a
great team. I hope you enjoy their story.
Read an excerpt from Deceiving Bella:
They kept a slow pace, strolling in silence as the breeze
plastered their clothes to their bodies and the constant sound of waves
hypnotized, lulling Reed into relaxing by degrees.
“Thanks for coming with me tonight. It’s nice having
company.”
He looked at Bella, staring at the fading light playing off
her eyes. “The water smells better than a bunch of sweaty guys.”
“Your gym.” Her brow creased ever so slightly as she held
his gaze. “What do you do for fun?”
“Work and box.”
“Sounds…like a good time.”
“I like it.”
“Do you smile?”
He frowned. “Huh?”
“I was wondering if you ever smile—or laugh. I haven’t seen
you do either since we met.”
He sent her an exaggerated grin.
She laughed.
He smiled for real this time, finding her laughter
infectious.
“You do smile. I
wasn’t sure if you had some sort of facial paralysis we hadn’t discussed yet.”
He grinned.
“You should do that more often.” She hooked her arm through
his.
He almost missed a step as the warmth of her skin met his,
surprised by her casual gesture. He wasn’t used to people being so
touchy-feely. “I do it plenty.”
“I’ll have to take your word for it.”
How was it possible she smelled even better now that they
stood so close? It had to be her hair. “I don’t know what to say to that.”
She stopped abruptly. “Are you seeing anyone?”
He studied her, not sure that he liked where this was going.
“No. You interested?”
She shook her head. “You’re not really my type.”
He tried to ignore the direct hit to his ego. “You’re not
mine either.”
Another smile warmed her face. “I think we could be great
friends, and I like projects—love them, actually.”
His frown returned. “And that means…”
“It means I like you. And I love that you don’t seem to have
any interest in getting into my pants.”
Years of concealing any and all facial expressions kept his
eyes from popping wide. “Wow.” He ran his hand through his hair, speechless
once again. “Okay.”
She laughed. “I’m a big fan of honesty—putting it right out
there.”
He chuckled as he settled his sunglasses on top of his head.
“Clearly.”
They started walking again.
“There’s something about you that feels…safe.”
He raised his brow, taken aback. He’d been called many
things, but this was a first. “Safe?”
She nodded. “Safe. It’s a good thing, but you’re pretty
serious. We need to lighten you up. You need to play more.”
“I play plenty. I box.”
She scoffed, “Beating someone’s face in can’t lead you down
the road to happiness.”
Her side brushed his with every step. He imagined he should
ease away, break their connection, but he liked the way she felt, that she
trusted him. “There’s more to boxing than beating someone’s face in.”
She looked at him as if she wasn’t so sure.
“I’ll have to show you—” He glanced over his shoulder when
he realized they hadn’t seen Lucy for a while and laughed as the dog lay on her
back in the sand with her front paws in the air. “What is she doing?”
“Sunbathing.”
He laughed again, shaking his head. “I’ve never seen
anything like that.” His eyes met Bella’s as she stared at him. “What?”
“You have a great laugh.”
To his surprise, he was having a great time. It shocked him
further that he liked Bella as much as she seemed to like him. Being here with
her was exactly what he’d needed. “How long do you want to stay?”
“The sun sets soon. It’s the best part.”
The sand wasn’t bothering him much, and he couldn’t remember
the last time his shoulders felt so loose. “I don’t have a blanket.”
“We can sit on our shoes.” She tossed hers down. “We can
plunk ourselves right here.”
Lucy rolled to her side, stood, and ran their way.
He shrugged, dropping his flip-flops to the ground. “I guess
this is as good a place as any.”
“It’ll be spectacular.” She took his hand, pulling him down
next to her. “You won’t regret it.”
“We’ll have to remember a blanket next time.”
She smiled. “You want to come back?”
He stared ahead, petting Lucy when she curled up next to
him, breathing in Bella with each inhalation. “I could see myself doing this
again.”
She gave his shoulder a bump. “Good. You can be my beach
buddy.”
He nodded, liking the idea. “Yeah, sure.”
“Great.”
“Great.” He crossed his ankles in the sand, his foot
brushing Bella’s as they settled in to enjoy the show. It had been too damn
long since he watched a sunset.
Did you enjoy the excerpt? You
can read the first chapter on my website, www.catebeauman.com, or you can finish the whole book with the
links below!
About the author:
International bestselling author Cate Beauman
is known for her full-length, action-packed romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County. Her
novels have been nominated for the National Excellence in Romance Fiction
Award, National Indie Excellence Award, Golden Quill Award, Writers Touch
Award, and have been named Readers Favorite Five Star books. In 2015, JUSTICE
FOR ABBY was selected as the Readers' Favorite International Book Award Gold
Medalist, while SAVING SOPHIE took the Silver Medal. SAVING SOPHIE was also
selected as the 2015 Readers Crown Award winner for Romantic Suspense and
FALLING FOR SARAH received the silver medal for the 2014 Readers' Favorite
Awards.
Cate makes
her home in North Carolina with her husband, two boys, and their St. Bernards,
Bear and Jack. Currently Cate is working on her twelfth full length romantic
suspense novel.
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