A couple of weeks ago, we got an email from a reader friend who used to read our old blog, Sanctuary’s Finest. She was a really big fan of my Hero of the Month posts so I thought that just for her, I’m going to try a lot harder to do more of these kinds of posts. So Salma, this is for you sweetie.

This month’s Hero of the Month goes to Connor MacAllister from Julie Garwood’s The Wedding.

Connor MacAllister is a hero of stubborn courage and of a tiring quest to avenge his dead father. A quest he swore to keep as his father laid there dying in his arms. He’s got a vendetta to accomplish and nothing or nobody is going to stand in his way until he has avenged his family. He’s lived a life of blood, fighting and war all his life that he knows nothing else and so we, the readers see how much he needs laughter and love in his life.

Enter Lady Brenna.

Lady Brenna had her work cut out for her when she came into Connor’s life. Right off the bat, she knew that he had issues that he had to work through and she knew that she would have to be patient when showing him the love he most needed. It would be a long time coming but soon enough, Connor was making our knees weak and our hearts sigh with scenes like this one:

She let him know how much she liked what he was doing by scoring his back with her nails and crying out with pleasure. “Oh, God.”

“Nay, lass. Connor.”

*sigh* I have yet to read about a hero who is like this one. A hero who could be so hot damn arrogant and lovable at the same time, the kind of hero that can pull off a scene like this one:

“Do you want me to make love to you again?” He lifted his hand away from her mouth.

“When hell freezes over.” She didn’t actually shout, but her voice was still loud enough for his men to hear.

“You will not shout at me ever again. Is that understood?”

“It is,” she answered.

“My hearing is never going to be the same.”

“I’m sorry. What you said took me by surprise and I… Finished, Connor? Is that how you thought to reassure me?”

…”It was a compliment. I was obviously satisfied with you or I wouldn’t have been finished. I’m a man of few words, Brenna.”

“I’ve noticed.”

He turned his attention to the rewarding pleasure of kissing her.

“I don’t usually feel so unsure of myself,” she whispered. “But it was my first time.”

“I noticed.”

He kissed his way down the side of her neck.

“Why are you doing that?”

“I like the way you taste.”

She shifted her position to give him better access to her shoulder. “How do I taste?”

“Like honey.”

He heard her sigh in the darkness. It would have been easy for him to take her by surprise, but he would never do such a dishonorable thing. Brenna was going to have to give him permission, and if she didn’t give it soon, he would have to leave her while he had enough discipline.

“Do you know what I think?” she whispered.

“No, but you’re going to tell me, aren’t you?”

“I don’t want you to—never mind. I mean to say that I…” She couldn’t go on, for Connor had just reached the valley between her breasts, distracting her entirely.

“You’re soft everywhere. You make me burn to have you.”

She thought his words were wonderfully romantic. For a man of few words, he was doing exceptionally well at giving her exactly what she longed to hear.

“Is there anything you don’t like about me?”

“Aye, there is,” he whispered. “You talk too much.”

“You turn my head with your flowery words, husband. Make love to me now.”

“I’ll hurt you.”

He didn’t seem concerned about her discomfort though, for he’d already pushed her chemise down to her hips. He paused to kiss each of her knees before finishing his task of ridding her of her undergarment.

His hands were everywhere. He stroked her legs, her thighs, her hips, and her breasts. His gentle touch was maddening and made her restless for more. She wanted to caress him with the same care he was showing her and was about to demand he let go of her when he snatched the very thought right out of her mind by leaning down and kissing her breasts. His tongue brushed over one nipple, and she thought she would die from the exquisite torment, and then he began to suckle. She squeezed her eyes shut and made a sound very like a whimper.

…She had acted like an animal in heat, hadn’t she? She was suddenly desperate for reassurance before her embarrassment turned into shame. She wouldn’t beg or demand he convince her that what they’d done had been all right, or let him know she was at all embarrassed now. He might say things just to appease her then, and not mean any of it. She’d catch him by surprise, she decided, so that he wouldn’t guard his reaction.

“Connor?” God help her, even her voice was trembling. “Are you dead then?”

He smiled against her neck. “No.”

“Did you hurt me?”

She couldn’t believe she’d asked him such an absurd question. She’d meant to tell him he hadn’t hurt her, hadn’t she?

It was apparent to him that she hadn’t quite recovered from their lovemaking just yet. He was arrogantly satisfied, of course, because he was fully responsible for her condition.

His heat was making her drowsy. She didn’t want to fall asleep before she’d gotten rid of her embarrassment and meant only to close her eyes so she could concentrate.

“Do you know what just happened?”

She smiled in anticipation, for surely he was now going to give her the reassurance she needed.

She should have known better.

“Hell just froze over.”

Can you imagine your husband getting away with saying something like this? Can you imagine the hell you would put him through for saying something like that? HA! Connor had the amazing ability to be so daft when it came to women and their feelings and yet at the same time, he was comforting and protective. He protected what was his and the lengths he went to protect and to avenge those he loved, most especially his heroine are reasons why all of us read romance novels. To be swept up in the romance between a hero and a heroine. To know that the hero would do most anything for the woman he loves.

In the beginning of the story, Connor didn’t need or want Brenna’s love but to see his attitude toward his wife change as the story wore on softened every little part of me. He was such a fantastic hero, one of those memorable heroes because we saw the taming of the rough and tough Highlander. We saw him turn from the fierce warrior to the loving husband at the end and it was scenes like this one that sealed his fate as one of my most favorite heroes by Julie Garwood:

“This used to belong to you, Connor.”

“It still belongs to me, Brenna. And so do you. Now and forever.”

She shook her head. “It’s too hard,” she cried out.

He removed his sword, handed it to Crispin before he dismounted, and walked forward.

“I’ll make it easy for you. Please don’t cry. I know I hurt you.”

The priest rushed forward to offer a cloth to Brenna. One look from Connor made him change his mind.

He backed away, turned around, and strolled toward Gillian.

Brenna felt as though the world were intruding on her now. When he took hold of her hand and walked down the path toward the gardens, she didn’t pull away from him. She kept her head down and thought to wait until they had some privacy before she said good-bye to him.

The lack of privacy didn’t bother him at all. “I know I hurt you. I should have protected you from Raen. I will have to live with my mistake for the rest of my life. I don’t expect you to forgive me, Brenna, but I…”
…

“I love you,” he said again. Tears streamed down her face. He gently wiped them away for her and pulled her tight against him. “I know you love me. Why didn’t you tell me? Were you afraid?”

“I didn’t tell you how I felt because I knew you didn’t love me. Yes, I was afraid, but you weren’t afraid, were you?”

He leaned close to her. “Yes, I was. Brenna, you scared the hell out of me. If I loved you, I became vulnerable. What would happen to me if you died? And then it was too late. I couldn’t protect myself from you, but once I realized I loved you, I felt reborn inside. One of us will surely die before the other, but the memories will sustain the one left behind. You know what?”

“What?” she whispered.

“I’m never going to let you go. I know you deserve far more than I can ever give you. It doesn’t matter, though. You’re mine.”

*sigh*

Do you see why Connor is this month’s Hero of the Month? He’s too smexy not to be…and I love him now I bid you to love him too…go on, if you haven’t read his book, you should because it’s the bomb and he’s even better. Go on and read his book and I dare you not to love him as much as I do, it’ll be impossible, trust me.

I heart Connor and so will you.

This book and excerpts are available from Simon and Schuster. You can buy the book, here.