Book: Honor Bound (Knights of the Board Room #3) by Joey W. Hill Genre: BDSM Published year: 2013 - previously released in the anthology Laced with Desire published in 2010. Rating: 5 out of 5 (*****) The blurb: Bestselling author Joey W. Hill reveals the erotic bond between a Master and the beautiful submissive who stole his heart. Recapturing their night of unparalleled passion won’t be easy—but love won’t be denied… Peter Winston is a successful business man and a captain in the National Guard. On the night before his second tour in Afghanistan, he and his partners at Kensington & Associates head out to enjoy an upscale BDSM club. While the evening begins with laughter and whiskey, it takes a sharp turn when Peter, a sexual Dominant, sets his eyes on a beautiful masked submissive… Army Sergeant Dana Smith doesn’t often seek the shelter of a man, but being Peter’s gives her a welcome sense of sanctuary. What begins as a night of fantastic pleasure becomes something they hope will never end. But duty calls, and it will be over a year before they can see each other again. And when they do, things have drastically changed. Severely injured in the line of duty, Dana has lost her sight and her will to live. But Peter doesn’t accept defeat in business, battle or love. With the talents of the other K&A males, he’ll set the stage for another special night for them, knowing that only a submissive’s willingness to trust her Master will bring her back to love and life again.

My Review:

"“If you let me into your soul, let yourself be inside mine, you’ll always see me more clearly than anyone.”"

"“Even though I'd love to hear your sweet voice, even if it was only words on a page, it doesn't matter. When I sleep, I share dreams with you. You're right next to me in this cot. I hear your breathing, and feel peace; at the same time I ache because you're also so far away. I think loving you, having you in my life, will be like that. A never-ending craving and peace at once.”"

WOW!... WOW! WOW! WOW!

This was the third time I read this story and can I just say that I absolutely LOVE it and don't tire of it?

This book is not only beautifully written but also full of emotional moments. One of my JWH all time favorite.

Dana is strong, generous and feisty with sparkle of mischief. As for Peter, can I just say that a loving and determinate to fight to keep the woman he loves man is HOT.

"“I don’t want to win the battle, Dana. I want to take the field, win the war. When I make love to you in this bed, it’s going to be because you’ve accepted you’re with the man and the Master you want for the rest of your life.”"

"“There you are,” he murmured. “The girl I met in that club. As far as my heart goes, you have it, sweetheart. God’s going to have to fight you for it.”"

Though neither Dana nor Peter is into extreme pain or practices, I'd say that they are both on the hardcore side of the BDSM. Dana is aware of her submissive nature since she's a teenager and as for Peter, well, this quotation explains it better than my words would.

"He’d brought her into this kind of setting for a reason. He was the hard-core trappings, the dungeon, the spanking bench and whips. If he’d taken her into a dungeon, she might have been terrified down to her toes."

They are both about to go on a military mission in the Middle East when they meet at The Zone an upscale BDSM club in Florida (Tyler-from-The-Nature-of-Desire-series's club), and...

"Holly shit.
For a second, he thought he was looking at Ben's special arrangement, but because Ben knew Peter's tastes, he wouldn't have arranged for this girl. Not unless he'd reached ass deep inside of Peter and pulled out some unconscious dream he hadn't realized he had. All the attributes that Peter usually sought weren't obvious in this one. In fact, she wasn't anything like the women who usually attracted his attention. Yet here he was unable to look away."

They first night together is mind blowing. But Dana doesn't believe in fairy tales or love at first sight, and though Peter (the man and the Dom) is everything she ever dared to dream of, she already lost too many loved people and isn't prepared and willing to face that kind of risk again.

"Finally, she'd given up, basking in the freaking glow of the most amazing experience she'd ever had.[...] Last night had overflowed with magical trappings, perfect timing, everything. That wasn't real. In a real world, Cinderella had to go back to being Cinderella the next day."

Fortunately, Peter is determined to follow his gut feelings and not let her go.

"But he saw her and, God, it was exactly like last night. Everything he'd learn about this particular woman would fascinate him; he was sure of it. He'd want to learn more and more. This was real. [...]
He'd take anything, even thirty minutes in a coffee shop, but she was running late. So he'd have to treat the next ten minutes as the most important of his life - without scaring the shit out of her."

The airport scene was one of the best goodbye scene ever. And the letters episode is just b e a u t i f u l.

"I can't believe I agreed to this shit. One minute I feel like some lovesick fool; then I remember that kiss, the way you ran to me at the airport, and I can barely breathe."

They each go their way, and a year or so later when he's back from his military mission, Peter is first devastated to learn that not only Dana was severely injured but she also lost the will to fight, then determined to bring her back to life.

"[...] But he was still warring with it, the need to nurture and yet take her over at once. Hold her close and spank her within an inch of her life for scaring him. Well, hell, there was time for both, wasn't there? [...] Then he could sate his overwhelming desire to give her the tenderness and comfort he had stored to overflowing in him, learn everything he wanted to know about her."

If I wasn't already in love with Peter, I would have fallen for him then.

"Peter knew she was afraid. He ached to tell her that she didn't have to do anything, that he'd protect her from everything. Every instance of fear or pain she had tore him apart inside. She'd had months, but it was still new to him. He wanted to grieve with her for what she'd lost, let her know the utter terror he'd felt at the idea of her being gone from his life before she'd really fully entered it."

"“I know, sweetheart. I wish I could take away your fear, but the only way I know to do it is to help you face it. I’d face it for you if I could.”"

I also would like to say that this book is all about Dana and Peter. We'll meet the other K&A men, but there is no sharing in this book.

"“Shh... let me hold you. I've burned to hold you, sweetheart.”"