By Annabeth Leong
An alpha male can produce a visceral reaction in me, but I don’t always think he’d make a good boyfriend. I’ll admit that the arrogant type can start to wear on me, and in real life I like the sort of guy who’s willing to sit and talk for hours, and who actually knows how he feels. I enjoy reading a story about falling for an alpha as much as the next girl, but when I start writing a guy I’d actually want to be with… he’s often not what I’d call an alpha.
In my latest release, The Fugitive’s Sexy Brother, my hero Javier is the younger brother of a suave, well-known criminal. I think he’s hot—he’s a highly skilled hacker with a great sense of humor, he looks great in his older brother’s suits, and he knows how to appreciate a strong woman. I didn’t set out to avoid the alpha stereotypes when writing Javier, but as I assembled the cast of characters, I noticed that there were a bunch of alpha types around him who seemed a lot showier than he did.
Javier’s older brother runs a criminal organization. The heroine’s ex-boyfriend is a superstar bounty hunter. When I saw the three together, I feared my hot hacker would fade into the background.
So how does a non-alpha stand out in a field of perfect torsos? Here are five things I think the non-alpha has got going for him:
1. He can set aside his ego. Javier supports his love interest without insisting on doing things for her.
2. He’s articulate and expressive about his feelings. Javier isn’t afraid to say the “L” word, and he knows how to handle conversation about and around it.
3. He knows when to back down. Javier doesn’t need to win every challenge then and there. He knows how to play the long game.
4. He’s not afraid of having “girly” skills. Javier is a whiz at braiding hair.
5. He can relax and act goofy. Javier and his love interest can joke around while they’re making love, and he never feels his manhood is being threatened.
I don’t mean to say that an alpha male can’t have the qualities I listed above. However, the trope I see most often is the strong, arrogant, silent type. He’s got his place, but I also want to make room for some of his less forceful brothers.
Title: The Fugitive’s Sexy Brother by Annabelle Leong
On the Hunt Series
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic, Romance, BDSM elements
Length: Novel
Summary:
Emily Boysen is sick of low-level bounty hunting jobs that don’t pay her rent, and sick to death of her ex-boyfriend taking credit for her work. Ready to claim her due, she takes on the quarry of a lifetime, the notorious Fernando Bonavita. But instead of the fugitive, she captures his sexy younger brother, Javier.
Javier Bonavita never wanted to know the truth about his older brother’s activities, instead protecting him out of loyalty. When he uses his hacking skills to pose as Fernando, he never expects to uncover crimes he can’t stomach. Beautiful Emily has no idea how glad he is to be in her custody—as long as he’s her prisoner, he doesn’t have to face his brother.
Passion flares between Emily and Javier, and soon he’s putting the handcuffs on her. Suspicion grows along with their feelings, though. A sinister plot centers around Fernando, and untangling it will test their loyalties to the limit.
Purchase Links: Ellora’s Cave * ARe * Amazon US * Amazon UK
Excerpt
Javier snorted, then stiffened when metal brushed his wrists. He twisted in Emily’s grip. “What if you need my help?”
“With what?” Emily’s voice snapped at him hard, all lightheartedness banished.
If he could have, Javier would have stumbled back a few steps. “I don’t know…” He raised an eyebrow, wondering what he could have said to make her so sensitive. “Navigation?”
She stared at him with utter incredulity for several moments. She gave him a little shove, enough to open a bit of space between their bodies. “Yeah, I don’t need help with that either, jerk.”
Javier concealed his disappointment at the loss of contact. “Jerk? What did I say?”
Emily more than made up for the moment he’d spent apart from her. In a second, Javier slammed to the floor with her on top of him, her legs engaged in the interesting straddling maneuver she’d used the day before. Her body stretched out to maximum length on top of him, her forearms definitively pinning his wrists. Her nipples were definitely hard. Javier would have enjoyed this more if he’d been able to breathe better.
She brought her face close to his, her hot breath whispering across his cheek. “I had no trouble taking you down yesterday, and I had no trouble doing it just now. Any time you need a reminder of how much I don’t need your help protecting myself, you just let me know.”
Javier frowned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, come on. Navigation? Because girls can’t fight, and they can’t follow directions either, right?”
“I’d be an idiot if I thought you couldn’t fight.” Javier gasped. She was doing that thing again where she made her body feel like it weighed five times more than should have been possible. Also, he was struggling with the urge to rock his hips up to press more firmly against her body. “As far as navigation, I was just looking for a useful skill that I actually have. Now, could you please let me live? I have absolutely no doubt that you are capable of strangling me to death, despite what I must point out as my well-developed and rather attractive torso.”
Emily froze in place. A moment later, her body began to shake. Javier’s brow wrinkled in concern. He fought his way out of her suddenly loosened grip, got a look at her face and realized she’d started laughing convulsively. “Wow,” she gasped. “Wow. I must have sounded crazy as hell.”
Javier relaxed onto his back, feeling more free to enjoy the sensation of her seated on top of him. “Based on what I just learned, I am definitely going to put off calling you crazy until I’m back on my feet and well out of tackling range.”
“Probably wise.” The expression on her face was downright friendly. She lifted her torso off his and sat back on her heels, her back arched and breasts pushed forward. The appearance of woman on top compelled him too much to resist. Javier reached for Emily’s hips.
“Listen, I don’t know how people normally talk to you, but I have no trouble believing you’re a powerful and capable woman.” She didn’t pull away from his touch. Encouraged, Javier continued. “I’m very good with computers. And you normally pay someone to help you. All I’m saying is I might be able to help with your computer troubles so you can get on with being your usual badass, competent self. No insult intended.” His fingers tightened, and he gave in to temptation and ground up against her just slightly. “Quite the opposite.”
Author Bio
Annabeth Leong has written erotica of many flavors. She loves shoes, stockings, cooking and excellent bass lines. She always keeps a new e-book loaded on her phone and a paperback stashed in her purse, but her eyes are still bigger than her stomach whenever she visits a bookseller. She blogs at annabethleong.blogspot.com, and tweets @AnnabethLeong . Watch for her next contemporary erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave, Get Laid.
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hmm, I am not sure but I think I would rather be the hunted, I am not a dominant person. This book looks very good and interesting. Thanks for the giveaway.
I would rather be the hunted. LOL
Thank you for the giveaway.
I like being hunted, but I don’t mind doing a little hunting.
I like being hunted, but I don’t mind doing a little hunting.
Thanks so much for hosting me today, and thanks also to those leaving comments!
Its hard for me to choose but I think I’d rather be the hunter. Of course, I’m in a vicious mood today. 🙂
Depends on my mood. Today, I am in an Okay mood, so I would rather be the hunted. Yesterday, I would have been the hunter because I was ready to take out my frustrations.
Thanks for sharing and for the giveaway.
What an interesting question. If I had to choose, it would be the hunter.
I think I would rather be the hunted.
Book sounds very interesting.