kdhmhmm

I've read most of the stuff that Shiloh Walker (J.C. Daniels) has written.  I like most of it, even if stuff about a particular story bugs me.  This is like that.  I liked the characters.  Marc is a musician and a bit of an ass.  Self-absorbed, but not a bad person.  Chaili is a web designer and a semi-recently divorced cancer survivor, which I guess sort of explains the boney cover model (I can't express how much I want to give her a sandwich).  Chaili has been friends with Marc and his half-sister, Shera, for years.  Shera runs a "companion" service.  Recently, Marc has been traveling and making it a point to not visit home often or keep in touch with Chaili.  But, he's home for some reason and his "friends with benefits" cancels on him the morning of a charity party he has to attend.  So, Marc visits Shera's office to schedule a companion for his charity party and Chaili happens upon him while visiting Shera to discuss some web design stuff for the companion service.  She gets Shera to agree to let her be Marc's companion for the charity party.  It goes from there.

So, they hook up the night of the charity party, even though this companion service forbids sex in the contract.  And Shera made Chaili sign a contract.  Marc has no idea Chaili is a cancer survivor and someone she keeps her shirt on during sex.  But how can he not tell?  She seems to have had a double mastectomy and they took everything without any reconstructive surgery and she, apparently, doesn't wear forms.  I'm kind of stumped by this.

Also, there is BDSM.  Not much at all.  He's just really controlling during sex - likes to tie her up, etc.  There is a BDSM clue called Blue's, though.  And it just feels so nefarious when it's referred to along with his "needs".  Chaili went there when she was married to her ex-husband.  Marc is an active member and goes there to hook up with women who get his "needs" and will keep it private.  Marc ends up taking Chaili there because he wants to take her on a "date" without the public or press harassing him (since he's a famous musician).  This is where the big "I love you" stuff takes place and it bugs me.  Didn't seem very special.

I think I'm just in the wrong frame of mind for BDSM type stuff, at the moment.  Had I known this story contained it, I probably would've put off reading it until I felt differently.  Also, I would've liked if it had continued on a little more or had an epilogue instead of ending so abruptly.  I wanted Chaili to call Marc on some of his past behavior when she asked him out and he said he was tired and wanted to rest, but then she saw pictures of him in the press at a party that same night.  I also wanted to hear him tell her about meeting up with Lily.