What do Italian food and Italian women have in common? They both give Dante Girabaldi heart burn and, with the exception of his mother, he vows to avoid them at all costs. That becomes impossible when the former military pilot and FBI agent’s first assignment with Deep Six East is to protect Prada D’Angelo, the Italian Ambassador of Women’s Affairs to the U.S.

Straight off the runways of Milan, the gorgeous former model and TV star turned politician has accumulated a string of enemies which includes politicians, a billionaire media mogul and even a prince. Her father wants her protected, but Prada tells him right away she is not going to let him, or idle threats, slow her down. Dante quickly sees she isn’t going to let the threats shut her beautiful mouth either and before he knows it, he is working double time to keep her safe while his team figures out who wants her kidnapped or dead.

A trip to Italy may give Dante the answers he seeks, but it will also bring Prada face-to-angelic-face with her enemies. Can he keep her safe in the most romantic, but dangerous, place in the world? Or will the magic of amore distract him and get them both killed?

Oh my, Becky McGraw has certainly started us off with a winner.

Dante is the new hire for Deep Six East, they already have a client but not the full team. So it’s Dante who gets the job. He’s pretty full of himself too, used to working alone and not with a team, he needs some attitude adjustment as well.

Prada is everything Dante is afraid of and attracted to, smart, beautiful and an Italian woman. The Italian Ambassador for Woman’s Affairs she is focused on woman’s rights in Italy, especially after a real piece of work doesn’t get jail time for his harassment and attempted rape of some co-workers. She hadn’t pressed her charges, but now she would. The man had to go down.

Unfortunately she isn’t the one who asks for protection, it’s her father. Arturo D’Angelo is a high ranking official in the Italian government looking to run for president. He also wants his daughter to wed the man he’s chosen for her, although she’s kicked him out after she finds him in bed with another woman.

The first meeting between Dante and Prada wasn’t in her office although they don’t realize it until he does make it there.

This is a favorite tantrum scene.

An hour and a cup of coffee later, he felt much warmer and calmer as he strolled down the long hallway, reading the office numbers above each door. He didn’t need to know which one was Prada D’Angelo’s, though. He heard her angry, Italian-accented voice echoing down the hallway. He stopped outside the last door to the left, which was opened a crack, to listen.

“What are you doing in my office?” Prada D’Angelo, demanded. “Who gave you permission to be in here?”

“Your assistant,” Dex replied and Dante heard his heavy sigh. “We’re the cyber-security team for Deep Six and are here to secure your office to help your bodyguard protect you.”

“Are you the bodyguards my father hired? If so, you don’t look very capable. You don’t even have a weapon, and she probably couldn’t save herself, much less me!”

Oh, his new protectee was in fine form this morning, he thought. Loaded for bear with that mouth. It took everything Dante had not to turn right back around and run out of this building and not for coffee. That duct tape might be a good first investment.

“No—we are not your bodyguards. We are support staff. Dante Girabaldi will be your bodyguard, but I guess he’s running a little late.”

Yes, he was, because he let himself be distracted by a beautiful ass.

“Well, he can run as late as he wants, because he is going to be fired as soon as he decides to show up,” she grumbled.

Dante pushed the door open wider and lost his breath when he caught his first sight of his protectee. The wildcat from the park. There was no mistaking that ass, which looked even better in a pencil skirt than spandex. When she turned a little to glare up at Dex on the ladder, he got a look at her face, and groaned. He was in deep shit, he thought, as he walked inside.

“And you are too, so don’t waste your time, or my father’s money here,” Prada said, folding her arms over her chest.

“Prada!” A shorter woman, who must be her assistant, glided into the office. “Stop being a testa dura. You know this is for the best.”

“I don’t have time for this, Guilia! You know I have things to do here. You should not have let them in here and I wouldn’t be a tough nut!” Prada shouted.

“Well, you can’t do those things if you’re dead, now, can you?” Guilia fired back, crossing her arms over her chest to stare her boss down.

“You did this, didn’t you?” Prada asked, pointing a finger at her. “You called my father!”

“Yes, I did—because I love you. We em>both love you, and you are not taking these threats seriously,” Guilia replied lifting her chin.

Prada’s eyes darted to the doorway and her mouth opened on a gasp, then pinched tight as her eyebrows crashed together. She stalked over to him to point at the door behind him.

“Get out!” she shouted, then looked back at Dex, who was making his way down the ladder. “You get out, too. All of you, get out!”

“We aren’t going anywhere, Ms. D’Angelo, but please don’t let us keep you from those important things you said you needed to get done in your office.” Dante ignored her angry glare and stepped around her.
Becky McGraw. Heart Burn: Deep Six East Book 1 ARC FILE (Kindle Locations 335-360). Becky McGraw. Kindle Edition.

There are many tantrums from Prada, some tempered by Guilia her best-friend and assistant, others full blast at Dante. She is most determined and frustrating to Dante. He is insanely attracted to her especially when he realizes where he’s seen her before.

With the introduction of the new Team, I think there might be a story with Guilia and Brad, definite connection there. It’s really great to see not only Griff, but also Gray and Mickie. I should mention that Mickie is Dante’s sister and you’ll love their part in this story.

A misogynistic jerk, a Prince who isn’t yet, a father with secrets, the mafioso, some great stuff in Rome and Milan and so much more. You will be turning the pages quickly to see what happens next in this must read beginning to Deep Six East!

5 Contented Purrs for Becky!

  Becky McGraw

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Becky McGraw writes happily-ever-afters with heat, heart and humor. A Jill of many trades, Becky knows just enough about a variety of subjects to make her contemporary cowboy and romantic suspense novels diverse and entertaining. She resides in Florida with her husband of thirty-plus years, is the mother of three and grandmother of one. Becky is a member of the RWA, Sisters in Crime and Novelists, Inc.

Cowboys are a different breed…
They work hard, play hard and love harder.
It’s all about the ride, until the right woman
makes them fall.

Cord Dixon, former bullrider and Mr. Laramie in the world of western clothing modeling, loses his job because he refuses to sleep with his boss. Christmas is coming and his bills are due, so he takes the only job he can find as a mall Santa.

Socialite wedding photographer, Hope Carlisle’s life disintegrates when she ruins the wedding of the year. Desperate, she takes the only job she can find at the local mall as the elf photographer for their Santa kiosk. Hope feels like she’s really hit rock bottom until she meets her sexy Santa and decides taking photos of him would be no hardship at all.

But then grumpy Old Saint Nick opens his mouth, the kids form a lynch mob to take them down, and Hope and Cord run from the mall for their lives. When they put their heads together to hatch a plan to save Christmas, will the magic of the season bond their hearts too?

Let’s take a trip to a ranch in Texas. I love how Becky puts us right into the feel of ranch life. As you read you can smell the hay and other things. But mostly the sweet, fresh country air.

Cole and Hope have last ditch jobs at the Mall, as Santa and his photographer elf. However her first day becomes their last when a screaming child’s antics pushes Cole beyond his limits.

Cole fires his agent, who is faithful to the client and blackballed Cole’s modeling career. With no career he decides to tuck tail and return home where he belongs.

Hope lost everything, her best friend, her fiancé, her inheritance and her family when her camera malfunctioned at a socialite’s wedding. The Mall elf job was to pay her rent, now she’s lost that too. Then she comes up with an idea that would save her career, boost her friend Tina’s company and launch Cole’s career again if he chooses.

With the ranch falling apart, his dad sick and his brother distant from his son, Cole’s return is like a slap in the face. Hope’s initial idea falls to the wayside, but she offers up another way to make everything right for her, Cole and his family.

This is a favorite scene as they work on cleaning the bunkhouse.

Standing on her tiptoes, Hope scrubbed at a cloudy spot on the window at the front of the bunkhouse while she admired the beautiful colors painting the sky as the sun faded behind the trees. A fly picked that opportune moment to buzz around her head. It landed on her forehead, and without thinking, Hope slapped at it with her soapy, gloved hand. Soap slid over her eyebrows and right into her eyes.

She gasped and squeezed them tight, flailing her hands and trying to figure out what to do. She couldn’t rub them, she only had on a tank top so there wasn’t enough material to wipe with, and she couldn’t see to go to the bathroom and wash them out.

“Help!” she shouted as she blindly tugged at the gloves while trying to get them off, but they were suctioned to her hands. She rubbed her face against her shoulder, hoping to hit the thin strap of the tank top.

“Hey—are you okay?” Cord shouted from the kitchen then she heard his boot heels tapping on the wooden plank floor she had just mopped a few minutes ago.

“Your boots are dirty!” she wailed, wiping at her eyes with the hem of her dirty tank top. “You’re gonna mess up the floor!”

“Oh, sorry!” His steps stopped. Hope heard him grunt and figured he must be pulling them off. One clattered on the floor then the other. She fanned her eyes with her gloved fingers then gave up to rub them with her fists. “Oh, man this burns.”

Cord stopped beside her to pull her arm away from her face. Hope couldn’t pry her eyes open. “What the hell did you do?” he demanded gruffly.

“I tried to swat a stupid fly and soap got in my eyes.”

“One second,” he said as he stepped back from her. The next second he was back. His warm fingers closed over her chin, and he gently dabbed at her eyes with a cool cloth, then wiped her face. Cord grabbed her hand to pull her across the floor toward the kitchen. “I think we’re gonna need more water. You probably have makeup in there too.”

Cord stopped at the sink and she heard running water. He swiped an even wetter rag over her eyes. Droplets of cold water streamed down her face and onto her chest. Her nipples hardened and Hope gasped. Cord’s hands stilled for a second then he started wiping again.

When the stinging in her eyes finally stopped, she grabbed his forearm to stop him and opened her eyes. Not two inches from her nose was his firmly muscled bare chest. Cord had evidently been using his shirt to wipe her face. Every tight ripple in his abdomen was on prime display. All the way down to the low slung waistband of his faded jeans. Her eyes followed the dark, thin happy trail bisecting his stomach until it ended there.

Water droplets scattered across the smooth skin of his chest, and Hope fought the urge to lean forward and lick them off. Her head even gravitated that way until she caught herself. Cord’s eyes darted to the front of her wet tank top then back to her eyes. He put his hand on the side of her face and his eyes met hers. “Burning stop?” he asked, his voice more gravelly than usual.

“Yes, thanks for saving me,” she said with a smile.

His thumb brushed over her lower lip, and the burning started elsewhere. His eyes followed his thumb as it made a second pass over her lip. Hope’s knees went weak and she put her hand on his shoulder. Cord put his hand over hers and pulled it off. Heat baked her face as she stepped back from him.

“Gloves,” he explained with a chuckle, his blue eyes shining. “I don’t want to get soap in my eyes too.” Cord took her hand and removed one glove then the other, and threw them in the sink before he gently put her hand back on his shoulder.

Their eyes met, and Hope held her breath. As his head lowered toward hers, his breath brushed her mouth before his lips met hers. The kiss was soft, sweet, and too fast for her to fully enjoy. A soft breath escaped Hope as he pulled back.
McGraw, Becky. Hope For Christmas (A Cowboy Way Novella) (Kindle Locations 729-763). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

From here things heat up in more ways than one, with family drama, and helpers from the rodeo, and Cole’s nephew Jeremy caught in the middle of things he doesn’t understand.

The only thing these two don’t see coming is the love that sneaks up on them.

A story of family and hardship and the love that binds them together whether they like it or not.

The Cowboy Way is one of my favorite series and this is the first book of the series Guaranteed to hook you!

5 Contented Purrs for Becky!

Becky McGraw

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Becky McGraw writes happily-ever-afters with heat, heart and humor. A Jill of many trades, Becky knows just enough about a variety of subjects to make her contemporary cowboy and romantic suspense novels diverse and entertaining. She resides in Florida with her husband of thirty-plus years, is the mother of three and grandmother of one. Becky is a member of the RWA, Sisters in Crime and Novelists, Inc.

Cowboys are a different breed…
They work hard, play hard and love harder.
It’s all about the ride, until the right woman
makes them fall.

Cord Dixon, Mr. Laramie in the world of western clothing modeling, loses his job because he refuses to sleep with his female boss. Christmas is coming, and his bills are due, so he takes the only job he can find. A mall Santa.

Socialite wedding photographer, Hope Carlisle’s life disintegrates when she ruins the wedding of the year. In one fell swoop, she loses her best friend, her business partner and her fiancé. Unemployed and needing a job fast, Hope takes a job as an elf photographer at the local mall. She is not looking forward to her new job, until she meets her sexy Santa.

Individually, Hope and Cord’s lives seem to be a hopeless mess. But with the magic of Christmas in the air, they work together to reclaim their lives and find love in the process.

Let’s take a trip to a ranch in Texas. I love how Becky puts us right into the feel of ranch life. As you read you can smell the hay and other things. But mostly the sweet, fresh country air.

Cole and Hope have last ditch jobs at the Mall, as Santa and his photographer elf. However her first day becomes their last when a screaming child’s antics pushes Cole beyond his limits
.

Cole fires his agent, who is faithful to the client and blackballed Cole’s modeling career. With no career he decides to tuck tail and return home where he belongs.

Hope lost everything, her best friend, her fiancé, her inheritance and her family when her camera malfunctioned at a socialite’s wedding. The Mall elf job was to pay her rent, now she’s lost that too. Then she comes up with an idea that would save her career, boost her friend Tina’s company and launch Cole’s career again if he chooses.

With the ranch falling apart, his dad sick and his brother distant from his son, Cole’s return is like a slap in the face. Hope’s initial idea falls to the wayside, but she offers up another way to make everything right for her, Cole and his family.

This is a favorite scene as they work on cleaning the bunkhouse.

Standing on her tiptoes, Hope scrubbed at a cloudy spot on the window at the front of the bunkhouse while she admired the beautiful colors painting the sky as the sun faded behind the trees. A fly picked that opportune moment to buzz around her head. It landed on her forehead, and without thinking, Hope slapped at it with her soapy, gloved hand. Soap slid over her eyebrows and right into her eyes.

She gasped and squeezed them tight, flailing her hands and trying to figure out what to do. She couldn’t rub them, she only had on a tank top so there wasn’t enough material to wipe with, and she couldn’t see to go to the bathroom and wash them out.

“Help!” she shouted as she blindly tugged at the gloves while trying to get them off, but they were suctioned to her hands. She rubbed her face against her shoulder, hoping to hit the thin strap of the tank top.

“Hey—are you okay?” Cord shouted from the kitchen then she heard his boot heels tapping on the wooden plank floor she had just mopped a few minutes ago.

“Your boots are dirty!” she wailed, wiping at her eyes with the hem of her dirty tank top. “You’re gonna mess up the floor!”

“Oh, sorry!” His steps stopped. Hope heard him grunt and figured he must be pulling them off. One clattered on the floor then the other. She fanned her eyes with her gloved fingers then gave up to rub them with her fists. “Oh, man this burns.”

Cord stopped beside her to pull her arm away from her face. Hope couldn’t pry her eyes open. “What the hell did you do?” he demanded gruffly.

“I tried to swat a stupid fly and soap got in my eyes.”

“One second,” he said as he stepped back from her. The next second he was back. His warm fingers closed over her chin, and he gently dabbed at her eyes with a cool cloth, then wiped her face. Cord grabbed her hand to pull her across the floor toward the kitchen. “I think we’re gonna need more water. You probably have makeup in there too.”

Cord stopped at the sink and she heard running water. He swiped an even wetter rag over her eyes. Droplets of cold water streamed down her face and onto her chest. Her nipples hardened and Hope gasped. Cord’s hands stilled for a second then he started wiping again.

When the stinging in her eyes finally stopped, she grabbed his forearm to stop him and opened her eyes. Not two inches from her nose was his firmly muscled bare chest. Cord had evidently been using his shirt to wipe her face. Every tight ripple in his abdomen was on prime display. All the way down to the low slung waistband of his faded jeans. Her eyes followed the dark, thin happy trail bisecting his stomach until it ended there.

Water droplets scattered across the smooth skin of his chest, and Hope fought the urge to lean forward and lick them off. Her head even gravitated that way until she caught herself. Cord’s eyes darted to the front of her wet tank top then back to her eyes. He put his hand on the side of her face and his eyes met hers. “Burning stop?” he asked, his voice more gravelly than usual.

“Yes, thanks for saving me,” she said with a smile.

His thumb brushed over her lower lip, and the burning started elsewhere. His eyes followed his thumb as it made a second pass over her lip. Hope’s knees went weak and she put her hand on his shoulder. Cord put his hand over hers and pulled it off. Heat baked her face as she stepped back from him.

“Gloves,” he explained with a chuckle, his blue eyes shining. “I don’t want to get soap in my eyes too.” Cord took her hand and removed one glove then the other, and threw them in the sink before he gently put her hand back on his shoulder.

Their eyes met, and Hope held her breath. As his head lowered toward hers, his breath brushed her mouth before his lips met hers. The kiss was soft, sweet, and too fast for her to fully enjoy. A soft breath escaped Hope as he pulled back.
McGraw, Becky. Hope For Christmas (A Cowboy Way Novella) (Kindle Locations 729-763). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

From here things heat up in more ways than one, with family drama, and helpers from the rodeo, and Cole’s nephew Jeremy caught in the middle of things he doesn’t understand.

The only thing these two don’t see coming is the love that sneaks up on them.

A story of family and hardship and the love that binds them together whether they like it or not.

The Cowboy Way is one of my favorite series and this is the first book of the series Guaranteed to hook you!

5 Contented Purrs for Becky!

Becky McGraw

A Jill of many trades, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Becky McGraw has been an optician, a beautician, a legal secretary, a real estate broker, web designer, graphic artist, and romance writer. She knows just enough to make her dangerous, and her humor-laced contemporary cowboy, military and romantic suspense novels varied and interesting.

Becky resides in Florida with her husband of thirty-plus years and her dog Abby.

She is a member of the Romance Writers of America Published Authors Network, Novelists, Inc. and The Sisters In Crime.