Fast Burn - Lori Foster (HQN - Mar 2018)

Series: Body Armor (Book 4)

For the woman who’s his perfect match, he’s willing to break the rules…

The moment Brand Berry meets beautiful, driven Sahara Silver, the connection between them is electric. It’s also something he can’t pursue. Sahara wants him, sure -- to join Body Armor, where his MMA skills, size and cocky attitude make him perfect for her elite crew of bodyguards. For Sahara, the agency always comes first, and Brand needs more. Yet when she’s kidnapped by men searching for her missing brother, he doesn’t hesitate.

Somewhere along the way, flirting with Brand for the sake of business turned very personal. Despite his refusal to join Body Armor, it’s Brand who steps up when Sahara needs him most. Now there’s no more time for games, and no point denying the hunger they both feel. They’ll escape together or not at all. But if they survive, can Sahara finally surrender control to claim this blazing passion?

Good conclusion to this series. Though it can be read as a stand-alone, the experience is richer if the previous books are read first.  From the moment that Brand and Sahara met in the first book, there has been an undeniable connection that is more than just physical attraction.  However, both resist it.  Sahara wants Brand to join the team at Body Armor and she pulls out all the stops to make it happen, but Brand isn't having it.  He knows he couldn't work for her, as that would cause too many problems in the workplace, as the heat between them wouldn't be contained for long. Besides, she is bossy. Good in a boss, not so much in a relationship. So he keeps turning her down, and she keeps pushing for him to say yes. But things change the night she is kidnapped.

I liked both Sahara and Brand. Sahara is a strong, intelligent, sassy, and dedicated to the business. She inherited Body Armor when her brother disappeared and was presumed dead. She's certain he's still alive and is determined to make the business bigger and better while she tries to find out what happened to him. I loved her interactions with all the fighters. She's a little over the top at times, but it's obvious that she respects their abilities. She also appears supremely confident at all times, though occasionally there is the smallest hint of vulnerability, which she immediately hides with attitude. And though she would never admit it, she was also a bit lonely, at least until the fighters came into her life. I loved seeing the friendships that developed, not just with them, but also with their ladies. There were some really terrific scenes that took place outside of work, where Sahara discovers that she doesn't always have to be the strong one.

Brand is an MMA fighter at the top of his game. He is honest, protective, and honorable. He isn't going to put himself in a position where he will have to compromise his values, so he keeps his distance from Sahara and her wiles. There are times when he isn't sure if she just wants him for the agency, or if she is interested in him for himself. Brand also has some things going on in his personal life that are a bit of a distraction for him. He needs to make a decision about his fight career - is he going to keep fighting, or move on to something else? Fighting gives him the money he needs for his other problem - taking care of the woman who gave birth to him, then dumped him with her sister to raise. There's a bit of resentment and bitterness there that eats away at him.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Brand and Sahara. Throughout the series I have laughed at seeing Sahara work so hard and get nowhere with him, and at Brand's amusement as he resists all her ploys.  I liked his honesty as he made it plain to her that he wants her, but not as a boss. As much as he's determined to stay away from the agency, he wastes no time stepping up when Sahara gets kidnapped. I loved seeing him stand up to his friends and insist on being involved. I loved his controlled determination to get to her, and his care for her once he did. With the threat still out there, there was no way he was going to leave her unprotected. I liked the push and pull between them, as Brand insisted on having his way, and Sahara equally insistent that she could take care of herself. Being together 24/7 brings their attraction front and center and giving into it is just as incendiary as they expected. It is also much deeper than just physical. It was fun to see the two of them as they adjusted to both of them wanting to be in charge. Their time together also gave them time to really get to know each other. I liked how Brand appreciated Sahara's strengths, but he also saw past those to her vulnerabilities. I especially liked his attitude toward the things he learned about her brother. Sahara employed her usual tactics as a way to get past some of Brand's walls. Her methods of trying to make things easier for him with his mother were not exactly appreciated by Brand, and I wanted to smack him for not seeing what she tried to do. With both of them being such strong personalities, learning how to compromise was not an easy road, but it was a fun one to observe. I loved the ending as they both gave a little to get a lot.

The suspense of the story was really good. The mystery of her brother's disappearance was on Sahara's mind throughout the series. She was the only one who believed that he was still alive. When she is kidnapped, it is because the kidnappers believe that she knows something. The kidnapping and rescue scenes are very intense. I loved Sahara's attitude throughout, even though she puts herself at risk. There is also something very creepy about the boss of the kidnappers. His apparent obsession with Sahara adds an extra layer of intensity to the situation, as do the scenes from his point of view. The attempts on Sahara continue to escalate and she becomes more convinced that Scott is alive. The final confrontation was a real page-turner as I waited to see just how it was going to play out. There were some very interesting twists, turns, and revelations before it was all over. I loved the last scene at Body Armor.